Thank you for the invite to your lifestyle. Dont mind the Debbie Downer comments- you've got an amazing start on a great family. Kudos to you for raising a young family off grid! I look forward to watching and learning from your journey.
@@thehomeintent thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I only see great things to come, and agree to just ignore the rude comments. Peace.
Oh, that's awesome!! Good for you guys, that sounds like so much work. I feel so blessed we could purchase ours with everything set up already, but it's so worth it to be off grid.
I agree that the RV is a bonus to the property and as your walking around and giving me a wider view of the front and side of the house, I can totally see some trees that would be to close for my comfort, especially the pine or black spruce at the front that has a ton of moss hanging from it. As nice as it is to have trees close to the house, it posses some serious hazards if they were to fall or God forbid a fire happened to start somewhere close by. A fire perimeter needs to be a priority around the house and this will help with the moisture issue as well, so you're helping to fix 2 issues at once. The RV itself shows this moisture issue as well, with some major leaning trees around it which is close enough to hit the house. I do love the gazebo type of structure beside the propane tank but it's too close to the propane take for an outdoor kitchen. Personally, I would move it close to where your back door is or kitchen so you can come right outside and do cooking and preservatives when it's sweltering hot unless you have AC and don't care about that. Having it closer to the house also allows you and the children easy access and close enough for you to putter if the kids are napping. At least for right now you can use it to store your winter wood and skirt it with some tarps to keep the wood dry and the snow off. Snakes love wood piles so be wary of that. Ah ha, you guys do have a gun cabinet in the master. That answered an earlier Q about a rifle. So you both hunt? Game meat is such a blessing to be able to provide for your family and become self sufficient 🙂Bonus to have a loft for storage and for sure would dry clothes quickly with the wood stove going. It would make a nice bedroom for one of the children down the road but you would have to modify the railing to enclose it for safety reasons of course. It would also make a great space for an office/work zone perhaps. It is super cool to have the wood exposed showing the tunnelling of where the insects burrowed into the wood but this wood is inside and looks like it may have a sealant/varnish applied, unlike the wood outside that doesn't. It shows how aggressive insects can eat away at the wood. I've seen the video where the shower was replaced and I'm glad there wasn't much damage to have to replace. I've also seen that the installation took place with the range and looks great btw, as does the entryway refresh. I love this pantry area and all the pull out drawers. Oh yes, those lights shining onto the pantry area need to be redone, lol. A functional kitchen for now because I think there are other more pressing improvements to make but I can see an addition going on your home that will improve the flow and give you more space. Gorgeous view from the kitchen window. Yes, the windows are great and the kitchen floor adds some jazz. Fantastic that the wood stove has an oven at the bottom. It would be great to have a similar wood stove to this in an outdoor kitchen cooking area. The fermented feed is a wonderful healthy way to feed the chickens. I used to cook oatmeal for mine and add yogurt and raisins as a treat about every 2 wks. Dining room area has an awesome view and very bright. I've eaten bear meat a few times. My friends husband hunts black bear twice a year here in NB. The meat was very tender. Great small bedroom off the kitchen that may down the road make a great pantry if you ever do an addition. It's fantastic to have an outdoor shower but it does add to water/moisture against the untreated wood siding. So nice to be able to have a kitchen garden so close. You are doing a very deceit job of keeping the weeds at bay. I like the no dig method where you put cardboard down and place soil directly on top. It does help suppress the weeds by doing this but eventually they do make their way through the cardboard, typically the 2nd season but no where near the amount that you had to originally deal with. Cardboard tends to bring about slugs and snails, so I would recommend a slug bait "before" you plant out your annuals or the slugs will eat the majority of them. The slug bait was effective for me, plus I save all my egg shells and crush in large pieces to deter the slugs. Diatomaceous earth which you probably have on hand for the chickens can also be used in the garden for slugs in the early part of the season as well. You have plenty of pine needles from the trees around you, so using that thickly to cover between the rows will certainly help suppress weeds. It can be used to cover any exposed soil as its easily pulled back when planting seedlings, etc. Cute DIY fire pit area. I like the stumps for sitting. Very rustic. Sunk in greenhouse is great with south facing windows, which could easily be extended down the road. Great basement with a massive amount of storage area which I would want access to through the floor down the road. That's great that Mark has added those solid supports to ensure the load of the house is supported well. So I came to this video via a link you provided me when you asked about different improvements the viewers thought you could make on a different video. I hadn't seen this one so it was great Erika to get the overall big picture of the property. You both have a beautiful property and the possibilities are endless. I've given you my input as to what would be most important thing to work on right away and also asked other Q's just to know more about your area, etc. As for video ideas, I think videoing anything to do with day to day off grid stuff is all great. People are going to have a wide range of interests but I think if you are authentic and just be who you are (meaning don't try to replicate another popular YT homesteader, lol) than your channel will be successful, if that is what your goals are. Any DIY projects that Mark or you do are valuable to the channel because people that don't know want to learn. What you think as simple is not so simple to someone that has never owned a chichen, or fell a tree, or fermented chicken food, or cooked from scratch.............all these things are amazing and will grow your channel. Clearly it already has because this video is at 37,000 + views and that's fantastic. Being engaging like you are is great but not over the top by giving to much detail like you did with that very negative comment that I mentioned in a dif note. Fantastic video btw. Very informative and I look forward to following along on your journey 🥰
I really appreciate all your thoughts Krista! You’ve brought up a few things we haven’t thought, it’s great to hear other people’s insights on what should be done. Thanks for your encouragement and advice!!
Going back to this image that I stopped the video at 1:53, this is a beautiful picture of the fiddleheads turning into a fern with the fun rising over the tree. It's so nice, that it's framable, lol. I'm not sure if you are into photography, but this is a striking photo ❤I noticed in the comments someone going on about how messy the yard is and tall grass, etc........As you are opening yourself up to the world and sharing your journey, you will get a ton of different comments. I'm not sure I would have given such a detailed answer to that post, other than to say, "thanks for your thoughts and views and we will get to it as time permits" 🙂I'm still cleaning up crap around here from the previous owners and will get to it as time and physical ability allows. I do believe you mentioned in your intro that you are a city girl moved to the country/off grid lifestyle, so the 1st thing that I would make a priority is learning to use a rifle, as you are living with a ton of wildlife (My daughter used to live in AB and had to deal with mountain lions, etc) and it will be necessary to protect your homestead from animals that will be roaming about. It's important to let the wildlife know that this is your homestead and you will protect it, even if that just means firing off the rifle as a warning to protect your family. By now you would have lived there long enough to have had some encounters. What type of wildlife do you guys having living around there? How deep is your well and how old is the submersible pump? The area where the outdoor tap is, seems wet (water splashing back onto the house where the wood is darkened and moss is growing), which suggests that the roof in that area could use a gutter to collect water in a tote or the downspout pointed in a direction away from the house. Do you have poisonous snake in your area? If so, this could be an area where they would go to keep cool in the heat. The interior of the shop is very nice. It looks like someone lived there once upon a time, and then built the house and converted the old house into the shop. I don't know much about solar power but I wondered how long a battery lasts and how old these ones are? You have 8 and depending on their age you guys may need to start budgeting to replace some in order to keep your system working well. Great area for guests to come visit, storage, etc, etc. I'm sure you will develop it over time. The possibilities are endless but it would also make a great learning area for homeschooling, crafts, etc. It's great to have the diesel generator hard wired to turn on automatically and I would agree that having someone come service the system is a priority on the homestead as you want to keep it working well. A big system like that would for sure be $5,000 if not closer to $10,000. How close are you to neighbors, nearest community? Have you found someone to give the system an overall as this video is 2 months old now? The DIY chicken coup is pretty cool. I used to own 14 chickens but my coup was insulated with electrical. My only thoughts are how winterized and predator proof this one is. I'm assuming you keep the feed in the lean to area, so rodents may be a concern for sure. Rodents may be drawn to the generator room as it would throw off heat in the winter and feed being stored nearby. That's excellent that you have the rainwater catchment system in place and piped down to where the green house is. The area slopes downward so there is room to put another water catchment if your needs grow. When one is full a float value could be installed to start pumping into the 2nd. As your walking from the coup to the house it appears the houses elevation is lower than the shop, yes? The septic tank area needs to be enclosed to protect the electrical outlet. A pump house box built around it. I'm used to seeing pvc pipes buried so I don't know if heat tape around that pump out pipe will be a concern. Long enough note here at around 11 mins.
Thanks, I got into photography a few years ago when I started my blog, but I use an iPhone for filming and it does all the “heavy lifting” 😆. About the negative comments, I’ve just decided to ignore them. If I don’t I think waaay too long about them and how to respond and it’s just a waste of time and energy! It’s a good point about self defense. I practice with my 12 gauge once in a while so I am somewhat prepared, and I carry bear spray when we go for walks. I plan to do a video on the wildlife soon, but we’ve seen deer, elk, a bear, beavers, lots of frogs, toads, squirrels and birds. I don’t remember how deep the well is and not sure about how old the pump is, I’ll look into that! No poisonous snakes, just garter snakes but we haven’t seen any. We will need to replace the batteries within about 2 years, they are apparently 3 years old and last about 5. We have a few leads for people to look at the generator and Marks working on that. Good point about the septic, thanks!
Now that I'm looking at a closer look at the house, I would agree that the siding is aged which is apparent from the darkened part at the bottom from rain splashback before gutters, etc, were installed. I see the downspout on the right hand side but none on the left and of course that creates a moist environment. I personally would be removing all those veins and vegetation growing on the house and close to it until the moisture problem is solved. The moisture will also attract insects like ants and earwigs. The ants will cause a lot of damage to the wood siding for sure because the wood is not protected. You for sure do not want to see any carpenter ants or termites. If so, that poses a serious structural issue to your home. I don't know if there is a moisture barrier between the garden beds and the house but you can clearly see moss growing on the logs that frame the garden bed. I think it looks very charmy and rustic which adds to the charm but it has to be done right in order to minimize damage to the siding. I haven't seen an outside view that shows me how close to the house the trees are. If there are a lot of trees, than I would check to make sure they are not close enough that a big storm could potentially fall them on the house. To many trees also don't let in enough sunlight which could also be contributing to the moisture issue around the house. It is a forest after all which creates a canopy over anything under it, which is why ferns, vines and moss are growing. I wouldn't want squirrels using the inside of my walls to stash their food either, lol. I love the rustic look of the board and batten and think that when you do replace the siding, that could be the cheapest way to go, especially with your own trees on the property to use (whatever wood was used should be treated with a wood sealant or shou sugi ban technique which is beautiful but uses cedar I believe, so I don't know what kind of trees are on your property). Select tree cutting and taking to a mill to have cut into boards or buying your own portable saw mill would be good eventually and possibly a service you could offer to other property owners in your area, if they knew you guys had a mill 🙂The house appears structurally sound (depending on insect/rodent/water damage), so it doesn't matter the age. So far, I feel that the #1 priority in doing things around your property is taking care of the moisture problem. If it doesn't get done, than you take the risk of having to deal with costly structural issues............
Good morning Erika 🙂I'm going to just mention things as you go along in the video or ask questions, as it's easiest to make comments this way. You may even answer some of these Q's during the video. I'm not sure if you've mentioned this in the past, but is this your 1st winter season coming up living at this property? The pond appears to be close by the home but I'm not sure how far away it is. Dragonflies should be plentiful having a pond nearby and I for sure would be intentional about placing dragonfly perches for them to rest when they are hunting mosquitos. One adult dragonfly can eat 100 mosquitos per day, so you really want them around living in the woods. I noticed the driveway has a slope downward, so I was curious as to what you plan to use to remove snow? I had a chuckle when you showed the shop and said it was around 700 sq ft. I built my tiny house here at 575 sq ft so the shop is huge, lol. I had visions of having a portable mill under the lean to off the shop (with I'm sure some modifications) but using it as storage for all the things you are right now is a great idea. Ah, you just mentioned that you just moved in, so that answer my Q above. At 1:53 I noticed those ferns beside the dog (what is the dogs name?) and I just wanted to point out that before a fern turns into a fern, it's called a fiddlehead. It's basically the stage before the fern opens up and you have to pick those before the sun opens them up. They are an edible green and delicious when boiled to desired tenderness with salt, pepper and vinegar if you like that. They also freeze very well when blanched. Fiddleheads are typically harvested in the spring of the year. They are high in fatty acids (great for people that don't eat fish) and very high in potassium. If you don't like them yourselves, they would be great to collect, dry out and add to your soil for improved fruit production from plants. I can't believe I'm almost at 2 mins into this video and my note is this long, lol. I think I'll just post them when I think the note is getting to long and keep going. The more posts on a video is a good thing anyway. It triggers the YT algorithm to push out to more viewers, so that's a win win 😃- Krista-
Great point about the dragonflies! Molly is our dog’s name. My mother in law told me the fiddleheads are edible but I wasn’t sure how to use them, so thanks! Also great to know they are high in fatty acids. Well thanks so much for all your input, I really appreciate it!
Have you used the wood burning oven yet? That dining room view is gorgeous! Haha love the bear comments. I'd love to see just a walkthrough of everything left by the previous owners, and the positives and negatives of having that be apart of the house sale. The outdoor shower seems so random, but so useful especially with your current scary shower situation. Have you used it yet? Garden walkthrough please!! For such a little house, there is so much great entertaining space! How does the automatic greenhouse windows work? I appreciate and the love the realness of the house tour, with the kids, and the outfit changes. ❤️
Yes I have! The first time I did, I burned the top of my granola, but after that it's been pretty smooth sailing. I've made granola, biscuits, puff pancakes and a strawberry rhubarb crisp in it. I won't be using it now probably until the fall since we don't need to make fires in the wood stoves. Honestly I would never again include items in a house sale. It was far too complicated and there were some misunderstandings. We thought it was all clear, but it wasn't. I don't recommend it! Haha We have used the outdoor shower, mostly for rinsing off after working in the garden or walking around barefoot. I love it for that! About the greenhouse windows that open, I don't remember exactly, but there's fluid inside hydraulic hinges that expands as it heats up and opens the window. Something like that? 🤷♀️ Glad you liked the tour, thanks so much for the comment! I'll for sure do a garden tour at some point.😊
Wow! it's a nice place to live off-grid cabin, my friend. Nice you have both the solar panel and the generators for your utilities. Looking forward to more good times, and family bonding while cultivating the place. Keep sharing. Sending my full suppport.
I love the unique (and sometimes eccentric lol) houses. They are so much more interesting than the cookie cutter houses. Your view out of all those wonderful windows is wonderful! Looking forward to seeing your progress and how you will make it your own.
I love seeing the starting point of your property! It's beautiful and has so much potential. The view from the fire pit area is so pretty. I look forward to seeing what you do with your home in the future.
Thank you so much! There is so much potential, so it's fun and challenging to figure out the possibilities and decide what to do. Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙂
Thanks! We'll we've got a few apple trees, one we're pretty sure is crabapple and not sure about the others. Time will tell! There's a tree that our plant app says is a plum tree, but it doesn't look like it will bear fruit this year. There are tons of lilies, irises, ferns, lilacs around. There are wild raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in abundance as well, which we are so thankful for! Although we'll have to be more cautious about bears when all the berries are ready
This the first video I have watched of your's and I really loved it. I think you have a wonderful place that has plenty of room for when your children grow up and although it might seem that you have many jobs get to it how you want it there will be some to do well before others. You probably already have a list. Securing your house to the ground would be my first job in my opinion. A barrier around the wood stoves would be my second choice, to keep little crawling hands away from a hot fire. I am going to enjoy watching you grow in your garden over time as grass is nitrogen which is good for a garden, so weed block it with a heap of carboard, muich and home made compost over time and grow something where your waste water is pumped to.So many things you already have. I hope to follow what looks like will be so rewarding for you all..
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, we have quite a list of changes and improvements to make. I don't know what it is about wood stoves, but my baby sure loves them and tries to get to them! For now it's alright since we aren't using them, but in the winter we'll for sure need to figure something out. I'm a beginner gardener so I've got a lot to learn! Please feel free to give tips and advice when you see me doing something that could be improved or done differently. Thanks again for the comment and for following along. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see in future videos as well! 🙂
I love the sneak peak of your puppy! Also that shop is such a great space. The camper trailer is so cool. What a fantastic addition. The windows as you walk in provide awesome natural light. I was going to ask about the ceiling in your loft. So much character to your house. I love it! That pantry space is to die for. One of my dream items on a house is to be able to have a window looking out over my property above the kitchen sink. So picturesque Did the chickens come with the property? Are you going to upgrade the chicken coop? I was going to ask about the super dirty wall behind the kitchen wood burning stove. Haha didn't realize it was concrete until you said it.
I'll introduce our puppy in another video. She's growing so fast, its crazy! Three of the chickens came with it and we got 5 after we moved. We will definitely be upgrading the chicken coop situation because we barely get enough eggs for our whole family! We need more chickens. We eat a lot of eggs... your comment about the super dirty wall behind the woodstove made me laugh out loud! Im glad I shared that it was concrete. 😂
I just subscribed. Love your video, I too love off grid living and would like to go down the same path in the near future. BTW, you have a beautiful place, wish you and your family the best❤️🙏🏻
Awesome, thanks! I'm so glad you liked the video. And I definitely believe if it's something you want, you can get it! In the future I'll make a video about how we found this place (which wasn't very conventional) and hopefully that may help you find a place of your own!
Another great one ! Nice old cabins just a little fixing here & there beautiful spot great views :) Try laying cardboard on the ground between your rows in the garden & the weeds won't grow threw it :) Love my off grid life would never trade it " I'm just slowed a little with an injury so my board & baton is not going up to fast but lot's of other chores to keep me busy :)
Thanks! And good tip about the cardboard. Definitely need to cover the paths with something!! Yeah I saw in one of your videos your hand is injured! Hope it heals up soon. Injuries definitely help you appreciate good health and functioning body parts, hey? 😆
@@thehomeintent Ya it works cardboard or old plywood less weeds :) Yes you appreciate all the body parts they are there for a reason we are not supposed to cut them off but it happens, Doesn't pay to get in a hurry :( Two are healing good & the other if it don't start healing inside they in the next month it will have to come off, just to much bone missing,
The cabin definitely needs new siding boards, the camper van for the guests needs desperate cleaning (the outside really looks dirty), the yard needs cleaning from the overgrown grass and bushes, and the chicken enclosure needs to be redone, too, because at least to me it looks horrible. Sorry for my sincerety, but there are videos of many other people living in the woods permanently and their yards and overall properties look much tidier, neater and well-maintained. This one looks really run-down and not too nice. I don't know you, so I guess you have just moved in, so there's a lot of work ahead of you. Good luck with that.
@danapertile106 Oh, I definitely agree! There's so much to do. It's a bit tricky in our situation, with my husband working away for weeks at a time, I really can't do much yardwork with my baby and toddler, as far as mowing. But he just got home and got a lot done! The outside of the trailer also does need a major cleaning. It's so hard to know what to prioritize when the to do list is endless, but we're chipping away at things. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 🙂
Sure, on an off-grid property there is always a lot that needs to be done but prioritising is key. As a mother of four I am well aware of the giant amount of work this lovely lady is accomplishing day by day, sometimes all by herself. So, please, be a bit kinder and less judgemental to a young family who have just started their long off-grid journey. I am absolutely positive that within a few years they are going to live up to your " expectations" as well. 😊 I wish them all the best, hope they will enjoy every moment of their progress. A new subscriber from Eastern-Europe.🥰
Who said anyone cares what it looks like? 🤔 If it's functional for this family, then why do you care? Did she say that this is their polished end goal, or that they have a lot of work ahead of them? The off grid homesteads that look neat, tidy, and perfect are either brand new builds or not shown on here until after all of the work is done. This woman is showing an older property in the process of being improved. I love how real and honest this video is.
![Building Our House Under $5000..Start to Finish [120 Day TIMELAPSE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fkVfX2hUlc8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you for the invite to your lifestyle. Dont mind the Debbie Downer comments- you've got an amazing start on a great family. Kudos to you for raising a young family off grid! I look forward to watching and learning from your journey.
@@MinnesotaMegOffGrid thanks so much for your words of encouragement and for following!!
@@thehomeintent thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. I only see great things to come, and agree to just ignore the rude comments. Peace.
We bought an off grid cabin last year. He just installed solar and now trying to figure out water situation. It’s lots of fun but tons of work.
Oh, that's awesome!! Good for you guys, that sounds like so much work. I feel so blessed we could purchase ours with everything set up already, but it's so worth it to be off grid.
What an incredible view. Beautiful property.
Thank you!!
I agree that the RV is a bonus to the property and as your walking around and giving me a wider view of the front and side of the house, I can totally see some trees that would be to close for my comfort, especially the pine or black spruce at the front that has a ton of moss hanging from it. As nice as it is to have trees close to the house, it posses some serious hazards if they were to fall or God forbid a fire happened to start somewhere close by. A fire perimeter needs to be a priority around the house and this will help with the moisture issue as well, so you're helping to fix 2 issues at once. The RV itself shows this moisture issue as well, with some major leaning trees around it which is close enough to hit the house. I do love the gazebo type of structure beside the propane tank but it's too close to the propane take for an outdoor kitchen. Personally, I would move it close to where your back door is or kitchen so you can come right outside and do cooking and preservatives when it's sweltering hot unless you have AC and don't care about that. Having it closer to the house also allows you and the children easy access and close enough for you to putter if the kids are napping. At least for right now you can use it to store your winter wood and skirt it with some tarps to keep the wood dry and the snow off. Snakes love wood piles so be wary of that. Ah ha, you guys do have a gun cabinet in the master. That answered an earlier Q about a rifle. So you both hunt? Game meat is such a blessing to be able to provide for your family and become self sufficient 🙂Bonus to have a loft for storage and for sure would dry clothes quickly with the wood stove going. It would make a nice bedroom for one of the children down the road but you would have to modify the railing to enclose it for safety reasons of course. It would also make a great space for an office/work zone perhaps. It is super cool to have the wood exposed showing the tunnelling of where the insects burrowed into the wood but this wood is inside and looks like it may have a sealant/varnish applied, unlike the wood outside that doesn't. It shows how aggressive insects can eat away at the wood. I've seen the video where the shower was replaced and I'm glad there wasn't much damage to have to replace. I've also seen that the installation took place with the range and looks great btw, as does the entryway refresh. I love this pantry area and all the pull out drawers. Oh yes, those lights shining onto the pantry area need to be redone, lol. A functional kitchen for now because I think there are other more pressing improvements to make but I can see an addition going on your home that will improve the flow and give you more space. Gorgeous view from the kitchen window. Yes, the windows are great and the kitchen floor adds some jazz. Fantastic that the wood stove has an oven at the bottom. It would be great to have a similar wood stove to this in an outdoor kitchen cooking area. The fermented feed is a wonderful healthy way to feed the chickens. I used to cook oatmeal for mine and add yogurt and raisins as a treat about every 2 wks. Dining room area has an awesome view and very bright. I've eaten bear meat a few times. My friends husband hunts black bear twice a year here in NB. The meat was very tender. Great small bedroom off the kitchen that may down the road make a great pantry if you ever do an addition. It's fantastic to have an outdoor shower but it does add to water/moisture against the untreated wood siding. So nice to be able to have a kitchen garden so close. You are doing a very deceit job of keeping the weeds at bay. I like the no dig method where you put cardboard down and place soil directly on top. It does help suppress the weeds by doing this but eventually they do make their way through the cardboard, typically the 2nd season but no where near the amount that you had to originally deal with. Cardboard tends to bring about slugs and snails, so I would recommend a slug bait "before" you plant out your annuals or the slugs will eat the majority of them. The slug bait was effective for me, plus I save all my egg shells and crush in large pieces to deter the slugs. Diatomaceous earth which you probably have on hand for the chickens can also be used in the garden for slugs in the early part of the season as well. You have plenty of pine needles from the trees around you, so using that thickly to cover between the rows will certainly help suppress weeds. It can be used to cover any exposed soil as its easily pulled back when planting seedlings, etc. Cute DIY fire pit area. I like the stumps for sitting. Very rustic. Sunk in greenhouse is great with south facing windows, which could easily be extended down the road. Great basement with a massive amount of storage area which I would want access to through the floor down the road. That's great that Mark has added those solid supports to ensure the load of the house is supported well. So I came to this video via a link you provided me when you asked about different improvements the viewers thought you could make on a different video. I hadn't seen this one so it was great Erika to get the overall big picture of the property. You both have a beautiful property and the possibilities are endless. I've given you my input as to what would be most important thing to work on right away and also asked other Q's just to know more about your area, etc. As for video ideas, I think videoing anything to do with day to day off grid stuff is all great. People are going to have a wide range of interests but I think if you are authentic and just be who you are (meaning don't try to replicate another popular YT homesteader, lol) than your channel will be successful, if that is what your goals are. Any DIY projects that Mark or you do are valuable to the channel because people that don't know want to learn. What you think as simple is not so simple to someone that has never owned a chichen, or fell a tree, or fermented chicken food, or cooked from scratch.............all these things are amazing and will grow your channel. Clearly it already has because this video is at 37,000 + views and that's fantastic. Being engaging like you are is great but not over the top by giving to much detail like you did with that very negative comment that I mentioned in a dif note. Fantastic video btw. Very informative and I look forward to following along on your journey 🥰
I really appreciate all your thoughts Krista! You’ve brought up a few things we haven’t thought, it’s great to hear other people’s insights on what should be done. Thanks for your encouragement and advice!!
@@thehomeintent My pleasure and your welcome 🙂
Wow, Alberta and Schneider!
Going back to this image that I stopped the video at 1:53, this is a beautiful picture of the fiddleheads turning into a fern with the fun rising over the tree. It's so nice, that it's framable, lol. I'm not sure if you are into photography, but this is a striking photo ❤I noticed in the comments someone going on about how messy the yard is and tall grass, etc........As you are opening yourself up to the world and sharing your journey, you will get a ton of different comments. I'm not sure I would have given such a detailed answer to that post, other than to say, "thanks for your thoughts and views and we will get to it as time permits" 🙂I'm still cleaning up crap around here from the previous owners and will get to it as time and physical ability allows. I do believe you mentioned in your intro that you are a city girl moved to the country/off grid lifestyle, so the 1st thing that I would make a priority is learning to use a rifle, as you are living with a ton of wildlife (My daughter used to live in AB and had to deal with mountain lions, etc) and it will be necessary to protect your homestead from animals that will be roaming about. It's important to let the wildlife know that this is your homestead and you will protect it, even if that just means firing off the rifle as a warning to protect your family. By now you would have lived there long enough to have had some encounters. What type of wildlife do you guys having living around there? How deep is your well and how old is the submersible pump? The area where the outdoor tap is, seems wet (water splashing back onto the house where the wood is darkened and moss is growing), which suggests that the roof in that area could use a gutter to collect water in a tote or the downspout pointed in a direction away from the house. Do you have poisonous snake in your area? If so, this could be an area where they would go to keep cool in the heat. The interior of the shop is very nice. It looks like someone lived there once upon a time, and then built the house and converted the old house into the shop. I don't know much about solar power but I wondered how long a battery lasts and how old these ones are? You have 8 and depending on their age you guys may need to start budgeting to replace some in order to keep your system working well. Great area for guests to come visit, storage, etc, etc. I'm sure you will develop it over time. The possibilities are endless but it would also make a great learning area for homeschooling, crafts, etc. It's great to have the diesel generator hard wired to turn on automatically and I would agree that having someone come service the system is a priority on the homestead as you want to keep it working well. A big system like that would for sure be $5,000 if not closer to $10,000. How close are you to neighbors, nearest community? Have you found someone to give the system an overall as this video is 2 months old now? The DIY chicken coup is pretty cool. I used to own 14 chickens but my coup was insulated with electrical. My only thoughts are how winterized and predator proof this one is. I'm assuming you keep the feed in the lean to area, so rodents may be a concern for sure. Rodents may be drawn to the generator room as it would throw off heat in the winter and feed being stored nearby. That's excellent that you have the rainwater catchment system in place and piped down to where the green house is. The area slopes downward so there is room to put another water catchment if your needs grow. When one is full a float value could be installed to start pumping into the 2nd. As your walking from the coup to the house it appears the houses elevation is lower than the shop, yes? The septic tank area needs to be enclosed to protect the electrical outlet. A pump house box built around it. I'm used to seeing pvc pipes buried so I don't know if heat tape around that pump out pipe will be a concern. Long enough note here at around 11 mins.
Thanks, I got into photography a few years ago when I started my blog, but I use an iPhone for filming and it does all the “heavy lifting” 😆. About the negative comments, I’ve just decided to ignore them. If I don’t I think waaay too long about them and how to respond and it’s just a waste of time and energy! It’s a good point about self defense. I practice with my 12 gauge once in a while so I am somewhat prepared, and I carry bear spray when we go for walks. I plan to do a video on the wildlife soon, but we’ve seen deer, elk, a bear, beavers, lots of frogs, toads, squirrels and birds. I don’t remember how deep the well is and not sure about how old the pump is, I’ll look into that! No poisonous snakes, just garter snakes but we haven’t seen any. We will need to replace the batteries within about 2 years, they are apparently 3 years old and last about 5. We have a few leads for people to look at the generator and Marks working on that. Good point about the septic, thanks!
@@thehomeintent You're welcome.
What a beautiful place, to raise a family, and live. I can't wait to see more. Best wishes, always!
Thank you so much!
Now that I'm looking at a closer look at the house, I would agree that the siding is aged which is apparent from the darkened part at the bottom from rain splashback before gutters, etc, were installed. I see the downspout on the right hand side but none on the left and of course that creates a moist environment. I personally would be removing all those veins and vegetation growing on the house and close to it until the moisture problem is solved. The moisture will also attract insects like ants and earwigs. The ants will cause a lot of damage to the wood siding for sure because the wood is not protected. You for sure do not want to see any carpenter ants or termites. If so, that poses a serious structural issue to your home. I don't know if there is a moisture barrier between the garden beds and the house but you can clearly see moss growing on the logs that frame the garden bed. I think it looks very charmy and rustic which adds to the charm but it has to be done right in order to minimize damage to the siding. I haven't seen an outside view that shows me how close to the house the trees are. If there are a lot of trees, than I would check to make sure they are not close enough that a big storm could potentially fall them on the house. To many trees also don't let in enough sunlight which could also be contributing to the moisture issue around the house. It is a forest after all which creates a canopy over anything under it, which is why ferns, vines and moss are growing. I wouldn't want squirrels using the inside of my walls to stash their food either, lol. I love the rustic look of the board and batten and think that when you do replace the siding, that could be the cheapest way to go, especially with your own trees on the property to use (whatever wood was used should be treated with a wood sealant or shou sugi ban technique which is beautiful but uses cedar I believe, so I don't know what kind of trees are on your property). Select tree cutting and taking to a mill to have cut into boards or buying your own portable saw mill would be good eventually and possibly a service you could offer to other property owners in your area, if they knew you guys had a mill 🙂The house appears structurally sound (depending on insect/rodent/water damage), so it doesn't matter the age. So far, I feel that the #1 priority in doing things around your property is taking care of the moisture problem. If it doesn't get done, than you take the risk of having to deal with costly structural issues............
So many good insights!!
Good morning Erika 🙂I'm going to just mention things as you go along in the video or ask questions, as it's easiest to make comments this way. You may even answer some of these Q's during the video. I'm not sure if you've mentioned this in the past, but is this your 1st winter season coming up living at this property? The pond appears to be close by the home but I'm not sure how far away it is. Dragonflies should be plentiful having a pond nearby and I for sure would be intentional about placing dragonfly perches for them to rest when they are hunting mosquitos. One adult dragonfly can eat 100 mosquitos per day, so you really want them around living in the woods. I noticed the driveway has a slope downward, so I was curious as to what you plan to use to remove snow? I had a chuckle when you showed the shop and said it was around 700 sq ft. I built my tiny house here at 575 sq ft so the shop is huge, lol. I had visions of having a portable mill under the lean to off the shop (with I'm sure some modifications) but using it as storage for all the things you are right now is a great idea. Ah, you just mentioned that you just moved in, so that answer my Q above. At 1:53 I noticed those ferns beside the dog (what is the dogs name?) and I just wanted to point out that before a fern turns into a fern, it's called a fiddlehead. It's basically the stage before the fern opens up and you have to pick those before the sun opens them up. They are an edible green and delicious when boiled to desired tenderness with salt, pepper and vinegar if you like that. They also freeze very well when blanched. Fiddleheads are typically harvested in the spring of the year. They are high in fatty acids (great for people that don't eat fish) and very high in potassium. If you don't like them yourselves, they would be great to collect, dry out and add to your soil for improved fruit production from plants. I can't believe I'm almost at 2 mins into this video and my note is this long, lol. I think I'll just post them when I think the note is getting to long and keep going. The more posts on a video is a good thing anyway. It triggers the YT algorithm to push out to more viewers, so that's a win win 😃- Krista-
Great point about the dragonflies! Molly is our dog’s name. My mother in law told me the fiddleheads are edible but I wasn’t sure how to use them, so thanks! Also great to know they are high in fatty acids. Well thanks so much for all your input, I really appreciate it!
@@thehomeintent My pleasure 🙂
So many possibilities and opportunities, beautiful
I agree, there's so much to figure out and we're excited. Thanks!
Rural live is always challenging but it’s a happy life.
I so agree, the challenges are worth it!
A nice porch in the middle of the front of the house shutter and a paint job will make your house beautiful.❤❤😊
Have you used the wood burning oven yet?
That dining room view is gorgeous!
Haha love the bear comments.
I'd love to see just a walkthrough of everything left by the previous owners, and the positives and negatives of having that be apart of the house sale.
The outdoor shower seems so random, but so useful especially with your current scary shower situation. Have you used it yet?
Garden walkthrough please!!
For such a little house, there is so much great entertaining space!
How does the automatic greenhouse windows work?
I appreciate and the love the realness of the house tour, with the kids, and the outfit changes. ❤️
Yes I have! The first time I did, I burned the top of my granola, but after that it's been pretty smooth sailing. I've made granola, biscuits, puff pancakes and a strawberry rhubarb crisp in it. I won't be using it now probably until the fall since we don't need to make fires in the wood stoves.
Honestly I would never again include items in a house sale. It was far too complicated and there were some misunderstandings. We thought it was all clear, but it wasn't. I don't recommend it! Haha
We have used the outdoor shower, mostly for rinsing off after working in the garden or walking around barefoot. I love it for that!
About the greenhouse windows that open, I don't remember exactly, but there's fluid inside hydraulic hinges that expands as it heats up and opens the window. Something like that? 🤷♀️
Glad you liked the tour, thanks so much for the comment! I'll for sure do a garden tour at some point.😊
Wow! it's a nice place to live off-grid cabin, my friend. Nice you have both the solar panel and the generators for your utilities.
Looking forward to more good times, and family bonding while cultivating the place. Keep sharing. Sending my full suppport.
Thanks so much!
Adorable! And I can see wonderful adventures in your future!
@alyciapeters5073 thank you! Yes, we've already had SO many adventures and we've only been here 3 months!
I love the unique (and sometimes eccentric lol) houses. They are so much more interesting than the cookie cutter houses. Your view out of all those wonderful windows is wonderful! Looking forward to seeing your progress and how you will make it your own.
Oh thank you!
Everything is delightful!
I'm so glad you enjoyed watching!
I love seeing the starting point of your property! It's beautiful and has so much potential. The view from the fire pit area is so pretty. I look forward to seeing what you do with your home in the future.
Thank you so much! There is so much potential, so it's fun and challenging to figure out the possibilities and decide what to do. Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙂
Super interesting and beautiful. How about your fruit trees and perennials?
Thanks! We'll we've got a few apple trees, one we're pretty sure is crabapple and not sure about the others. Time will tell! There's a tree that our plant app says is a plum tree, but it doesn't look like it will bear fruit this year. There are tons of lilies, irises, ferns, lilacs around. There are wild raspberries, strawberries and blueberries in abundance as well, which we are so thankful for! Although we'll have to be more cautious about bears when all the berries are ready
We live on the boarder of Canada in NE Washington we shop in Canada frequently
Nice! We lived in Vancouver area in Canada for a few years and crossed the border into Washington sometimes as well!
Love your cabin and property! So beautiful 😍 😊❤
Thank you so much!
Hi,what a beautiful property. The house is quite cute and efficient. Love the greenhouse.
Thanks so much! Yeah, I agree, we are in love with it.
Great job with getting your place set up.
Thanks so much!
You're beautiful 😊 and i like your voice..
It’s a beautiful place! Would love to live in nature!
@julilouw512 Thanks so much, Juli!
This the first video I have watched of your's and I really loved it. I think you have a wonderful place that has plenty of room for when your children grow up and although it might seem that you have many jobs get to it how you want it there will be some to do well before others. You probably already have a list. Securing your house to the ground would be my first job in my opinion. A barrier around the wood stoves would be my second choice, to keep little crawling hands away from a hot fire. I am going to enjoy watching you grow in your garden over time as grass is nitrogen which is good for a garden, so weed block it with a heap of carboard, muich and home made compost over time and grow something where your waste water is pumped to.So many things you already have. I hope to follow what looks like will be so rewarding for you all..
Thanks so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, we have quite a list of changes and improvements to make. I don't know what it is about wood stoves, but my baby sure loves them and tries to get to them! For now it's alright since we aren't using them, but in the winter we'll for sure need to figure something out.
I'm a beginner gardener so I've got a lot to learn! Please feel free to give tips and advice when you see me doing something that could be improved or done differently.
Thanks again for the comment and for following along. Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see in future videos as well! 🙂
Should figure out a way to hook hook up the other stove for outdoor vlkithen. Good for summer and canning so your house dont get so hot.
Great idea!
Beautiful home
Thank you 😊
Amazing tour I love this
Thanks so much!
Know that your videos will effect all the people that see ❤
My chicken muttart! ❤❤❤
Hey, cool video, thanks for that!👍🙂
Thanks for watching and commenting!
I love the sneak peak of your puppy!
Also that shop is such a great space.
The camper trailer is so cool. What a fantastic addition.
The windows as you walk in provide awesome natural light.
I was going to ask about the ceiling in your loft. So much character to your house. I love it!
That pantry space is to die for.
One of my dream items on a house is to be able to have a window looking out over my property above the kitchen sink. So picturesque
Did the chickens come with the property? Are you going to upgrade the chicken coop?
I was going to ask about the super dirty wall behind the kitchen wood burning stove. Haha didn't realize it was concrete until you said it.
I'll introduce our puppy in another video. She's growing so fast, its crazy!
Three of the chickens came with it and we got 5 after we moved. We will definitely be upgrading the chicken coop situation because we barely get enough eggs for our whole family! We need more chickens. We eat a lot of eggs... your comment about the super dirty wall behind the woodstove made me laugh out loud! Im glad I shared that it was concrete. 😂
I just subscribed. Love your video, I too love off grid living and would like to go down the same path in the near future. BTW, you have a beautiful place, wish you and your family the best❤️🙏🏻
Awesome, thanks! I'm so glad you liked the video. And I definitely believe if it's something you want, you can get it! In the future I'll make a video about how we found this place (which wasn't very conventional) and hopefully that may help you find a place of your own!
Para el invierno con nieve es cuando será complicado todo, supongo
🌱🌿🌻
Yes, winter will be interesting for sure! We're doing our best to get things setup now so it's easier in the winter. Thanks for watching!
Another great one ! Nice old cabins just a little fixing here & there beautiful spot great views :) Try laying cardboard on the ground between your rows in the garden & the weeds won't grow threw it :) Love my off grid life would never trade it " I'm just slowed a little with an injury so my board & baton is not going up to fast but lot's of other chores to keep me busy :)
Thanks! And good tip about the cardboard. Definitely need to cover the paths with something!! Yeah I saw in one of your videos your hand is injured! Hope it heals up soon. Injuries definitely help you appreciate good health and functioning body parts, hey? 😆
@@thehomeintent Ya it works cardboard or old plywood less weeds :) Yes you appreciate all the body parts they are there for a reason we are not supposed to cut them off but it happens, Doesn't pay to get in a hurry :( Two are healing good & the other if it don't start healing inside they in the next month it will have to come off, just to much bone missing,
Amazing “ considering❤
❤❤❤👍👍👍
Woods up against the home isn’t good for any “long “ term
Your Make up is still on the grid
Depends on your definition of “off grid”. They are self sufficient and in today’s world that is amazing.
Off grid doesn't mean cave woman. lol
The cabin definitely needs new siding boards, the camper van for the guests needs desperate cleaning (the outside really looks dirty), the yard needs cleaning from the overgrown grass and bushes, and the chicken enclosure needs to be redone, too, because at least to me it looks horrible. Sorry for my sincerety, but there are videos of many other people living in the woods permanently and their yards and overall properties look much tidier, neater and well-maintained. This one looks really run-down and not too nice. I don't know you, so I guess you have just moved in, so there's a lot of work ahead of you. Good luck with that.
@danapertile106 Oh, I definitely agree! There's so much to do. It's a bit tricky in our situation, with my husband working away for weeks at a time, I really can't do much yardwork with my baby and toddler, as far as mowing. But he just got home and got a lot done! The outside of the trailer also does need a major cleaning. It's so hard to know what to prioritize when the to do list is endless, but we're chipping away at things. Thanks so much for watching and commenting! 🙂
Sure, on an off-grid property there is always a lot that needs to be done but prioritising is key. As a mother of four I am well aware of the giant amount of work this lovely lady is accomplishing day by day, sometimes all by herself. So, please, be a bit kinder and less judgemental to a young family who have just started their long off-grid journey. I am absolutely positive that within a few years they are going to live up to your " expectations" as well. 😊
I wish them all the best, hope they will enjoy every moment of their progress.
A new subscriber from Eastern-Europe.🥰
Give them a chance...it takes money and time. This is real life here!!!
Who said anyone cares what it looks like? 🤔 If it's functional for this family, then why do you care? Did she say that this is their polished end goal, or that they have a lot of work ahead of them? The off grid homesteads that look neat, tidy, and perfect are either brand new builds or not shown on here until after all of the work is done. This woman is showing an older property in the process of being improved. I love how real and honest this video is.
Don't approve of babies hanging and their feet go to sleep. You could reach behind you an massage their feet ...
No one solicited your opinion! How rude of you!
Are you serious!! Come on Karen get your own life.
New sub 🤝, I'm boat, float plane and sled access only in northern BC Can'tada🍁.
Thanks so much for subscribing! Wow, that sounds amazing. We've traveled a bit in BC and it's just beautiful.