Is a yurt a good idea?

[danielpierce]

My wife and I are considering putting up a yurt on some land that we have as a primary residence and I have three major questions.

1. Is this a good idea?

2. Are they really warm enough in winter (Maine)?

3. Which company is the best to work with?

Any thoughts on this would be a big help!

[Jafo]

Originally Posted by danielpierce

My wife and I are considering putting up a yurt on some land that we have as a primary residence and I have three major questions.

Daniel,

Welcome aboard!

Originally Posted by danielpierce

1. Is this a good idea?

Yes, but we are a bit biased here. Since you have a residence on your property, it will most likely be much easier to get this approved by your local code enforcement, since it can be considered an outbuilding.

Originally Posted by danielpierce

2. Are they really warm enough in winter (Maine)?

Depends on a few things: How well you insulate, what heat source you are using, what yurt you purchase, and how you construct your platform. I have the

insulation

package that you buy with the yurt (Pacific Yurts) that I use as my hunting camp, and I stayed up there when it was -20. I did not insulate the platform or take many other steps I could have, and was able to be comfortable with a small wood stove.

Now if you add rooms inside the yurt, that changes how you may heat yours.

What are you planning on using the yurt for?

Originally Posted by danielpierce

3. Which company is the best to work with?

There is no right answer to that. Many want your business and want it bad. I had a good experience with

Pacific Yurts

, and many here have had great experiences with

Colorado Yurts

,

Groovy Yurts

,

Shelter Designs

, etc.. It also depends on what TYPE of yurt you want. There are some manufacturers who make traditional yurts, or wooden yurts, or architectural fabric yurts, etc..

I hope I answered some of your questions even though there are a lot of if's in my responses lol.

[danielpierce]

Thanks for the reply! We are think of using it to live in and once it is complete, selling the house that is on the property. I am just starting to look into the idea and this forum has been very helpful!

[Jafo]

Originally Posted by danielpierce

Thanks for the reply! We are think of using it to live in and once it is complete, selling the house that is on the property. I am just starting to look into the idea and this forum has been very helpful!

Ahh ok. Then your first move should be to talk with your local ordinance enforcement.

You might want to read this thread too:

http://www.yurtforum.com/forums/buil...a-yurt-67.html

Much of this depends on how your local people handle this. Some are hard nosed and others are tolerant. In general though, you should find them willing to work with you. I would definitely talk with them before you go and build, because it will save you some heartache.

[Groovyyurts]

and another good idea will be to try as much different yurts as possible. Ask the manufacturers that catch your interest if they have demos or someone renting their yurts in your area for a couple nights.