Going Off Grid in East Tennessee (Cookeville: for sale, contractors, shop)

[Suzanne1945]

Reading your story is easy and makes me feels like I am right there lifting, moving and fastening! You are a great writer and just wanted you to know that I appreciate your descriptions. Great story!!!

[the_pines]

Incredible. Thank you for sharing.

[Lillie Meredith]

Hi Lisa,
We are tired and sore. Watching you both build your home. Boy! do I need a Deep Massage!! Love the view and can't wait to come and visit you both. Keep up with the writing and photos. I can't believe it's Lisa on the roof. Go Girl!! Tell Mike my grandson Kyle favorite cartoon was "Bob the Builder".Miss you both and keep up the good work. Hugs and Friends Lillie and Philip

[younglisa7]

Suzanne- I am glad you are enjoying the story.

Belloise- sorry no room for your boats but you and the family can come and visit but it might be a little too tame for you.

jabogitlu- I wouldn't want to hire someone. I am so thankful Mike knows how to do everything. We love building together.

Shen- Yeah, the house will be a little different, LOL. Eventually we will have gardens with evegreens, I think, around the sides and the back of the house so you won't even know a house is there. We decided not to concrete the roof and cover it with earth because it would be a huge headache if we ever needed to add something. For example we might need solar tubes installed through the roof for the back rooms.

Tek-Freek- Thanks but as you can see we got it done.

redoverfarm- Good luck to you. It is always exciting to build. Thanks for the links.

Hey Lillie-
You are such a baby, LOL. Tell Philip to give you a massage. Mike said I could have a day of girlie stuff(whatever that means) when we are done. I am loving every minute of this but my hands are a mess. I really need to dye my hair LOL, Mike says I'm glistening in the sun(he thinks it's cute), and I have a really funky tan. I also have bruises all over my legs. I don't even know how that happens.

Lisa

[fun4me]

Hello Everyone, This is so much fun! Great story and thanks for sharing with us all the pictures................can't wait to see the end product.

Kenstan,
I just read about you wanting to build a log home and @$75.00 sq ft.....wow that is a great price. What a coincidence my hubby and I are also from Fl. We also bought land in Baneberry this year. We are going to be visiting next week to get ideas and information on log homes and just meeting with some builders. The price you mentioned is great for Turn Key, all prices I have gotten are more than that. Do you mind sharing who the builder is? Maybe we can check it out when we visit. We are very excited with the land and just looking at these pictures, a great feeling. It seems like everyone is waiting for one thing or other to make a move or make a change.
Appreciate any info you can share! Thanks

I am so glad I found this forum! A Nice Day to everyone! LOL

[fun4me]

Lisa & Mike,

You guys have worked so hard! I know you are enjoying it but it is still hard work. I think you have been moving right along. Have you done this before? It seems you know what to do. I enjoyed the way to tell the story and take us right along with you. It is interesting and entertaining. I love the views.
It is so great that you keep us posted with info and great pictures!

Blessings your way!

Thanks for sharing this great story!

[younglisa7]

Originally Posted by fun4me

Lisa & Mike,

You guys have worked so hard! I know you are enjoying it but it is still hard work. I think you have been moving right along. Have you done this before? It seems you know what to do. I enjoyed the way to tell the story and take us right along with you. It is interesting and entertaining. I love the views.
It is so great that you keep us posted with info and great pictures!

Blessings your way!

Thanks for sharing this great story!

fun4me,

We have done this before. We've built regular houses, a cabin, and a couple of commercial buildings. We also used to renovate houses. This is the first time we are doing this type of house so the solar, wind, berm, and whole off grid thing is totally new to us. We are starting to get a little old for just the 2 of us doing this so we have slowed down quite a bit. We used to work like lunatics. Even so the house should be complete except for the pond by August(I hope).

I am glad you are enjoying our story. This is the first time I am even taking pictures so that's also new to me. Some of the others on this forum had to teach me how to post my pictures and I am so thankful to them.

Lisa

[evilnewbie]

Windpower? Doesn't that kind of suck? I hear they give a very small (tiny) amount of energy and requires a brisk wind (12 mph) to even produce it... I don't think wind power generates enough energy for anything... isn't it like equivalent to one solar panel? I rather just build more solar panels...

[crazyma]

AWEsome..........you are doing a great job! I am envious...I was born up that way, over in Kingsport, so those pics make me 'home'sick. Growing up, I spent my summers tramping all over the hills and fields. Still have family around there.Actually a cousin has a home similiar to yours, tucked back in a hill, dirt on 3 sides, but regular utilities. Gosh I haven't been back up that way since '99.....
ah well...good luck, glad I stumbled across you postings.

[Ultrarunner]

Mike and Lisa...

Thanks for posting a link on the City-Data.com House Forum!!!

I would have missed all of this without the link...

Can't wait to see your pond construction pictures and love that tractor you got... What model New Holland is it?

I would spend summers on my Grandparents dairy farm and the pictures with the cows brings back memories...

A string or even a single strand of electric fence with a solar powered charger will keep the cows at bay...

Thanks again for Posting

UltraR