Land

Digging It

Right now I'm pretty tired. Let me back it up for a second to give you an idea of what I've been up to the past week.

The place we are resting our camper trailer on is pretty sloped. Since the backyard juts up against open space, this makes perfect sense, but it's not exactly convenient when you're trying to place a camper trailer on it.

A week ago, one of the land owners and myself started digging out a flat spot by hand that was on a hill. It was pretty cool for me because I got to know the owner. Pretty soon after, his 14-year-old son helped out as well. When they needed a driver to take their son to mountain bike practice, I was able to offer to help and chat with the son along the way.

Last Sunday, we put our hard work to the test and tried to back the camper trailer into the spot. To our dismay, the camper didn't have enough of a turning radius to make it work. If we had some way to pick the camper up from the sky and place it in the spot, we'd be golden.

Because it didn't fit, we realized quick enough that we would have to recruit some extra help. Luckily my dad has a Bobcat skid-steer, and it was just what we needed to carve out the perfect spot!

A short time-lapse of excavating the land for a flat spot for our camper trailer.

I sculpted the extra dirt into earthworks that fit into the landscape. Now I'm excited for the next step of planting native grasses in some areas and edible perennials in other areas!

The next step is to revegetate the earth we disturbed and prevent noxious weeds, particularly Canadian thistle and bindweed (aka Morning Glory). Another step on my list is mulching walkway paths.

Stay tuned!

Where to Start

Deciding to live small is one thing, but finding a spot to put your Airstream, camper trailer or tiny house can be a little more challenging.

Asking for help was something I wasn't prepared to do. I was used to scanning Craigslist ads for things I needed versus putting myself out there. Most likely, a great backyard or space of land isn't going to fall into your lap.

Starting small is key. It makes sense, too. Someone is more likely to give you a penny than $5. So in that rational, ask first for a place to store your house. Then ask how they feel about you living in it while it's there. Is it okay if there's a dog too? How do they feel about electricity, water, WiFi? Can you do anything for them in addition or exchange for rent?

You're going to encounter some dead ends along the way. You might lose faith in humanity when everyone you're contacting turns you down.

Here's the order I would use if I could go back in seeking out a new place to live.

Airbnb

I never would have guessed this would be the number one spot for something like this. If they're smart, they'll catch on and add a section for special requests. Find an area you want to live and contact people who are renting out rooms and houses. They are already looking for some extra cash, so they just might be open to the idea. Meet up with them in person and see if it's a good fit, talk price and amenities available (water, electricity, WiFi, etc.).

Coworkers

You may have a few colleagues you trust talking about it with, but it's probably best to not disclose all of your personal life to certain people you work with. Asking that one coworker about their backyard may lead to other contacts. Word of mouth can go a long way. If you find people that live in the area you want to live, they might be able to help ask their neighbors, and those people might ask their neighbors.

Craigslist

Under the parking section, you could put up a request to see if someone has extra space on their property that fits your new home. I've seen requests for parking for a tiny house. I'm not sure how many bites they get, as my request for a place to park a camper trailer was never answered.

You could even contact some people renting out houses in your preferred area to see if they are open to the idea of making some extra money.

Facebook

Posting it on Facebook wasn't really my thing, but I did post it in a few Facebook groups I found for that area. I got a few contacts that way. I'm sure if you posted it as your Facebook status, someone might be able to help.

This is my example of being vulnerable and putting myself out there:

“I have kinda a unique question for you, but thought because you were on AirBnb, you might be open to it. I am looking to rent out someone’s land (monthly) and stay on it in a 14-ft camper trailer while I save money to build a house. I am hoping to be self-sufficient so I wouldn’t need any hookups to water or electricity, unless this is something you wanted to do anyway. I am really laid back and would not be in the way of other renters.

I’d be happy to meet with you in person and chat about this, so let me know if you’re up for it.”

Would you take that offer? I'm not sure I would have if I read it a few months ago ...