the daydream fund challenge thread

Davesnave

rozeepozee wrote: »

Dave. I always feel slightly envious... We are still lamenting the loss of the property in Cardigan but I heard a quote this week: a regret is a dream no longer pursued, so our search goes on.

rozeepozee wrote: »

We've "found" another property online, a real project this time, needs total renovation with PP for a 3 bedroom house. Price £200k with 10 acres. Minutes from the beach in one of those lovely estuary villages in Carmarthen. We knew not to get excited: What's the catch we thought?

Well, the land is in the valley and very steep.... Very steep. Apparently, you couldn't put a static on it, couldn't fit a polytunnel, farm it without clearing it....

Is it the chapel? We looked at that briefly and worked out that the land wouldn't suit us at all. You can (just) see it on Streetview, beyond the dog bin and the cement mixer, and the woodland/scrub behind is truly alpine. Good village though, and probably greatviews from there.

I agree with Poo; don't try to make things fit. The right property will come along. Having some steep woodland is OK as part of a package, but I would never have only steep land because of the extra effort/cost involved in dealing with it, which with the energy required for a total renovation too = a disaster waiting to happen for all but the youngest & fittest. I see that property as one where the eventual owner will be more interested in the architectural aspects and the location, rather than taming land which has probably run wild for some considerable time. .....And if it's that one, people haven't exactly been falling over themselves to buy it, have they!

It's funny you say how you're envious when you look at my photos. I never show the house, which is an ugly 4 bed bungalow of conventional, sound construction and bad interior design/finish. It needs serious money spent to become a 'forever home,' but the whole property was a safe buy and a steal at the price. We bought it, having lost out on a few things property wise over several years, and later, money wise in the Crash. We knew we could do it up and make a tidy profit, if that's what we decided to take from it. It was very much a 'grab it, and work things out later' property, bought with the head, not the heart.

Working things out, it seems likely that we shall be here for some time, perhaps for ever, but I miss Wales. My DW is very happy here, which is closer to her elderly parents than anywhere in West Wales, so I try not to be selfish and take a long view. As I've said before, if you'd seen the ones we missed.....but that's regret, isn't it? Best not.

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Is it the chapel? We looked at that briefly and worked out that the land wouldn't suit us at all. You can (just) see it on Streetview, beyond the dog bin and the cement mixer, and the woodland/scrub behind is truly alpine. Good village though, and probably greatviews from there.

I agree with Poo; don't try to make things fit. The right property will come along. Having some steep woodland is OK as part of a package, but I would never have only steep land because of the extra effort/cost involved in dealing with it, which with the energy required for a total renovation too = a disaster waiting to happen for all but the youngest & fittest. I see that property as one where the eventual owner will be more interested in the architectural aspects and the location, rather than taming land which has probably run wild for some considerable time. .....And if it's that one, people haven't exactly been falling over themselves to buy it, have they!

It's funny you say how you're envious when you look at my photos. I never show the house, which is an ugly 4 bed bungalow of conventional, sound construction and bad interior design/finish. It needs serious money spent to become a 'forever home,' but the whole property was a safe buy and a steal at the price. We bought it, having lost out on a few things property wise over several years, and later, money wise in the Crash. We knew we could do it up and make a tidy profit, if that's what we decided to take from it. It was very much a 'grab it, and work things out later' property, bought with the head, not the heart.

Working things out, it seems likely that we shall be here for some time, perhaps for ever, but I miss Wales. My DW is very happy here, which is closer to her elderly parents than anywhere in West Wales, so I try not to be selfish and take a long view. As I've said before, if you'd seen the ones we missed.....but that's regret, isn't it? Best not.

I can't agree more about regrets. TBH I would have gone for the other place we were looking at the same time as this, but DH loved this, so I have fallen in love too. Its a different dream, still a lovely one. The point is you CAN make alost anything work one way or another, but at the outset you ave to be happy with the compromises- there will always be some- and frankly, its worth considering resale too. You might never intend to move on but if something happens is someone else going to be prepared to deal with the challenges of your plot? e.g. we are probably going to have to re design our upstairs, putting a corridor from the main hall to our bedroom, currently serviced by a steep very old wooden staircase. Its ok for us, but won't be thrilled going down it when I'm 70, or if I were carrying a toddler :eek:. If we ever needed to sell I think that practicality is unlikely to suit a buyer here.



Davesnave I'm always envious of your pictures too! What you and Mrs Davesnave achieve is truly exciting. Your solid stock fence compared to ours that looks like a row of pallets al ways makes me shamefacedly laugh and cheer you on! Even when things look pretty they aren't all they seem. Every morning after doing critters I go round with a squeegee and a towel to clear the bulk of the condensation on all the widows. before opening them for a while, for example. But mostly I love the positivity and capability you always ooze when you type

rhiwfield

Davesnave, sensible comments on Rozee's prospect. Lir, agree also with your looking ahead. What may be possible, or even a doddle in your 30's becomes a chore, then impossible as you get older or in ill health. Even for our medium size steeply sloping garden, it has been a tough ask to install steps and terracing so that it can continue to be productive as I slow down.

FWIW we missed a property when we bought here in the mid 80s, it was just over our budget but was a stunning south facing property with 1/2 acre walled garden in the centre of Llanblethian. We bought this property instead and it has gradually morphed from a stopgap to a home that we cherish.

At the hospital again yesterday for a post op check up for DW and long waits. Idly browse the magazine table expecting the usual celeb gossip rubbish and struck gold, lots of back copies of Clean Slate (CAT's quarterly mag) together with (bizarrely) British Bioenergy News. The hours almost flew by . The letters page of CS highlighted real tensions between hard-core environmental activists and those less entrenched. Like "what kind of CAT member are you to fly to a conference" and Vegan vs Veggie protagonists. Guess there is no cause that can avoid egos, recriminations and schisms

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Davesnave .......I love the positivity and capability you always ooze when you type

Ha, that's the teacher coming out! When I was at work, at 8am I'd be singing in the classroom as I prepared stuff. People would walk in and say "How can you be so bl**dy happy every morning?" and I'd laugh. It wasn't happiness, just psyching myself up to be cheerful & positive, because if you're miserable in that job, it's catching, believe me. Self interest, really.

....And 'my' fences are really Pete's fences, but yes, I did the research and he's quite surprised at how much I've found out. Above all though, he's pleased to be working with someone who will get the right stuff, since many of his customers refuse to buy heavy enough timbers and then complain, a year later, when things collapse. He's a diamond, as is his his mate, Alan, so the labour costs have been very reasonable. They barely stop to have a cup of tea, and when they do, they're still eyeing the job up!

We couldn't manage without the local farmers/contractors and they rely on people like us, both for extra acreage, and for the work that keeps them solvent in a business that favours the big guys. It's a win/win.

I have been a bit out of the loop, so I'll catch up tonight. DW has had a bout of her recurrent back problems, but is on the mend now. Agree totally with your comments about planning with one eye on the future.

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Ha, that's the teacher coming out! When I was at work, at 8am I'd be singing in the classroom as I prepared stuff. People would walk in and say "How can you be so bl**dy happy every morning?" and I'd laugh. It wasn't happiness, just psyching myself up to be cheerful & positive, because if you're miserable in that job, it's catching, believe me. Self interest, really.

....And 'my' fences are really Pete's fences, but yes, I did the research and he's quite surprised at how much I've found out. Above all though, he's pleased to be working with someone who will get the right stuff, since many of his customers refuse to buy heavy enough timbers and then complain, a year later, when things collapse. He's a diamond, as is his his mate, Alan, so the labour costs have been very reasonable. They barely stop to have a cup of tea, and when they do, they're still eyeing the job up!

We couldn't manage without the local farmers/contractors and they rely on people like us, both for extra acreage, and for the work that keeps them solvent in a business that favours the big guys. It's a win/win.

I have been a bit out of the loop, so I'll catch up tonight. DW has had a bout of her recurrent back problems, but is on the mend now. Agree totally with your comments about planning with one eye on the future.

I want a Pete and an Alan! One of the problems of living in large acreage farm company is all the contractors are large scale too. Its very very hard to find anyone, for example, for my hedges here...which is odd, but most of the hedges are done by seriously big boy contractors ...which weeds out little contractor competition which pushes prices up. I'm already having cold sweats about next years hay cut. In fact, I'm even thinking, as we still have a hundred large bales, of selling the cut to a contractor. who can make a huge profit on it

choille

Davesnave, sensible comments on Rozee's prospect. Lir, agree also with your looking ahead. What may be possible, or even a doddle in your 30's becomes a chore, then impossible as you get older or in ill health. Even for our medium size steeply sloping garden, it has been a tough ask to install steps and terracing so that it can continue to be productive as I slow down.

FWIW we missed a property when we bought here in the mid 80s, it was just over our budget but was a stunning south facing property with 1/2 acre walled garden in the centre of Llanblethian. We bought this property instead and it has gradually morphed from a stopgap to a home that we cherish.

At the hospital again yesterday for a post op check up for DW and long waits. Idly browse the magazine table expecting the usual celeb gossip rubbish and struck gold, lots of back copies of Clean Slate (CAT's quarterly mag) together with (bizarrely) British Bioenergy News. The hours almost flew by . The letters page of CS highlighted real tensions between hard-core environmental activists and those less entrenched. Like "what kind of CAT member are you to fly to a conference" and Vegan vs Veggie protagonists. Guess there is no cause that can avoid egos, recriminations and schisms


Well we are knocking on a bit I suppose & we have a fair slope & are building own home - That is the way we are but It is not for the feint hearted & I do wonder if we are all there up top often - like after reading your post.

We did go to CATS once and were very aware of the ching ching of the cash register & seeing how much they were charging for a few badly photo-copied pamphlets. But that was a while ago.

Managed to get a hefty bloke up the scaffolding yesterday to help lift a couple more panels into place - Yah.:j

I did say to OH to remove the ladder pronto so we could keep him up there, but he escaped back to his own croft.:(

RAS

rhiwfield wrote: »

Idly browse the magazine table expecting the usual celeb gossip rubbish and struck gold, lots of back copies of Clean Slate (CAT's quarterly mag) together with (bizarrely) British Bioenergy News. The hours almost flew by . The letters page of CS highlighted real tensions between hard-core environmental activists and those less entrenched. Like "what kind of CAT member are you to fly to a conference" and Vegan vs Veggie protagonists. Guess there is no cause that can avoid egos, recriminations and schisms

I have just got and am half way through (or rather have read half of but not in order and now starting again) Simon Fairlie's new book Meat: a benign extravagence. Does not leave many sacred cows intact.

He's not an easy chap, based on experience, but he is one of the few who can take on the non-meat eaters and the carnivores equally happily and do it well.

I remember Peter Barker? of CAT discussing the use of video-conferencing and Skype to maintain contact with his elderly father who lives in OZ. Maybe... but Peter doubted he could attend the funeral by Skype.

RAS

choille wrote: »

Managed to get a hefty bloke up the scaffolding yesterday to help lift a couple more panels into place - Yah.:j

I did say to OH to remove the ladder pronto so we could keep him up there, but he escaped back to his own croft.:(

:j:j:j:j:j:j


great, when can you get him back? Got him on an elastic harness?

rozeepozee

Dave, I nearly split my sides when I saw your question! Yes, it is the chapel. It has, apparently, been recently reduced to £199,950.

You really have seen everything, haven't you?

RAS wrote: »

Having looked at googlemaps, is this the holding on the opposite side of the valley to Old School Lane? If so, it is almost east facing and open to the south.

If you are going to graze land, steepness is not an issue.

If you might want to terrace it, google Sepp Holzer and look at what he has done to his mountain fam in Austria.

That's the one, RAS. I show my ignorance when I ask what is the significance of it being almost east facing and open to the south? I know it matters for growing, I just don't know quite how

Thanks for your useful comments on the terracing aspect, choille. Do you have anymore advice on that? Can you do it so it's cost effective?

Poosmate wrote: »

Hey Rozee, how about when you put the twins to bed you read them a story called "The Daydream Fund Challenge Thread"... It's a wonderful story of hope and inspiration and good people helping each other. I suppose it's like permiculture in real life, like mixing exercise with housework and the like! Remember also the saying, "marry in haste, repent at leisure". I would say, if you are looking for your "forever" home, don't make the dream fit the property, hold out for as close to the dream as you can.

Poo

Poo, I am sneaking a read now (usually only manage it on my iPhone, which isn't ideal for reading loads of pages). I have fooled one twin off to sleep with a breastfeed, but the other I'm holding and she's trying to clear the desk, so I may have to take her off and give her a good tickling as punishment! When I put the twins to bed, I go to bed too - if we're all down by 8, there may be a possibility of getting four or six hours sleep in between the eight feeds a night I usually do. Animal husbandry at work!


I really like goats , but take on board what everyone says about making sure the property is right for us and not jumping at the first thing we see. We're not in a rush to buy but would like to be settled in the area where we hope to buy before September 2011 when our eldest child starts secondary school. If we don't buy before, we will let out our home and rent in West Wales. That's the plan at the moment, so that we are proceedable and are nearby so we can househunt every weekend rather than twice a year.

If the chapel is still available next year, we'll go and take a look at it. We need to widen our search area anyway. There aren't enough properties in St Dogs/Cardigan!

alfie_1

Rummer wrote: »

I am turning my thoughts to covering my veggie beds so I have less weeding to do in the new year! So far I have one large bed covered in carpet but wondered if old animal shavings/hay (guinea pigs) would be suitable to put over the remaining beds? I was thinking a thick layer of that would break down quite nicely over the winter, it did wonders for our rhubarb last year. What do you think?

i have always layered the empty veg beds with the "muck out" from the shavings from the chickens. i bag them through the year and use them for the winter. it insulates the soil and fertilises at same time, also helps mulch and keep the soil lighter.