Hey ya’ll!
I just wanted to do another check-in on our journey. As you may know, we closed last month on our property. Even after a 6 month, long, and tedious closing, I look back on it and think – “Man, that was the easy part!”. It seems as if we’ve been met by challenges at every corner. But, we’re keeping faith that all things will work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. And we feel that this is something that He purposefully set us out to fulfill. Even with all the ups and downs, we are learning very valuable things and meeting some interesting people!
If you’ve been following along, you know that the easement we wanted to use to access the parcel where we wanted to build was blocked by a power pole. It’s passable by foot, but not by vehicle. And we definitely need to get a vehicle, more specifically a bushhog, back there to cut the now overgrown hay. In our minds we thought, we have a bunch of road frontage, we can use that, but the state said, “Hold up! Wait a minute.” We discovered we’d need culverts put in and not just any culverts, but rather cement culverts, which weigh a ton! And seeing as how we are “city folk”, we don’t have heavy machinery to move the culverts to the property. So, we figured, there’s got to be a way to skin this cat, which leads us to the above title.
We began thinking, maybe we should build sooner than we expected, and started looking at our various options. I absolutely, without a doubt, would love a steel built home. The benefits are amazing compared to stick built homes:
- Termite Resistant
- Environmentally friendly (steel is recyclable and reusable)
- Durable
- Faster build times
- Lighter, yet stronger than wood
- Mold resistant
- Doesn’t give off chemical smells that could trigger allergies
The downside is, to get the steel cut, for some companies, you have to come up with about 30% of the total cost upfront. Of course, with the new tariffs in place, that cost is going to rise. Also, because it’s not a” traditional” build, banks are going to shy away from the consideration because typically they are scared of stuff that’s not “normal”. Basically, if we want it, it’s going to take a bit of finesse.
Of course we thought about the traditional stick built home. It would give us ease in finding plans and general contractors (or if we truly want to be adventurous with the guidance of a few friends and subcontractors, we could self-build!). But, we also know that stick built, while easy, can be more pricey. Wood molds, rots, aren’t plumb (straight) etc. and with that, means you’d spend more on materials and labor.
We also considered modular (mod) and manufactured homes. We thought they would be less costly to build, saving us money on mortgage so we can in turn do other things with our “saved” funds. In fact, we went to go see some just this past weekend. It’s funny because these two type homes have a stigma attached to them. I admit, I was absolutely prejudiced against having one. I fell for all the myths – they depreciate, will blow over in a storm etc etc. But, after doing some research and seeing them for myself, I’ve come to the conclusion, in some cases, they actually LOOK like regular “site built” stick homes. Yes, these things have come a long way from what I remember them being. They are spacious, in some cases dry-walled, some even have huge pantries and walk-in showers! Those were two features I absolutely wanted in our new home – places to put my canning goods and kitchen gadgets and a dreamy walk-in shower. It turns out though, they cost just as much (if not more) than “regular” site built homes.
So, here we are…at this cross road. We have a lot to consider and it’s looking like this build isn’t going to be as simple as we thought. It’s funny because Antoine used to write inspirational quotes a while back and one came to his remembrance today that said:
Even when you know the outcome will be good, don’t be naive in thinking that the journey to the end cannot be a rough ride. – Antoine, 2010
Maybe God was telling us something then that we needed to hear now. We’re in it for the long haul, so I guess we better buckle up!
Take care everyone!