Hi Washington State Permies!
Due to circumstances beyond my control (2020 right?!), I was unable to garden for most of last year's growing season and it really sucked. Determined not to go through that again, I'm looking for a rental within the state where I can garden. I'm posting on Permies because one of you may have what I'm looking for and not realize that someone may be delighted to pay you rent for it. For example, got an empty outbuilding? I could go through Zillow or Craigslist and rent a regular house with a garden plot, but I'd much rather contribute to a like-minded person's permaculture/homesteading dreams.
I'm looking for a freestanding structure in a relatively quiet setting. It could be a house, cabin, tiny house, yurt, earthbag building,
underground house, shed, old farm shack... I'm open to pretty much anything that's structurally sound, safe, and dry, or that I can make so without a lot of effort. It
should not smell strongly or bad, have significant evidence of rodents, or have been used to store chemicals. It should have at least a window or two, or you'll allow me to install some. The space must be freestanding with no shared walls unless it's a separate, secure space or apartment in a very seldomly-accessed barn, garage, or other outbuilding.
Other requirements:
- Electricity: it has reliable electricity and could support my computer and a portable heater or a/c unit.
-
Water: there's access to potable water on the property. It doesn't have to be directly in the space though. I'm willing to haul/hose.
- Phone: there's reliable cell reception, or landline service is accessible in the space.
- Bathroom: if the space doesn't have plumbing, a
humanure composting toilet and outdoor
compost bin are allowed.
- Internet: wired (not satellite), high speed internet can be installed in the space OR the space is within 20 mns driving distance of a town that gets high speed internet and is big
enough to find an office for rent.
- Pets: my little, old, indoor dog is allowed. There's a
fence, or I am allowed to put up a temporary one to make a small
yard for her to lay out in the sun.
- Folks: If the property is shared, the folks are naturally kind and privacy is always respected. Their
politics are on the progressive side, but not the only topic of conversation.
- If it's not already a living space, you are open to discussing changes I may want to make (at my time and expense) to make it more habitable, like whitewashing or painting the interior of a dark space. If permanent, non-cosmetic changes need to be made, such as rebuilding unsafe exterior stairs, you are willing to incur the cost and effort in a timely manner.
- It's private and treated like a rental unit. There's nothing stored in the rented space that's for use by others. No one else would need/have access to the space except as defined by landlord-tenant law. (I've lived in a rental where the water shutoffs for all the units were in my unit. Yuck.)
- Outdoors:
- A garden that's at least 100ft2 is allowed. It's near the living space and there's enough sunlight for it to be successful.
- There are
trees.
- There are no rattlesnakes. My dog isn't smart enough to leave them alone.
- If the property is farmed, it's a no or low chemical farm. If it's low chemical, you're happy to provide the MSDSs and your schedule.
- The property doesn't have a lot of abandoned cars or machinery, or trash.
- Location:
- It's not in the desert or the really high summer heat areas. This excludes much of the east side south of Highway 2.
- There's no putrefying manure pit within smelling distance.
Nice to haves:
- Shared property? If you welcome help with your farm animals, I would love the opportunity to learn to care for them! We had goats, ducks,
chickens, and horses when I was young.
- A
wood stove. Or a
rocket mass heater! I'd be willing to invest in a
RMH in a long-term space.
- Shared property? If you welcome help with your permaculture/homesteading projects, I'd love the opportunity to contribute and learn.
A bit about me:
I lived on a rural property in E WA for several years, grew a most of my own fruits and vegetables, canned and pickled, split
firewood, and it was heaven. I want to get back to that life and start on the long list of
permaculture experiments I've been excited about for 15+ years, but I'm not ready to buy property yet. Until I am, I'd love to find something that fits the description above where I can grow food. I have a steady income doing remote IT work, am interested in fiber
art and tapestry weaving (got sheep?), love animals and the outdoors, communicate directly and honestly, and already like your dog.
If this resonates with you, please PM me with some info about your space and property. Thanks for reading!!!
Heather
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