So I found me a new BOL.

[SamboRoberts]

Up until now, my BOL has been the parents' farm. In the last 4 months, I've got serious about paying down debt and saving; I've managed to save 17 grand.

Tomorrow morning I should get a call from a mortgage broker with details of a loan package. Once I've got that, I'll put an offer in on the house I've checked out.

1 bedroom house, 7 years old. 3400 square metres of land on 2 titles. 90000 litres of water storage, phone, electricity, septic. Fire resistant shrubs around the boundary, a small orchard, plenty of room for a shed and more gardens.

The orchard is bird proofed, the boundary fence is rabbit proofed. Right now, the orchard only has one row of espaliered apple trees, but there's also a row of raspberry canes. My plan is to rip the raspberries out and plant black plum trees.

Grey water is used to irrigate the orchard, all the shrubs on the property are also drought resistant. I spoke to the owner and his philosophy is basically that if it needs artificial irrigation, he doesn't plant it.

Update as at 6 Jan 13:
I made an offer of $155000, the vendor came back with a counter offer of $158000, which I agreed to. The bank has approved a loan of roughly $147000. Now I'm just waiting on the vendor's lawyers to get a copy of the contract to my lawyers so I can sign it. Once contracts have been exchanged, it's a 42 day settlement period until it's mine. My goal for this year is to reduce the mortgage by 30%.

Update as at 1 Feb 13:
Contracts have exchanged, it will be mine (and the bank's!) on 6 Mar 13. By the time it settles, I should have enough money saved for a 12x6 metre shed to put on the place. I've already started checking out generators, I can get a 6KW diesel genset for <$2000.

Here are some pics:

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

My plan is to rip the raspberries out and plant black plum trees.

:O :O :O

Here I am trying to get my rasberries to grow and your planning on ripping out perfectly good rasberries?????

If you have 3400 square meters surely you have enough for a few.... and they are so delicious.

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

Grey water is used to irrigate the orchard, all the shrubs on the property are also drought resistant. I spoke to the owner and his philosophy is basically that if it needs artificial irrigation, he doesn't plant it.

While that is an ok philosophy if you need low maintenance (planning lots of over seas trips etc) unfortunately its not the best if your planning to feed yourself.

Although 90,000 lt of water storage sounds like tonnes to the average person I know its not enough to irrigate much with but you should be able to do at least 20 fruit/nut trees and maybe even a little veggie garden too, if you mulch properly and use sub-surface irrigation.

How many square meters of catchment is going into the storages? and whats the annual rainfall there?

[SamboRoberts]

Originally Posted by Kipper

:O :O :O

Here I am trying to get my rasberries to grow and your planning on ripping out perfectly good rasberries?????

If you have 3400 square meters surely you have enough for a few.... and they are so delicious.

I don't eat fruit, but I can use apples and plums for other things.

Originally Posted by Kipper

While that is an ok philosophy if you need low maintenance (planning lots of over seas trips etc) unfortunately its not the best if your planning to feed yourself.

I'm not planning on feeding myself, there are farms close by.

Originally Posted by Kipper

Although 90,000 lt of water storage sounds like tonnes to the average person I know its not enough to irrigate much with but you should be able to do at least 20 fruit/nut trees and maybe even a little veggie garden too, if you mulch properly and use sub-surface irrigation.

Mum & Dad's farm is less than a kilometre away with a 20 megalitre dam on site.

And 90000 litres is tonnes. 90 of them, in fact.

Originally Posted by Kipper

How many square meters of catchment is going into the storages? and whats the annual rainfall there?

About 100 square metres with about 750mm of annual rainfall.

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

I don't eat fruit, but I can use apples and plums for other things.

Allergies? dont like the taste?

Fruit is by far and away your best bang for buck as far as food production grows, stick it in the ground, water it, and it gives you fruit. Much higher food to labour ratio than say... vegetables.

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

I don't eat fruit, but I can use apples and plums for other things.

I'm not planning on feeding myself, there are farms close by.
[/QUOTE]

Hmmm, if I had that much land I would be planning to at least heavily supplement my diet from it, if I was satisfied with farms near by I would just live on a smaller, cheaper block of say 200 square meters (I currently have 200 square meters, a small detached unit in town)

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

Mum & Dad's farm is less than a kilometre away with a 20 megalitre dam on site.

I wish my parents farm was less than a kilometer away, if it was I would just "commandeer" an acre or so (they wouldnt even notice, they have over 2000) and be content with my unit living.

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

And 90000 litres is tonnes. 90 of them, in fact.

About 100 square metres with about 750mm of annual rainfall.

Right you are, and 90,000 litres is plenty for household use. We ran a family of 5 on 1/2 that, and comfortably (daily showers, though short, normal flushing toilets etc etc). As soon as people start trying to water their gardens with tank water though, as they did here during water restrictions, they soon find out how much water gardening takes....

Your ratio of catchment area to storage is lower than typical, but I guess you may build a shed in the future that can help it along.

I am confused though, so set me straight, why go for that much room if you dont plan on trying to feed yourself?

[SamboRoberts]

Originally Posted by Kipper

Allergies? dont like the taste?

Hate the taste and the texture. Potatoes are the only vegetable that I eat, too.

Originally Posted by Kipper

Hmmm, if I had that much land I would be planning to at least heavily supplement my diet from it, if I was satisfied with farms near by I would just live on a smaller, cheaper block of say 200 square meters (I currently have 200 square meters, a small detached unit in town)

I won't be living there full time and there are no blocks smaller than half an acre available. Besides, the house is already built.

Originally Posted by Kipper

Right you are, and 90,000 litres is plenty for household use. We ran a family of 5 on 1/2 that, and comfortably (daily showers, though short, normal flushing toilets etc etc). As soon as people start trying to water their gardens with tank water though, as they did here during water restrictions, they soon find out how much water gardening takes....

Like I said, I won't be living there all the time, maybe 20-30% of the year.

Originally Posted by Kipper

Your ratio of catchment area to storage is lower than typical, but I guess you may build a shed in the future that can help it along.

I'm one person. Single, divorced, kids have all flown the coop.

Originally Posted by Kipper

I am confused though, so set me straight, why go for that much room if you dont plan on trying to feed yourself?

I hate neighbours, I love privacy, I love the location.

[Retreat-ed]

G'day Sam,good news on your block."I spoke to the owner and his philosophy is basically that if it needs artificial irrigation, he doesn't plant it."

I can attest to that theory,we got a simmilar thing going on here mostly all natives.Wow,90,000ltrs makes our 36,000ltr seem small,it lasts with the two of us and hasn't run dry so I guess you wont be having any problem's with your lot.

Potatoes only...Mmmm,spuds and meat,spuds and meat,you'll be cheap to feed when tshtf..LOL.If your going to grow spuds,and a great deal of 'em,It don't take much more than horse/cow/chicken manure and dirt.The buggs will want their share of the leaves though.

[Teapot]

Only spuds? My nephew also has an eating disorder and can eat only meat, spuds and peanut butter.
My niece has the same eating disorder as her brother but she takes a highly concentrated veg powder that her Mum got for her. The powder mixes into shakes. Her hockey coach/nutritionist recommended it to her mother. I'll get the name of it for you later.
I am thinking that if this powdered veg, which can be put into drinks, stews etc. can be purchased in bulk cheaply it would make for a very healthy food item to store and would do away with the need for a garden and use of precious water on the same.

Congratulations on the purchase. Australia is nice and warm. If you had the money a drill could reach an aquifer perhaps.
Or grow plants that can suck the water up for you and then pulp them and extract the precious water that way. At least in an emergency this could be done.
I purchased land in Ontario's "near north". Water is not the problem there but the short growing season is. If only I could trade you some of my water for some of your sunshine.

[SamboRoberts]

Teapot, water's not a problem. There's a 90000 litre tank on site, it didn't run dry in the last drought.

My parents' farm is nearby, they've got a 20 million litre dam on their place, it didn't run dry in the last drought either, even when they were irrigating.

[Teapot]

SamboRoberts, VegeGreens is the product name. This stuff is awesome and has a good reputation. Vegans take it but I just thought you could get what you are not getting. I am also thinking it would be a good prepper item if growing a garden is not possible. Sambo, you do seem to have enough water for your needs. Any chance of photographs? You are a lucky man to be able to afford this bol. Well done.

[SamboRoberts]

Originally Posted by Teapot

Any chance of photographs? You are a lucky man to be able to afford this bol. Well done.

A year ago I thought it was impossible for me to be owning any property in the next 10-15 years because of the financial situation I was in. Anyway, I guess it can't hurt to post photos:

[Teapot]

Holy ****! Sambo, that is beautiful and civilized. I can't believe how nice that is!

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by Teapot

Holy ****! Sambo, that is beautiful and civilized. I can't believe how nice that is!

Yeah, I was expecting something a little more 3rd worldly also.....

You may consider a backup tank sambo, just a 5000 litre poly or something, not urgently of course wait till the house is paid off etc.

We have had those corrugated tanks before and they can split or rust through in spots and leak out all your water.

Additionally having a single tank vs several smaller ones can be risky if you happen to do something stupid like leave a tap on or something like that.

[SamboRoberts]

There's already an additional 1000 gallon tank that's supplied by the carport. When I put a shed on the place, I'll have that feeding a 5000 gallon tank.

[Teapot]

How did you manage to get your financial situation sorted out? Extra job or just plain old cutting out the extravagances? Sacrifice pays off and it certainly did for you. Well done.
Are you going to store essentials at this bol? Too nice to think of it as a bol. Would be nice to live there year round if there was a job in the area for you. That way you would always be in a safe location.

[SamboRoberts]

I got a different job. Similar base salary, much more overtime. I used the overtime to pay down the debt, then used the debt repayments to save. Basically, on average, I can save $1000 a week.

There's not much work in the area where my BOL is at, but it's close to where I live, so I can spend weekends and holidays there.

[Kipper]

Originally Posted by SamboRoberts

There's not much work in the area where my BOL is at, but it's close to where I live, so I can spend weekends and holidays there.

What do you call close?

(5km? 20km? 100km?)

I only ask as I know someone who commutes 40km to work every day, and yet I wouldnt consider 40km close exactly, at least not as a daily travel, but if I was only going somewhere on weekends perhaps I could call 40km close...

[SamboRoberts]

250km close. Close enough for a round trip every week, too far for a daily commute.

[Fire Mike]

Very nice Sam. Funny how we all comment on your purchase, putting in our own feelings and opinions; when, none of that really matters. Congrats on your home! I hope it's everything you've wanted and more!!

peace

[SamboRoberts]

If it didn't matter, I wouldn't have posted it. Everyone that's said something here has said what matters.

[jronwood]

It qualifies the purchase,.....I think it does matter IMHO