So, You Want to Live in a Yurt? (10 page)

Also plan to spend more time at the site, returning items to stores, calling customer service, being at the site for deliveries, etc. It’s a wonder that we got any work done during this process!

Try not to schedule any vacations or new arrivals (pets, babies, etc) during the building process. Um. We did both. The vacation was at the beginning of the project, and we had booked the flight a year in advance….for 10 days. I suppose luckily for us, the project was way behind schedule due to the building permit and new electric lines being run. But that didn’t make it less stressful. And at the tail end, we had put deposits down months earlier (thinking, of COURSE we’ll be in the yurt by then) on dairy goats and a livestock guardian puppy. We pushed the pickup date as much as we could, but in the end, those animals had to be moved twice. Once when we picked them up and took them back to our rental. And then when we moved them all to the new place. Added A LOT of stress, both for us and them. Oh, and did I mention we got a puppy right after we returned from our vacation? No, we’re not animal hoarders…we had just waited for so many years to have farm animals and dogs, that it just seemed to make sense at the time. I don’t regret them, but the timing did add some stress. OK, a lot of stress.

Living in a yurt is the best decision we’ve ever made. We love it.

Living in a yurt will get a lot of attention. Attention from family, friends, neighbors, the people at the local watering hole, the delivery guys, people driving by (if visible from the road), and pretty much any other type of stranger you can think of. We like being ambassadors, except on the third visit of the day, and we’re on a work deadline. But it’s still fun to see people’s faces when they come inside. From the outside, let’s admit it, yurts look strange and tent like. Inside? They are luxurious, unique, open, airy, sunny and COOL. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard “yeah, I could live in one of these”, generally followed by “how much does one of these run?” And boy is that a long answer.

If using a wood stove based on preference, or because your county requires a sustainable heat source: Burn times on wood stoves are based on best case scenarios. Buy more wood stove than you need. Ours heats double the square footage, and on really cold nights, we have to keep it well stocked. Now, part of that is our uninsulated floor, but it’s also dependent on what type of wood you’re using, how seasoned it is, etc. If you’re building a summer home or vacation home, it’s less of an issue, but still something to consider. Also, if you live in a cold climate and are not familiar with wood stoves as primary heat sources, you WILL use more wood than you expect. Stock up.

Looking back, I wish we had kept a window in the bathroom, but it just didn’t seem to work with our floor plan. Because our bathroom is fully enclosed with walls and a ceiling, I can see it getting stuffy in the summer. Too late now! Guess we’ll use fans to circulate.

If installing electric, incorporate as many outlets as you can. That way when you bring in furniture and your layout changes slightly, you won’t be held back by no outlets in the area you were thinking you’d put your computer. This actually didn’t happen to us, but I don’t want it to happen to you!

If possible, have a yurt expert on hand during the raising. Ask your yurt company if they can recommend people in your area, or if they’ll help you with setup. We paid $660 to have someone on hand, and it was worth every penny.

Incorporate friends and family as much into the process as possible, it makes it fun and will help keep you sane (hopefully). It also gives you lots of fun memories to look back on.

Building a full time residence takes patience, flexibility, money and time - whether it’s a yurt or a stick built. But we love our home, and hope you will too. No matter how you get there.