In this day and age we have very busy lives. We have work to do, family to take care of and other things that keep us busy. We no longer have the time to sit back and watch the world go by.
There was a time where things were less stressful and life was slower. Sure, in that time long ago people worked hard and they had to, it was work hard or not have food. The difference between those days gone by and today are that back then they were much more in tune with nature, and they had a real understanding of nature. Many of us have lost this because of computers, cell phones and the television. Instead of going outside to watch the weather, we close ourselves inside and watch what the television stations push on us every night.
Have you ever dreamt of an easier way of life? A lot of people do and I am no exception. I have always thought it would be nice to have a few acres in the country where I could have a nice garden, be free of loud neighbors and be able to relax in my own little world when the day was done. A few years back I decided to make this a reality and I found a nice parcel of land, just over ten acres at a very good price so I bought it. I grew up on a Christmas tree farm so having land was something that I always enjoyed. When I was a kid I would spend every summer day roaming around on that farm, chasing fictitious bad guys and monsters and playing games with my friends around the area. Now that I have my own piece of land, a little bit of the “kid” in me has come back.
Because I am trying to save money and because building a house is just not in the cards as of yet, I decided I needed something to put on the property so I would have a place to stay when I was there. After about seven months of searching, I found a nice deal on a small travel trailer. The travel trailer is only twenty six feet in length but I figured it was large enough for me and a couple other people because we would be spending most of the time outside. I also bought a large screened in room to put next to the trailer so the bugs wouldn’t eat us when we were outside. This was a mandatory purchase because the area where my property is has flies and mosquitoes the size of small airplanes. A long with that, I bought some standard camping supplies such as solar showers, porta potties and a large number of water containers. There is no power on the property so I also bought two generators for that, one big one and one small and quieter one.
It really is funny to me how nice it is to downsize from my house down here near the city to the travel trailer up north away from everyone. I always look forward to getting up there and I always hate having to come back home. My home near the city has every luxury that one could care for and the trailer has almost nothing yet it is where I prefer to be. I really think the quiet nature of the place is also better for the human mind and the human spirit. When we can actually sit back and watch the world go by, that is when we truly relax.
I know there are many of you who are interested in the “simple life” and I would recommend going the route I have decided to go. While it may not be for everyone, for those on a budget, a travel trailer is the perfect little cabin for your property and you can use it as a home base while you build a more substantial place or you could just use the travel trailer. I plan on building a cabin someday, but I am really in no rush. I am slowly but surely improving the land and getting it ready for that day when I do decide to build a cabin, but I am working on the “slower is better” idea and because of this, there is a lot less stress.
How did I go about finding property and is cheap property still available? To be honest, I looked online on a classified ads site. I looked every day for a long time until something caught my eye and I sprung at it. So yes, there are great deals out there but patience is the key. I used to get really down about not being able to find anything but I kept looking and finally something came up. This can work for you too, especially with the economy as it is now.
I have heard many people say that if you buy property for a cabin or a getaway it should be no more than an hour or two from your home. While I can see some advantages to this, I do not entirely agree. If your property is only an hour or so away, it might feel like you never even left home at all! My property is about four hours away and each time we go it feels like a vacation. It almost feels like an adventure and I get excited about it even as I write these words. No matter the distance, don’t jump on the first thing that comes along without going to see the property. Make sure you really like it and make sure if there are neighbors nearby, they aren’t loud and obnoxious.
Buying a travel trailer as your first cabin can be pretty easy as well. You can easily find a trailer around the size of mine for a couple thousand dollars and if you want a fixer upper, you could get one of those for a few hundred dollars. It is really up to you and what you want or need. You could even use a tent!
Whatever you decide to do, try and take a few minutes to de-stress and if owning property is something that you are interested in, never give up and keep watching those classified ads. Craigslist is a good start and if you can find a private seller willing to do land contracts, owning property could be easier than it sounds and closer to reality than you may think!
Good luck and happy hunting!
