I know I’m a few days late getting our weekly blog post up… but ya know, life happens. However, so much has happened since last week’s update. First of all, Endeavor (our internet provider) ran our fiber line last Thursday. Since we both work from home, finding a rural property with fiber was a must (easier said than done, but we succeeded). They used directional boring to run the line under our flower beds and driveway (as opposed to trenching), and it was the coolest thing to watch. They use water! Some of you are probably like ‘duh’, but to us it was cool to see. Our actual service appointment is set for the end of next week…then the blogs will be coming from the farm!
Part of the purpose of this blog is to give you guys an idea of what to expect when building a house or developing land. I’ll share cost whenever possible and will provide tips for making your journey easier than ours. Internet was our first utility to go in, so we’ll start there. Since we are considered a new account, our line was run to the trailer for free. However, when the house is done, the line will have to be relocated to the house (internet in the barn is overkill). At which point, we’ll have to pay a relocate fee of $250. Overall, not bad.
While we’re talking utilities, let’s talk power. REMC came out and ran our power line on Monday! This is HUGE! Unfortunately, we were not at the farm, so we didn’t get to watch. In fact, we’re not sure if they trenched (and left us with a mess) or directional bored like Endeavor. We’re hoping for the latter.
Now let’s talk cost. (Disclaimer: this will be different for everyone, because it’s specific to your power company.) We are part of a rural power co-op, and here is how they charge: If power is existing on the property and the line needs to be relocated, it’s $10/foot to move it…so if we needed the line run 50 feet, it would be $500. If power does not exist on the property and needs to be run from the nearest utility pole (think completely undeveloped land), the power company will usually pay for a portion of the install (after all, they’re about to make a ton of money off of your electric bills!). In our case, our co-op will pay up to $2400 for new service. There was a big back and forth between people at the power company about whether we were new service or a relocate… but ultimately it was decided we were considered new service (thanks to our engineer Dillon!!). Since we only needed the line run about 220 feet, our install was free!! Because we will need power at the location of the trailer long after the trailer is gone, our service is permanent (usually in a case like this, it would be temporary, but our barn will need power in the future). Which means, we will have to pay a relocate fee to have power run to the main house. Since the pad transformer is pretty close to the house, it should only cost a couple hundred bucks. Power for both our house and our barn for a couple hundred bucks? We got lucky!
Just some food for thought if you’re considering the country life: Electric service is where a lot of people can make a big mistake. They buy rural property and want to put their house way back off the road… but don’t take into account how to get power back that far. Even with a $2400 credit, it could easily cost over $10K to run power down a long driveway… and that’s assuming it’s a straight shot with no obstacles! So maybe trade a bigger front yard for a bigger backyard and build a little closer to the road. Like I said earlier, every power company is different, so reach out to your company for their policy on new service. Also, consider the timeline of when you need your utilities. I thought a month from move-in was enough time, but we’re just barely squeaking by. Both utilities were running about 2 weeks out for installs when we set up our accounts, but it’s been as high as 6 weeks recently. Our advice? Call sooner rather than later…they can always push back an install a few days if you’re not ready, but getting them out ASAP usually isn’t feasible.
While we’re on the path of good news, our trailer should be delivered TOMORROW!!! There was a delay in getting the DOT permit by the moving company, so it wasn’t moved today as originally planned. Fingers are crossed the chance of rain tomorrow doesn’t delay the move. Our plans are to paint the inside of the trailer this weekend, so we can move a few big pieces of furniture in. It will be hooked up to power the beginning of next week, at which point it can be inspected and the Certificate of Occupancy issued. Once we receive that blessing from the building inspector, the power company will drop our meter in and we will have functioning power! It’s been a long road to this point and we are PUMPED!
This past weekend, we started clearing out the tree line and creek behind the soon-to-be house. We’d previously cleaned up the area near the well so our water line could be trenched in, but we’re now making our way upstream. It’s obvious this area hasn’t seen attention in years. There is so much brush and weeds and overgrown bushes…lots of poison ivy too. We want to open up this area to have a better view of the north field, so we can keep an eye on our livestock.
One of the things we discovered in clearing out this area is the abundance of Eastern red cedar trees. We love cedar trees and were thrilled to find so many seedlings. They will grow tall and provide privacy from the neighbors, yet we can trim the lower branches to give us a great view into our field.
The weedeater and chainsaw got a major workout this weekend. We managed to throw the chain on the chainsaw…twice. But we put it back on and kept right on going. Our bodies and our tools might be worn out, but our hearts are full.
We can’t wait to get out to farm this weekend to work on the trailer and to do some more work along the creek. And it’s crazy to say this, but this is the last weekend the farm is a destination. Next weekend, the farm will officially be HOME!!!
Peace, Love, & Farming,
The Murphy’s