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nebraskarado
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 01:43
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Just purchased a little more than an acre in central Colorado. My hope is that I can be living there in about 6 yrs. I have some limited resources ($) and I want to get started incrementally completing the components of my vision. I am thinking that getting a well in is a good place to start (the property has been witched) and then electricity (currently just several hundred feet away). Next maybe a little camping cabin or something. Any feedback would be very greatly appreciated!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 08:34
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Finding water can be expensive. Friend and neighbor had his property witched twice, drilled twice, and now he's out of pocket $ 3000 and still no water. That said if cash is limited I'd be inclined to put up a small shelter first to sleep in and store your gear.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 09:41 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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If you plan on building and living there shortly, maybe skip the cabin (camping cabin), build house (still cabin sized). Just you or you and the wife? Keep it small, simple, cheaper to heat, cheaper to cool and too small, kids cant move back home  . A well is a good start. You want water. The first thing I did on my acreage was install a well, have not trimmed it out yet, its just a 178 foot steel steel lined hole, cost $8000.
How about a cargo container for securing tools? Add ventilation so it can breathe well.
Pick a cabin plan. I purchased mine from http://www.townandcountryplans.com (I'm not affiliated with these guys, just great plans), but all under 1000 sq feet. Suitable for your building dept. You can use white out to make changes, move a window etc.
You could build it as a storage, but make it up to code for habitation later, keep your taxes lower and when its time to move in, just change the status, it will already be up to code. (it may be a little more than that simple, but shouldnt be too serious) You would have to add the full septic system.
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 10:18
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That's interesting. Two posters and two completely different approaches. This shows how it's really a personal opinion based on numerous factors like cash, distance from home/supplies ect.
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nebraskarado
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 11:20 - Edited by: nebraskarado
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Thanks for the reply Wilbour! I have wondered and done a little reading about witching. I guess I pretty much have to keep my fingers crossed that my witcher has the touch. Do you think that my idea that I'm definitely going to want water there eventually and just as well find out right off the bat if that can be made a reality makes sense? Money may turn out to be an issue depending on what the folks at the drilling company have to say. I just thought I would start there. Then make plans depending on the news.
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nebraskarado
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 11:44
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Thanks for the info Toyota! I'll check out that link. I have been sorta leaning toward a 30 (or40) X 60 foot steel building and constructing a house in 1/2 of it. I've seen some pretty cool stuff on line. The small cabin would eventually turn onto a place for friends but give me and my gf a nice vacation spot in the meantime. We currently do a fair amount of tent camping. I'm just itching to get something built, I'm sure you know how that is. If I do go with a well first, I thought they could put in a spigot that I could hook a hose up to. I have no idea what additional cost that would add beyond the cost of the well but if they're talking 10-15k for the well I'm hoping its not too much.
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creeky
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# Posted: 31 Aug 2014 13:22
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My basics. Place to eat. Place to put what I've eaten. Place to sleep. Once I have dry versions of these I'm good. As winter comes I upgrade that to warm and dry.
If you look at some of the posts on the builds site you'll see that people build outhouses and cook shacks and bedroom cabins first.
Some put them all together. Others do separate for each.
Then you can put in a well, or capture rain water. I hauled water for the first two years. Worked great. The local fire department even let me use the showers. I don't know why they spontaneously offered, but ...
As for a big building. great idea. I would look around locally at what works. Stop in at the local farm supply and buy some bolts or whatever and maybe ask what people are building for storage and barns.
Sorry guys. But putting in a well here involves taking a sharp stick and pounding it into the ground. pull it out. water. Of course the other side of that coin is in the spring I launch my kayak from my deck.
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soundandfurycabin
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# Posted: 1 Sep 2014 04:09
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How far from home to land? If more than a couple hours, you'll probably want a place to sleep, shower, cook, and store stuff.
If you don't have much building experience, starting with a small bunkie/shed will be good practice and give you a realistic idea of how much you can accomplish in a weekend.
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nebraskarado
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# Posted: 1 Sep 2014 22:37
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SandFC,
Its a good 10 hours from door to what will one day be another door. I wont be going out there much more than a couple times a year for about a week at a time. Probably going to camp at a near by State Park till I get water and power. Then I can create my own "campground" a bit at a time. I think your idea of a small Bunkie/shed is a good one. I even thought about a nice picnic shelter to start. I still like to tent camp and I could make a nice little camp spot. I have a lot of ideas but $ will dictate the pace and scope of any developments. Thanks for the reply!
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Wilbour
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# Posted: 2 Sep 2014 07:34
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Quoting: nebraskarado Probably going to camp at a near by State Park till I get water and power
I'm guessing your daily rates are quite reasonable? One of the big driving forces for me to own land rather than pay for our provincial parks is the cost per night. Around here, you pay typicaly $35-$45 a night plus a one time admin. fee of $10. Thats for an unserviced tent site. Yes you get water, flush toilets and showers all within walking distance but that adds up. I have traveled through the US and found fantastic State and Federal parks for as little as $17 a night for the same services. Hope yours is the same.
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nebraskarado
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# Posted: 3 Sep 2014 01:10
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It's $22 per night with power and shower. Beats the heck out of hotel/motel prices and who needs a motel when you can camp! I know one day my aging bones may put a damper on my enjoyment of tent camping but by then I hope to have a cabin on my own slice of heaven. $35-$45 a night for a non-electric site is pretty steep. I can see how that would certainly influence your decision to own land. Hope you have or are on the way to creating your own slice!
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