View Full Version : house in the woods or apartment in town?
poetry_writer
5-6-11, 5:31pm
I've found this tiny house at an affordable price on 2 acres and it is out in the woods, something I have always dreamed of having. Its so beautiful out there. Its about an hour and a half away from town. I have also found a small affordable apartment in a great part of town that will cut down on me having to drive my car very much. Wow. Decisions like this make me crazy. Country living would be a change in lifestyle but one I would love (always lived in the country till a divorce 5 years ago...since then city apartment dweller which I have frankly hated...the noise level drives me crazy).......the little apartment is in a beautiful spot, very quiet for apartment living and close to literally everything that I regularly drive to. My kids (grown) are in town. I'm not too far away in the country for them to drive it and have a little country get a way on weekends........I realize I must decide ...but...yikes!......Toss me your thoughts ! Thank you in advance!
If you work and have to commute over 3 times a week, I vote for the apartment. You would be giving up 3 hours a day of commute time and you cannot buy time. Are you retired? If you are and are healthy, I vote for the cabin in the woods. You would not need to come into town very often at all (maybe once or twice a month).
I am assuming you will not give more reasons to visit town since each reason moves me from cabin to apartment living.
Your age and health are at issue since if elderly or requireing assistance from relatives means it would certainly help to live closer and a 3 hour round trip for them is not convenient.
poetry_writer
5-6-11, 11:30pm
Hi Sweetana, thanks . I dont work. I lost my job and certainly hoped to go back to work. But after knocking my head against a wall for a long time, I am accepting that may not happen. I may have to live on what I have.....I am 53 years old. I love being in nature, it makes me feel so peaceful. But I wonder if I would like live living in solitude most of the time. It is certainly appealing to me....I love photography, growing things, animals, frugal living....peace and quiet.......LOTS to think about. Thank you again.
I vote for the apartment. 2 acres can be a lot of work to maintain. An 1 1/2 hour drive can be trying and costly. You will also find yourself doing it more often than you think. Weather is another issue. If you live in snow country or heavy rain country that will be an issue.
poetry_writer
5-7-11, 10:35am
Thanks free. I appreciate the input. No snow here, but lots of rain. The driving is my greatest concern. The property wouldnt be extremely difficult to maintain as it is mostly wooded and I would want to keep it that way. But of course there would be a house to maintain. Its a tiny one but even small ones need repairs etc. Leaning towards the apartment. I just miss seeing nature and sunsets and sunrises....sigh..heh.......Thanks again.
If you don't have a strong visceral preference for one over the other, maybe neither is quite right. I've finally learned--after years of dismal choices--that if I have to talk myself into something, I should just walk away from it.
poetry_writer
5-7-11, 11:27am
Jane that was an excellent point. Part of the problem is that I have had several years of having to make life changing decisions and I have moved so often trying to find a peaceful, decent, affordable place to live that I am sick of it....and have trouble making decisions on it as a result. I know that either way everything is going to be ok. Life is uncertain and who knows what may happen in the next day or week or month to change things....... Thanks again
I think your answers indicate that family may be an important resource for you in times of need. I would not move away but try and stay closer. Being near to grown kids gives you more opportunity to do social activities more often than just at vacation time.
I have some friends with similiar decisions. They would love to live somewhere bright and warm (Canary Islands, France, etc.) but they have tried 5 times and something critical always came up. They moved 3 or 4 times and now have a wonderful little apartment outside of Edinburgh (he is elderly and wanted to live his last years in his country of birth).
They garden in pots and in the little garden outside their door. They are within walking distance of almost everything they need and this helps the tight budget. Their kids love to come over and see them more often. The country cottage was just too isolated for any of that and any medical emergency was a serious issue.
I live in the woods. If you've never done it, you'll be surprised at the difference in things that you will have to deal with: trees falling near or on the house, mosquitoes/ticks/critters, lack of sun for a veggie garden, neighbors not nearby to watch the house when you're away, distance from emergency support, limited internet/tv/phone options. The list goes on. I don't recommend buying a house; renting to see what it's like would be a better choice, IMO.
Sad Eyed Lady
5-7-11, 10:38pm
Janharker has made several good points. A cabin in the woods does sound really great until you take into consideration the things that have been pointed out. I am trying to think along the same lines in a way since I will be leaving the work force later this year and my husband is already retired. We live in a small town that is practically dying. It has good points in that it is a safe and friendly environment, we know a lot of people and have long standing friends even if we don't see them or do things with them as often as we used to. We also own our little home and that is a hard thing to give up, but on the other hand we would like to live somewhere with more things to do. We have a very nice university town about 25-30 minutes from us and we tend to go there for most things, but with gas being what it is that is getting a bit pricey even for our Toyota Echo. The lure of an apartment where we would not have to be concerned with upkeep is strong too, (we are getting ready to replace the roof on our house now), but the idea of not having a place to dry my laundry outside or grow a few tomatoes and herbs in the summer is sad to me. So, it's always a toss up - and like you poetry_writer, we don't seem to have a clear cut answer either. I hope you make the right decision and it works for you. By the way, are you the only person involved in this decision making? Will it effect any one else?
We have a house/farm in the country with a woodlot and I know that I will leave if something happens to DH. It is too much to maintain. He was quite ill last year and it all fell on me and was no fun. Our one floor house is only 20 years old that we custom built for convenient living. If I could find a little apartment in a nice part of town accessible to everything where I could have some pots for a garden, I would be very content.
poetry_writer
5-8-11, 2:36pm
Janharker has made several good points. A cabin in the woods does sound really great until you take into consideration the things that have been pointed out. I am trying to think along the same lines in a way since I will be leaving the work force later this year and my husband is already retired. We live in a small town that is practically dying. It has good points in that it is a safe and friendly environment, we know a lot of people and have long standing friends even if we don't see them or do things with them as often as we used to. We also own our little home and that is a hard thing to give up, but on the other hand we would like to live somewhere with more things to do. We have a very nice university town about 25-30 minutes from us and we tend to go there for most things, but with gas being what it is that is getting a bit pricey even for our Toyota Echo. The lure of an apartment where we would not have to be concerned with upkeep is strong too, (we are getting ready to replace the roof on our house now), but the idea of not having a place to dry my laundry outside or grow a few tomatoes and herbs in the summer is sad to me. So, it's always a toss up - and like you poetry_writer, we don't seem to have a clear cut answer either. I hope you make the right decision and it works for you. By the way, are you the only person involved in this decision making? Will it effect any one else?
I am the only person involved in this decision...but, my adult children would be an hour and a half from me. So....in a way it affects them. They dont want me to move but are quite busy with their own lives at the present time (which is not a problem, its how it should be). I too want to dry my clothes outside, grow a few things, have pets (which i can in the apartment..but only a small one, with a large pet fee).....and step out and hear only the wind.....I could be content either way I think.
I romanticize over both. On one hand I love living in the city (outskirts) and would cherish owning a luxury apartment or townhouse right in the heart of it all, yet on the other-hand owning a quaint country dwelling (cottage) would be heaven. This is an age old argument I haven't (as of yet) been able to come to terms with no matter how much/how hard I try thinking about it.
Check into insurance. It's hard to get some kinds of house insurance when it's all the way out in the country.
in regards to growing veggies -- we are part of a community garden, and there are often small garden plots around towns (particularly university towns) where you can grow your own veg. It's quite nice, really. :D
If you still are interested in picking up clerical work or even little odds and ends jobs here and there to supplement your income, then I would strongly recommend you remain in town. Even little things like the occasional baby-sitting or pet-sitting job, tutoring, editing, helping with catering at events, etc. could all be arranged more easily and with relatively little cost. YOua re also more likely to hear about these kinds of opportunities if you are having regular interactions with people and getting out and about town by foot or bike.
I grew up in a cabin in the woods and my mom still lives there and my sister lives next door. It is a good 15-20 minute drive to get to any stores, etc. I love to visit and it is very peaceful, but we spend a LOT on gas and there are definitely things about it that make it inconvenient and more expensive. YOu have to really plan in advance and I find it hard to get used to living that way after having lived in very urban environments with everything at my fingertips for years. Gardening in the woods is tricky with deer, etc., not to mention just trying to ensure your plants get enough sun.
Looking at all the variables, I would say that it sounds to me like the apartment in town is the better fit for you right now. Maybe you can find someone who lives in the woods to do periodic house swaps with, and have the best of both worlds?
lhamo
Gardenarian
5-9-11, 6:18pm
Would you be buying the house or renting?
Frankly, the house sounds like paradise to me. I need to be near nature; it feeds my soul.
As my daughter says "There's some beauty in the city, but you have to look really, really hard to find it."
poetry_writer
5-9-11, 7:13pm
I would be buying it. I also need to be near nature...i used to get up every morning to watch the sun come up and I would watch it go down in the evening. Loved watching birds and animals. Like Mrs M said I cannot decide one way or another. Iris mentioned insurance...I doubt I could get any, its that far out! Its a tiny home too. Dunno! Thanks so much to everyone who has replied.
You can always get insurance.
Take a look at your daily/weekly activities and evaluate how those will be affected. Your life will change; are you ready for new challenges? Are you prepared to try to sell a house if you find that it just isn't what you expected?
As my daughter says "There's some beauty in the city, but you to look really, really hard to find it."
This really depends upon the city, to be honest. I feel this way about many cities, but there are some cities that are just *too gorgeous* (copenhagen, stockholm, Helsinki, Paris, Rome. . . even little Wellington here is beautiful. :) )
But, I can't fault anyone for wanting to live in a rural setting. It is truly lovely and truly peaceful. I spent many years living in a rural suburb of a mid-sized city growing up -- basically grew up in the woods. We are moving to the beach community so that DS is close to that aspect of nature -- I want him to basically grow up in the water and the bush. NZ is like that, though. It gets rural really quickly (and by rural, i mean off grid, no-one-for-miles lifestyles). You have to know how to live entirely on your own. These are skills DH and I do not have (yet-ish), but hope that DS will grow up with them. It's a great blessing, we think.
You'll find your place, no worries. (as they say here)
I don't have vast experience, but I've found beauty in Portland, Seattle, Bellevue, San Francisco, and other places without the least effort. And I've seen plenty of scruffy, uninspiring, worn out farmland. But people really should make an effort to live in places that resonate with them; to do otherwise can be soul-sucking.
:cool:If,I was the person with this dilema. For one there would be no choice. THE WOODS!!!! With careful planning it can be done. There are services for healthy seniors who live alone. Trips can be planned to keep to a minimum.:idea: I would offer my help free to create an environmental,financial system that would be almost too easy.
1 1/2 hours is a long way out. Except you are in NYC or some other metropolis, it shouldn't take a 90 minute drive to get a quiet acre.
Sounds like your heart is in some sort of detached, at least suburban, home. Rural properties are generally not fast selling, so you should have time to compare to other properties. This is not a binary choice between a single urban apartment and single, far-off house.
Sounds like a good strategy would be to get an apartment in a quiet area with some outdoor space where you could grow things.
An additional solution might be to go to a park once or twice a week for a walk and to go camping once a month.
For the long term looking for something that's only 15-20 minutes away might give you the best of both worlds.
Boy, if the ride to town were 30 minutes rather than an hour and thirty minutes that would be a big difference to me. An hour and half is going to mean the difference between getting to see your family once a week vs. once a month maybe? Not sure, but that seems like a hike, unless of course, you are retired and the trip to town isn't a huge drain to you.
I need to be by nature, also, but I've come to learn that convenience is extremely important to me. If I have to depend on a car, I get nervous (maybe from so many years driving a beater). I've lived in a rural area on a dirt road in a place where if you forgot milk at the store you wanted to kill yourself because there was no way you were going to turn back and get it. But it was very nice looking out the front window at nothing but trees and the horse farm across the street.
OTOH, I've lived in a little town on the water where the houses were really tiny and close together, but the main street was extremely walkable, and had all the amenities you needed. I adore that town, and would live there in a second, because it really is the best of both worlds--nature-wise and convenience-wise.
If the "town" is not exactly like a big noisy city, my personal preference would definitely be town over country for the convenience as well as the privilege of being near family.
poetry_writer
5-16-11, 1:13pm
Sometimes these things work out and the decision is made.....there were some issues with the house. The sellers claimed it would only take $500 to fix them. They refused to fix it, wanting me to cover the cost. I am a cash buyer in a market that is dead in this area. Something tells me the house had more problems than they were admitting if they refused to put $500 into a cash deal. Oh well...decision made! Thanks for everyones ideas and keep them coming in case I find another "house in the woods".
poetry_writer
5-18-11, 2:10pm
And then again things can change! The seller emailed me, they are willing to fix everything I wanted them to. So now the question is do I want to live that far out? Away from my kids (an hour and a half drive). Considering the current economy (if I move I will have to be willing and able to live on the savings I have for a long long time, there are no jobs out there...and the cost of gas is an issue)............Its SO beautiful out there....I have trouble with such decisions!....:o)
Having lived in the mountains I know a house in the woods seems lovely, but my personal experience is that it can be a lonely, isolated, and sometimes scary way to live. Not to mention the lack of jobs, inability to commute to one (too far), dependance on your savings for the long haul, maintenance, utilities (engergy costs are always increasing and if you live where it's too cold or too hot you may have problems), etc...
I now have choosen to live in an area that is not as nice, but was an easy commute to everything I needed and was still close enough for me to get into the mountains and woods when I could. If I was in your situation, I would choose NOT to lock yourself into anything permenant at this time. Keep living of your savings in a small rented - or better yet, shared - apt until you find work or have a better idea of what direction you want to go in. Once you are settled (if that's what you want) then make your long term life choices. If you choose to buy now, you will tie yourself to a home and a way of life that may not be what you want - far from work, far from family, and saddled with a place you can't leave if all your money is sunk into it. It is VERY difficult to sell a vacation type home even in the best real estate market - almost impossible in a down market. I'd wait and maybe try a vacation rental in the off season for a month to see if it's really your cup of tea before taking any kind of big plunge.
Also, I don't know your age but you have 4 adult kids so I'm guess you aren't 20 anymore. So think about growing older in a place that may be very difficult to care for as you age - or cost alot of money. Will you have to shovel snow? Walk far to get your mail? What if your car breaks down will you be able to use public transit? So many things to consider before living out on a loney woods road - where there is no street lights or neighbors nearby and it get dark... very dark... Even though I had 3 dogs and a fenced in area around my property, I still walked around my lot with a gun in hand. No one near by except the trees, bushes, and bannshees :-)!!
An anecdote, but perhaps helpful: A good friend of mine (in her early 60s) has lived for a few years in upstate New York, very rural area. A real PIA to shovel snow, etc. But they LOVED the rural nature of it. This couple is very "back-to-basics" type--he retired early, has a "mountain man" look to him and is extremely independent and self-reliant.
Well, my friend (the female in this couple) was out on a business trip and her DH hurt his leg out working--wound up housebound all winter in upstate NY--my 60 year-old friend had to shovel this horrible LOOOONNNNGGG driveway and take care of him when she wasn't working.
I only know this because she called me from North Carolina!! They decided to move near their daughter in the Research Triangle Park area of NC. She LOVES it because people are friendly, there is a lot of opportunity to continue her work life, and she's near her daughter. I think "mountain man" is cool with it, too.
Just a thought.
chanterelle
5-18-11, 4:18pm
Well, it's time to run the numbers then....
At your current spending level, if nothing else changes, how long will your savings last?? Will you have more or fewer general expenses in the country? What do you currently eat, cook and how often do you presently shop? how far away are those shops now and what are the prospects for shopping in the new place?? Will food/shopping/eating change? Will it cost more?
What use do you currently make of the area that you are in?? shops, libraries, community events, doctors etc...will you miss them?? What is available in the new area that you like to do?
Do you see other people on a regular basis or do you presently spend alot of time in solitary hobbies and tasks?
How often do you see your kids/grandkids now?? What sorts of things do you do with them? Can you plan say, one trip a month to visit family, shop, see friends do museum/library/community stuff?? Are they willing to visit you half of the time?
As Spartana mentioned, are you creeped out being completely alone?? Have you ever been completely alone?
How new is your vehicle and can it withstand long periodic drives? How much extra gas expense can you budget reasonably accomodate?
Will the new place require an emergency generator, snow plow, lanterns or cord wood in winter?
These are lots of questions that you need to answer for yourself before you decide before you settle.
I wish you luck in whatever you decide.
dado potato
5-18-11, 11:17pm
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources warns of the risk of fire. They say a cabin "in" the woods should have a defensible zone free of combustible material or pine trees 30 feet in all directions from the structure.
We live in the mountains in California and we are required to clean an area of 100 feet around our home. We do not have to take down trees but the ground has to be cleared to the dirt. In a winter like we had this year that is a lot of work. The pine needles, limbs, and trees that have came down create a lot of work every year. I will need 4 or 5 dumpsters to haul off the stuff.
poetry_writer
5-19-11, 10:48am
1 1/2 hours is a long way out. Except you are in NYC or some other metropolis, it shouldn't take a 90 minute drive to get a quiet acre.
Sounds like your heart is in some sort of detached, at least suburban, home. Rural properties are generally not fast selling, so you should have time to compare to other properties. This is not a binary choice between a single urban apartment and single, far-off house.
In my particular area there are very few places like this. In fact, after a year of looking, this is the only one I have found. Housing and land prices remained high here despite the economy. More may be available as the economy continues to go downhill.
We live in the mountains in California and we are required to clean an area of 100 feet around our home. We do not have to take down trees but the ground has to be cleared to the dirt. In a winter like we had this year that is a lot of work. The pine needles, limbs, and trees that have came down create a lot of work every year. I will need 4 or 5 dumpsters to haul off the stuff.
This is the same where I live in SoCal. I have spent hours and hours a day for weeks now weeding, raking, and pruning to get that 100 ft space on the old half acre - with the house smack in the middle. WAY too much work for lazy old me.
oneroomlife
7-11-11, 11:18am
I live deep in the woods and have for the last 12 years. 16 miles to the nearest stoplight, and it's just a flasher. :)
Gravity fed-water, wood heat, 60 year old hulk of a cottage, river in the front yard. I am a "hillbilly" by heritage, and if you can get over some of the sillier stereotypes associated with that idea, you can see they've got the simple living thing going, along with the local hippies. Someone remarked that I live in a summer camp - all year long. The key to making this work is land-sharing. Six people live here in an intentional family set-up, ages 17-59. We all have our own TINY studio cabins or restored vintage trailers for private space, and use the main house for socializing, cooking and santitary facilities. My income: $450 a month. My share of the community expenses: $260. I have no other bills. For me, the simpler the better.
I live deep in the woods and have for the last 12 years. 16 miles to the nearest stoplight, and it's just a flasher. :)
Gravity fed-water, wood heat, 60 year old hulk of a cottage, river in the front yard. I am a "hillbilly" by heritage, and if you can get over some of the sillier stereotypes associated with that idea, you can see they've got the simple living thing going, along with the local hippies. Someone remarked that I live in a summer camp - all year long. The key to making this work is land-sharing. Six people live here in an intentional family set-up, ages 17-59. We all have our own TINY studio cabins or restored vintage trailers for private space, and use the main house for socializing, cooking and santitary facilities. My income: $450 a month. My share of the community expenses: $260. I have no other bills. For me, the simpler the better.
oneroomlife, that sounds so enticing. I am sure we would all love to see pictures of your environment and your tiny cabin.
Maxamillion
7-11-11, 4:25pm
Oneroomlife, that's very similar to the sort of set-up I would like. I've thought about one day trying to set up a small intentional community of homesteading types.
I would opt for the home in the country. I wouldn't worry about the two acres since you would only have to maintain the part you're using. Unless you want to do unique things with it, a woods isn't hard to maintain. I am assuming that you would be buying the house while, if you choose the apartment, you'd be renting. There are pros and cons to owning a place as well, but I'm sure you're aware of them. Maintenance costs, if there are a lot of them, can be a huge negative, especially if you're unable to do them yourself. Personally, I am far more comfortable in my own home than in anything rented, and I've spent more time in rented houses and apartments than I have in my own home. Within reasonable limits in most places, I can do pretty much whatever I want with a house that I own, while there are generally large limitations while renting. I guess it depends on the amount of importance that you place on the pros and the cons that exist in each.
poetry_writer
7-13-11, 1:42pm
Although I ended up renting the apartment and its working great, the lil house is still for sale. At a reduce price. The odd thing with this particular house (its more like a one room cabin) is that there are NO windows in it. I believe it was built for a hunting cabin. Strangely the people refused to put windows in it (a MUST in the heat of East Texas, have to have one to hang my ac in!). At first they didnt have water in the house, then they balked on putting in two windows. Makes me think something isnt right with it. I still think of it and its still for sale!
As long as you're comfortable in the apartment, stay with it. It's hard to know what will work for one person, because we're all different. Adding windows isn't very expensive though, and I'm not talking about doing it yourself. In our house, we had two windows added to our attic when I decided to make a room out of it, as well as another downstairs, during the course of changing a three-unit apartment building into a house. After checking on prices with a professional window and glass place, we opted to buy the windows and have a local handyman put them in. The whole thing was pretty inexpensive, which would have been cheaper yet were it not for the fact that we live in Maine and chose energy-efficient windows to reduce heating costs.
No windows? That sounds crazy to me. I could've lived without windows when I lived in Manhattan since it was so noisy on my street that I HAD to sleep with the windows closed. If it was at all too warm at bedtime I had to run the a/c even if it was cooler outside then in, just because I couldn't sleep with all the traffic and people noise. But somewhere beautiful way in the country I'd want big windows to look out and to open to let the breeze in.
It sounds like the country place has some, ummmmm, quirks to it. It's still for sale, so who knows, perhaps six months or a year from now the price'll be reduced even more!
catherine
7-14-11, 10:01am
The advantage of living out in the country would be to commune with nature, not shut yourself off from it. I don't get the no windows thing, either! I wouldn't consider living in a windowless box. Of course, you could put them in, but at that rate, why not just buy a small piece of land and buy a cute little Tumbleweed House www.tumbleweedhouses.com.
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