The Land

Sam's family's farm is protected by a conservation easement and so there are rules and regulations about building on the land. Sam kept talking about "the hill" we would use to berm our home and by "hill" he apparently meant "slight rise in the landscape." The 2-acre building envelope is just off the dirt and gravel lane that runs through the farm. The view from every direction is breath-taking.

On Summer Solstice, we visited the barley field and small hill that would soon become our home. We asked permission from the land to build our house there and buried a 2014 penny as an offering.

Why yes, that is a mosquito net over my daughter's hat. I bought one for each of us to protect our faces from the hated creatures. I got a great deal on them and they made my summer significantly more pleasant.

Ben (left) and Sam (right) staked the property.

Sam built a little cairn at each corner of the property to mark the borders...and because he knew I think they are lovely.

The land conservation easement required a survey of the "building envelope." Our original survey used a triangle for the building area, but when we tried to place the well and septic system (which need to be placed deliberately), we realized a trapezoid was a better shape for our envelope. So we had to get a second survey.

I immediately started price checking the well. It turns out wells are very, very expensive. Nearly prohibitively expensive. And there's no guarantee that you will actually get water or that the water will be potable. After a lot of discussion and budgeting, we settled on a shallow well (60-80 feet).

We also needed to get permits and a soil test from the County in order to start work on the septic system and drainfield.

Money Spent: $1066
$310 septic permit
$235 County septic permit
$ 21 water test
$250 survey (triangle)
$250 survey (trapezoid)