Yurt Forum - A Yurt Community About Yurts  

Go Back   Yurt Forum - A Yurt Community About Yurts > Building a Yurt
Search Forums
Advanced Search

Yurt Vs House

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-23-2014, 10:19 AM   #1
Yurt Forum Youngin
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Default yurt vs house

Hi
We are a family for 4 with 2 dogs. Kids are 5 and 7. We currently own some property and are living in a 29 ft rv on the land. We have hopes to build a house some day but are considering a yurt for the interim. Do we just build the house or do we put up a yurt and build the slowly? Looking for some pros and cons to building a yurt vs building a small house. Are we just adding a step by building a yurt then house....spending money that does not increase equity. Time is an issue as well. We have been plugged into to my in laws house for over a year and are starting our 2nd winter in the camper. Let your thoughts fly and thanks in advance.

newt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 10:35 AM   #2
Administrator
 
Jafo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,419
Default Re: yurt vs house

Well, first of all, where in the country will this be?
Jafo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 10:37 AM   #3
Yurt Forum Youngin
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Default Re: yurt vs house

PA.... on our farm.
newt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 10:56 AM   #4
Administrator
 
Jafo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,419
Default Re: yurt vs house

Well, the first issue will be of course, how are you going to heat this? It takes a lot of wood/oil/gas/coal to heat a yurt. While the heat is on, they are great, the minute the heat is off, they get cold. If you have access to to a lot of wood, this may not be an issue for you. For a 30 foot yurt, expect to burn all of 10 full cords, and probably more, depending on what part of PA you are in.

Obviously, the most cost effective way is to stay in your RV until the house is built, but if that is not an option, then a yurt (as small as possible) will not be a bad idea. A good quality yurt will last more than a life time, though you will have to change the roof every 20 years or so just like any other house.
Jafo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 11:07 AM   #5
Yurt Forum Youngin
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Default Re: yurt vs house

Heat is not an issue. Plenty of wood on the farm. More than I think I could ever use. We struggle with spending 20,000 + on building a yurt and not having that $ for the house. I think a yurt would be way quicker than a house to construct. The house we plan to build would be a Timberframe using wood from the property. 1500 Sq ft or so. How do yurts do on the resale mrket or do we just keep it and make it guest living?

The yurt would have electric (public), composting toilet, and wood stove heat maybe with eletric base board back up for when we are away. Looking at a 5 yr living plan for the yurt.
newt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 11:13 AM   #6
Administrator
 
Jafo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,419
Default Re: yurt vs house

They resell okay. You will take a loss, but not a huge one like you would with an RV. We sell a lot of them on the yurt classifieds on this site.
Jafo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 03:27 PM   #7
Yurt Forum Addict
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,187
Default Re: yurt vs house

I hate to say it on this site, but without question I'd suggest building a small ranch house over an unfinished basement. You can do that while you are living in the RV. It would take you a year or so to build, depending on how experienced you are, and how many pro tradesmen you use. If it was built by pro tradesmen just a few months probably four if the house is quite small.

Keep the plan small and simple. The 3 bed 2 bath rancher is what most older American 'boomers' grew up in. They are superb homes.

Interest rates are still unbelievably low.

I love yurts don't get me wrong, but a small house is WAY better investment and WAY tougher than any yurt. BTW I've been a carpenter for 41 years and can speak with authority on this subject.
Bob Rowlands is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 06:00 PM   #8
Administrator
 
Jafo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,419
Default Re: yurt vs house

Bob, never feel like you can't say what you want here.

I think what newt was getting at, was not WHICH to live in, but would living in a a yurt WHILE they build their house and whether it is feasible. A lot of people have asked that question on here. I for one would rather live in a yurt for a couple years while building my house than an RV.
Jafo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 06:49 PM   #9
Yurt Forum Youngin
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 15
Default Re: yurt vs house

Thank you both. I will tally the survey to this point as 1 and 1. Both my wife and I are on the fence. We would build a 30 ft yurt with composting toilet, kitchen, loft, ect. That is a sizeable investment. We would probably skip permitting since it is not per meant which would allow for quicker occupancy. Could I get a yurt completed in a month? Deck ect.....I think. The house will take time. 30×36 timberframe on a slab. Lumber From THE propety. Trees are still standing.

BTW...got the rv off Craigslist for a steal and plan to sell it when done. For the same price. We are not rv people as we have found out.
newt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2014, 07:15 PM   #10
Administrator
 
Jafo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,419
Default Re: yurt vs house

We built my yurt in way less than a month, and this was in the middle of the woods far from civilization...
Jafo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
None


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:18 PM.


Yurt Forum | Buying a Yurt | Building a Yurt | Yurt Life | Yurts for Sale | Yurt Glamping | Yurts Pricing Yurt Calculators | Yurt Insurance | Yurt Insulation | Yurt Classifieds

Copyright 2012 - 2024 Jeff Capron Inc.

Yurt Posts Delivered to your Email!

Stay up-to-date with all the new yurt posts to your inbox!

unsusbcribe at anytime with one click

Close [X]