CountryPlans Forum

General => General Forum => Topic started by: Arlynn on July 05, 2010, 05:37:57 PM

Title: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 05, 2010, 05:37:57 PM
Hello!

We think we've found our property and have been looking at the plans and everyone's great pictures.  The Eco Cottage caught our attention.  We like the spiral stairs in the center, large loft space and the expansion possibilities.  Has anyone built it yet?  We thought that maybe the Enchilada replaced it?

Thanks,
Arlen
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: John Raabe on July 05, 2010, 06:40:10 PM
That was a little sketch problem I did for a class I taught many years ago. It never evolved into full working blueprint plans although the ideas can be used freely by others.
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 06, 2010, 04:37:08 PM
Okay.  Thank you.

Lynn
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: texasgun on July 06, 2010, 05:43:01 PM
I did a search and cant seem to find Eco Cottage  ??? is there a picture or topic?
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: MikeOnBike on July 07, 2010, 12:54:02 AM
http://www.countryplans.com/Downloads/ecocottage.PDF (http://www.countryplans.com/Downloads/ecocottage.PDF)
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 07, 2010, 02:03:26 PM
Isn't it cool?  We were thinking it would be nice starting out with the basic and just adding on when we could.  Easier for us financially. 

We like a lot of the other plans too though and we can look at adding the features we like from the Eco Plan to one of the others.

Lynn
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: John Raabe on July 07, 2010, 02:50:59 PM
It was fun to see this old chestnut again. Note the 1982 prices (under $10/sf!)

I wouldn't do the water storage tubes shown in the plan these days, but it might be a good spot for growing a kitchen herb planter. I show a crawlspace foundation but it could be beam and pier as well.

I updated the download so there is a link in the PDF back to this thread for comments.
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 07, 2010, 06:25:28 PM
There is a septic system, spring water, electric and gas on the property.  Since we're planning to live there after retiring, low monthly expenses will be a concern so we'll want to be as self sufficient as we are able to be.  We're interested in solar energy.  Our location is North Western Pennsylvania so a combination solar energy and electricity is likely. We want to have a small homestead.
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 08, 2010, 06:02:55 AM
Oh I like the herb planter idea!!!  Also, there isn't a well but 2 springs.  This is new to us.  For all we know water tubes is what we'll have to use until we can afford the well.   There's some decent DIY composting toilet plans out there.  Mother Earth News has one that's nice.  It's not the 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top either  ;)
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: rick91351 on July 08, 2010, 10:09:07 AM
If the springs can be / have been developed the drilling of a well might very well be a not needed expense.  I have one on a property in the mountains we developed a spring there we use that for stock water.  Then that goes through an over flow out of the stock tanks.  We catch that waste water in a 1200 gallon tank located down the hill 120 feet from the stock tanks.  Then because we do not live up there but it as our retirement property; we faithfully go up once or twice a week and water our orchard and berries via an electric pump.   (About seventy five fruit trees right now and still planting a few each year.)  Our domestic well up there is not a huge producer so to keep from double pumping water we do it that way.  We have to irrigate the trees and the berries July to mid September.  This is southern Idaho and high mountain desert just like clock work the sky dries up then - to return the latter part of September or October.           

We are not talking a huge volume of water going into the tank.  How long does it take to fill the orchard tank after we empty it?  Really do not know but it is always full the next morning.  But if it took a whole next day it still is 1200 gallons of water that we are able to utilize with out pumping it out of the ground.  If you seen that 1200 gallon tank and the small stream of water you would say no way not over night but it does.  My point is if your springs are developed correctly and safely they can be used for domestic use.  They could be piped in to a 2000 gallon tank with a over flow and a pump with a pressure tank and plumbed into your dwelling.  Then any over flow can certainly be captured and used for raised bed gardening, or maybe stock water.             
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on July 08, 2010, 05:33:11 PM
Rick, thank you for the information!  We've been talking about an orchard also.  There aren't a lot of trees on the land but most of them are maple and oak.  If we get this property one of the first things we'll do is plant more trees.

We'll get soil samples soon but even just looking at the lower end of it seems like chips of shale.  Not much is growing on it except some wild flowers.  The upper part has nice grass.  We have raised garden beds and do square foot gardening and I want to continue using this method when we move.  I'll just set up the beds on the less desirable land.  Lots of organic material for making compost will help fill them.  The springs are about in the center of the land and above the rocky ground so the garden will have a water supply.
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on August 09, 2010, 02:06:06 PM
I didn't know it could be so hard to get a loan.  Nobody wants to give land loans anymore and a few will consider using the land as collateral. 

We are selling our home to one of our sons (for less than 1/2 of its value) when we are ready to live on the land.  It will enable us to pay off everything and get our animals.  If we do a real home equity loan we can't sell it!  In the meantime, we still need our full time jobs so we can't just sell and move.

All these years we've been able to live without credit cards and because of it we can't get a personal loan.  I don't get it.  We're waiting to hear the result of our second application.  We've gotten 2 credit cards.  Arrrrrgh.

Nervous........
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: John Raabe on August 09, 2010, 04:52:04 PM
Credit and loans are really strange these days. An overreaction to the bubble I suppose.

Best wishes on the project.

Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: rick91351 on August 09, 2010, 05:39:52 PM
We went in to our local bank and talked to them about a construction loan for the home we are going to build.  Got our application and on the way home the manager called us up on the cell phone with "Rick do not bother to fill it out we are not loaning on construction at all unless commercial."  Talked to another bank today and guess what?  Same reply!  Strange we are very elated we did not want to go in to debt for this house now it looks like we will take up the challenge less than fully funded.     
Title: Re: Eco Cottage
Post by: Arlynn on August 10, 2010, 09:31:25 AM
They want us to refinance our house with a mortgage loan.  We aren't going to do that.  We've decided to do it the old fashioned way and save.  At least we only have the very basic of monthly expenses.  Only a car loan for debt.

We're both still working full time and will be for 3 years so it shouldn't take too long.  In the meantime we may as well decide on which cabin to build!