How we lived in this off-grid barn for a year while building our home.
Solar power, captured rainwater and a wood stove is how we lived last year while building our forever home.
I wrote about our leaving the corporate world to live internationally before moving back to a farm in the Virginia Appalachians previously here..
Giving up everything for the simple life. Part I
Giving up everything for the simple life. Part II
Giving up everything for the simple life. Part III
Now I want to show you what it was like living in a barn/shed for a year with temps ranging from -5 F to 95 F.
We moved into the barn in February straight off the plane from living in Guatemala. I had some wood stacked up and that was it. First thing I did to help hold in the heat was to cover the ceiling with plastic. It made a huge difference. We found we could keep the barn about 40 degrees above the outside temps which is pretty good for an unfinished barn. But when it drops to zero that means we could barely keep it above freezing inside. However due to the tin roof, if it was a very sunny day, we could easily have the barn at 65 degrees F from the sun heating it. We still had to replace the toilet twice as it froze and busted.
bedroom tent, living room and kitchen.
In the summer it was frequently over 90 F in the barn! During those days we would spend our time at the creek in the shade. I also installed a 12v radiator fan in the ceiling to suck out the hot air. It was a big help.
My wife made the barn a cozy place. We used a tarp to make a patio and she hung candle chandeliers and did her best to make it feel like home. However, patio furniture is not very comfortable for living on. Also sleeping on an air mattress for a year can be trying.
Why....
We thought about getting a camper and living in it, but decided the money could be better spent by building a barn and using it as an RV while building our home.
How...
We have nearly 1000 wattts of solar power with 4 tractor batteries for storage. This provided lights, music, gizmo charging and on sunny mornings we could use the electric coffee maker. Eventually we even got internet access.
We did install a bathroom and shower using rainwater captured from the roof and a propane hot water heater. That felt like living the high Life to take a hot shower in the freezing winter.
Nearly 1000 watts with a 5000 watt inverter.
Our most important and heavily used tool is the wood stove. It provides our warmth, our cooking and dries our clothes. We cooked every meal on it for a year except when we used our rocket stove.
drying laundry, warming the dog, heating water for dishes and frying bacon.
Water system...
We used the gutters to direct rain water into barrels. One barrel was setup to keep a large tank in the basement of the barn filled via a float valve. The water pump was a 12v RV style pressure pump. It worked great.
For drinking water we filled jugs at our spring and carried them to the barn.
corn fritters and stew on the stove
There were some hardships, but we really loved our time living in the barn. However, we had our house to look forward too. I'm not sure I could make it long term like this. Well, at least not without insulation to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. One thing is for sure, we will not be taking anything for granted in our house. I will always remember what it's like to not have running water and electricity or be warm on cold nights. I think we took much more from our time in the barn than we ever thought.
What an amazing learning experience this must have been. We take for granted all the creature comforts in our lavish, modern lifestyles, but you really learn to appreciate these things when fully exposed to the elements.
Awesome post!
We found that to be so true, we appreciate everything so much more now. Thank you much.
Awesome. Thank you very much!
Lovely post. This could be me and my family whithin a year if all goes to plan. Upvoted and resteemed.
Thanks @talltuk. I wish you success and happiness. Godspeed!
Oh I so feel you on this as we have experienced so much of the same ! :) incredibly high and low temps with improper buildings... sitting in the shade and creek for hours on the summer... uncomfortable conditions while you’re doing The Dream! Good on ya 💙💙💙
Thanks. At the same time we wouldn't trade the experience for everything. I swear I think everyone should have to go thru it at some point.
Exactly! So much character building and makes what comes later so much sweeter!!
I cannot say anything else than respect! I mean I could (easily) do it alone, but I can imagine it's much harder together or do you disagree? Is the new house ready now?
I see exactly what you mean. I could be harder for a couple, I mean if you are alone you only have yourself to worry about and you can just deal with it. However, if you have a partner that is enjoying it as much as you it really is easier. My wife really enjoyed learning to cook everything simply on a wood stove as well as all the foraging we did. We also kept each other warm at night :)
YES! We are in the new house, it's incredible! I will never take it for granted. Love that we used trees, stone and old barn wood from our property to build it too. Thanks.
Love love love it. Would totally do this. Now following..
It's so worth. We enjoyed it and learned a ton.
WHAT a delightful looking homestead! I love how you have utilized so many different things to make your home!
and this is SO INVITING!
Thank you. My wife gets all the credit for it not looking like a regular barn :)
ALWAYS good to have the woman's touch!
I think if I weren't around my husband would be lost... eating out of cans... not knowing where his toothbrush was located... yeah.. woman tend to do such things! lol
Agreed. But hey, I can take out the trash and chop firewood!
That tent inside cracked me up!!!! Congratulations on your decision and great success - sometimes I want to disconnect like that.
Thanks, we needed the tent to keep our bed from getting covered in dust and to stay warm in the winter. :)
And it makes it extra cozy somehow!
I just love the story. The whole story. Best part for me? The "I can do this and follow my dream without taking a huge chunk out of the earth" attitude.
I have been fortunate enough to live on the edge a time or two. I love the look of your barn, particularly the tent. What an obvious great idea. I could see me giving up on the house :) Or postponing it until everything was perfect, which is the same as giving up.
Thanks for a wonderful story. Made my day.
Thanks for the great comments. It was definitely one of those adventure times in our lives. I remember thinking if I were a lot younger it's hard telling if I would go back to a house.
Very cool. Welcome to Virginia.
Thanks very much. My family is from here so we've been visiting since I was a kid. Love it here.... except for the taxes. :)