Former Lurker

Knuckles · Post: # 89128Post **Knuckles** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:54 pm

Good evening, I've been lurking this site lately and absolutely love it! So many smart and genuinely kind people providing so much valuable information.

Like it says, I'm from Texas (deepinnaheartuh) and have recently inherited some land. Old neighbors have said that my Paw-paw only grew cotton and watermelons so...about 6 acres and has been fallow for a few decades save the occasional poacher harvesting quail.

I've been looking towards building my own home using straw bales, cob, CEB's, et al, and have been soaking it all in. Lots of info to digest. I cannot remember exactly how I found this site but am glad I did.

My agricultural experience is/was limited to 4-H with an emphasis (Mom's) on hogs, fryers, and chickens for the county fair and I have the brownest of brown thumbs. I'm in an apartment now and gave up on container gardening because fresh potting soil = cats toilet.

I loathe living in an apartment.

Annpan · Post: # 89131Post **Annpan** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:20 pm

Welcome to the site

WendyHouse · Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:20 pm

Hi, Welcome to this great site. I haven't been a member long but love spending time here. I see you are in Texas, my mother and father in law live in the hill country of Texas. I love it there. I was just there a couple of months back and miss it already. We try to get over at least once every couple of years. Hows the weather, bet its warmed up since I was there.

red · Post: # 89133Post **red** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:00 pm

welcome

sounds like a nice place

Knuckles · Post: # 89151Post **Knuckles** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:41 am

Thank you. Weather here today started in the 50's (F) and made it to the high 60's...Fog here and there. In two months it will be hotter than a two dollar pistol.

marshlander · Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:45 am

Hello Knuckles!

Gosh! talk about startig from scratch! Do you have to get planning permission for your house?

Knuckles · Post: # 89155Post **Knuckles** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:01 am

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by planning permission. If you mean that to build a house you need plans approved by a local govt then yes except in extreme wilderness and even then the county may just want to make sure that the living space comforms to basic safety and building standards. Austin happens to be a lot more liberal than anywhere in the state. We have building codes for straw bale and there are a handfull here and there but I'm not sure about other types of natural building materials, doubtful.

The Sandman, he comes.

Mainer in Exile · Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:17 am

hello

Thurston Garden · Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:05 am

Ahoy Knuckles!

Millymollymandy · Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:09 pm

Hi Knuckles!

I think in more congested countries like the UK and France you can't just build on any plot of land. It has to be designated as building land first. So you can go and buy a plot of land with woodland and a lake, but if there is no permission for building on that land you will never be allowed to build a house there! And that's why building plots are so expensive!

niknak · Post: # 89240Post **niknak** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:09 pm

Hi knuckles, From a windy North Wales

old tree man · Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:11 pm

Hi and welcome

Russ

ina · Post: # 89244Post **ina** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:14 pm

Hiya Knuckles, and welcome!

Don't I know the problem with cats and potplants...

I lost several to them since I got my new kittens.

Knuckles · Post: # 89261Post **Knuckles** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:54 pm

@Millymollymandy-AH! Here it's called zoning. Land can either be zoned commercial, residential, or both(I think). I'm not sure who figures out how, what or where. I know zoning can be changed but it's a stinky process. The property I was speaking about is 15-20 miles from the nearest town and ~5 miles from the nearest paved road. There are a few houses nearby as well as hay fields, small family cattle/swine operations, and the occasional gardner. Oh, and I almost forgot, a coal fired power plant...lucky me!