Yurt Homes in Hawai'i (Hilo, Volcano: how much, houses, purchasing) - Hawaii (HI) - Page 6 - City-Data Forum

bearclaw10 · 10-07-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yurt Girl

Just a note, I know of a couple of used yurts for sale right now... They've never been set up, but they weren't stored very well. I'd recommend them for someone who wants temporary shelter (several years), not as a permitted residence. They still seem sturdy and the manufacturer would replace parts as needed. At the cost they're going for it's probably well worth it.

Are these still for sale?

YurtGirl · 10-08-2010, 09:28 PM

No, they aren't. That was a long time ago. If we know of any used yurts these days, we typically post it on our facebook page. We quit posting on this forum due to continued harassment for 'advertising' when we were answering questions about yurts. It's a shame, because there were some good discussions! Hopefully this post won't be taken as advertising...! our facebook page can be found if you search yurts of hawaii.

kupukupu57 · 10-20-2010, 08:31 PM

We need help getting our yurt built and permitted, but we are looking for some affordable land first. I am hoping the permitting process for our 30 foot diameter yurt will not turn out to be a nightmare. Our son worked for a general contractor and architect in Ahualoa for years while he was in high school. They are somewhat semi-retired but have agreed to help us get off the ground.

They are not sure what they will run into because neither have had the pleasure of permitting and building a yurt. We want the yurt to be permitted in case we ever want to sell the yurt and lot in the future. A realtor friend of ours says it will be easier to sell if it is permitted because of the loan process. Banks and/or lenders will not loan on homes that are not permitted.

In your experience, do you think it will be hard to get the yurt permitted on the Big Island?. I had read some early comments on the building of yurts and not sure what to think.

kupukupu57 · 10-20-2010, 08:46 PM

This is exactly why we bought our yurt, affordable housing. We can no longer pay the nealy $1,000 in rent per month and not to mention the electric, water, cable and sewer. Now, my husband thinks we may have made the wrong decision because of all the hoopla with building permits on yurts.

We spent nearly $15,000 cash to purchase and ship the 30 foot yurt out from Hana, Maui. It was shipped brand-new still in it's crate from Pacific Yurts of Oregon. I hope you are able to help direct us in the right direction.

kupukupu57 · 10-20-2010, 09:27 PM

I visited the website for building code in Hawaii and printed out the worksheet. It all seems pretty complicated right now. Better to get the yurt permitted if you plan to sell it one day according to one of our realtor friends. Banks won't lend money to the buyer if it's not permitted and does not have a road maintenance plan in effect.

kupukupu57 · 10-20-2010, 09:32 PM

You mentioned the yurts were not stored well, where they left out in the rain? We have our yurt stored in it's own shipping crate under a tarp tent until we can find our land. We have the rafters stored under additional tarps because they are longer than the 10x10 tarp tent. Is this okay, or do they need to go into the garage for storage? Hilo weather has been rainy.

KoaKine · 10-20-2010, 10:16 PM

What is the expected lifespan of a tart yurt? if its less than 10 years then why permit it?

Really if you want to live in a tent then live in one be realistic go to sports authority and buy a big good tent and replace it when it springs a leak or better yet build a real home!

mdand3boys · 10-20-2010, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kupukupu57

This is exactly why we bought our yurt, affordable housing. We can no longer pay the nealy $1,000 in rent per month and not to mention the electric, water, cable and sewer. Now, my husband thinks we may have made the wrong decision because of all the hoopla with building permits on yurts.

We spent nearly $15,000 cash to purchase and ship the 30 foot yurt out from Hana, Maui. It was shipped brand-new still in it's crate from Pacific Yurts of Oregon. I hope you are able to help direct us in the right direction.

$15,000 would have made a nice down payment on a brand new, foreclosure house. You wouldn't believe what some are going for right now in the area. Forget asking prices.

YurtGirl · 10-21-2010, 02:36 AM

Aloha KupuKupu,
Permitting isn't difficult if you know what you're doing and know what to watch for. The last thing we want is for bad yurts to go up. They further an undeserved, negative view of these great structures. Give us a call and we'll be happy to share our knowledge about yurts and permitting, etc.

There's always going to be naysayers about anything that is 'outside the box'. It threatens their perception of what is or something, as near as I can figure. Or they're drinking vodka and feeling feisty ;P. No bones about it, Yurts are, wonderfully, exquisitely, outside the box! They are also incredibly strong, a beautiful space, a fraction of the cost of most structures and a bit of a great statement IMHO.

A lifespan on a yurt can easily be over 100 years with proper care. Believe it! There are two yurts in HPP that just passed their 24th birthday and look as good as ever. The owner took good care of them, the skins have been replaced once and we just replaced one of the dome skylights a while back. The yurt infrastructure is incredibly strong and usually made of wood, just like many other types of structures. And as you replace roofs on a house, so too do you replace the exterior membrane of a yurt. And in about the same time. Most reputable companies give a 15 year warranty on a Duro-last roof. They'll last you that or longer with proper care (i.e. washing once a year). Both the manufacturer and the makers of Duro-last will join together to honor their warranties if an issue arises before their warranty is up. Even then, the roof and walls can be changed in a day for about $600 labor. Replacements for the larges yurt run about $3,000 for roof and walls.

The platforms/floors/lanais are usually standard post and pier construction, so they last as long as a box house as well. Don't let people get you down on them, you've made a good decision and one that will help you save money for other things. If they want to buy a box house with a massive loan over their heads, I say go for it. I don't choose to work that way and neither do many others.

The yurts I mentioned here a while back were stored in the crate they came in (Particle board) and nothing else, which ended up rotting and allowing a lot of damage. It sounds like you've stored yours well. I would recommend checking periodically to make sure no water has seeped through. UV can be very hard on cheap tarps, so they don't last more than 8 - 10 months.

Pacific Yurts is a good company. They aren't my favorite yurt, but they're good and they back up their product if you're the first owner or can provide the yurt's serial number. You'll save quite a bit to build your own platform, but I DEFINITELY recommend having permittable plans drafted by someone who has worked with yurts before.

hanabear1103 · 12-11-2013, 07:22 PM

Hey yurt girl, what are the costs to make a yurt compatible with hawaii weather? I'm looking into getting one, but having a hard time knowing which one is best, and how to do it without having to sacrifice too much funds. I don't wanna deal with all the permitting issues we have with Ohana Land, so a yurt was my first thought. hit me back if can, [email]karahenderson3@gmail.com[/email]