Nina Surya

The price is 69.000,- euro's, the location is in 18370 Saint Saturnin in department Cher.

I thought sharing photo's would be easier via WhatsApp, but if you have specific things you'd like to see a photo of, just let me know and I can post it here.

Kind regards,
Nina

Hi Richard,

Could you send me your whatsapp telephone number, either via the thread here, like you did with contacting me now, or via the personal message function here on Permies (Purple mooseage). We'll take it from there, ok?

Location:
Rural homestead, within 10 minutes ride from the next small town, 20 minutes from the next bigger town and 30 minutes drive from a city.

House(s):
Two cottages, built side to side around 1900, with a connecting corridor.
One of the houses has been renovated in the past three years (new roof, transformation of hay attic to living space, open kitchen with a rocket mass heater, a cool storage room for produce and fridge). The other is in its original state, with a good roof and an attic.

Attached to the original-state house is a big shed with two tool sheds and an attic with a new oak floor. One side of the roof of the shed needs a renovation, all the needed materials are on site. Depending on how long the sale process takes, we'll get the roof fixed as well (See 'About the renovation' below).

Attached to the renovated house is a woodshed.


On the 3000m2 property you further find:
- an outbuilding with; an old one-horse stable (currently chicken coop), a gardenshed and a small sheepshed.
- a mobile home transformed into a Tiny House with its own terrace. Needs finishing.
- a 19m2 greenhouse built with wood and repurposed windows at the most optimal spot on the land for it, sheltered from winds and catching winter sun.
- an open carport, currently used to stock hay and wood
- in front of the greenhouse is a pond with fish and pond plants.
- adjacent to the houses is another pond with fish and pond plants for gray water treatment.
- old orchard, new fruit trees planted. Cherries, plums, apples, pears, peaches, grapes and berries. Edit: quince, walnuts and hazelnuts too!
- a polyculture vegetable garden with hugel beds

Animals:
We have a flock of free range chicken and three female ouessant sheep (ecological grass mowers and pets) that could remain on the property for the next owner, should they wish to take them over.

About the renovation:
When we bought the place, it was in the state of early 1900's. We're still renovating.
As the house upgrades, the price upgrades.
We're ready to hand the project over to the next habitant.
We're relocating to a place with less indoor space and more outdoors space.


Contact:
If you're interested, please contact me personally with a Purple Mooseage, the messaging function within Permies. I speak English, Dutch and Finnish.

Thanks for sharing with us this lovely project - your orange peel boxes look amazing!
I'm seconding the beeswax as a sealant; it's natural as a wax it doesn't contain water.
But how to apply it without damaging the painting? The most usual method is to rub it on, but I'm afraid it might smear the painting again.

You could try grating (or chopping) beeswax into the tiniest flakes you can make, then sprinkle a thin layer on a box, and try to melt it with a hairdryer?
This is all theory, and I'm afraid the practice might become just too much with all the surfaces to cover (especially the sides).

Edit: beeswax needs heat. Orange peel doesn't like heat. Perhaps beeswax is not the way to go. What a tricky combination of materials! Something sprayable would probably be the best solution, even if not natural.

I hope you find a solution that works for you, good luck!

Tell us why where you live is the best place to be (for a permie)!

Is it community? Climate? Culture? Spaceousness? Peace and quiet? Or something else? Let us know!

Ulla, from a tired woman to another, I hope you're feeling better.
Reading your post, I suddenly remember advice I got at the very beginning of motherhood (the advice is applicable to every field in life):
"You can see __________ (insert challenge) as a football field with snow. If you try to clear it all in one, broad stroke, it's impossible. But in smaller passes, you get the job done. Just concentrate on the task at hand."
Good luck!

I'm voting for Livestock Guardian Dogs. Here's a website where you can read lots about them: Canine Efficiency .

I'd suggest getting two dogs, they can keep each other company. Our dogs are Rabble (short haired border collie, 11 years old) and Rajah (5 years old Romanian Carpathian Shepherd dog, LGD). LGDs will not chase your livestock animals if you train them. The first three years Rajah did find it 'funny' to run after chicken, but he's 100% reliable with them now. He'll just stand in the middle of them, watching them do their thing. Rabble, being a border collie, has his attention on his humans, and will do what we ask of him.

LGDs keep predators and humans at bay with their impressive bark and size alone. In Romania, a pack of these LGDs are an effective protection against wolves and bears, protecting sheep.

We did have to Rajah-proof our property though. He easily jumps over a 1.20meter fence, so the perimeter needs to be 1.60m high to prevent him going exploring. LGDs tend to be 'independent thinkers'. It's very handy for protecting livestock, less so if you're trying to give them commands. Rajah won't respond to 'come here', but he does come when I say 'walnut'. He loves walnuts!

Hi Dareios,

That sounds like a great find, congratulations!

If you like the place otherwise, go for it! I would replace some of the trees (the ones that are in awkward places, damaged or otherwise less-than-optimal) with other food forest plants after observing the place for one year.
You could get lots of other things done during that year.

Have you seen the movie Greatest Little Farm? They started with a monoculture orchard that had been sprayed 'to death' and turned it into a thriving permaculture paradise. Very inspiring to watch.

Good luck with following your dreams, keep us updated!

Hi Luka,

Welcome to Permies!
And congratulations on your beautiful straw bale house build, looks very nice!
I've understood that the diameter of the system should be the same from fuel feed to chimney.
But maybe someone else with more experience can tell you if the transition from 150mm stove to 180mm chimney is ok or not.

Happy Solstice everyone!
Wishing you all an insightful pause within the seasons, and a beautiful journey to the next Solstice.