I grew up during the 1930s in an uninsulated 20- x 20-foot tarpaper shack along the Minnesota-Ontario border. My job was to carry the water from a neighborhood well, split and carry in wood, and carry out garbage and waste water. Illumination came from kerosene lanterns. There was a path instead of a bath, and we used the Chic Sale even when the temperature dropped to 48 degrees below zero.
So then, are electricity, indoor plumbing, central heating and hot and cold water absolute necessities? Of course not, as any serious camper will confirm. On the other hand, I am not advocating a permanent return to the simple life, although in OFF THE GRID: Living and traveling in a van, truck, or converted cargo trailer, I do talk about one couple who did just that.
If you are in the process of losing your home, rent some shack or outbuilding from a farmer for as little as $100 a month. Rent one of those portable toilets that you see at construction sites, and haul your own water in 5-gallon jugs. You can buy cheap camping equipment at a thrift store or find it advertised on Craigslist. Millions of Americans lived like this during the Great Depression and many of us didn’t even feel deprived. Go ahead and try it during the coming summer months. Tell the kids it will be a grand adventure!
The only problem with this approach is finding someone who will rent out a shack for $100/month. I wouldn't mind living in a shack without central heating and indoor plumbing if the price is right, but most people would mind. And I suspect many people who have such a "primitive" space that they could rent cheap are afraid to, for fear of getting in trouble with all the laws and regulations out there.
ReplyDeleteAnytime you rent living space to someone you are opening yourself up to landlord/tenant legal issues, which can be a real mess for the landlord. Tenants have so many rights that it's ridiculous. And they have so many agencies out there defending their rights. And laws requiring that the living space be up to code. Even if you explain to the renter that the $100/month shack has no bathroom, etc., and even if they sign a contract acknowledging that, they can complain to the authorities, withhold their rent, sue you if you try to evict them, etc. If fact, that renter could even be a tester sent by the fair housing agency in an attempt to entrap a landlord.
It's sad that it has come to this, but this is the reality these days.
I think the key word is 'farm'. If you do this in a city or the burbs, you have way more problems with all those rules and regs. But, you do have to be careful of who you rent to no matter what.
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