MtViking- A little piece of paradise.

MtViking

Loving the herd life
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
282
Reaction score
1,096
Points
193
I guess the best place to start is with a little info on me and the fam. I live outside of Helena, Montana, on 13 acres. It was a foreclosure that we stubbled across and took the chance. We offered the asking price and didn’t get it someone else beat us to it. Two weeks later we got a call that they backed out and it was going back on the market, we offered another $500 and got it under a contract. We thought that was great and couldn’t wait to get started. Well... the foreclosure was never done right and our contracts were canceled twice we lost the house twice and were about to give up completely. We were told it might be off the market for years, months or days and we could wait and hopefully throw another offer at it. Long story short after more hopes and more hopes crashed after 6.5 months from the first time we tried to buy we finally closed on our little piece of paradise.

Now the work began it was built in 1978 with zero updates and had been empty for 2 years. We tore all the floors out, removed all the old fake wood paneling, built a bedroom and a laundry room, sheet rocked and painted, changed all the light fixtures, appliances and outlets, then had new floors installed. The floors are the only thing we subbed out. The rest was done by the family including both our parents, grandparents, and our kids. We finally moved in the end of April and it’s been non stop since. We have our old house on the market hopefully it will sell soon because it’s getting scary slim on funds right now, but we will get there I know we will.

My wife and our 4 kids live there we finally have a house with 5 bedrooms and space to roam. Our old house was in town on a city lot and kids shared rooms, so it’s been incredible living in the new place. Three of the kids are in high school the oldest graduates this year, the youngest is a 5th grader and just started small fry football. I’m an union electrician and the vp of the local. I’m also a scout leader and love it all. My wife thankfully is a stay at home mom and was home schooling the youngest the last few years. I don’t know what I would do with out her, she’s my strength and drive, she the hardest worker I know and we are best friends. We’ve wanted to beable to have a self sufficient homestead for 12 years and are on the track for those goals. We have 4 dogs, an English Mastiff, an English Bulldog, a Gordon Setter, and a rag-a-muffin,(I thinks she’s yorkie and datchund and maybe poodle lol) they’re a crazy pack of love and energy. We just got our meat rabbits last week, they’re satin pedigree blues and blue otters, I built a four plex hutch for under $100 by recycled pallet wood and salvaged materials, I’m going to build a twin to it in the next couple weeks. We just picked up two barn kittens and are crate training them as we speak. Our next project is the chickens, we have a good start in turning a shed into a deluxe coup with a separate brood room/storage area. Well I think I have a good foundation on where we’re at in the process. Are future plans include a garden, greenhouse, milking goats, and either meat goats or meat sheep. Oh and the layer chickens of coarse. Those are the next investment so I didn’t include them in the future plans. Thanks for having me here.
 

MtViking

Loving the herd life
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
282
Reaction score
1,096
Points
193
:welcome from NW Indiana
We are fixing up a farmhouse and homeschool also. My oldest is just in 5th grade.
Homeschool is fantastic I think. Ours decided to go to public school this year since we moved into a new school district he wanted to meet the kids. I’m a little bummed out because he learned so much more at home but it’s a good school and he a little social butterfly lol. I know he will do just fine. But nothing beats one on one attention and setting your own schedules and goals that you have at homeschool.
 

MtViking

Loving the herd life
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Messages
282
Reaction score
1,096
Points
193
Congrats on getting your start. What a journey of ups and downs just to get your place! I can only imagine you were on pins and needles for all that time.

Sounds like you're off and running. Can't wait to hear more as it unfolds!
Thanks, yeah it’s been a ride the last year, I’ll try and keep my journal updated regularly, it was kind of therapeutic writing it out Hahahaha.
 

Latest posts

Top