# I bought the farm...errr something like that..



## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Seriously closed on the new property Friday. Less than 3 miles from where we live now minus all the drama. No over priced city water or codes that make having stock difficult. Nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile or so. Two houses that need a lot of work 3.5 acres with pond and big barn. Huge pecan tree, walnuts, 4 peach, apple, pear, mulberry. Black berry bushes. Spent most of the day dragging junk out of the barn. Have a pickup load of aluminum cans to scrap tomorrow. 
Plan on fixing up the little house to live in first and worry about the big one as we have the $. Both have good newer roofs.
Man coming to mow/bale in the next couple of days, hasn't been done this season. Then I can look at sectioning off some for my goats. Really good fence on 2 sides. Some posts in barn and I have some extra panel.
Lot of work to be done but I like what's there and location convenient for work. Post pictures tomorrow. Will no doubt need advice (and a good general contractor).


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Congrats, looking forward to the pictures:cowboy:


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Congrats...


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

Oh yes, photos would be greatly appreciated...makes it easier for us to drool!


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Ridiculous amount of rain here last night. Washed out the culvert on the hwy to the house. Have to go around by 14 miles to get there. Water higher on the creeks here than I've ever seen it.Local farm dikes are holding, so far. Pond overflowed into pasture and chicken yard is a mess. Still cutting stuff up from storm 2 weeks ago. No rest for the wicked and apparently I've been a very bad girl.


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## cricket49 (Apr 20, 2014)

Congratulations!! Sounds like you have a lot of work ahead of you and that you are excited to have the farm. Take pictures so we can see the progress. I can live through you right now until we start to build on our land. :nanner:


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## lemgomez (Jun 2, 2015)

Congratulations! Now you will never be satisfied living in the city again :nanner:


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

House #1


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Barn pics . my boy in one of the 3 parts


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Pond and landscape


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Well it looks like home. Literally - we have white siding and a burgundy metal roof on our house, too.

Looks like a ton of potential and having the fruit and nut trees already is a big advantage.

Congrats!


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

New neighbors... Much better


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## Snowfan (Nov 6, 2011)

Nice!


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## Esprit (Dec 17, 2011)

Well done! That barn looks great! Nothing like living in the country and getting away from the craziness of the city!


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Spent most of the last 2 days pulling carpet and stripping wall paper in the little house. Weirdly strong pee smell coming for bathroom. Nothing gross seen and wondering if septic tank is full. We don't have water turned on inside yet except a full sized outdoor spigot that is hidden in the kitchen cabinets. It works! Used it to rinse out tub and flush toilet. Spigot is a remnant of when house was a milk barn and I love it. Kitchen is a total gut anyway because they burst a pipe over the winter and flooded it. Will have better access to bathroom plumbing when I pull the cabinets and maybe more plumbing issues will be revealed then. Looks like a combination of PVC and flexible. Only 1 bathroom in this house so all plumbing centrally located.
Man still hasn't made it out to mow yet so I've been slowly expanding the mowed area around the house. Lots of downed limbs so its been slow going. I've got a small firewood stack started and have had a fire burning brush going all weekend. Should have Popeye arms by the time I'm done chomping thru the waist high grass with that little push mower.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

The pee smell in the bathroom - might want to take up the toilet and put in a new wax ring. Sooner or later they fail and leak, and that's about as cheap a fix as there is.


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Thanks, I'll do the wax ring. Perfect time with the water off. Didn't notice so much of a smell until trying out the AC today. Maybe circulating stink around? Will check filters/ pads on AC too as we had some funky ones in a previous house. Bad thing about this place is sellers disclosed absolutely nothing about it. Having to find out where everything is and any issues from scratch. Not the way I would normally like to buy anything. I have found some of the obvious problems already, but am sure there's more fun to come. Like who puts in double windows or any for that matter, into metal siding with no caulk and only screws down the sides? Well, I guess these people. I can move out both sets of the front windows by 1 1/2" by pushing on them just a little. Looks like I will have to pull the windows out, insulate, seal, put windows back in fasten down and caulk inside and out. You would think that it would be obvious that something wasn't right, they had towels stuffed around the edges. Hopefully the sills are still OK. If not, got plenty of scrap lumber. Maybe I can find someone local willing to help me part time for a reasonable $. I'm not a carpenter but most things seem like a little reading up and some common sense and we'll be OK. I won't do electrical other than swapping out lights, fans and don't know much about plumbing other than to replace bad/broken bits with ones just like old. Hoping to be able to do most of the work myself as this will be on top of regular living expenses until we can actually move in and get current home sold.
I'm on vacation now but normally work 48+ hrs a week. Hoping to have livable by Thanksgiving. So much to do.


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Little house. Mostly concrete block with frame addition on front. Pile of junk bicycles at no extra charge.


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

Grass mowed around front now and there's a good sidewalk connecting to the driveway.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Pile up all the metal junk you find and make a trip to the scrappers. We take in aluminum cans about once a year, along with our "scrap bucket(s)" of miscellaneous metal bits, always walk out with over $100.


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

I've made 2 trips to the scrap yard so far. Dropping off not picking up. Was able to find some really nice highend kitchen cabinets at a resale place cheaper than the paper ones at the big box stores. Bought an 8' granite countertop with the sink hole already cut. That was fun getting into the back of the truck! Also found imported porcelain tile for 25Â¢ each. Have to get the rest of the sheet rock work done and painted. Figure I can't do much worse than the rough in they did in the laundry room. Then again neither could a blind rabid squirrel. Jiminey Christmas it's a mess. Man finally made it out to cut the grass, should be baled this weekend. He found 3 more blackberry bushes that I can trellis up. Had a huge oak tree come down on neighbor's fence in town. Too much wind/rain. Their insurance man said it was 120' + . Looks like ton more work as can't really afford to pay another deductible this summer. Guess it will give us several cord of wood to burn. Just wasn't wanting to take on more right now.


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## dablack (Jul 21, 2011)

If the water is off and you have a pee smell, then you probably need to pour some water in the sinks and toilet. You lost the water trap. Fill those traps with water and the smell can't get to you. 

With the AC on, the condensate might go into the septic. That got everything wet again and brought back the smell. Make sure, if the AC condensate drain, does go into the septic, that you have a water trap there too. You don't want the AC blowing septic gasses around the house. EWWWW!


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

I think you're right. We ran some water down. I haven't been on a septic tank since I was a kid and know nothing about this particular one, though I understand that they are usually built on the same model.


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## AnnieinBC (Mar 23, 2007)

What a fun project! Lots of work, but you have so much potential there...


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

............Once you determine the status of your septic system , and locate the depth and direction of your lateral lines , you might try this to test lateral lines for serious tree root infiltration.............
.............Rent a small ditching machine , and dig a perimeter ditch all the way around your drain field for your lateral lines ! Maybe a couple of feet deep , most likely you'll intercept any tree roots that have invaded the lateral lines . Once they are located , you can devise a removal plan to extract them from where they aren't supposed to be . I rented a backhoe , and dug them up as well as literally using the frontend loader to drag them out of the ground on my place . Beautiful homestead ! Good luck . , fordy


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## Esterot (Oct 21, 2014)

I can't wait to be in the same position you are in. We just drove through MO yesterday OTW from VT to TX. We have been looking at properties there for years, we are just waiting until all the other debt has been paid off. Good Luck!


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

I like the idea of renting a backhoe. Brahaha(evil laugh) sounds like fun..err work. Never ran any equipment like that before. Guess it can't be much more difficult than the million dollar printing press I run almost every day. Everything on that beast wants to smash, slice or pull you apart. But then again at least it's bolted to the floor.
Now I'm fantasizing about digging out my pond instead of what really needs done right now.


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## chuckhole (Mar 2, 2006)

Backhoe's are sooooooo much fun. I work in IT for a living. My country place and toys are weekends only right now. I don't get to live on my farm like you do.........but in about 6-7 years, that will change. Retirement.

We don't have a nice house like you do either. Just a small 450 sq ft cabin.............but, the house is in progress. And the backhoe plays a part in that......along with the pond, pasture and anything else that requires heavy lifting, digging, moving, etc.

The picture is me on the backhoe and my neighbor came over to play with his dozer. We are clearing for the house.

It does take some time to get used to but after about 20 hours of practice, you can be pretty productive. A teacher would be good. I had my neighbor in the photo.


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## termite76 (Apr 3, 2015)

We have been living at the little house now since May. Decided to move even without everything done. Utilities so much less here. Saved $100+ a month just on water and sewer. Electric is 1/4 cost. Have to admit that we've been lucky til now as weather had stayed warm. Money has been tight so didn't get propane tank filled. So, heating water on the electric range . Using radiator type heaters and teen camping in living room at night. Her 15' ceilings and huge windows make that room off garage tough to heat. Have all materials to build rocket mass heater but being a chicken about getting started.


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

One thing with drain traps if they aren't used a lot you will get septic gas odor. If they aren't going to be used very often put a couple tablespoons of cooking oil down the drain the oil sitting on top of the water will drastically reduce the evaporation rate of the water


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## ginne (Jan 5, 2017)

I am currently heating with gas but I find it too cumbersome.I am thinking about getting electric heater in the house. I was thinking about hiring some home electricians to do the job. I have heard that those heaters are maintenance free and they do not break that often thus being the more economical choice.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

ginne said:


> I am currently heating with gas but I find it too cumbersome.I am thinking about getting electric heater in the house. I was thinking about hiring some home electricians to do the job. I have heard that those heaters are maintenance free and they do not break that often thus being the more economical choice.


Lots of different electric heat. We used these in our little town cottage.

http://www.eheat.com/envi-high-efficiency-whole-room-plug-in-electric-panel-heater-hh1012t/

Hang like a picture 6" off the floor, plugs into normal 120 outlet. Each has it's own thermostat built in, quiet, no fan, just convection radiating up the wall, no dust flying around. low wattage, add as many as needed, 1 per outlet. No extra wiring needed. We do use a very small slow ceiling fan, always did anyway. Heat where you need it. We have one right between our swivel rockers. doesn't dry the air, no cold air on start up....James


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Been watching for updates to the building of your little farm. How is it all going? Did you get that septic system figured out? (Since you mentioned paying for it I'm guessing it is connected to some type of public system.) Did you get your propane tank filled? (Just filled my oil one and it reminded me of how expensive such a furnace is. Hope your system is more frugal.) 

Would love to see some updated pics.


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