Fairbanks Borough utilities cost twice the national average

[AlaskaNana]

My thoughts exactly. Just have to choose one. The Jotul looks good for a sort of small place.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by AlaskaNana

My thoughts exactly. Just have to choose one. The Jotul looks good for a sort of small place.

A coworker of mine has a small size Jotul and he really likes it. I have one, but this one is much larger (Jotul 500). It's made of cast iron, and the back of the firebox is lined with firebricks. Quite heavy, and very efficient. I bring fresh air to it from outside the house via a 4" metallic pipe.

[GnomadAK]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

1,700 square get of living space is a small house in you have 2 adults with some kids.

The ex and I raised 3 kids in about 1000 ft/2, it wasn't huge but it did the job!

And here in Wasilla, the electric is $99 (leveled billing) and gas varies from $160 in January to $30 in the summer. Less is more in the northland!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by GnomadAK

The ex and I raised 3 kids in about 1000 ft/2, it wasn't huge but it did the job!

And here in Wasilla, the electric is $99 (leveled billing) and gas varies from $160 in January to $30 in the summer. Less is more in the northland!

Your electric bill has nothing to do with the size of your home, but with electrical consumption and how expensive it is where you live. In here we don't use natural gas. We use heating fuel, and the average cost per gallon is around $4.00. I explained this in one of my responses above.

Yes, you can raise a big family while living in a trailer, or even a tent. But a 1,700 square feet home is not really that large considering that part of it is a garage for your car. Remember that the walls inside the home, closets, garage, cabinets, and so forth, bathroom, etc., reduce the space inside the home by quite a lot. All depends on the home layout inside the home, since the size of the home is measured along the outer walls (outside). For example, a cabin without rooms inside that's 40 feet long x 40 feet wide = 1,600 feet square.

You have to consider that most homes are purchased by people who have children. Renting a 3 or 4-bedroom apartment in Fairbanks could cost you a fortune. As I said before, a 1,700 square-foot home is not very large if it has three bedrooms. My smallest one is of this size, but that's because only three of us live in this home: my wife, our dog, and me. The empty bedrooms are handy when we have our kids and grandchildren (or other relatives) visiting.

[AlaskaNana]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

A coworker of mine has a small size Jotul and he really likes it. I have one, but this one is much larger (Jotul 500). It's made of cast iron, and the back of the firebox is lined with firebricks. Quite heavy, and very efficient. I bring fresh air to it from outside the house via a 4" metallic pipe.

Thanks for the info. I expect the place to be under 500 sq ft. Just me and the dog. Might add a cat once I am back for good, hopefully in a couple of years. Plan on selling the NCa place once I can get what I want out of it. I refuse to take a loss. In the meantime I will work on getting the place in Alaska all set-up and ready to go. Since I am rather remote I don't expect vandelism but you never know so the "portable" stuff will go into storage. Don't want to tempt someone.