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Building a modern home in the woods

johnnyrodgers.is

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Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#451

Post by prawn »

brailsafe wrote: post #366
Mandatum wrote: post #338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the type of house that gets published in architecture and "Home" magazines as inspiration. The thing is most of those houses do a bit of media and advertising to help pay costs. It's partly sponsored and used by architects to sell their services. The "FU Money" emanating from this article is palpable. Good for OP - it's amazing, but boy sometimes the shit you read from tech folk is so detached from the regula…

Well.. it depends. I'm not making any uncharitable assumptions about the author's intentions. The entire article could say "I bought a house near Vancouver" and you'd be expecting the person to be extremely well-off, because it'll cost $1.5m anyway. It's obviously a little disingenuous to call it a "modern home in the woods" because it's definitely not a humble bungalow, but whatever. I just find it a little silly to…

"modern home in the woods" because it's definitely not a humble bungalow

Why would a "modern home" in the woods need to be a humble bungalow?

He hasn't termed it affordable or DIY. It could be a $100k tiny house and someone living in their car would gripe. This sort of thing seems to happen every time someone writes for their audience and an adjacent audience finds it; just doesn't seem like a very charitable reading of their intentions.

It's more expensive than I could afford, but I liked reading about the process and seeing what they built. I also enjoy reading about tiny houses, people living in their vans, $100m mansions, chateau conversions, anything.

I liked Architectural Digest's tour of JJ Redick's apartment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZDNGVmHxn4 He has all that money yet the kids still fight about Lego, and neither kid can be convinced to sleep on the top bunk. And then their patio is near-unusable due to construction noise.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#452

Post by reducesuffering »

dleslie wrote: post #361
lazide wrote: post #357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dual income no kids maybe?

They have two kids, it's shown in the article, and mentioned.

In the article it's also mentioned that it's a second / ski home. They still have a duplex in the city.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#453

Post by adamcharnock »

aliswe wrote: post #445
adamcharnock wrote: post #122

I've done this in Portugal, but on a smaller scale and pretty much with only my own labor. I purchased 6 hectares (15 acres) for mid-5-figures. I've built an A-frame studio house for around €10k (excl tools), and installed a 5kw solar system for about another €10k. The house has air conditioning and underfloor heating (water-based, heated using wood from the land). I've also brought a 50-year-old tractor and started…

this is obviously awesome, I just want to ask you if you see the idea of a 50-year-old tractor harmonizing with the idea of an ultra modern sustainable home and energy source?

TBH, sustainability is a byproduct rather than the goal.

Plus, the tractor is definitely an occasional use tool. Now I think about it, I suspect a modern new tractor would take a very long time to pay off its embedded energy with the level of use it would see here.

And my old tractor cost €3k. A new one would cost €30-60k. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#454

Post by adamcharnock »

gautamcgoel wrote: post #394
adamcharnock wrote: post #122

I've done this in Portugal, but on a smaller scale and pretty much with only my own labor. I purchased 6 hectares (15 acres) for mid-5-figures. I've built an A-frame studio house for around €10k (excl tools), and installed a 5kw solar system for about another €10k. The house has air conditioning and underfloor heating (water-based, heated using wood from the land). I've also brought a 50-year-old tractor and started…

One question I always have when people build houses with large windows: don't you worry about someone smashing the windows and stealing stuff when you're away?

I was worried. It hasn't been a problem yet. I put some CCTV cameras up though.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#455

Post by Meritiooo »

adamcharnock wrote: post #122

I've done this in Portugal, but on a smaller scale and pretty much with only my own labor. I purchased 6 hectares (15 acres) for mid-5-figures. I've built an A-frame studio house for around €10k (excl tools), and installed a 5kw solar system for about another €10k. The house has air conditioning and underfloor heating (water-based, heated using wood from the land). I've also brought a 50-year-old tractor and started…

Love it!

Sitting in Munich and we plan to buy something right now as well. Rural lots of land (min 10k sqmt)

What are your thoughts on climate change?

I'm planing to buy only once and we are 35. I'm slight y ignoring Portugal due to this.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#456

Post by adamcharnock »

Meritiooo wrote: post #455
adamcharnock wrote: post #122

I've done this in Portugal, but on a smaller scale and pretty much with only my own labor. I purchased 6 hectares (15 acres) for mid-5-figures. I've built an A-frame studio house for around €10k (excl tools), and installed a 5kw solar system for about another €10k. The house has air conditioning and underfloor heating (water-based, heated using wood from the land). I've also brought a 50-year-old tractor and started…

Love it! Sitting in Munich and we plan to buy something right now as well. Rural lots of land (min 10k sqmt) What are your thoughts on climate change? I'm planing to buy only once and we are 35. I'm slight y ignoring Portugal due to this.

It is a fair point on climate change. I'm not really an expert on this, but I'll make some various points...

I think winters have become drier, but April can be absolutely torrential.

The specific location can also make a difference. I'm near the base of a mountain which I believe can prop-up the underground water table nicely, and can certainly cause more rain.

I think Portugal being costal also helps with rainfall, certainly compared to the plains of Spain further East.

Try and get some data for the last decade or two. That will probably be more useful than any local anecdotes. But local terrain/micro-climates will make a difference.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#457

Post by prteja11 »

dleslie wrote: post #163

We recently moved from Vancouver to the Island; and made a similar calculus about locations at which to live. I have a friend who ended up with 160+ acres in the interior, whereas I've settled on a quarter acre on the central island. There's a reason for this difference... What's I found _conspicuously_ absent from the author's considerations was anything at all regarding their children. Elementary schools, family do…

How much did this quarter acre cost on central island if you don’t mind sharing? And is it a good location for schooling young kids (5/6 yr olds)?

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#458

Post by tiborsaas »

ajuc wrote: post #306
tiborsaas wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was the first I've found. Have you lived in these? I have and they are terrible places to live in. Parking spaces are ridiculously under planned, because workers used took a bus, but today most families own at least one car. These buildings are near their end of life since they weren't designed to last. They are rather depressing to look at, but that's just me. Soundproofing doesn't exists, moving walls is limit…

> Have you lived in these? Yes, in several different ones (when I was studying in Lublin I lived in 3 different places and later I rented a flat in Warsaw). I also lived in a detached house in countryside for most of my life and now I live in a reasonably modern neighborhood. I have a comparison. > Parking spaces are ridiculously under planned, because workers used took a bus That's the best feature of them. You can…

I'm glad that those neighborhoods in Poland are nice, in Hungary the panel blocks are mostly ghetto style places. Most people live there not because they like the lifestyle, but that's what they can afford.

Weird, I'd trade a chance to live in a commie block for the modern blocks you linked to.

But of course, I'd like to have my own land with my glass-concrete utopia home if money weren't an issue.

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#459

Post by claudiulodro »

nlarion wrote: post #438
claudiulodro wrote: post #25

The way to do this if you're not wealthy is to get a cheapo plot of land on the Oregon/Washington coast ($<100k for up to .5 acres) and put a manufactured home on it. It's way simpler, cheaper, and the construction on manufactured homes has improved a lot over the years (they're framed with 2x6s to survive transport, and this makes them sturdier and better insulated than most traditional houses). I did it and it's be…

You're out of touch with current prices if you think 5 acres is sub 100k anywhere but eastern wa/or...

.5 acres (1/2 acre)

Re: Building a modern home in the woods

#460

Post by Meritiooo »

adamcharnock wrote: post #456
Meritiooo wrote: post #455

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Love it! Sitting in Munich and we plan to buy something right now as well. Rural lots of land (min 10k sqmt) What are your thoughts on climate change? I'm planing to buy only once and we are 35. I'm slight y ignoring Portugal due to this.

It is a fair point on climate change. I'm not really an expert on this, but I'll make some various points... I think winters have become drier, but April can be absolutely torrential. The specific location can also make a difference. I'm near the base of a mountain which I believe can prop-up the underground water table nicely, and can certainly cause more rain. I think Portugal being costal also helps with rainfall,…

How would I be able to check remote if a piece of land will have good or even very good internet?

Is 15000 sqmt for 100k possible?

Are you aware of any community to exchange experience?

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