Modifying or Selling a Yurt Help

[Kai]

The Story
So I had been dreaming of a yurt for years. I began collecting bamboo and trying to build a yurt from scratch. A friend of mine wanted to go camping and at the time in my life I had a job, I was making some money and after struggling with getting it done in the time frame I needed decided to buy the yurt from Laurel Nests. I only had 1k saved up, 2 jobs, and believed it would be a good investment in case I were to go homeless and to live my dream, and that I'd make anything I needed back--I had no idea that mental illness and later pregnancy would hit me so hard that I would become fired, involuntarily committed into a hospital and basically become unhireable.

Now I have this yurt that I spent my savings on but can't use , Hal was awesome. He drove up to help me put it up, he helped me build it with scrap materials. The goal was to make it portable. Unfortunately the yurts are commercial and despite our best efforts I am unable to put it up and take it down. I have no social ties or friends to help me. I have no finances to buy a screw and take it down, and would not be able to put it up again to show it to someone who wanted to buy it.

I am trying to figure out what to do. I've put an ad up for it here until it expired, I put an ad up for it at CL people contact me but don't come. I don't know how to get rid of the yurt and recoup back the money I spent and was homeless last month with no way to move the yurt. I really need advice from people have built yurts for the probability of it.

My problem with the yurt is two fold:
1. How do I convert this yurt to make it more Portable??? I've been thinking of seeing if I can contact

Laurel Nest yurts

but they were so kind and great to me and worked so hard with me. I'd hate to ask for anything else. It uses a screw that bolts the door and roof together and where I am going I will not always have power or a way to recharge it. It's also hard to put up and take down by myself and I would need planning in order to find anyone who would help me do this. If I am stuck with this really awesome yurt that I can't move easily on my own then I need a way to make it more portable even if it is just taking out the wood and finding something else lighter to put in.

My favourite part about the yurt is the canvas and how sturdy it is. I really genuinely wish I had land I could put it on and keep it on.

Any advice on how to convert this yurt into something more portable?

2. How do I SELL this yurt? Im trying to sell it for $1,500 - $1,800. Just based on the prices I've seen here. I thought about doing a fundraiser for anyone interested in a 12ft yurt, like a lottery, people who might want a yurt put X amount of money in for it. Once the lottery goal is reached a random name is pulled and the person who wins gets a 12ft yurt. There are some places I could fundraise this, but I really just want advice and tips from people who have made yurts or sell them for a living before even trying to do such a thing.

[Jafo]

Do you have a place you can erect it where people will see it, and just throw a for sale sign on it?

[Bob Rowlands]

Trying to make the yurt lighter and 'more portable' isn't gonna happen without skill, tools, and money. IMO do whatever it takes to sell it. You might have to get creative and leave those little college style tear off 'for sale' notices every place you can think of. Laundromat, convenience stores, Depot, Lowes, Walmart, church bulletin board, college campus etc.

On a side note, before I had money to buy power drill driver I used screwdriver to drive and remove screws. In fact I had forearms like popeye from doing such.

Sorry you are in a jam. But, remember 'This too shall pass.'

[mama23]

Kai - I wish I could help you out, sounds like you are in a rough spot. If I still lived in GA, I would pick this up pronto.

I don't know NC that well, but there is a place called sky ridge yurts (Sky Ridge Yurts – Vacation Rentals Near Nantahala Outdoor Center and The Smoky Mountains) near asheville I believe. I know that the woman who owns the place was hoping to expand with more yurts. Maybe contact her & see if she is interested? or at least might have info on the take down/put up piece of things.

good luck & I wish you all the best.

[Kai]

Thanks. I ended up not being able to sell it. I had it up on CL, a few people asked but didn't come. I have severe mental illness that limits my ability to go outside without a support person and struggle with issues that make it hard to communicate with new people on a constant basis (it was moderately severe when I had a job but has just gotten worse as time as gone on). I decided I put my heart into the yurt, the canvas, it's a sturdy home. I can't take my home with me, so not much I can do. No point but to figure out how to live with it, move it and modify it when life works out to have it placed somewhere more permanently. When life works out for me and it will, it will be a beautiful addition to my family.

Ultimately I put my last bit of money down for a bell tent, which is on backorder. It should be more portable so I can use that until I am able to find a spot, WWOOF where I can, as I was recently homeless due to mental illness. I believe things are looking better. Determined to make this yurt work if I can't sell it as well as the Bell Tent. I've got a good feeling it's all going to start looking up soon. With the yurt until I can move it or even have a place to move it, that'll be there. I do hope to get it made light and portable or to recycle materials to build another one using the canvas and toono.

And that's my update.