arminda's Profile

Hmm. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but my husband and I recently looked into this at a property we were eager to buy. While I'm not sure the condition of your barn, we found it was going to be pretty expensive (150k in Maryland). If you get the property for a good price though maybe it would be worth it, but for 150k you can almost build a small, brand new house. Obviously a barn has more charm.

These folks: www.colonialbarn.com look like they have a fantastic repertoire of barn renovations in the New England area but caution against thinking that you'll save money by converting one vs. converting or remodeling a house.

I'd talk to them or another contractor. Tell them what you're hoping to accomplish and ask them to give you a ballpark figure (that's what we did). If you're barn is in good structural shape, won't need a ton of electrical, plumbing and insulation work, maybe it would be a good buy.

Rhode Island's (former lifelong resident here) real estate market though is in rough shape so you might get a good bargain on a livable home with colonial charm, acreage and potential for a good price.

Good luck - I share your dream so I hope you make it work!

-M

I just started homesteading in February. I rented a farm on five or so acres just outside of Washington DC, quit my job in May and now I farm / homestead full time now. It's kind of crazy, but it can be done. I was so tired of "waiting" to begin my life that I just said the heck with it and jumped in head first. There are sacrifices, but you can't make your dreams reality without a few along the way. I blog about it here: homesteadyear.com.

That's ridiculous and apparently not made for people who actually do any hauling. The classic wheelbarrow is a perfectly designed tool: easy to push, easy to flip, easy to mix things in - just easy. This doesn't seem to improve on the design. It more or less just pretties it up. I think my wheelbarrow is pretty sharp as it is.

-M

I wouldn't open the door. Well maybe now I would, though I'd seriously have to wonder why / how someone came down my 1/4 mile long driveway for sugar.

Anyway I used to live in a rapidly changing and relatively unsafe neighborhood. Being open and not skeptical of strangers is what got my husband brutally mugged in front of our home. It's rather unpleasant to wake up to your husband banging on the door covered in blood.

Before that, I thought nothing of just opening the door to a stranger knocking with a request. I never opened the door again while living in that home if I wasn't expecting a guest. It just wasn't worth it.

Call it irrational, reactive, or rude but I didn't want to see anyone in my family hurt again for simply being good natured and kind.

-M

I've used a Mario Batali Dutch Oven from Crate and Barrel (all white) for about two years with no incidents. It's quite heavy, it hasn't cracked or peeled and it's definitely big enough for even the biggest recipes. Check it out.

-M

I like Michael Ruhlman and I like what he's done for cooking so even if his spoon is overpriced, I still hope he sells a bunch. He's a good guy.

-M

We just moved into a place (completely) at the end of February. We've been steadily inviting our closest friends out to our farmfor dinner, breakfast, weekend visits but we're wrestling with whether or not we should have a big housewarming party and just invite everyone.

The problem is, it's a lot of work with less reward than say, a dinner party. You cook and clean for days and then you don't really get a chance to sit and talk with the people who come out. And I also worry that people aren't having as good a time when it's less personal.

So we're tabling the discussion until the end of March, when all of our stuff will hopefully have places to live and our house will be properly decorated.

-M

Your mdash is showing.

I just recently started living my dream. I've lived in DC proper for four years. I've been dreaming of getting back to a country home with a barn like the one I grew up in since.

A week ago, I moved out of my DC townhouse and into a farmhouse in rural Maryland. I'm finally beginning to live my dream: pigs, a pickup truck, chickens, room for my dog to run, stars in the sky, and no neighbors for miles.

I loved elements of my city life - the proximity to coffee, good food, friends - but some things, like a sense of freedom, safety, opportunity, and the feeling that I'm really making things happen for myself is worth more to me than a good cup of coffee (and I love coffee). I still have the same job - I just had to sacrifice time (commute) and the niceties of city life to make this dream a reality.

If you want to follow my country dream progress, see here: www.homesteadyear.com

OMG! ARCHITECT Magazine - that's my company's mag. So nice to see it here (even if it is in a bathroom)!