Dateline: 29 January 2017 a.d.
Marlene, mixing concrete in the spring of 1983
In the previous part of this series, I shared how Marlene and I pursued our dream of building a home on our own land in the countryside.
Marlene recently found the old pictures from that time, which inspired me to blog about it. These cherished memories from long ago evoke a sense of nostalgia. Life feels so fleeting. Even if I reach the age of 110, it still wouldn’t feel like enough. Now, let’s continue the story….
This is the building lot, with batter boards already set up….
Initially, it was just a portion of a field. A few years ago, we purchased the part you see beyond the trees. However, a significant gully divides the two properties.
Determined to avoid a bank loan, I seriously considered a teepee or a yurt, but Marlene wasn’t keen on those options. She suggested her father might lend us money to build a house.
Looking back, even if I had approached a bank, they wouldn’t have approved a loan. I was a 25-year-old manual laborer without a college degree, earning less than Marlene, who worked as a doctor’s receptionist.
Moreover, my plans lacked a basement, central heating, and even running water initially. Banks aren’t interested in financing unconventional dream homes, and ours definitely didn’t fit their mold.
Fortunately, Marlene’s dad lent us $10,000 at a 9.5% interest rate, repayable over five years, with monthly payments of $210.02. That was in the spring of 1983.
While 9.5% might seem high, it was better than the prevailing 12.8% interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at the time.
Our dream home wouldn’t be completely debt-free, but it was close, and we bypassed the traditional mortgage route.
An online inflation calculator reveals that $10,000 in 1983 is equivalent to $24,097 today. Could I replicate our 1983 house for that amount now? It might be feasible.
The main structure, measuring 16’ x 24’, would rest on twelve 12" square concrete piers, each with a 3’ x 3’ footing.
I dug the first footing by hand, intending to do the rest the same way. However, after that first hole, I hired someone with a backhoe who dug the remaining holes much faster for $50.
We made our own concrete using a truckload of sand and stone, along with numerous bags of Portland cement. As you can see, Marlene helped with the mixing. I love those pictures of her.
We found the old mixer in a hedgerow behind her dad’s house. After some greasing and an old motor, it worked perfectly.
Me in ‘83
Building permits weren’t required back then, so we just started building our dream home in the field, without a well, septic system, or driveway (or the funds for them). We did have a temporary electrical service pole, providing power for tools and the mixer.
I got the electrical pole, an old telephone pole, for free from a farmer I helped build a barn for. It extended about 12 feet beyond the back of my pickup truck - quite a sight!
After a few weekends, the foundation was complete…
Stay tuned for the next part of this series, where we’ll begin framing our dream house.
to go to Part 3 of this series