To consider going all out and living in a yurt with our family

[Liken]

More than anything I'd like other people's opinions and experiences?
DH, DCs and I already live quite self sufficiently, we have a small holding, grow most our food, rear our own meat, use wood fuel from our land partially for heating etc. However we still live the rat race 90% of the time, we are stuck in the never ending struggle of working all hours to keep on top of house and bills etc.
We potentially have the opportunity to look at some alternatives and one of the considerations is purchasing a very large Yurt, with the option of connecting Yurts, and renting out our house. We are fully aware of the planning requirements etc and have had positive feedback on this now. It would mean we were financially more flexible and we'd be able to expand our self sufficient way of life further. We'd still have running water, electricity etc. It wouldn't mean moving the children out of area, but it'd be a very different type of lifestyle in many ways. Would you do it? Have you done it? and if so what was your experience?

A bath? In the yurt? I want photos!!

And will the rental people have completely separate gate/land or will they feel they're sharing with house owners? Will they feel like yuoure watching what they do with the house?

Motoko - yurt would go on our land, we'd be mortgage free, with income from house rental - this would make life easier. We'd also be where our animals and farm is, which would save a lot of time and effort of travelling there two or three times a day (though only ten minutes away it adds up). We also feel we'd be more authentic as a family in what we represent. Life would be simpler, children would have 30 acres of land to call a garden, rather than us having to drive there, our animals - sheep, horses, pigs, chickens, goats - would likely be safer. We have the opportunity of temporary planning on land.

Ah Stick sorry - yurt would go on our land - 10 mins away from our house!
Bath - yes, though I think shower would be more readily used - this was my MUST to DH before I'd even consider it! We have runnign water on land already and a shower for the horses, so a both for us not a massive stretch. ;-)

bath for us, not both!

It actually sounds amazing.

What's stopping you...

Stick - fear - fear that I'll make a mistake and somehow unsettle/ harm my children by making the wrong choice.

I never knew I wanted this until now! Sounds amazing you should do it.

Yes! Do it!
Loved staying in a yurt and no it doesn’t get cold and is not stuffy in the heat either when you can leave the doors open and let the yurt breath.
I think it would be an amazing experience and I think the children will love the sense of adventure. Will you buy and erect the yurt yourselves? I know the best yurts come from Mongolia and you get them shipped over here, I also know it’s takes several days and plenty of manpower to erect one!

www.cherrywoodproject.co.uk
Family here that do

Whilst I think it sounds amazing please don't underestimate your need for personal space- we are living on our land in a static whilst self building and I'm now a year in and really finding the lack of space very difficult. However we are a big blended family with several teens and babes, so it's really not the same as a small family with young dc only. We have a woodburner but no bath (just shower) this alone causes me more breakdowns than anything else!

At the ages the children are, I'm sure they'll love it, and being on site with your animals will be much better. It'll be easier to keep an eye on them, and the risk of having them stolen will be reduced.

If planning are ok with it, go ahead. You've got the safety net of your house if it doesn't work out. If you need to increase your income, you could run courses or workshops on various aspects of the smallholder lifestyle.

Downsizer.net might have some useful info and the forum is great, I've made lots of friends on there (as well as got some of our chickens and ducks from other members).

Do you pay council tax in a yurt? If not, I might look into it.

My nearest experience to what you suggest is living in a converted horsebox and previously a narrowboat. Do it! If it doesn't work out you still have your house! Sounds amazing (am very envious of your small holding).

Why not try it out by staying there over the full Easter school holiday, then over the full summer holiday.

You could then make it permanent and rent out your home, if everyone is happy