Yurt Living, vacation or long term

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In summary, some folks are doing a downsize and living in a yurt. They say it is a good alternative to a cabin or trailer, but limited privacy. It would be good for a single or a couple, but add a kid or two and it is close quarters. expensive, and not as functional as a desktop that costs the same amount. Geodesic domes are a better alternative for a permanent structure.
  • #1
rhody
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I did a search and http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...c.r_pw.&fp=d93d9db53c2df948&biw=1016&bih=570" came up virgin, for PF at least, does anyone have one, or know of someone who has one for the reasons listed in the title above ?

A lively discussion is desired. Downsizing seems to be a logical forced necessity in our near future. Why not embrace it and try to make the most of it. I am hoping there are some http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...c.r_pw.&fp=d93d9db53c2df948&biw=1016&bih=570" souls out there. We will see...

Rhody... :cool:
 
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  • #3
It would be fine for a single or a couple, but add a kid or two and whew, it's close quarters. No privacy :eek:!

I guess I don't see any big advantage of a yurt over, say, a small cabin. Or even a trailer, haha.
 
  • #4
lisab said:
It would be fine for a single or a couple, but add a kid or two and whew, it's close quarters. No privacy :eek:!

I guess I don't see any big advantage of a yurt over, say, a small cabin. Or even a trailer, haha.
Two yurts are better than one. :biggrin:
 
  • #5
Yurts are expensive tents made for moving around. I'd compare it to a laptop where you pay extra for the portability, its not nearly as functional as a desktop that costs the same amount, and it won't last nearly as long. A geodesic dome is a better alternative for a permanent structure.
 
  • #6
I stayed in a Yurt at a festival I go to each year, it was great. It was a little cramped with 8 of us inside, but it certainly kept us warm and they look amazing, all embroidered with fancy painted door etc ...

I'd live in one. :)
 
  • #7
I've been in one set up for a party in case of rain, it was beautiful!
 
  • #8
I have heard stories of yurt dwellers, but I have not been in one. Right now, you might be able to find a motor home or 5th wheel for less money than a yurt though. And far more portable! Geodesic homes are also tempting for the permanence.

If you are looking to downsize, do you have land?

BTW, I dream of doing this some day, but I need to get the teenager out of the house first. She doesn't agree with my adventurous side.
 
  • #9
A good friend of mine built a cylindrical shelter with a conical roof that he called his yurt. He lived in it while he built his house. Plenty of room for him and his Husky, Honey-Bear.

My wife's favorite uncle lived in a "camp" that was barely big enough for a bed, a chair, and a wood stove. Lots of people come back to Maine to simplify and live with less. I can sympathize, but something more structurally-sound than a yurt is called for here.
 
  • #10
wuliheron said:
Yurts are expensive tents made for moving around. I'd compare it to a laptop where you pay extra for the portability, its not nearly as functional as a desktop that costs the same amount, and it won't last nearly as long. A geodesic dome is a better alternative for a permanent structure.
wuliheron,

Not necessarily, look at http://www.yurtworks.com/home/mnd/page_139_20/single_story_yurt_with_ranch_wings.html" , how about a hybrid yurt with range wings ? As others have stated, they can be as primitive and bohemian as you want, or as extravagant and cool as your wallet and land use allows.
Ms Music said:
I have heard stories of yurt dwellers, but I have not been in one. Right now, you might be able to find a motor home or 5th wheel for less money than a yurt though. And far more portable! Geodesic homes are also tempting for the permanence.

If you are looking to downsize, do you have land?

BTW, I dream of doing this some day, but I need to get the teenager out of the house first. She doesn't agree with my adventurous side.
Ms Music,

Motorhomes and 5th wheelers don't cut it for me, I am not looking to travel anyway, just dreaming for the future. I don't have land, but I have about three or four places I have visited that are great for refreshing your soul, and guess where they might be ? In the mountains, on mesa's and in places others have overlooked or plain just plain forgotten. Turbo is right, with hard winters, wind, and God forbid another damn hurricane, there is risk involved. These places are not isolated, just off the beaten path. I am not letting anyone in on my secret havens.

I prefer to do things things my own quirky way, hot peppers, fastest production motorcycle on the planet, track days, climbing mountains on bicycles with my not so great lungs and still somehow making it.

I am trying to invent something new that that suits me. I could care less about resale value. Hell, the yurt ranch with wings has to be cheaper to build than a stick built house. More funds left over to do the stuff you enjoy. I have always had to improvise, adapt and overcome anyway, nothing new there. Lots of my friends think I am a bit crazy, but hey, I don't care. I enjoy it and being true to who I really am. In the end, that's all that matters anyway, right ? The concept is just in my head at the moment, has a practical side to it, bad economy, dollar worth less, and at the same time, if planned and done correctly, can be something that can bring joy and happiness will still preserving your retirement assets, while not relying on commercial institutions for financing. Works for me every time.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3774/mountainst.jpg

Rhody... :cool:

P.S. One thing I forgot, a yurt garage for all my bloody toys. That is a must, an absolute must.
 
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  • #11
rhody said:
wuliheron,

Not necessarily, look at http://www.yurtworks.com/home/mnd/page_139_20/single_story_yurt_with_ranch_wings.html" , how about a hybrid yurt with range wings ? As others have stated, they can be as primitive and bohemian as you want, or as extravagant and cool as your wallet allows and land use allows.

That's not a yurt, its a round stick frame. I've built countless alternative buildings from the ground up. Round stick frames look cool, but cost a lot extra to frame and are a pain to insulate. The beauty of a geodesic is they are modular and the pieces support each other without framing. As low cost modest sized alternative structures go they are still tough to beat. These days you can even buy inflatable balloons that you pour concrete over and reuse. That way you pay more for materials, but the energy, durability, and labor savings are huge and you can expand it overnight.
 
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  • #12
WOW Rhody! That is beautiful! Want a neighbor?

Have you looked into what it would take to develop one of these "just plain forgotten" parcels? I have no idea what it is like in your area, but here on the west coast it is down right difficult to do what you want to do. I have forested property in the mountains that has been in the family for 50 years, we have been paying taxes for a residential buildable lot. But trying to develop it has been a nightmare. I have been working on it for EIGHT years, and I still have a vacant lot. I am embarrassed to say how much money I have sunk into it thus far. Hopefully government is more lenient where you live, and hope you can make that a reality. Local government has made my attempt at living with the land very costly.

I agree with Wuliheron. That is a VERY expensive house. There are many more affordable and awesome looking possibilities than that one. If it is the round of a yurt that is appealing, look into geodesic. If you are afraid of hurricanes, spend more money and go monolithic dome. http://www.monolithic.com/ a proven hurricane survivor http://www.monolithic.com/stories/feature-home-doah
 
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  • #13
Yurts are neat! http://www.parks.state.co.us/Reservations/YurtInformation/Pages/yurtinformation.aspx

Traditional yurts can be built in less than a day by the experienced, and the design lends itself to a variety of construction materials and methods.

Good luck, Rhody!
 
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  • #14
I love yurts! Here are a few of the sites I love detailing families living in yurts full time. It's been done many times, quite successfully. If you take good care of your yurt it will last a lifetime.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gypsy-House/224804697090

http://www.movingtoak.blogspot.com/

http://momsyurt.blogspot.com/

http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/decor/...attila-and-his-huns-would-feel-home-in-a-yurt

The hardest part of yurt living that I've gleaned from my *slight* obsession with them is the red tape. It's hard to get a yurt approved to live in. Most people I know do it off grid and don't seek out permits. The other hard part is keeping them cool. Wood stoves heat up yurts no problem, you find yurts all over the back country where avid skiers go. But if you live somewhere where it gets hot, you'll be pretty sticky come summer.

I love the idea of being inside my home but still being connected to nature. You hear the wind, the animals and sometimes things you don't want to hear in the middle of the night. If you're going to think outside the box and doing something special during your lifetime, I think a yurt is a lovely way to do it.
 
  • #15
I just realized I have enough tarps on hand to build a comfortable yurt. It would require some wooden stakes for the walls, but the covering is, well, covered.
 
  • #17
A man has to have safe shelter in the event mother nature deals his Yurt a death blow, and for that I will be http://www.lifecubeinc.com/video.html. (lower right video gives a good background).

All developed by a frustrated man who witnessed the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Rhody... two thumbs up :approve:
 
  • #19
Saw the coolest log cabin in a beautiful rural setting with a two car garage (again, made of logs). If only something like this could be somehow possible in the near future, I would feel truly blessed.

Rhody...
 
  • #20
Our log house is cozy and easy to heat. The attached log garage could accommodate only one vehicle, but that's because there wasn't enough level ground to expand further. The guy that built this place was very meticulous. Rough, but tight.

cont_house.jpg
 
  • #21
turbo said:
Our log house is cozy and easy to heat. The attached log garage could accommodate only one vehicle, but that's because there wasn't enough level ground to expand further. The guy that built this place was very meticulous. Rough, but tight.

cont_house.jpg

Looks like prepper paradise to me, nice garden Turbo...

Rhody...
 
  • #22
rhody said:
Looks like prepper paradise to me, nice garden Turbo...

Rhody...
Come on up. We'll find room for you. The nearest neighbor to the West is planning on moving in with her boyfriend, so maybe her place will be on the market soon.
 
  • #23
Some state parks have yurts that you can stay in - it tends to be really cheap in comparison to renting a cabin. I've spent a few days in a yurt with friends a handful of times and we end up paying about $20 each.
 

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