West Virginia Count Down!

[AMKuska]

My husband and I are very excited about moving from Washington state to West Virginia. We have set a date to put our house up for sale, throw our stuff on the lawn, and pack what ever is left for a great big farm in West Virginia!

There is a lot to do before hand, and I thought I would start this little journal with pictures and stories.

Perhaps the best way to start is to explain what made us decide to pick up everything and move clear across country to a place neither of us have ever lived before. Our reasons are many, but here are a few:

1. A chance to own acreage.

We started our search for land here in Washington state, but for the price of 5 undeveloped acres here we can get 60 acres there with a house and barn already there. We are working on a budget, and it makes sense to choose a less expensive place to live.

2. A chance to be self sufficient.

Owning our own farm will mean being able to eat real food all the time. It's really hard to eat something delicious and beautiful from our garden, and then not have enough to go around and have to supplement with less appealing stuff from the store.

3. Freedom from stress.

My husband will be able to stay at home and take care of the kid. His job is very stressful to him. I love working, but don't love the stress of the family members close to me in this state. If we move, we're both stress free.

Add all those things together, and it seems like moving to West Virginia is a pretty good idea. My parents and my sister all plan to move there, so we won't be alone. I'm pretty excited about it!

We took our first step several months ago and created a "go fund me" page to help pay for the beginnings of our chicken farm, and my family and friends have already donated some. It's very encouraging. We've also been saving as much as we can from our paychecks, and we estimate it will take us about 2 years to be able to afford the move.

In the mean time, I've started going through the house and figuring out what needs done in order to sell it. Pics to come.

Only 727 days till the count down is over!

 

[journey11]

Sounds like you have really researched and thought this through strategically, AMKuska. We'll anticipate counting down with you.

 

[canesisters]

WEEEEEeeeeeeeeee!

I love a good story - and I love an adventure.
This is going to be epic!

 

[so lucky]

And your career is something that enables you to relocate without problems? I would assume that one of the reasons that land is so cheap in WV is that jobs are scarce.
Do you have a specific tract of land in mind? Will you go there and actually see what you are buying before signing a contract?
I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but....WV is beautiful and some parts are rugged and isolated, but some parts have been blown away and scraped clean by coal mine (or timber?) companies. These areas can't possibly be fertile, and living down hill from one could create flooding and erosion problems for you.
Do the coal companies have some kind of reforestation or reclamation program? I bet @journey11 can help you with stuff like this.
What you are planning sounds really exciting! We will enjoy living the adventure vicariously through you!

 

[AMKuska]

@so lucky Yes it is. The beauty of being a dog groomer is that there are a lot of dogs in the USA and not a lot of people who can cut nails well, even on difficult dogs. Business looks good there. My only concern is that my scissoring won't be up to par. I mostly do shave downs here due to the mud, so I don't get to practice lots of fluffy legs etc.

We will be moving into my sisters house and looking at land from there. If we don't find our own land with buildings etc. for a decent price, my parents have offered to share the land they have there with us, which is beautiful and doesn't flood. I like the property a lot, but I don't reaaaally want to live that close to my parents. They play loud music and party all night long.

As for the reforestation, that is a good question and something I should look into. Flooding is the biggest natural disaster issue in WV from what I can tell. Interesting to know it may not be all that natural!

 

[ninnymary]

AmKuska, I really like how you are being very matured with this move. You are doing your homework and have it all well planned out. There will probably be kinks along the way but you seem to be a resourceful person that will handle them well.

Your parents play loud music and party all night long? I thought you were the one to do that and not them? Seems like the parenting role is reversed. I would talk to them and let them know how you feel and try to negotiate in case you do have to share their land. As long as you have separate houses I think it could work.

Mary

 

[AMKuska]

One of the biggest decisions we had to make about leaving was whether or not to take chickens with us or not. Our eggs have won prizes in the past, and so have our chickens. My husband is set on taking them, but I'm not sure that moving an entire flock, or even a few chickens across country is a viable option. Where would we put them? How would we keep them comfortable for days? I don't think he has thought this through, but we will know a little closer to the move.

In the mean time I've been showing my silkies, so that if we do take them they are a worthwhile investment, and if we don't we can sell them for a decent profit, and be sure they are going to good homes.

There are relatively few shows close to my house. One is the Mother Earth News Fair, where we showed successfully. The next one is the Puyallup fair. It's a really big fair that draws both exhibitors and tourists from around the world. Entering it was a pretty big deal for me! Especially since I picked up some really nice looking chickens from the Mother Earth News Fair.

For those who don't know, showing a chicken is more than just putting it in a cage and waiting for a ribbon. The chickens have to be bathed. Silkies have to be blow dried, brushed and combed as well to look their best.

My chickens are all pretty used to being bathed. We were very excited to make the trip to the fair, but a little disappointed to discover that the chickens ahead of us checking in were all dusty and dirty with overgrown beaks and very little experience with humans. One got loose and had to be caught with a net.

When it was my turn to check in, a vet took a look at my chicken, frowned, and used a stethoscope to listen to her lungs. She told me that Tweedle Dee's lungs were very congested, and that because there is an extremely infectious disease called "Infectious Laryngotracheitis" going around right now all of my show chickens had to be turned away.

She sent me a pamphlet on the disease, which essentially says that any chickens that recover remain carriers for life, and it is recommended to cull the flock.

I've made an appointment with a vet here that specializes in chickens to find out what it is Tweedle Dee has. We will know for certain on Wednesday. Very sad that I have to write an entry like this for my journal, but what happens with Tweedle Dee will vastly effect our move. I hope it is just a cold.

726 days till the countdown is over. Hopefully better days than this one!

 

[baymule]

I like the property a lot, but I don't reaaaally want to live that close to my parents. They play loud music and party all night long.

Some parents NEVER grow up!

Move your chickens in collapsible dog kennels. They have a tray in the bottom, and you can line it with newspaper, plus wrap the sides with cardboard to keep from "Who Flung Poo?"

On possessions, take inventory. Make a list room by room of everything in it, replacement cost and it's ranking by number on how near and dear it is to your heart. Do it on a spread sheet so you can tell at a glance by what is at the top of the page what is your most favorite, what would cast the most to replace, etc. That will keep you from selling something that you will really miss when you get to your new home.

Yes, you have to lighten your load to move across country, but compare replacement cost, versus transportation costs. Take into consideration how old/new the item is. For instance a mattress set. Yes, you have to have somewhere to sleep, but a mattress set will take up a lot of room. Hmmm... if the mattress set is 12 years old and sags in the middle, that's a no-brainer! If it is a $1200 memory foam mattress set-TAKE IT WITH YOU!

Access every item. Pare it down to what you will definitely keep and get rid of the rest. How long does it take to sell homes in your area? You might put yours on the market now and see what happens. Only you and your DH will have the answer on when is the right time to sell.

About that real food, farm and all that stuff.........and it all started with that little radish from your own garden.....

 

[bobm]

Check on the rules, regulations, permits, as well as Veterinary health certificates that are required to move livestock and pets across State Lines !!! Moving furniture and clothes , especially the distance involved in your case plus the storage fees at the destination place, will cost much more than what they are worth. When we moved from Cal. to Wa. we sold and gave away almost all of our furniture except for some of my wife's inherited antiques, after we got 5 bids to move the furniture. MUCH CHEAPER to sell or give it away and then buy new furniture after you purchase a new home.

 

[baymule]

@AMKuska how are you planning on moving your stuff? Hire it done? (expensive) or a U-Haul? Do you have a trailer? How much would a used 4 horse tongue trailer cost in your area? Compare that to the cost of a U-Haul rental, plus the fuel for it. I just realized that I am assuming that you have a truck.... My grandfather said with a twinkle in his pale crystal blue eyes, Never assume anything, it makes an ass of u and me.....

Anyway, if you have a truck and could get a deal on a trailer, you would sure use it on your farm!