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Living "off the grid". Crazy or awesome?

bean

Turbo Monkey
Feb 16, 2004
1,335
0
Boulder
It might be worth driving back and forth between it and town two or three times in one day.

The wife and I were looking at some places in the mountains above Boulder. After a few trips to some of the ones that were half an hour from downtown we realized it really wasn't something that we wanted to do very often. She certainly didn't want to be making the drive daily. And I didn't want to be making that drive every time we needed to go to the grocery store or out to eat.

It didn't sound bad in theory, but in practice it was really tiring.
 

stevew

resident influencer
Sep 21, 2001
40,494
9,525
A few sheep (or sometimes just planting pine trees) and an agricultural exemption would handle a lot of that.
my dad let cows graze on our land in virginia...made 10 acres 45 minutes outside DC cheap...
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Well, a large chunk of this thread turned into a debate over costs, and the cost of electricity is likely a fraction of what property taxes are on 15 acres, I'm assuming. That's why I bring it up. I find it very hard to believe he can't find a similar lot of land/house with electricity. Costs would be a wash, with the added benefit of not worrying about whether or not you have the power you need for day to day activities.
I can figure out what the property taxes will be on my own. I was hoping to find someone on here (considering what an eclectic group we are) who has experience with this type of living and the difficulties or expenses that come along with it. Hence the thread title and discussion.

I think the OP needs to list out his priorities in order and go from there. If you ask me if I want 15 acres of land and no electricity or 13 acres of land with electricity for the same price...well, the answer is pretty clear to me.
The priority is to maximize our quality of life while not going broke.

The minimum subdivision for the area was 15 acres ~ 10 yrs ago. Now it is 50. So not much chance of finding something on less land with power or without.

We looked at two other houses on 15 acres with electricity. One of them was 1 hr from town and the other would need significant construction before we could move in. I cant imagine spending 3 hr a day commuting or paying rent and a mortgage plus construction loans so those are out.

Here's some a pictures of the one that needs work.

View attachment 112261

View attachment 112262

As you can see, no trees, and no hill. So I would be stuck with just a pump track and dirt jumps :( lol.

And back to your other point....if "off the grid" is not connected to most utilities...am I "off the grid" because I have a well and septic system? Because when I pay $X,XXX a year in property taxes, I sure as hell feel "on the grid".
Hur ya go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-the-grid


Whatever, call it what you want. Some people would see it as inconvenience and would rather live downtown in a tiny condo with a postage stamp yard. Others would see that as hell and would rather get a nice chunk of land with a lot of potential at a down point in the market. Pluses and minuses to either approach, just gotta figure out what works best for you for the near future.
Someone gets the point!

We are also looking at more traditional properties in town but this is the one that has really gotten us both excited. The rest are just another house in a different place. They all look the same after a while.
 
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rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Based on all these pictures, I think we have very different ideas of "quality of life". :rofl:
Very possible.

I used to spend my summers living in a tent in the Sierras for 3 months at a time so I could be a climbing guide. Those were some of the best days of my life.

The crappier house was definitely a no go on account of the flat, sh!tty land it is on and the work that we would need to do.
 
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CrabJoe StretchPants

Reincarnated Crab Walking Head Spinning Bruce Dick
Nov 30, 2003
14,163
2,484
Groton, MA
I love not seeing my neighbors, nature, peace and quiet, yada yada yada just as much as anyone else.


However, I also love porn.
 

buildyourown

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2004
4,832
0
South Seattle
I would be hesitant. One, it ties your ability to live comfortably to the price of fossil fuels. While this is try for everybody, it really makes you pay at the pump if you are running a generator to do laundry. Even if it is propane.
I also think that anybody who adds 30min to their commute by choice must suck at math. I figured out how much of an equivalent per hour raise I would get if I cut 1hr and 40mi off my commute a day. It's a lot.

There are a lot of things that you take for granted that require quantities of electricity that only comes from a grid or large generator. Laundry being one of them. Then there is the whole say good bye to broadband thing.
 

berkshire_rider

Growler
Feb 5, 2003
2,552
10
The Blackstone Valley
Very possible.

I used to spend my summers living in a tent in the Sierras for 3 months at a time so I could be a climbing guide. Those were some of the best days of my life.

The crappier house was definitely a no go on account of the flat, sh!tty land it is on and the work that we would need to do.
Out of curiosity - how much are they asking for the place in the first post? :confused:
 

rockofullr

confused
Jun 11, 2009
7,342
924
East Bay, Cali
Out of curiosity - how much are they asking for the place in the first post? :confused:
230k but its been on the market for ~1 yr so i think we can get it for less

rockofullr....check this blog...off grid cabin in upper peninsula of michigan..
thx some interesting stuff on there. i have also been perusing a few forums about off the grid living

I would be hesitant. One, it ties your ability to live comfortably to the price of fossil fuels. While this is try for everybody, it really makes you pay at the pump if you are running a generator to do laundry. Even if it is propane.
I also think that anybody who adds 30min to their commute by choice must suck at math. I figured out how much of an equivalent per hour raise I would get if I cut 1hr and 40mi off my commute a day. It's a lot.

There are a lot of things that you take for granted that require quantities of electricity that only comes from a grid or large generator. Laundry being one of them. Then there is the whole say good bye to broadband thing.
all things i am considering.

i currently work an extra hour per day to get every other friday off. if i could work 10 hr days i may be able to take every friday off. that would help with the commute hours.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I hate loosing time every day on commuting so at first I wasn't with you but the pumptrack and all part convinced me. If you are fine with not being able to freely visit the city and enjoy what it has to offer go for it.
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
I'd be curious to know if the previous owner had an architect or other qualified professional design the energy systems. Based on the house looking like it doesn't take advantage of any natural environmental features, my casual observation is no. You can live off the grid quite comfortably with the technology available today, or you can live in a metropolitan area with minimal requirements from the grid simply by purchasing a home that's designed to take advantage of the local climate more so than the local power plant. Whether on the grid or not, the overall design of the home is going to have a big impact on the amount of power and services that you consume regardless of where they come from.

The property looks nice, and the house looks suitable for a vacation home, but I'd be interested to see if you end up spending more on diesel and propane than you had planned... in addition to the added fuel needed to commute.
 
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