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Yes I know. You can live in a country treehouse in Texas as long as you have a septic system. My second house there down in the woods (that burned up) I just got a guy who builds septics and clears land and he made me a proper septic system for $3500. No permit, no inspection because it was so far down a goat path no one knew it was there. My new place in Oregon, I am paying for a DEQ permitted and inspected "Bottomless Money Pit" of a septic system. I may live in a shed but its going to have a really nice bath house
This appeals, especially the homes built on wheels. But my state is far too varied on zoning law enforcement and not very friendly to anyone 'different' so should be noted all the scams that can befall an unwanted -- no access to property as easement access to property denied, not allowed to hook up utilities, repossession of cisterns/septic tanks, refusal to deliver mail to non-existant addresses, no trailers allowed, no small buildings allowed, trying to occupy any temporary dwelling (meaning no permits) in backyard could have your home searched for other code violations and may have to tear out whole basement you finished on weekends when code enforcer was off work so you did not need to buy a permit. Sheriff may be allowing neighbor to build a shed with intention to live in it but they call a special county council meeting for you....
you cannot like anywhere in the UK without planning permission, some have tried but got evicted..from their own land.
Any area that is over populated is also overly regulated. This is because space is tight and there are many intertwined interests, tax base is large and people expect different/more services. You can't have a, for example, a fertilizer plant next to a school and a neighborhood. Oh wait, yes you can in Texas - they are "business friendly" here. You can't just build a house without a permit/inspections etc. in Houston, TX either. 50 miles outside of it? Different story.
As for all the traps that can "befall the unwanted" such as "right of access" etc. - well, do your own research before you buy a piece of property - what kind of a "prepper" is this that just goes and buys a piece of land without any research and legal advice?
I know of people (not preppers ) who have bought property and land straight off the internet without ever viewing first, mainly investors and the like.
I know of people (not preppers ) who have bought property and land straight off the internet without ever viewing first, mainly investors and the like.
There is a HUGE difference between someone buying land over the internet (stupid, in my mind) who calls himself an investor and someone who is purchasing land to prep.
I've got some friends who are living on their own land about 5 miles down the road from me, the local council have given them 5 years to prove they can make a go of it, you have to be able to make a living from the land or else out you go, as my friend says he is surrounded by "unfriendlies" I somehow think he wont be there in 6 years time but we will see.
I consider it to be very inferior to living in a van. the van can be moved 2x per year, to avoid heat and cold, go where the work is. The van can't be taxed, riots, fire, drought, etc, you can just MOVE it. You're IN your vehicle/home, so just LEAVE it parked until you need to go somewhere (that you can't go by bus or bicycle). saves tons of time and money, really. Commuting sucks, if it's more than a very few miles, without much traffic. That's unpaid overtime
I lived in a mini-van for 10 months, thru heat and cold, leaving nothing showing in the way of temptation for thieves (or cops). I built a 7x3x3 box to sleep in, light-tight, where my stuff went if I was not sleeping. If I was in the box, my stuff was covered with blankets. I kept it in plastic bins (dollar general, $5 each, with lid). You don't need to shower or a toilet or a sink. 1/4 of the world lives without such niceties, STILL, ya know! I just used the local jr college and convenience store for such needs. I wired the side doors and the rear hatch to only open 5" and in the heat, slept in a dampened sheet, with a battery powered fan blowing on me. I put 2" thick styrofoam insulation on the ceiling and tinted the windows. That helped a lot.
Mini vans attract no attention. RVS's, cargo vans, buses, pickup campers DO attract attention. dont use curtains, DO move the van at 7 am and 10 pm. dont sleep at the same place more than 1x per week and never on the same night of the week. Take some classes at the local jr college. you'll be amazed what having that student ID and parking permit does for you! you can be in their library or their gym almost 100 hours per week, cops don't bother you, etc. it also opens the door for 5k per year of grants, 16k per year of loans, which don't have to be paid back until you've been out of school for 6 months.
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