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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Gary Collins
Read between
October 14 - October 14, 2018
great things come with time and perseverance.
Keep in mind also that some remote lots are not listed, as they are “for sale by owner” only. Your local real estate agent will probably know about these lots, or other people in the area will know of someone trying to sell some land that is not listed.
was land still owned by the logging company that had worked the area years back.
logged lots
business model based on reselling land.
without a reliable water source on your property, you have nothing but an expensive camping site.
Expect to pay from $40 to $50 per foot of drilled well depth for all the previous listed components.
A workable well usually needs to produces a minimum of one gallon of water per minute.
Fogle Pump (www.foglepump.com)
Water pressure tanks also decrease wear and tear on your well pump, so having one is a good economic decision.
purification keeps your water safe,
filtration keeps unwanted materials (think dirt and sediment) out of your water.
purification is an extra step that makes your water safer to drink.
construct a seasonal cabin. Well, a lot of the codes and zoning requirements pertaining to a vacation home will be different than a permanent residential dwelling.
pass a code inspection in
order to get your owner occupancy certificate from the county,
Cutting corners in the beginning will cost you big time down the road.
gravity flow system.
pressure-based septic system.
Dealing with contractors is the most difficult part of the building process for would-be off-gridders … period!
• Get a lien release agreement (a.k.a. lien waiver) for him and all sub-contractors. (This prevents a GC or sub-contractor from applying a lien against your property if he feels you still owe him money.)
Avoid engaging Joe Six-Pack in conversation outside the scope of the project. (This is his way of padding his hours and charging you for chitchat.)
locate a good contractor by getting a referral list from the county building inspector’s office.
The best and most reliable way to find a good contractor is by referral.
A big red flag for a bad contractor is giving you your estimate/bid handwritten on a piece of paper and/or charging for their time to do an estimate/bid.
Another red flag is a lack of detail on materials and costs for each phase of the project.
Never ever share the bid details of one contractor with another prior to them bidding the project.
all. I strongly recommend you spend some time online to get a sense of what it really means in your area if someone says they are a “licensed” contractor.
slow to hire and quick to fire:
county inspector’s offices
Bad contractors can be weeded out by having their work double-checked, again saving you time and money.
county assessor’s office, and they will be able to tell you, or at least send you in the right direction.
it’s difficult to even find a contractor willing to do a small project unless they can charge inflated prices, because in their mind it just isn’t worth it.
consider purchasing the materials yourself, and then have your contractor bid on labor only, with a “not to exceed more than” clause in the job contract.
Any contractor worth their salt will have no problem doing this, as it makes their life a lot easier not having to get building materials. All they have to do is show up and build, and you are the gofer that will get whatever they need.
Research the Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit before you build, as you could potentially save thousands of dollars on your green-energy-system
Also check out www.dsireusa.org for a nationwide listing of many other green-energy financial incentives, which vary by state, county, and local utility providers.
Backwoods Home Magazine.
Backwoods Solar has been in the alternative energy business for over 20 years, and they have it down pat. They will send you a great book for free that explains all the things you need to know and how to get started.
Solar panels are so cheap today, it is more cost effective to add panels than to design an elaborate solar panel rotation system.
hydro is considered the most reliable and cheapest because water usually runs 24/7, 365 days a year.
the prevalence of bugs that live nearby water in my area; the fact that streams can dry up at different times of the year; and the inconvenient truth that your power generating stream could be diverted away from your land by a property owner who lives higher upstream.
By welding or putting JB Weld on all your fence fasteners, you make sure they will not be able to unscrew your fence attachment points and just walk or even drive right in.
