The problem with living on the edge of the countryside is that eventually somebody else builds on the countryside part and you're just living in another crappy suburb.
this post was submitted on 18 Apr 2025
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Exactly, this mindset just creates more suburbs, roads, cars, unwalkable districts, etc.
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My advice in that case is to immediately plant some trees around the perimeter of your property and turn it into a little isolated grove
A man grove, with a man cave.
Listed at only $4.3M
Everybody wants that edge of city and country feel. It makes them feel like they don't live in the city but they still have all the amenities a city offers close by. And thus the Suburban experiment was born and has ultimately destroyed north american cities and created an affordability crisis for housing.
well you can't blame it all on "living on the edge of a city". IMO HOAs have done a substantial part of the harm, creating the sterile and hostile-to-teenage-life experience, and then there's zoning laws which make it impossible to get communal activity, like a small bar or club right between the houses, and then there's the lack of public transport ...
I have dreamed of this lifestyle for over 20 years, and just moved here a few months ago.
Septic is installed, we live in an RV. Just got this land leveled and ready to move the RV into place next to the storage containers we have. Right across the driveway will be a large garden area, but right now we only have a compost pile so far.
A neighbor said they will help us with chickens, so we only need some fence and feed. Things move slowly, but we are excited to jump into this lifestyle. Fresh air and beautiful views.
What do you do for water?
Currently getting water from a purification machine at the store, it’s expensive but we use very little right now. (42 cents per gallon)
We just got a 2,500 gallon tank, after I finish the plumbing I plan to order water delivery, should be about $200 to fill the tank. (Less than 1 cent per gallon)
After that I’m making a roof and collecting rain water. (Free water)
If you don't mind me asking. Where are you located that you are able to do this?
Arizona has several counties that are not as strict and allow a lot of alternative living options.
how far away does the water delivery come from?
I think it’s a local company, Met them at a local event for the alternative buildings and living off grid. We also met a lot of YouTubers there, it was super chill.
When I call them, I want to ask if it’s from a well, is it drinkable, etc. I do have filters and the UV light for water that I will add eventually.
What do u do for a living
I run a few online businesses (streaming, YouTube, eBay), but had to put all that on hold as we were moving and getting settled here. Just about out of our savings, but we are very close to starting the business back up. I think maybe 1-2 weeks.
There is always set backs working here off grid, example is yesterday I was cleaning land to move the RV and the track came off the excavator. It looks like a simple fix on YouTube but it’s raining now lol
One thing is missing. Family... A loving partner, maybe some years pass and some children...
Bought 5 acres (with 1.5 of those acres flat on a hill) about ~20 min outside a medium city, ~1 hour equidistant from 2 very large cities. Geotechnical engineers have been to the property, report submitted to the county (took months). Sewage engineers have been out to the property and approved the drain field (took weeks). Well will be drilled once the county approves the build site. It's slow going but it will be worth it in the end! My only fear is trump cancelling the rural broadband fund as I am slated to get the fiber cable run to my property line within a year. Staying with starlink for longer will not be awesome, but oh well, sacrifice.
What counts as a big garden, I would like bigger but my bungalow is on a 150m² total property area, 60m² of that is the indoor area. Spent quite a bit to have the concrete paved across the entire garden removed and I did all the labour myself with a sledgehammer. IIRC it was 8m³ of that crap.
Now mine is the only house on the street that you can see real bees at. My "lawn is untidy"? Fuck off, that is a meadow and it is glorious! As I am British there is no HOA for you to cry to. I am free to make the bees happy.
Unless it gets to the point I am blocking out the sun to the houses nearby there is fuck all anyone can do about my garden.
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Is Anon dreaming of dacha? Because it sounds same.
Nah I'll take the city thanks. I would like a functional bus service and be able to walk places.
Also bathroom, kitchen and livingroom possibly together, bedroom, and maybe. Maybe! An office.
Man that was a good year before the rent increase and subsequent eviction.
So I'm longer in the tooth now nearing 50. Got 3 kids. My intention when my kids finish high school is to go back to the small towns from whence I came. City living is so goddamn expensive now. I can buy 50 acres for slightly more than what I pay for a 30*150 lot with a semi-detached home.
I'm gonna Christopher Robin my life when I nope out of IT and with luck build houses for my kids and build a homestead.
This is the way folks. Protect you and yours the best you can.
Unrelated, but:
from whence
Did you know “whence” means “from where,” so it’s not really necessary to say “from whence?” It’s not a mistake, exactly, because “from whence” has been around forever and is considered acceptable usage. “Whence” without the “from” seems, though, to be more correct in a sense, and has certainly been more common for a long time.
Decent discussion with interesting links: https://english.stackexchange.com/q/10906
I want a house with a walled courtyard/atrium between the house and garage. I also want an underground space like a hobbit hole crossed with a bomb shelter.
I want either a Swiss Family Robinson style treehouse or a spaceship.
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