I think this weekend will be the last that we spend up at the land working outside this year. It's now mid-December in New England and it's getting pretty cold. We've had some single digit temps in the evenings and a few days this past week never made it out of the teens.
We're really happy with the work we have accomplished this Fall. We've cut down a number of trees at the house site. It's a much safer working environment now. We have also come close to a final decision on where precisely the house will be located.
There are many things we can do over the winter, such as talk to the appropriate people about the septic design, finalize house plans, start identifying sources for building materials, and find a machine that will suit our needs.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tool humor
My father in-law sent me this email joke today about tools. I thought it was pretty funny. Let's hope we learn the proper way to use tools for our upcoming projects.
Tools Explained
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh--!'
SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
SON-OF-A-BITCH TOOL: (A personal favorite!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a BITCH!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.
Tools Explained
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light . Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say, 'Oh sh--!'
SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes , trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in use.
SON-OF-A-BITCH TOOL: (A personal favorite!) Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a BITCH!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Arm is Improving
After only 10 days, the splint and sling have come off my arm. I was told that because of the type of break I have, if I leave my arm casted for too long, I'll have trouble ever straightening it again. So I have to start moving it very soon.
I went to a massage therapist yesterday who deals mostly with athletes and their injuries. She was able to do some work on me and I have increased range of motion already.
I hope it's not too soon to say this, but I'm really optimistic that I'll have a quick and full recovery!
I went to a massage therapist yesterday who deals mostly with athletes and their injuries. She was able to do some work on me and I have increased range of motion already.
I hope it's not too soon to say this, but I'm really optimistic that I'll have a quick and full recovery!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Septic Design Bids Are In
I send out requests for bids on the septic design not too long ago. I have received back 4 of the 5. One was priced much higher than the others, so they are automatically out. That leaves me with 3 to compare.
1. Purcell Associates. This is the firm that my cousin Pat knows well. I was interested in getting a quote from them since Pat recommended them. I sent them a detailed description of what we wanted to do in terms of a septic design. I heard back from Tom, and he indicated that our plan was unrealistic in terms of having a septic system that has a leaching field 600 ft away from the house. That's certainly not what we wanted to hear. We are going to call Tom and talk to him personally to better understand what the implications of that are. The house next door has the same set up, so we walked into this thinking it was possible.
2. Ross Associates. This is the firm that has been to the land already to do the plot plan and perc testing. I was interested in getting a quote from them since they are already familiar with the layout of the lot. I was, however, a little disappointed in the quote we got. The price is fine, but the description of the work included in that price was a bit wishy-washy. We'll need to get clarification on some points. If we do hire them however, we could probably get a better price since we are probably going to have them come out to mark the shared boundary line with the neighbors.
3. Hannigan. This is a firm whose name came up a number of times when I read through recent Planning Board meeting minutes. I get the impression that they do a lot of work in the area and are used to dealing with the town. I do think that they gave us a cookie-cutter bid, and didn't really consider the feasibility of our plan.
So now that we have the bids in, we need to evaluate them, get any necessary clarifications, and make a decision.
1. Purcell Associates. This is the firm that my cousin Pat knows well. I was interested in getting a quote from them since Pat recommended them. I sent them a detailed description of what we wanted to do in terms of a septic design. I heard back from Tom, and he indicated that our plan was unrealistic in terms of having a septic system that has a leaching field 600 ft away from the house. That's certainly not what we wanted to hear. We are going to call Tom and talk to him personally to better understand what the implications of that are. The house next door has the same set up, so we walked into this thinking it was possible.
2. Ross Associates. This is the firm that has been to the land already to do the plot plan and perc testing. I was interested in getting a quote from them since they are already familiar with the layout of the lot. I was, however, a little disappointed in the quote we got. The price is fine, but the description of the work included in that price was a bit wishy-washy. We'll need to get clarification on some points. If we do hire them however, we could probably get a better price since we are probably going to have them come out to mark the shared boundary line with the neighbors.
3. Hannigan. This is a firm whose name came up a number of times when I read through recent Planning Board meeting minutes. I get the impression that they do a lot of work in the area and are used to dealing with the town. I do think that they gave us a cookie-cutter bid, and didn't really consider the feasibility of our plan.
So now that we have the bids in, we need to evaluate them, get any necessary clarifications, and make a decision.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
It's Too Early For a Setback
This past weekend, we were at the land clearing some trees. We decided to take a break and go for a walk. During the walk, I tripped over something and fell. On my way down, I held out my right arm to break my fall, and proceeded to break my arm.
I took an ambulance to Leominster Hospital and was treated and released. They diagnosed a "radial head fracture". Luckily this kind of break does better if you start to move it after just 2 weeks of mobilization. So no wearing a hard cast for 8 weeks. I'll have to start physical therapy in a few weeks.
At least it's getting cold and it's not the beginning of our work season. That would have stunk.
I took an ambulance to Leominster Hospital and was treated and released. They diagnosed a "radial head fracture". Luckily this kind of break does better if you start to move it after just 2 weeks of mobilization. So no wearing a hard cast for 8 weeks. I'll have to start physical therapy in a few weeks.
At least it's getting cold and it's not the beginning of our work season. That would have stunk.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Blogs Tool Giveaways
There are many blogs that I regularly read. I find it's a great way to learn about a given subject area I am interested in. Sure, I could read a book about whatever the subject is, but blogs are typically written by people just like me - the average American - who has tons of knowledge and real life experience.
The blogs that I like to read are posted in the bloglist on this page. The three subject areas I read the most about are cooking, personal finances and home improvement.
This morning I was reading the latest posts over at OneProjectCloser. They are a group of friends from Baltimore that write about their home improvement adventures. I really enjoy reading their blog; especially their product reviews. Right now, they are doing a tool giveaway (which they regularly do). This giveaway is for a Dremel Trio. I haven't seen this tool before, but it looks really cool.
Check it out:
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Requests for Septic Design Bids are Out
Today I sent requests for septic design bids to the two firms I want to hear back from. It's the first bid requests we've asked for on this project.
I feel a little guilty asking a firm to spend time writing up an estimate for me, knowing that I'll be saying no to one of them. I don't want to waste anyones time. But I guess that's the name of the game. Every book you read on the subject, and everyone you talk to about hiring contractors, tells you that you should always get three bids. How else are you going to know if you are getting a good price.
I think I have a lot to learn about this whole bidding process. This is a good place to start though. Hopefully it will be a smooth process.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Septic Design
On one of our recent tips to the land, we ran into a neighbor (Don) who was talking to the owner of a well-drilling company. I had not yet investigated local well drillers, so it was good to meet him and get his contact information.
My neighbor Don has had a surface well on his property, but now wants to put in a deep well. We also will need a deep well. Don will hire the man he was talking to, and is going to talk to him about giving us a price break if we both have wells drilled at the same time. We think we could get a price break since it means only having the drilling equipment brought in one time.
To be in a position to hire a well-drilling company to put in a deep well, we need to first have a septic design done (I'm sure) and have it approved by the town (I think?). Having the septic design done will also include plotting the location of the well.
Once we have that, the drilling company will know where to install the well. From what I understand, we will not need a permit from the town to have that work done.
Don plans to have his well done in the spring, so if we want to take advantage of using the same company at the same time, we need to get going now on having the septic design done. I am going to get quotes from two organizations. Normally I like to get three quotes, but the two I am going to get quotes from both come highly recommended.
The first is the organization that did the perc tests on the property originally. They are David E. Ross Associates in Ayer. They have all the documentation already, and the man we bought the land from told us that they were good top work with. I have talked to them a few times already (when I was looking for the perc docs) and I was happy with the interactions I had with them.
The second is Purcell Associates in Oxford. My cousin Pat, who is a local builder, uses them and recommended them. They are more local to our current location, and it may be easier to conduct business locally. I have to get them all the documentation from the perc tests, but that's really no big deal.
I think the winning bidder will soley depend on price. I am interested to see how much of a price difference there is between them.
My neighbor Don has had a surface well on his property, but now wants to put in a deep well. We also will need a deep well. Don will hire the man he was talking to, and is going to talk to him about giving us a price break if we both have wells drilled at the same time. We think we could get a price break since it means only having the drilling equipment brought in one time.
To be in a position to hire a well-drilling company to put in a deep well, we need to first have a septic design done (I'm sure) and have it approved by the town (I think?). Having the septic design done will also include plotting the location of the well.
Once we have that, the drilling company will know where to install the well. From what I understand, we will not need a permit from the town to have that work done.
Don plans to have his well done in the spring, so if we want to take advantage of using the same company at the same time, we need to get going now on having the septic design done. I am going to get quotes from two organizations. Normally I like to get three quotes, but the two I am going to get quotes from both come highly recommended.
The first is the organization that did the perc tests on the property originally. They are David E. Ross Associates in Ayer. They have all the documentation already, and the man we bought the land from told us that they were good top work with. I have talked to them a few times already (when I was looking for the perc docs) and I was happy with the interactions I had with them.
The second is Purcell Associates in Oxford. My cousin Pat, who is a local builder, uses them and recommended them. They are more local to our current location, and it may be easier to conduct business locally. I have to get them all the documentation from the perc tests, but that's really no big deal.
I think the winning bidder will soley depend on price. I am interested to see how much of a price difference there is between them.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Welcome Friends and Family
Welcome to our blogHi all. I wanted to invite you all to my new blog. As you know, Justin and I have bought land that we intent to build a home on. We know this is going to be a long, physically and mentally demanding process. Many of you have started to ask us how it's going and what are plans are. We thought that having access to the blog I started would help you to follow what we are up to and the progress we are making.
I started this blog when we were looking for land, and knew that I would continue it through every phase of this project. It's a way for me to keep my thoughts straight, express my feelings and sort things out in my mind.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with blogs, it's just like an online journal. The authors writes "posts" (journal entries) as often as they like. Those posts are listed on a web page with the most recent ones first. Readers can scroll through the website to read the posts. As the blog grows, if you get to the bottom of the page, you may need to click on the OLDER POSTS button to see more.
So if any of you are inclined to check in on us, this is probably going to be the best place to do that. You can even leave us comments if you like. I intend to write at least one post per week and include information on what are plans are, what type of work we are doing at the time, how we are feeling about the project and what obstacles we are facing. I will also include pictures along the way to record our progress.
This is just an invitation. No RSVP required.
I'm going to write this blog for myself even if nobody ever reads it. We certainly don't want to push our stuff on anyone else. We know that just because we love our new project that others may not care to hear about it. This is just an invitation. Please don't feel obligated at all. No RSVP required.
Thanks all!
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work We Go
So we are officially land owners, and we're not wasting any time getting started. Where to start isn't exactly clear though.
On a recent visit, we realized that there are a lot of trees that need to get cleaned up, regardless of where we plan to put the house. A few years ago, there was a massive ice storm that went through the area and did significant damage to the trees. There are now a lot of dead tree limbs hanging way up in the tree canopy. On top of that, there are just a lot of dead trees that need to come down. We felt pretty unsafe walking around, not sure of what would fall on our heads.
So we decided the best starting point would be to take care of some of those issues, particularly in the areas where we know we will be building. We have a small chainsaw already, and this week we bought ourselves some hard hats, chainsaw chaps, loppers and a good hand saw. This weekend, Justin took down about 20 dead trees, and I took care of clearing out the saplings that were in his way.
It was a good start. We worked for about 4 hours and felt like we made good progress. At least it's much safer now. It was nice to be outside getting some fresh air too. I think we're in for a lot of that in the future.
So what did we learn this weekend?
1. We need to drink plenty of water while we are working.
2. Hard hats are our new best friend.
3. Dressing in layers is best.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Land bought and house sold! Hallelujah!!!
So even though we did things a bit backwards from the original plan, it all worked out okay. We got another offer on the house shortly after signing the P&S on the land. The timing even worked out so that we can have both closings on the same day.
So in three weeks, we'll be land owners and free of the house we have been trying to sell for the past year. We are very grateful for the way things worked out, and feel as though the plan is really coming together.
The next few weeks will be crazy with packing and moving into the condo. Then we can get going on doing some clearing at the land, and designing the new house. That sounds like a good winter project to me!
So in three weeks, we'll be land owners and free of the house we have been trying to sell for the past year. We are very grateful for the way things worked out, and feel as though the plan is really coming together.
The next few weeks will be crazy with packing and moving into the condo. Then we can get going on doing some clearing at the land, and designing the new house. That sounds like a good winter project to me!
Friday, September 10, 2010
We were meant to buy this land!
Do you believe in being in the right place at the right time? Have you ever felt that you were guided to a certain place in time because something was supposed to happen just then?
Well, that's how we felt last weekend. We originally had plans for our Labor Day weekend, which included going to the Red Sox game on Sunday afternoon. We thought, however that our house was about to sell, so we decided to be responsible and stay home, pack and do other moving related things. So we gave away our baseball tickets.
The deal on the house all of a sudden looked like it was going to fall through, and we didn't dare start packing if we didn't need to. We were left with not much to do over the holiday weekend, and decided to head up to the land and try again to find some of the boundary markers.
As we pulled in, we met the only neighbors that we had not yet met. We spent quite a bit of time talking to them, and they helped us determine where some of the boundary markers were. We thought it was great luck to have run into them. Their information and our hard work allowed us to find all the front markers. We were thrilled.
We then moved into the lot and planned on spending whatever time it took to find one particular marker further back. We had scoured the land on the previous visit and had no luck. A recent conversation with the owner assured is the iron pin was indeed there. As we walked close to area we thought it would be, I immediately saw it. I was so excited that we found what we had looked so hard for previously.
After spending some time at the land, we both indicated that we really do love it there and decided that this was the place we want to build a house and spend the rest of our lives. Happy with our decision, we spent some time just sitting and enjoying the view.
On our way out, we met up with the nearest neighbors. The remembered us from our previous visit, and told us that they knew the owner of the land had just accepted an offer on one of the two lots and would be signing the P&S the following day. We felt incredibly lucky to have run into them and that they were willing to share the information they had. Because of our good fortune, we were able to immediately contact the seller and make an offer on both the lots that we wanted. And lucky too that the owner was willing to accept our offer.
So we have signed a P&S on the land and we are thrilled. We feel that we were in the right place at the right time. We were meant to be there and we were meant to get that information.
It's unfortunate that the deal on our house is still in limbo and we aren't entirely sure if we will sell in time to close on the land. It's not the way we wanted the transactions to go, but it will all be fine. Things don't always go according to plan, and I can always use a lesson in patients.
Well, that's how we felt last weekend. We originally had plans for our Labor Day weekend, which included going to the Red Sox game on Sunday afternoon. We thought, however that our house was about to sell, so we decided to be responsible and stay home, pack and do other moving related things. So we gave away our baseball tickets.
The deal on the house all of a sudden looked like it was going to fall through, and we didn't dare start packing if we didn't need to. We were left with not much to do over the holiday weekend, and decided to head up to the land and try again to find some of the boundary markers.
As we pulled in, we met the only neighbors that we had not yet met. We spent quite a bit of time talking to them, and they helped us determine where some of the boundary markers were. We thought it was great luck to have run into them. Their information and our hard work allowed us to find all the front markers. We were thrilled.
We then moved into the lot and planned on spending whatever time it took to find one particular marker further back. We had scoured the land on the previous visit and had no luck. A recent conversation with the owner assured is the iron pin was indeed there. As we walked close to area we thought it would be, I immediately saw it. I was so excited that we found what we had looked so hard for previously.
After spending some time at the land, we both indicated that we really do love it there and decided that this was the place we want to build a house and spend the rest of our lives. Happy with our decision, we spent some time just sitting and enjoying the view.
On our way out, we met up with the nearest neighbors. The remembered us from our previous visit, and told us that they knew the owner of the land had just accepted an offer on one of the two lots and would be signing the P&S the following day. We felt incredibly lucky to have run into them and that they were willing to share the information they had. Because of our good fortune, we were able to immediately contact the seller and make an offer on both the lots that we wanted. And lucky too that the owner was willing to accept our offer.
So we have signed a P&S on the land and we are thrilled. We feel that we were in the right place at the right time. We were meant to be there and we were meant to get that information.
It's unfortunate that the deal on our house is still in limbo and we aren't entirely sure if we will sell in time to close on the land. It's not the way we wanted the transactions to go, but it will all be fine. Things don't always go according to plan, and I can always use a lesson in patients.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Time for a 2nd look
We've been thinking a lot about the lot we looked at last week. We both really like it, and want to get all the information we can about it.
I've put forth some effort to do that, including asking the listing agent for the perc documents. I have a feeling that there really has not been a perc test done on the lot that's for sale. The owner at one time owned the abutting lot and built a house on it. I think THAT lot perced and he's just assuming that this one will too. But the comments of "Oh don't worry, it's perced" just aren't going to do it for me. I want to see the documentation. I told the listing agent today what my concerns were and my doubt that testing has actually been done. So we'll see what he comes back with. But, given my suspicions, I have also contacted a local soil engineer and picked his brain about what I will need to do to get a perc test done. If they cannot prove that a perc test has been done, I'll have one done before even considering making an offer. It sounds like I could have that done for about $1,000.
Next, I called the the Board of Health in the town to find out how long perc tests are valid for. I was told that if the perc test was done after April 1995, then it's valid indefinitely, as long as their have not been changes to the land since then. I know that the other house was built in 2000, so as long as all the percs were done at the same time, we should be ok.
Also, I have obtained the plot plan from the town, which shows all the boundary markers and measurements. I bought a 200' appraiser's tape measure, so the next time we go up there we can get a better feel for where the property lines are.
I think we're going to head up the Saturday of July 4th weekend to spend some time getting a better feel of things. Hopefully by then we'll know about the perc situation.
I've put forth some effort to do that, including asking the listing agent for the perc documents. I have a feeling that there really has not been a perc test done on the lot that's for sale. The owner at one time owned the abutting lot and built a house on it. I think THAT lot perced and he's just assuming that this one will too. But the comments of "Oh don't worry, it's perced" just aren't going to do it for me. I want to see the documentation. I told the listing agent today what my concerns were and my doubt that testing has actually been done. So we'll see what he comes back with. But, given my suspicions, I have also contacted a local soil engineer and picked his brain about what I will need to do to get a perc test done. If they cannot prove that a perc test has been done, I'll have one done before even considering making an offer. It sounds like I could have that done for about $1,000.
Next, I called the the Board of Health in the town to find out how long perc tests are valid for. I was told that if the perc test was done after April 1995, then it's valid indefinitely, as long as their have not been changes to the land since then. I know that the other house was built in 2000, so as long as all the percs were done at the same time, we should be ok.
Also, I have obtained the plot plan from the town, which shows all the boundary markers and measurements. I bought a 200' appraiser's tape measure, so the next time we go up there we can get a better feel for where the property lines are.
I think we're going to head up the Saturday of July 4th weekend to spend some time getting a better feel of things. Hopefully by then we'll know about the perc situation.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Time to start looking again
We have started looking for land again. We took a break over the winter, since here in the North East, people don't typically list land for sale during the winter. We felt we had already looked at everything that interested us.
So now there are new lots coming onto the market, and we're taking road trips on the weekends to check them out. I think we are at the point where we can tell from a listing if it's worth driving to see in person. We have also learned a few things about looking for land and what we really want along the way. We really did need to look at a bunch of lots for get a feel for what we want and what we think we could work with.
The unfortunate truth is that we have a limited budget. We have not sold the house yet, and have actually had to drop the price a few times, so the money that we have to work with is slowly decreasing. Many of the lots that we looked at over the winter that we felt were in our price range had so many "problems" that once you added in the cost of overcoming those, the lots were no longer affordable.
What I have found amazing is how limited the information is that sellers are willing to share. I guess that's the first clue that there is a problem with a piece of land. The ones that it was really hard to get information on ended up having the biggest obstacles to overcome. I guess a seller doesn't really want to advertise the flaws of a lot, but they also should not expect to double their money over a short period of time on a lots that's riddled with problems.
The problems that we have come across primary involve the location of where the lot perc'd and the inaccessibility of putting in a septic system.
I'm trying to not get too excited, but we do have a lot in mind right now. It has actually been on the market for over a year, but we had not seen it until recently, when we expanded our search area. This land is in a town within our search area, but one that I had excluded when looking at listings online. It was excluded because it's technically classified as a "city", not a "town" and since one of our requirements is that the location is rural, we hadn't considered the city. But, we found this lot in the only remote part of the city. It's on the highest point in the city and on the lot, when you look around, you could be mistaken and think that you are on the northern Maine / Canadian border. You can't see a single other structure. It overlooks a valley and all you can see it trees. There is one neighboring house that's about 500 feet away, but the ways the trees are situated, you can't see it.
So, it's our favorite lot so far and we are asking the realtor for an official viewing. All of the lots we have looked at so far has only involved us going there and walking around (yes, trespassing) on our own. Then we ask the realtor questions. But this was a complex layout and we want an official tour. Plus we are getting serious and it, and need to have a personal conversation with the realtor and ask tougher questions.
I can understand why this lot has not sold yet. It would take a hearty soul to build and live there. Here's what some may consider problems with it:
So now there are new lots coming onto the market, and we're taking road trips on the weekends to check them out. I think we are at the point where we can tell from a listing if it's worth driving to see in person. We have also learned a few things about looking for land and what we really want along the way. We really did need to look at a bunch of lots for get a feel for what we want and what we think we could work with.
The unfortunate truth is that we have a limited budget. We have not sold the house yet, and have actually had to drop the price a few times, so the money that we have to work with is slowly decreasing. Many of the lots that we looked at over the winter that we felt were in our price range had so many "problems" that once you added in the cost of overcoming those, the lots were no longer affordable.
What I have found amazing is how limited the information is that sellers are willing to share. I guess that's the first clue that there is a problem with a piece of land. The ones that it was really hard to get information on ended up having the biggest obstacles to overcome. I guess a seller doesn't really want to advertise the flaws of a lot, but they also should not expect to double their money over a short period of time on a lots that's riddled with problems.
The problems that we have come across primary involve the location of where the lot perc'd and the inaccessibility of putting in a septic system.
I'm trying to not get too excited, but we do have a lot in mind right now. It has actually been on the market for over a year, but we had not seen it until recently, when we expanded our search area. This land is in a town within our search area, but one that I had excluded when looking at listings online. It was excluded because it's technically classified as a "city", not a "town" and since one of our requirements is that the location is rural, we hadn't considered the city. But, we found this lot in the only remote part of the city. It's on the highest point in the city and on the lot, when you look around, you could be mistaken and think that you are on the northern Maine / Canadian border. You can't see a single other structure. It overlooks a valley and all you can see it trees. There is one neighboring house that's about 500 feet away, but the ways the trees are situated, you can't see it.
So, it's our favorite lot so far and we are asking the realtor for an official viewing. All of the lots we have looked at so far has only involved us going there and walking around (yes, trespassing) on our own. Then we ask the realtor questions. But this was a complex layout and we want an official tour. Plus we are getting serious and it, and need to have a personal conversation with the realtor and ask tougher questions.
I can understand why this lot has not sold yet. It would take a hearty soul to build and live there. Here's what some may consider problems with it:
- The road to get to the lot is very steep and poorly maintained. An AWD vehicle would be necessary. But, living in New England, AWD is practically a necessity anyway.
- The driveway will need to be about 700' long - too long (expensive) to pave. We have planned to have a pickup truck and a plow. We know that to get the rural feel and privacy that we are looking for, we'll need to have a long driveway.
- There is an easement on the land for the neighbor to access their land. Because all this land was owned by one person at one point and then the lots were subdivided, that's how it ended up. It's weird that that is how the lots are set up, but having seen it, it's not a bad situation. The easement is a dirt road that would become the first 1/3 of the driveway we'd need to put in. And it rests upon the outer edge of the property.
- The septic system will have to be located at the back of the property and will cost more than average because of how it will need to be designed and all the sand that will have to be brought in. We plan on doing a lot of this work ourselves, so we'll be able to cut down on the cost that way. The land is perfectly situated for a gravity fed system, and at least we won't need to pump it. And we don't have any streams to contend with to get the area.
- There is power at the street, but no power has been brought into the land. Since the house will sit about 700' feet off the road, power lines will need to be installed. That's a substantial cost. Well, the neighbors are living "off the grid" by running generators and using propane . That's a little too radical for me. I'm all for renewable energy sources, but I want to be able to rely on the power company. So, the power lines will go up. And if the neighbors want to tap into that as well, we can share the cost.
- Even though it's remote, it's still in the city. And cities have crime issues. Because the street is isolated, we hear that have been a few break-ins and that it's a common road for doing drug deals. We'll definately have to address the security issue. The neighbors have been dealing with it (sucessfully) in their own way, and we may need to take a page from their playbook.
- Because the lot is located at the top of a hill, the winter winds are very strong. To me, this is great to know, so maybe it's the ideal location for a residential wind farm. Also, it maybe important information to have when it comes time for construction.
So, of all the problems we have identified so far, we don't feel that any of them are deal breakers. We'll see how this goes.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Where to search for land to build
We've started to look for land to build our dream house. By WHERE to live is just as important to us as WHAT we build. So how do we decide where to look for land? Well, there are many things to consider.
STATE
First and foremost is, do we want to live in the state we live in now (and have both lived in for most of our lives)? I would say the answer to that is yes. I don't think either one of us is opposed to moving to another state, but that would involve looking for new jobs, and that's not something either one of us want to. We certainly don't LOVE Massachusetts - especially the tax structure and political climate - but there are many things here that we want to stay close to - family, jobs, and friends. We also enjoy being so close to all that nature has to offer in and around Massachusetts - the beach, the mountains, hiking, skiing, the change of seasons.
So, even thought there are cons to living in Massachusetts, there's plenty to keep us here. So that narrows down the land search. And since our jobs are one of the criteria to consider, we need to also narrow the seach to a certain distance to work.
DISTANCE TO WORK
My husband and I each have a different willingness to drive to our respective jobs. The compnay that my husband works for has multiple locations throughout New England. So even if he were to move, there would probably be a location somewhere within driving distance and he could request a transfer (although a transfer is not guaranteed). He likes the location he's in now and enjoys the people he works with, so transfering is not something he really wants to do, but it's an option.
I on the other hand work for an orgranization that only has one location, so transfering is not an option for me. I also have worked for this organization for almost 20 years and have no interest in leaving. I like my job and the company I work for. My benefits are great and I would hate to have to give any of that up. In terms of my willingness to drive, it's much less than my husbands.
NARROWING DOWN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA
So to start to narrow down our search area, I took a map of Massachusetts and drew radii around my work location and my husbands work location. I would prefer to stay within 25 miles of my work, so my radii were 20 and 25 miles. The radii I drew for my husband were 25, 30 and 35 miles. I realize that an actual driving distance will be greater than a point-to-point line on a map, but I think this is a good starting point. So where our maximum radii overlap is our starting point.
Next, we know that there are certain areas that fall into these radii that we would never want to live in - primarily because of the population densities (and real estate prices) of the towns. These are all towns that are to the east of where we live now. So those areas are automatically out. Towns to the west of where we live now would require us to both travel on the Mass Turnpike. That's not a problem in and of itself, except that to go any further west on the Pike than where we live now is a NIGHTMARE in the summer and on holiday weekends. There is a huge traffic backlog that occurs in that area of the Pike and I am not willing to have any part of that. Yes, there are other roads other than the Pike that would take us west, but they are few and far between, and travel in general in that direction is problematic. So west is out too.
That leaves north and south. South means moving to Connecticut or Rhode Island. I know I just said we wanted to stay in Massachusetts, but we would be willing to move to either of those states. We are so close to the boarders of those states right now, that a move there doesn't mean moving a great distance away. So south is an option.
I think we would prefer north though. North offers a closer proximity to New Hampshire and Vermont - the two states that we seem to take all of our vacations in. There is a greater diversity of landscape as you go further north, and that means more places to hike. So, as of right now, north wins.
TO SUM IT UP
So to sum it up, our search area is north of where we live now, 35 miles or less from my husbands office and 25 miles or less from my office. Those are good criteria to start with. There certainly are many more criteria to consider in a lot, but at least we know where to start looking.
STATE
First and foremost is, do we want to live in the state we live in now (and have both lived in for most of our lives)? I would say the answer to that is yes. I don't think either one of us is opposed to moving to another state, but that would involve looking for new jobs, and that's not something either one of us want to. We certainly don't LOVE Massachusetts - especially the tax structure and political climate - but there are many things here that we want to stay close to - family, jobs, and friends. We also enjoy being so close to all that nature has to offer in and around Massachusetts - the beach, the mountains, hiking, skiing, the change of seasons.
So, even thought there are cons to living in Massachusetts, there's plenty to keep us here. So that narrows down the land search. And since our jobs are one of the criteria to consider, we need to also narrow the seach to a certain distance to work.
DISTANCE TO WORK
My husband and I each have a different willingness to drive to our respective jobs. The compnay that my husband works for has multiple locations throughout New England. So even if he were to move, there would probably be a location somewhere within driving distance and he could request a transfer (although a transfer is not guaranteed). He likes the location he's in now and enjoys the people he works with, so transfering is not something he really wants to do, but it's an option.
I on the other hand work for an orgranization that only has one location, so transfering is not an option for me. I also have worked for this organization for almost 20 years and have no interest in leaving. I like my job and the company I work for. My benefits are great and I would hate to have to give any of that up. In terms of my willingness to drive, it's much less than my husbands.
NARROWING DOWN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA
So to start to narrow down our search area, I took a map of Massachusetts and drew radii around my work location and my husbands work location. I would prefer to stay within 25 miles of my work, so my radii were 20 and 25 miles. The radii I drew for my husband were 25, 30 and 35 miles. I realize that an actual driving distance will be greater than a point-to-point line on a map, but I think this is a good starting point. So where our maximum radii overlap is our starting point.
Next, we know that there are certain areas that fall into these radii that we would never want to live in - primarily because of the population densities (and real estate prices) of the towns. These are all towns that are to the east of where we live now. So those areas are automatically out. Towns to the west of where we live now would require us to both travel on the Mass Turnpike. That's not a problem in and of itself, except that to go any further west on the Pike than where we live now is a NIGHTMARE in the summer and on holiday weekends. There is a huge traffic backlog that occurs in that area of the Pike and I am not willing to have any part of that. Yes, there are other roads other than the Pike that would take us west, but they are few and far between, and travel in general in that direction is problematic. So west is out too.
That leaves north and south. South means moving to Connecticut or Rhode Island. I know I just said we wanted to stay in Massachusetts, but we would be willing to move to either of those states. We are so close to the boarders of those states right now, that a move there doesn't mean moving a great distance away. So south is an option.
I think we would prefer north though. North offers a closer proximity to New Hampshire and Vermont - the two states that we seem to take all of our vacations in. There is a greater diversity of landscape as you go further north, and that means more places to hike. So, as of right now, north wins.
TO SUM IT UP
So to sum it up, our search area is north of where we live now, 35 miles or less from my husbands office and 25 miles or less from my office. Those are good criteria to start with. There certainly are many more criteria to consider in a lot, but at least we know where to start looking.
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