Why? Because with just the two of us, the house is simply too big. This is a home for a growing family, not a couple whose children have grown and moved out.
This means our property will be for sale by early summer. Currently we're remodeling, getting rid of junk, and generally cleaning things up. Our goal is to fix it up inside and out and make it shine like a pearl. I'll be posting photos as we go to illustrate our progress.
The next logical question is, where will we be moving to? The answer is: We don't know. We're searching through six counties in northern Idaho, from the Canadian border to south past Lewiston. We still want a farm (just with a smaller house), so if anyone knows of 15+ acres with a fixer-upper house for sale, please let us know.
If you're looking for a self-sufficient homestead in the country, consider making our home yours. At this point, we plan to sell the property ourselves ("for sale by owner") and anticipate having it ready to put on the market by early- to mid-June. (Please note, we cannot carry a mortgage for anyone.)
Here are some of the amenities the property offers:
- 20 acres, fenced and cross-fenced (roughly two four-acre pastures on one side of house, seven acres in partial woods on the other side of the house, a half-acre wheat pasture, about an acre fenced garden area, three acres around house/barns/driveway)
- 3600 square-foot home (not counting an inside loft of another 300 sq. ft.)
- Four bedrooms, two baths (additional bedrooms could be created from existing spaces currently used as offices)
- On-demand hot water heater
- Propane appliances (range, washing machine, dryer); electric fridge
- 30 gpm well, 610 ft. deep (static level 450 ft.); brand-new 5-gpm well pump installed June 2017
- Wood and propane heat
- Beautiful new Baker's Choice wood cookstove installed December 2015
- 500-gallon propane tank
- Large fenced yard for dogs
- 36x48 ft. barn with attached livestock awning, feed boxes, and 45x45 fenced feet lot
- 22x55 ft. bull pen with two-pen shed and feed boxes (attached to barn)
- Three-bay machine shed with gravel floor
- Three animal pens attached to machine shed with gravel floor
- 32x70 fenced corral adjacent to animal pens
- 25x30 ft. shop with concrete floor and double exterior doors attached to machine shed
- 10x25 ft. insulated shop room with concrete floors and heater attached to machine shed
- Two-room chicken coop (10x20 ft.) with adjacent 6x10 ft. shed
- Hugely productive quarter-acre tire garden
- Mature pear trees
- Young 1/10-acre orchard (4 peaches, 4 apples, 4 hazelnuts, 2 plums)
- 50x50 pond, 14 feet at deepest end, adjacent to garden
- Garden, orchard, pond (7/10 acre total) surrounded by eight-foot deer fence
- Terrific neighbors, with an automatic invitation to our legendary neighborhood potlucks
- Off-road privacy, 1.3 miles down private road
- One hour from both Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington
If interested, please contact us at ruralrevolutionhomestead4sale@mail.com
Two years ago, my wife and I went looking for properties north of Sandpoint. We went as far as Bonner's Ferry and Moyie Springs. I think it was around Bonner's Ferry that we looked at a home (a little over 1000 sq. ft.) on a concrete wall (not cinder block) foundation. 14 acres of well-wooded land and three outbuildings and right off a paved road. $286000. I don't know about you, but that seemed like an incredibly good deal compared to prices here in Anchorage.
ReplyDeleteThis is just an idea of what you might find up there.
I will be sorry to see you leave the homestead but I am sure you will land on your feet. At Don's age he needs to be slowing down and you as well. Just keep doing the blog so we can follow along!
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding me? We're moving so I don't have to slow down...:) Honestly, I've been so fortunate in my life to be married to the finest woman on earth. wait till you see the next pictures of me on the roof of our next place.
ReplyDeleteAt my age 74 I no longer get more than 3 ft off the ground on any ladder. I feel that I may be able to jump that far and not kill myself. There are a lot of things that my mind says I can do that but the body says not so fast. I agree that you won the lottery of life with your choice of a mate!
DeleteIt's an exciting new chapter for the two of you but I'm sure the neighbors are going to miss you.
ReplyDeleteWow... But as older empty-nesters ourselves we can truly relate. You guys have taught us so much. We hope you can share your exciting new journey with us. You are in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteMontana Guy
Wow! That is big news - but I understand. We are on the cusp of that ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHow about 11 McKinnon Road in Weippe. 20 acres plus a 2/1 fixer upper.
ReplyDeleteHow about 11 McKinnon Road in Weippe. 20 acres plus a 2/1 fixer upper.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck in all aspects of your endeavor!
ReplyDeleteWe totally get it... facing retirement forced us to make decisions that I am thrilled that we made! Moving from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains has been the best thing I have ever done and we are so happy with our little 8 acres and old farm house, that I think we extended our lives by 10 years. Couldn't be happier for you and Don! Terrific new chapter for you both, but please take us along. We have been with you for years, and would truly miss you! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteDidn't see that one coming, but not surprised. We are also looking to move since the kids and grands moved out. Best of luck on your new adventure! I personally want to move somewhere warmer (we are in OH, I still want all 4 seasons just not so much cold and snow) but have a bit of work to convince the DH it is doable.
ReplyDeletegrammy am a widow in ne ohio too much weather here am ready for warmer area grew up in cabell county w.va. daffodils a month earlier than middle of pennsylvania where we used to live very humid in summer in w.va. but too cold too long with no sun up this way. maybe eastern kentuck?
DeleteWe spent a decade in neohio, moved to cincy area, and are amazed are how much more sun we get down here.
DeleteI grew up in the Cincy area and have thought of moving back. Love that place!
Deletelucky youse...Shadowfaxhound
ReplyDeletewish i had the youth and the $$$
ReplyDeleteGod bless you in your new venture and try to be close-ish to a clinic or hospital
My suggestion would be to get a place 15-20ac. Unimproved land and have a small house built on it. Depending on what you get for your place, as time goes on you can add a small shop and barn combo. Then if it comes time to sell it there is a small place to start and room to build. If you love your place consider renting the main house, and building a small place to live in, right there.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the same boat as you are. We are closing on our 180 acres and will be looking for something smaller in the Clearwater Valley. Maybe we will wind up being neighbors. Please continue writing and the best of luck to you.
ReplyDeleteBless you on your new path! We are also looking to move out of N.Y. to VA where kids are, hoping daughter will follow!
ReplyDeleteBless you on the next chapter in your lives!
ReplyDeleteare you keeping your milch cows?
ReplyDeleteNot sure yet. It depends on whether or not the place we buy has cow infrastructure already in place.
Delete- Patrice
We recently moved from the city to the country, may I make a suggestion from one book lover to another. I used those copy paper boxes for my books, anything bigger will rupture something in your body, anything smaller not worth it. You might be able to get them from a copy place or an attorney office. These boxes are the very best for books due to their slip on lids. I have been moving books around for decades and have found that these are the best, and you can stack them. Also, my books were the first to get packed. Time to start collecting them.
ReplyDeleteBreaking my heart. Wishing I was in your shoes.
ReplyDeleteDo you have an idea yet about how much you are pricing the ranch at? Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to have room for future grandkids at the next place... ;)
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
ReplyDeleteWould it not be easier to close off a portion of your home rather than move to a smaller place? I ask this in earnestly, not sarcasm or rebuke. It seems your home is too big but you are happy with every other aspect of your place. I can’t imagine investing in something as long as you have and picking up to start over again.
ReplyDeleteOuida Gabriel
Been thinking about this a lot. I have to agree with Quida. Unless you are just tired of your place, you can always just update what you don't like. You are in an excellent place to live. Everything you listed as pros to someone else buying it tells me that you might want to make some improvements or just change the look of things. Remodel the house so that you don't have unused space that is conditioned. Use it as storage. I hate to see you make the move and wish I had the option of buying what you have now.
DeleteA word of caution based on my 49 years of experience in this. Every state has different laws concerning real estate taxes so carefully look into this. Here in Michigan if you leave a place after many years you can buy a much smaller, cheaper home and find that the taxes will have "uncapped" from the last owners rate and you could be paying multiple times as much tax as you paid in your previous home and multiple times more than the person you bought your new one from. Look into this matter before you go too far.---ken
ReplyDeleteWow! You surprised me with this announcement! Good luck on finding your new place. Don't overlook property with utilities in. Modular homes are quite energy efficient, and building from the ground up, you could add solar, etc.
ReplyDelete-Stealth Spaniel
I guess that means you won't be growing a garden this year.
ReplyDeleteBut what about when your daughters get married and come to see you with their own families? 3200 sq.ft. might not look so bad then.
Got to say you are pretty brave to start over again. I say this in a world that clean water and elbow room is going to be a commodity and could very well be the next gold rush in value.
Being set up to grow your own food will be imperative for survival in hard times. Everyone else will be trying to find a place like yours to to live in and be self sufficient in when the @#$% hits the fan. This will be when intrinsic value far surpasses monetary value.
Guess my question is this: how long will it take to reach that total self sufficiency level again that you now posses? I know this has always been the goal for you. And you've already achieved it! Just wondering...
Patrice, Been reading your posts for years...rarely miss a day! Miss hearing something about the girls, tho. I am really proud of your daughter in the military. Also excited about your and Don's decision to move. Please don't stop writing...didn't really think you would. It will be fun to hear where you decide to live and I'll continue reading your interesting blog. You are a regular part of my life!
ReplyDeleteI've posted your "Huge News" on a FB group for the national Ladies Homestead Gathering group. A ready-made homestead would be a dream!
ReplyDeleteRedoubt Renee
Thank you!
Delete- Patrice
Have you thought about partitioning part of the house, make this space into dorms, and then possibly opening up a school for would be preppers? It would be an additional source of income and you and Don could pass along your knowledge. I do see one issue that might be difficult to overcome. You have kept your exact location on the down low, for important reasons. This would remove that veil. Oh well, it was a thought.
ReplyDeleteThis is surprising news! You will be giving up YEARS of work invested into your land: the gardens, fruit trees, animal structures, paddocks, etc. not to mention the community among your neighbors and the potlucks. How long will it take in a new place to accomplish all of this? The idea above is something you should think about.
DeleteI am sorry to read this, but I do understand (boy do I ever)! We, too, have great neighbors (with more and more people moving in every day) and, now that the kids are grown, too much house to heat, cool, clean and pay high property taxes and insurance on. We are still doing some good natured squabbling about where we should relocate and how small of a house we can reasonably downsize to considering that we have at least four grandkids visiting during the weekends, up to eight during school vacations.
ReplyDeleteTears are going to be shed when you leave this home. But you will most assuredly have many woarm memories, and warm memories never wear out their welcome in our lives.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes!
Rich
AFTER ALL THE WORK! For years we have watched you work on your homestead, mark each task and wish off the list!
ReplyDeleteJust when you get everything the way you want it....
I can tell you from experience that when our FOUR children started having families, the extra space was used often and I wish my house was bigger to accommodate all of us during visits and holidays. I simply don't heat unused rooms in the winter.
I wouldn't be surprised if you changed your mind after it gets all spruced up.
Either way, blessings on your new journey. Here or there.