the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

Right, one hour of rock-shifting later and the job's done, before it gets too hot. The local lad has done me a favour, making me get on with it! About six tonnes of decent walling stone moved to where I'll build a wall....err..sometime.

Many thanks for the compliments, which I don't deserve. I have told our story before, but I guess it may stand repeating that we first started to buy a smallholding in 2002, but the owners then saw sense, went to 'Relate' and took it off the market. After that, we should have bought the next place, but we dithered, lost it, and then things went downhill. Either of those properties would now fetch twice what we paid for this - I won't drive past the second one, as it hurts too much!:mad:

So, I know a bit about how you folks feel. It took 7 years to get here, and if I'm honest,we should have got going earlier than 2002....but there's no point in raking over the past. This place cost less than the city semi that we sold. It's ag-tied and far from posh, but the real reason we got it cheap was The Crash + the fact that it had to be sold rapidly, under some very odd circumstances, and with the land in a right state. We went into rented in the belief that 'something would come up,' and it did.

What will it cost to fix-up? I think that depends very much on the individual property, but here we had very little decent fencing, some remedial work needed on the barn and, thankfully, no drainage issues. I would guess at £12k to fix those things, but bear in mind that DW and I do the labouring and the people we are using are all part-time smallholders too, so their rates are low. Add on another £2k for a swanky polytunnel, useful to us, but not necessary for everyone.

Sooo....if you add on all the remedial work to the house that's necessary, I think we could have this place sorted for around £320k all-in, which (in Devon terms) is great value. We will probably spend more, not because 'we're worth it,' but because extras, like photo-voltaic panels and re-vamped heating systems etc will probably pay us back better than having cash in the bank for future governments to find ways of pinching.

And, lotus eater, if you have some ornamentals out front already, just call your garden a 'potager.' Best front garden around here is where the owners have removed the sides of their garage, grown clematis up the supports and sit out in the shade with the kettle permanently on stand-by. Not sure how much work they get done, mind.....

Which reminds me, I shouldn't be here! :o

rhiwfield

Davesnave, keep at it, great to see that your holding is fairly flat, makes all the difference in getting diggers on site. Try it here and they'd need to demolish the house to make a ramp down to the garden!

Lotus Eater, curious to say that since I put trained fruit trees right at the front of the house I've had a number of compliments about them. Never had this with ornamental plants (not that I could grow them anyhow)

UK Maggie, our twin gds are great, you'll get to really enjoy the babysitting .

Seems that self sufficiency becomes a bit ingrained and I'm still not sure its feasible without some additional income. But it allows you to become less reliant on mainstream employment and reconnects you with some of life's essentials. To which list I am adding rhubarb cordial, made for first time yesterday and glorious with sparkling water and probably better still with champagne (sigh)

Davesnave

rhiwfield wrote: »

Davesnave, keep at it, great to see that your holding is fairly flat, makes all the difference in getting diggers on site. Try it here and they'd need to demolish the house to make a ramp down to the garden!

Seems that self sufficiency becomes a bit ingrained and I'm still not sure its feasible without some additional income. But it allows you to become less reliant on mainstream employment and reconnects you with some of life's essentials.

Yes, we are on a slight southerly slope, but close to the stream it falls away more steeply. Whatever soil/spoil is left over from the other works will probably go towards reducing that slope and gaining some more useful land. It was going to make a steep embankment behind a cottage with a noisy dog (!) but the owners seem to have addressed this issue. I'm pleased, because that would have been a waste.

I agree that smallholding as a full time thing is only feasible for old codgers with pensions, like me, and even I need to make a business work here by doing the things I know. That's why I'm always saying it may be better to have an acre or less, than something larger which will barely pay its way. I have new friends here that dabble in pigs and sheep, but if you probe into the economics, you find it's more about lifestyle and enjoyment of good food than serious money.

All the guys helping me here have holdings, but the thing that pays the bills is their contracting. Many of them have a formidable range of skills, from groundwork, through building to mowing and fencing. We also have a semi-retired electrician in the village, all of which means that there's little need to go elsewhere.

Speaking of fencing, we are putting in the last posts for the chicken area today. We whipped out one of the old gateposts and I was astonished to find ground water at 2' down, despite the dry spell and being way above stream level, so that is something I want to investigate further.

Will update at the weekend. I am all aches & pains today! Mixing concrete.:(

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Yes, we are on a slight southerly slope, but close to the stream it falls away more steeply. Whatever soil/spoil is left over from the other works will probably go towards reducing that slope and gaining some more useful land. It was going to make a steep embankment behind a cottage with a noisy dog (!) but the owners seem to have addressed this issue. I'm pleased, because that would have been a waste.

I agree that smallholding as a full time thing is only feasible for old codgers with pensions, like me, and even I need to make a business work here by doing the things I know. That's why I'm always saying it may be better to have an acre or less, than something larger which will barely pay its way. I have new friends here that dabble in pigs and sheep, but if you probe into the economics, you find it's more about lifestyle and enjoyment of good food than serious money.

All the guys helping me here have holdings, but the thing that pays the bills is their contracting. Many of them have a formidable range of skills, from groundwork, through building to mowing and fencing. We also have a semi-retired electrician in the village, all of which means that there's little need to go elsewhere.

Speaking of fencing, we are putting in the last posts for the chicken area today. We whipped out one of the old gateposts and I was astonished to find ground water at 2' down, despite the dry spell and being way above stream level, so that is something I want to investigate further.

Will update at the weekend. I am all aches & pains today! Mixing concrete.:(

I'm starting to think about fencing now too. We have to make good our boundaries before completion. We've been having a debate because while we are of accord that our perimeter needs sheep fencing, the garden: the decorative bit, fencing is causing disagreement. I hate doing things twice, and wanted to get help with foundations for wall, and the first few courses of bricks, then take over myself :eek: OR to get very cheap fencing to contain dogs and secure boundaries with the aim of the wall in a few years. DH and my dad want to spend on a better, but IMO, ugly and money wasting, panel fence that will last ten years or so with the idea of doing the walls then, or when the more serious work starts on the house, which will be a few years. I think I'm going to be out voted. :mad:

Mean while I'm getting ready to register as a poultry keeper

I also have to address the flooring in the barn that the paying guest horses might be going in....although its a huge expense its potential income. (mine can rough it:o)

Davesnave, I'd like to echo the others in saying it couldn't be more deserved, your happiness in this home. That you have worked hard to get it and work very hard to make it right could not be more evident. Your kindness and generosity with your knowledge and experience is so wonderful.

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm starting to think about fencing now too. We have to make good our boundaries before completion.

Mean while I'm getting ready to register as a poultry keeper

I also have to address the flooring in the barn that the paying guest horses might be going in....although its a huge expense its potential income. (mine can rough it:o)

Davesnave, I'd like to echo the others in saying it couldn't be more deserved, your happiness in this home.

The compliments are lovely and very welcome, of course, lir, but does the above mean you've exchanged????;) It does sound like you're hopeful....:)

Believe me everyone, lostinrates deserves to be happy in a new home too....Oh yes!:j

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

The compliments are lovely and very welcome, of course, lir, but does the above mean you've exchanged????;) It does sound like you're hopeful....:)

Believe me everyone, lostinrates deserves to be happy in a new home too....Oh yes!:j

Exchange? We were ready, by the skin of our teeth within deadline yesterday afternoon.

Funnily enough, after missing the deadline...our vendors had neglected to sign their part of the documentation. We are assured we will exchange today or tomorrow. Tomorrow would be funny date wise...its the anniversary of when DH and I met, and the anniversary of our engagement.. so makes sense to make it an important date with the house too. I have to confess though, I'll feel hapier when its hapened, so this afternoon would be more welcome.

I'll miss most of this season: completion in a few weeks.(want to do a jumping up and down smilie, but I'm not going to count my chickens just yet)

edit: did not find suitable garden fencing this afternoon. I am SHOCKED by how expensive and how flimsy the stuff at the mainstream places is. I have two wooden gate posts to fill between and think I could do better my self for sturdiness with some wood and nails?

hermum

Anyone near Okehampton after a chicken house & run?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wooden-Chicken-House-and-Run-/280513201180?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item414fe3c41c
It may go for loads but looks like a pretty good one to me.

Lotus-eater

hermum wrote: »

Anyone near Okehampton after a chicken house & run?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wooden-Chicken-House-and-Run-/280513201180?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry&hash=item414fe3c41c
It may go for loads but looks like a pretty good one to me.

Dunno, looking at the lack of competence on putting the onduline roof on properly, it might not be built to my stds.
If you get it cheap though, at least an onduline roof conveys that they might have known something about fowl.

Lotus-eater

lostinrates wrote: »

edit: did not find suitable garden fencing this afternoon. I am SHOCKED by how expensive and how flimsy the stuff at the mainstream places is. I have two wooden gate posts to fill between and think I could do better my self for sturdiness with some wood and nails?

If you can find one, there are some individual, one or two man companies that do good quality fencing for reasonable prices.
I used to have one saved in bookmarks, but I think I've lost it now, do alot of googling, they don't deliver.
Depends where you are of course.

lostinrates

Lotus-eater wrote: »

If you can find one, there are some individual, one or two man companies that do good quality fencing for reasonable prices.
I used to have one saved in bookmarks, but I think I've lost it now, do alot of googling, they don't deliver.
Depends where you are of course.

Presuming I gt the go ahead today I might drive over next week and use it as an opportunity to be in new neighbourhood.