Grab a cup of coffee, sit down and enjoy the ride, this is going to be a long one. This post has been 4 weeks in the making. Well, actually years, but 4 weeks gathering pictures and putting them in order. To be honest, I would not blame you if you just scrolled through or skip this one altogether but I wanted to get our build into one post so we could look back on it in the future when we are old and grey(er).
It started out being a post about the journey of building our house, but if I am going to do this, I need to do it right and start about 10 years earlier.
"The Dream" started in late 2007, we were both working fulltime. I was 25 years into my career and Barb was 19 years into hers at our current employers. Barb was playing on the computer and stumbled across a website titled RV Dreams. I can almost recall the exact moment when she said "Look at this, this website is about people who quit their jobs, sold their homes and lived in their RV's fulltime".
From that moment the plan was in place. Barb was 50 years old, she needed to work until 55 to get her pension and employer paid healthcare (little did we know at that time how important the healthcare was). Fast forward 5 years, we had both left our employers, sold our house and belongings and were pulling out of our friends' driveway in Spring Valley Wisconsin.
We had no idea how long we were going to do this. Our initial thought was 10 years. The next 3 years were a blur, but one thing you will notice from the maps below our journeys kept bringing us back to the southwest area of South Dakota. It just spoke to us, and this is where we started our land hunt.
2014
2015
2016
2017
After looking at dozens of properties, we found the perfect 45-acre piece in April of 2017 and closed on it later that month.
July found us installing a culvert at the driveway entrance and setting posts for the entryway gate. Our good friend Kevin owns a skidsteer and we went in together with him to purchase the auger. The ground is so rocky in our area that we had to upgrade the auger to one with rock tips to cut through the rock. In some cases, even that did not work!
Barb and Kevin setting the first post for the driveway gate.
Me, in supervisory role, watching Kevin bury the culvert
Completed gate and entryway!
Once that was complete, we set out to take down all the old, dilapidated fencing and install new.
Out with the old.....
In with the new!
We had several visitors the first few months: Jim and Diana as well as Jim and Brenda. Jim and Brenda loved the area so much that they ended up buying the 40 acres next door to us. I remember at the time telling Jim and Brenda that we were on a 5-year build plan. Looking back, we were pretty much on that schedule.
Our rig up foreground, Jim and Brenda in the back
One thing I should mention at this point is the prairie dogs. Our land had thousands of prairie dogs on it. As did the neighboring land to the east (the land Jim and Brenda bought) and the west. Over 100 acres of prairie dog infested land. You can see several of the holes to the right side of our rig in the picture above. They were so overpopulated the land held very little grass, only noxious weeds that the prairie dogs did not like, were thriving on the landscape. Along with Jim and Brenda we set out to eradicate. Hundreds of hours over the course of 12-16 months were needed until the last of them were gone. After that the grasses started growing, to become the lush landscape we see today.
We spent that summer up in Canada, returning to our property in September where the work began!
Prepping our build site!
After about a month we headed north again, but Jim and Brenda stayed behind waiting for their land to close. While waiting, they supervised the installation of our cistern and septic system.
Cistern
Septic tank
Septic drain field
Not only did Jim and Brenda oversee the installation of these systems, but they also spend countless hours clearing old fence wire and boards on our property. We will never be able to thank them enough for all their hard work!
Jim removing boards from an old cattle corral. These board would later become an accent wall in the kitchen, bathroom and headboard in the bedroom.
Jim hiding behind one of dozens of bundles of old barbed wire
That winter we headed for Texas and then Arizona. While we were traveling, we started working on the house design with an architect in Wisconsin coming up with our final layout.
We did not get back to work on The Dream until in April of 2018. We started with the installation of the underground plumbing and wiring conduit. (Special thank you to our then neighbor and good friend Doug who is a licensed plumber) We had many visitors that spring, Jim and Brenda of course who were now our neighbors, one very infamous Harry the Dog Hater and his lovely wife Vicki as well as Dino and Lisa, Bob and DeAnne, Dale and Ruth, and last, but not least Richard and Linda.
The picture above is of us (back left), Jim and Brenda (back right), HTDH and his lovely wife Vicki. If you ever see Harry and Vicki on your travels, do me a favor and give Vicki a hug for me and kick Harry in the shin.
We put each of them to work while they were here. Well, except Dino who is deathly allergic to work. Funny thing is, some of these friends stopped by this once, never to be seen again. Apparently, others were allergic to work as well!
Richard helping me get started on the underground plumbing
July 2018
One thing you will notice throughout this entire build is that Barb was an absolute beast. I mean that in the best way possible. There is nothing she would not try, even if she had never done it before. Every single phase of this journey she and I worked hand in hand every day. I know no other woman who is as hard working and focused as her. There is absolutely no way we could have accomplished this dream without her.
Mid July, we needed a break and headed up to Canada, returning in September where we formed the concrete area, insulation and in-floor heating tubes.
September of 2018
Mid-September it was concrete time! One thing I will always remember about our first pour. The concrete truck arrived, and the driver got out, started setting up his shoot and comes around the truck to see Kevin, Barb and I standing there. "Where's the rest of your crew?" he says. "We're it!". And we rocked it! At the end of the pour the driver said he was impressed. Since then we have a dozen or so pours with that same driver and we have become friends.
Our neighbor Doug (at the time) and his son Sam came over to help with one of our pours.
September 2018
I am on the chute, Barb is edging, Doug and Sam on the rakes, and Kevin on the screed
Barb, smoothing out the garage footings
Putting on the finishing touches!
After a fall in Pennsylvania and a winter in Florida, we returned in March of '19 to finally start the construction! After helping Kevin with the start of his house, he came over, we snapped a few lines and he left for Wisconsin. We were on our own!
March 2019
Reality set in when the first order of lumber was delivered. I remember standing there with Barb after the lumber yard truck left, it was totally silent as we stood there side by side staring at this pile of lumber, thinking "What did we get ourselves into?"
That pile of lumber is our house!
Our first wall went up in March of '19. This is our west bedroom wall. I remember how excited (and scared) we were to finally begin putting up walls!
Barb, Daisy and Dakota
Our first tall wall went up in early April. Raising our first 16' wall by ourselves is probably when we were the most nervous.
We only had on "incident" on our very last wall when it slipped off the hooks as I was raising it. Luckily Barb was standing in between some studs and only received minor scratches and bruising. We were able to repair that wall, but I see that constant reminder every time I go into the garage as it has a few extra "repair studs".
We spent a few extra dollars and bought weather resistant flooring, it was well worth it!
We worked like dogs for 4 weeks, 8–10-hour days building walls, living out of our RV.
We had almost daily phone calls with Kevin giving him progress updates and seeking advice. He also came out once a month or so to make physical inspections and giving us next steps advice.
May is an unpredictable time here in the hills, we had weather in the 60's and snow all in the same week! More than once we had to shovel out our construction area.
Greatroom
Garage
By the time Kevin returned in late April we had the entire house framed. Now it was time for trusses!
April 27, 2019
May 31, 2019
June 1, 2019, Guy and Barb on the roof
By the first of June, Jim Belisle and I were installing windows and house wrap!
June 2019
Forrest and Lily flew out in July of 2019 to help wire the house. Being an electrician at the time Forrest knew just what to do while Barb and I helped him pull wire.
Lily drew on the concrete with chalk, now her artwork forever encased in our house under the flooring.
Lily helping her dad pull wire July '19
September 2019
Once the wiring was done, we started insulating in October. We were pretty excited as when the insulation is done and vapor barrier up maybe, just maybe, we could move in!
October 2019
One of my favorite memories of this time was listening to Barb insulate while I was deer hunting. We would work all day and quit about 5:00 when I would go out hunting. My hunting spot is about 300 yards from the house and as I was sitting there, I could hear Barb up in the house stapling insulation to the ceiling. I am not just talking any ceiling, I am talking about a ceiling that is 16'-22' in the air while she had to stand on scaffolding! Man, did I marry over my pay grade or what?!?!
November 2019
We officially moved into the house in late November of 2019. It was pretty rough but inhabitable. At first it was just a blow-up mattress on the floor, but we had everything we needed having just gotten water and heat in the house that week!
November 2019
We had our first Thanksgiving in the house that year with Dan and Bonnie, and Kevin and Cheryl. The kitchen was pretty rough, with a borrowed fridge and stove from Dan and Bonnie.
We got the TV installed the day before Thanksgiving because it is just not Thanksgiving without football!
November 2019
By Christmas of that year the fireplace was operational, and we had the house decorated for the holidays!
December 2019
While we were away for the winter, we had someone come in and install sheetrock in the bedrooms and upstairs bathrooms.
January 2020
January 2020
When we returned, we moved up to the loft where we had an operational bathroom, and we could finish the downstairs.
Later we primed and painted each of the rooms ourselves.
February 2020 January 2022
We spent most of that summer sanding, varnishing, and installing tongue and groove. Board by board it went up onto the walls and ceiling.
March 2020 July 2020
March of 2020 the windmill fan was installed!
March 2020
In November of 2019 we added 18 more acres to our oasis when our neighbor to the west offered to sell us a piece of their land. We jumped at it and now had 63 acres to call our own!
The red lines are the additional 18 acres.
For the rest of the build, I am just going show a timeline of specific areas starting with the exterior. Our goal was to make the house as maintenance free as possible. The steel was bought from Bridger Steel just outside of Rapid City.
I was able to install the short steel myself but needed some assistance for the 16' pieces.
March 2020
April 2020
The siding was a long and tedious process. We could only go so far until putting siding on pause and moving onto the porch. With hip roofs on each corner of the porch roof those needed to be done before we could finish the siding. But before we could do that, we needed to get all the sidewalks done!
October 2020 October 2020
With the sidewalk done, we could finally start the covered porch!
July 2021
The 8'x8' posts and beams were cut at a local sawmill. Kevin taught me how to do mortise and tenon joints using 6" and 8" screws to hold them together.
August 2021
Again, we could only go so far before I needed another construction lesson. I had never framed a hip roof before. Kevin came over and framed the first one then cut me loose to do the other 3.
August 2021
In November of '21 Barb sanded and stained each of the posts and beams.
Once the hips were framed, I could put up the porch roof and finish the siding!
January 2022
The wood storage area was not planned, but a result of left over concrete from the garage pour and 3 left over sheets of steel from the roof. It could not have worked out more perfectly!
October 2021
January 2022
Next up was the framing and ceiling of the porch.
In June of 2023 after returning from Ontario we pushed hard to finish the soffit, facia and stonework!
And as many of you have read, last but not least was the rock on the outside.
The outside seemed like it took FOREVER! One thing had to wait for another which had to wait for another. But item by item we slowly checked them off our list until we got to where we are today.
July 2023
The inside of the garage was a slow journey as we decided to leave floor dirt and spend our money on the house instead. One of the most single exhausting things of the entire build was hefting these 5/8" sheets of drywall up the ladder. to this day, I do not know how I did it without dropping one.
One day, Kevin said "You want to pour part of your garage next week?" That was in November of 2020, we were finally getting some concrete in our garage!
November 2020
April 2022 September 2022
In October of '22 I decided to build a workshop in the back corner of the garage.
We finished the inside with white steel, an epoxy floor, and the outside of it with rough cut.
If you are still with us, we will move to the inside, starting with the living room. The sidewalls are 16' tall, the peak is about 21-22'.
December 2019 February 2020
December 2020 December 2020
The flooring took about a week to install. We started in the south side and worked our way north. Once we got started, Barb did most of the installation while I worked in other areas of the house.
July 2021
July 2020
July 2023
The stairs are made from 4"x12" rough cut lumber sourced from our local mill.
Initial treads installed, no more ladder to the loft!
October 2020
Treads stained and pine installed February 2021
March 2021
The loft has an open area, small bathroom and bedroom.
July 2019
December 2019
January 2020
February 2020
February 2020
July 2023
Moving onto the kitchen, we started out pretty rough with a free fridge, stove, a laundry tub and a couple of folding tables for countertops.
July 2019
January 2020
March 2020
We ordered our cabinets from Don's Custom Cabinets in Rapid City. After waiting 6 weeks for them to be made, we went to pick them up. Kevin and I installed them, and Barb set about organizing and setting them up.
January 2021
Island and Microwave are in!
Next up was the countertops, leathered granite with a chiseled edge. Since Barb spends so much time in the kitchen, (and I am the benefactor) we just got whatever she wanted.
January of '21 countertops are installed!
The accent wall was made from those old corral boards that Jim and Brenda took apart in '18. The wall was a 3-part process, straightening edges, planing, and varnishing before installing them on the wall. The perfect rustic wall for our kitchen!
Accent wall up March 2021
The last thing to be done in the kitchen was the backsplash. Kevin did all the tile work in the house as tile is one thing we did not want to mess with.
August of '21, backsplash done!
July 2023
We tried to make our house as handicapped accessible as possible. This meant 36" doors throughout the lower level and a walk-in shower. I did all the waterproofing and got the shower ready for Kevin to tile which took place in August of '21.
July 2021
August '21, floor tile done!
October 2021, shower tiled!
July 2023
In the laundry room, the main features are the dog wash, bench and the sliding barn door. Barb made the bench all by herself, we worked together on the barns doors and the dog wash was a combined effort with me building the walls and waterproofing while Kevin did the tile. Barb carved out the dog paws with a tile saw.
January 2022
December 2019
February 2022
March 2022
December 2021
We had been doing our laundry in the laundromat since we hit the road in March of '14. We saw some pretty interesting things in laundromats across the country. That all ended in April of '20 when she got her new washer and dryer. 6 years of laundromat life is now behind us!
April 2020
The last item on the main floor is our bedroom.
November 2019
January 2020
January 2022
The last item in the bedroom was also the most difficult, the built-in dresser. The walls were not exactly square with the mud build up from the taping of the sheetrock there was a half inch difference front to back. This offered some unique challenges as the drawers had to slide along these sides. Several calls and messages to Jim Belisle, who was a cabinet/furniture maker in his previous life were needed to overcome several obstacles.
January 2022
July 2023
Barb made the headboard out of those same fence boards as the kitchen wall.
If you made it this far, you are a better person than I am. It's been an incredible journey. Do we wish we were still traveling fulltime? Part of us, yes. But we were glad to have a home base during the craziness that was the world the last few years. Plus, land values and building material costs have gone up so much we could have never afforded what we have if we were to try to buy it at today's prices.
We are truly blessed. We did so many things we had never done before, we made it through without any major injuries, we made it through without marriage counseling and threats of divorce. We could have never done without Kevin. His knowledge, support, advice and equipment. And a special thank you to all our friends who stopped by to help, we will never forget it. We are beyond proud of what we have accomplished and never, never want to do it again!
You two are absolutely Amazingstupendousawesome !! I bet 99% of married couples would have folded up 1/4th of the way into this build but y'all endured, persevered and thrived all through it. It's absolutely beautiful and so are y'all ! NOW....relax and enjoy it !
You guy’s truly are amazing and talented and it shows in your gorgeous home that you built together with your own hands. I love love it!! Congrats and I hope you enjoy it for many, many years to come! I can’t wait to see it next year.
Hopefully we will be home next year when you get here. We have a big adventure planned. You two are welcome to stay here regardless. It was great meeting your brother the other day!
I've been following your adventures for several years and enjoying them immensely! My wife and I designed and built our own dream house on some acreage here in Texas 38 years ago and appreciate every bit of your journey to this spot! It was so encouraging reading this summary and reliving your path! I am just back from the Badlands , tried to find your house but Black Hills were too crowded!! :) Part of the roof trim on my Winnebago View got ripped up by a thunderstorm with huge winds!! It was a rocking night!! Thanks for sharing on your blog! Keep on keeping on! Jim ps.... You have installed your stone trim wrong side out and will need to remove it and turn it around!! :) :)
Ha! I'll get right on that stone trim! We'd love to be able to enjoy our place for 38 years but it's not likely. The hills are crowded this time of year, that's for sure!
We started in 85, at the young age of 32! We only have six acres but its in an area of homes that are on similar acreage and was "in the country" then. Now we're literally surrounded by thousands of homes on the typical tiny lots with strip malls, fast food restraints, and horrendous traffic! There's no reason you guys couldn't enjoy many years in your home! I wouldn't think it too likely you will see development to that extent surrounding you! We do still enjoy watching white-tail deer eating everything we try to plant and having their fawns on the small mowed lawn we keep! And listening to the coyotes howl at night at they travel around brunching on all the small pets left outside! All those clueless homeowners have really provided them with a virtual buffet of food! I cant share your post with my wife, too many wonderful ideas for remodeling our place!
Your place sounds awesome! It must have been crazy watching all that development around you. Our closet McDonald's is almost 90 minutes away so it will probably be a while until civilization reaches us!
I was about to call or text to check up on you since you hadn't posted for awhile. The day before your post came out, I had checked to see how long it had been since the last one and figured that you've been busy and that one would be coming soon.
What an amazing accomplishment! Your house is absolutely beautiful! Your hard work sure paid off! Enjoy the house and your continued travels! We have extra bedrooms if you want to visit us! Congratulations on your beautiful home!
We are headed your way next summer! We'd love to stop and see you guys, just don't know how the logistics would work with the dogs and all. Love seeing the progress on your place as well!
Been reading your blog for years but never commented until now. Your home is gorgeous and what great satisfaction you must feel having done the work yourselves. It’s just perfect and the decor is lovely too! I enjoy your blog and humor very much! You and Barb seem to have a lot of fun while working so hard! ColoradoGirl
Thanks for commenting! Your state is one of our most under-explored states. Colorado has so much to offer and is just a few hours away. We are determined to explore more of it in the next few years.
I looked at every single bit! I met you two late in your housebuilding game and am so glad you made this post!! Wow! You guys have made an amazing home. Now you two can travel as long as you are able and have a magnificent homebase...that you built yourselves!! (With some help from friends, of course--what would we do without our friends!) Thanks for a start to finish accounting. You will be glad you took the time to put together this blog for posterity. :) :)
Better late than never! Glad that you were able to get through the whole post and get a peek at the beginning years. Looking forward to seeing the progress on your suite!
Amazing accomplishment, hats off to both of you. Amazing to see what you did between April of 2018 and our last visit just a couple of weeks ago. It's a beautiful home that you have made for yourselves.
Your place ended up stunningly beautiful, Jim! I had forgotten that our first visit was so early on. I guess you were just buying the shed, so yeah! Amazing post!
What a great recap of your build! We are in awe of your abilities to take on, learn as you went along, and complete such a project becoming a Jack of all trades. And kudos to Barb who has so many other talents too! You guys have the best of both worlds, a fabulous wildlife estate and the freedom to travel. Now that the work is done we see a visit in our future. 😉😉 Congrats to you both!
The effort and time you have invested certainly shows, your home turned out great ... just as you imagined it would. You're able to relax and enjoy it now; oh wait there is that gazebo :)
You guys have had quite the decade! Looking back on it you have accomplished so so much! Would love to see it again now that you have gotten it done. Congratulations 🎊 🥳🥂🍻🍾
Thanks for your help Richard. I think of you every time I walk through the woods and see the rolls of barbed wire in the trees. You are not too far away now, swing on over!
Talk about a blood, sweat and tears house, but the thrill of completing it and knowing you did it yourselves must be so incredible and satisfying. Well done, and I hope you get to spend many happy years together living there :) xx
Stunning,perfect setting,awesome accomplishment- all the above comments undoubtedly say it better.So,now kick back a bit & enjoy your home plus travels.All the best.
You are so lucky to have had that dream and followed it through. A big high five to both of you, especially BARB!! LOL. But wait ... where are the DOG pictures!!! It truly is fabulous!! That was my dream once ... I'm really happy you made yours come true!!
It is truly amazing the work you and Barb have done to see your dream come true. To be able to take on a task of that multitude is, like I said truely amazing. Some of us however are a little more crippled and arthritic but we do the best we can without your help. I remember a talk we had so many years ago about this. You probably don't remember because you were drunk as usual. I remember you blubbering something about building Barb a castle because she deserved it. You wanted to get her a double wide trailer house on a quarter acre of land outside of Chicago. I stopped you and told you to go to South Dakota and build her a house that looks like the Ark. And so you did. Now that you say it is finished we may have to come and visit.
"And so they came, two by two to the Ark....." Come on down, we need a pair of sasquatches! Although you are not the finest example of the species, Lisa makes up for your shortcomings.
I loved the ride-along Jim, nice job documenting it. What a ton of work, but boy, did it pay off - simply stunning and oh-so-private on those 63 acres. BIG Kudos for making it through the whole build.
You guys sure set the bar pretty high. Not many of us could do what you did. Now, could you please just sink into a sedentary lifestyle and make us feel better! Ha!, not likely!
What a great post! Long.....but great nonetheless. You should be proud of what you've accomplished and proud of the good choice you both made when you picked each other.....
What a beautiful dream you had and look at your fantastic house you built.Great job you two! We have been following your journey from start to finish all these years and can only congratulate you and hope you get to enjoy it for many years to come. Your postings have been very entertaining too :-)
MY GOODNESS! That is epic! I was hanging in reading until it began to rain on my out back. It was worth coming indoors and finishing it. EPIC! Barb is a catch!
What an amazing journey! Your home is stunning and something to be so incredibly proud of! Mike and I with the help of his 78 year old Dad built our log home in Montana--it's hard, back breaking work. But Mike said one day--"it's the best money you can make building your own home" and he's right! Good for you guys and thanks for taking the time to write a blog about your build--I enjoyed it very much!
Very true, I do not know how much we saved but I would say that we definitely saved over 6 figures. A log home would be even harder with all the fitting and chinking of the logs.
Loved this blog of your awesome home through the years! So much work I don't think there's any way we could have taken on a project like that! You are right about Barb! The heights she went to gave me goose bumps. I figure we started reading you at the beginning of 2019. How time flies! Again, Congrats on such an amazing place to live and enjoy!
Having joined the party late in the process I'm delighted to see it all come together in one place - and wow did it come together!!! Kudos to both of you and all your friends for all the hard work and incredibly beautiful finale. It is a stunning home built with loving hands. Congrats and enjoy the fruits of your labors.
I'm so glad you did this whole write-up so we can see it all from start to finish. What an incredible accomplishment! The finished product is just beautiful - and so well designed and thought out. That home will keep you warm and safe through the harshest South Dakota winters and, also, a zombie apocalypse should one occur. (I'm just sayin: ya never know...)
Honestly, my favorite part is the idea of Lily's chalk drawings being part of your home forever! So sweet!
Oh, there will be a zombie apocalypse and we are ready for it. I just hope it starts in Portugal so we have more time to prepare before it gets over here!
I first saw Howard and Linda's blog I think it was around 2005...just started going through my divorce, but already had a desire to travel. I t was a great blog and I miss it. We finally met them at a Tampa RV Show they were presenting at.
I think I love every aspect of your house...what a great job and a wonderful accomplishment.
I'm with Farmer Bob being exhausted after reading this journey to building your beautiful home. I know I wouldn't have had the patience for five years, but I can see why you did it yourselves and took time to be master craftsmen. You certainly have something to be very proud to call home. The thing that boggles my mind is all the material selecting you had to do...overwhelming!! Your choices made the house special and unique. Love the girls sitting by their very own wash station:) Awesome post summary!!
As usual I'm late to the party so there's not much I can add to all the previous comments. You, Barb and your friends are the salt of the earth. It's awesome to know we still have Americans with an "I can do it" spirit. May the blessings continue....
.JPG)
.JPG)
.jpg)
February 2020
Absolutely beautiful! So much love and hard work went into your dream home. It truly is a masterpiece! Hope to see it one day.
ReplyDeleteI think we are done putting people to work so you are probably safe!
DeleteYou two are absolutely Amazingstupendousawesome !! I bet 99% of married couples would have folded up 1/4th of the way into this build but y'all endured, persevered and thrived all through it. It's absolutely beautiful and so are y'all ! NOW....relax and enjoy it !
DeleteThere were many moments it was intense and we learned a lot about each other. Persevered is an accurate term!
DeleteYou guy’s truly are amazing and talented and it shows in your gorgeous home that you built together with your own hands. I love love it!! Congrats and I hope you enjoy it for many, many years to come! I can’t wait to see it next year.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we will be home next year when you get here. We have a big adventure planned. You two are welcome to stay here regardless. It was great meeting your brother the other day!
DeleteI've been following your adventures for several years and enjoying them immensely! My wife and I designed and built our own dream house on some acreage here in Texas 38 years ago and appreciate every bit of your journey to this spot! It was so encouraging reading this summary and reliving your path! I am just back from the Badlands , tried to find your house but Black Hills were too crowded!! :) Part of the roof trim on my Winnebago View got ripped up by a thunderstorm with huge winds!! It was a rocking night!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on your blog!
Keep on keeping on!
Jim
ps.... You have installed your stone trim wrong side out and will need to remove it and turn it around!! :) :)
Ha! I'll get right on that stone trim!
DeleteWe'd love to be able to enjoy our place for 38 years but it's not likely. The hills are crowded this time of year, that's for sure!
We started in 85, at the young age of 32! We only have six acres but its in an area of homes that are on similar acreage and was "in the country" then. Now we're literally surrounded by thousands of homes on the typical tiny lots with strip malls, fast food restraints, and horrendous traffic!
DeleteThere's no reason you guys couldn't enjoy many years in your home! I wouldn't think it too likely you will see development to that extent surrounding you! We do still enjoy watching white-tail deer eating everything we try to plant and having their fawns on the small mowed lawn we keep! And listening to the coyotes howl at night at they travel around brunching on all the small pets left outside! All those clueless homeowners have really provided them with a virtual buffet of food!
I cant share your post with my wife, too many wonderful ideas for remodeling our place!
Your place sounds awesome! It must have been crazy watching all that development around you. Our closet McDonald's is almost 90 minutes away so it will probably be a while until civilization reaches us!
DeleteI'm just exhausted after reading the journey of building your dream place.
ReplyDeleteI had not posted for a while so I figured you were going through withdrawals and needed something to read!
DeleteI was about to call or text to check up on you since you hadn't posted for awhile. The day before your post came out, I had checked to see how long it had been since the last one and figured that you've been busy and that one would be coming soon.
DeleteWhat an amazing accomplishment! Your house is absolutely beautiful! Your hard work sure paid off! Enjoy the house and your continued travels! We have extra bedrooms if you want to visit us! Congratulations on your beautiful home!
ReplyDeleteWe are headed your way next summer! We'd love to stop and see you guys, just don't know how the logistics would work with the dogs and all.
DeleteLove seeing the progress on your place as well!
Been reading your blog for years but never commented until now. Your home is gorgeous and what great satisfaction you must feel having done the work yourselves. It’s just perfect and the decor is lovely too! I enjoy your blog and humor very much! You and Barb seem to have a lot of fun while working so hard! ColoradoGirl
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting! Your state is one of our most under-explored states. Colorado has so much to offer and is just a few hours away. We are determined to explore more of it in the next few years.
DeleteI looked at every single bit! I met you two late in your housebuilding game and am so glad you made this post!! Wow! You guys have made an amazing home. Now you two can travel as long as you are able and have a magnificent homebase...that you built yourselves!! (With some help from friends, of course--what would we do without our friends!) Thanks for a start to finish accounting. You will be glad you took the time to put together this blog for posterity. :) :)
ReplyDeleteBetter late than never! Glad that you were able to get through the whole post and get a peek at the beginning years.
DeleteLooking forward to seeing the progress on your suite!
Amazing accomplishment, hats off to both of you. Amazing to see what you did between April of 2018 and our last visit just a couple of weeks ago. It's a beautiful home that you have made for yourselves.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you guys got to see both ends of the journey!
DeleteWhat an adventure indeed! You created a beautiful place, perfect for you. Excellent post!
ReplyDeleteTruer words were never spoken. I know our house and decor is not for most but we do love it!
DeleteYour place ended up stunningly beautiful, Jim! I had forgotten that our first visit was so early on. I guess you were just buying the shed, so yeah! Amazing post!
ReplyDeleteYou were instrumental in helping me get the windows in and the dresser built. Your only downside is that you put the house wrap on upside down!
DeleteThere are no words to express how much we respect what you did ....truly, a lifetime of love and hardwork! Congrats.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we certainly do not want to do it again!
DeleteWhat a great recap of your build! We are in awe of your abilities to take on, learn as you went along, and complete such a project becoming a Jack of all trades. And kudos to Barb who has so many other talents too! You guys have the best of both worlds, a fabulous wildlife estate and the freedom to travel. Now that the work is done we see a visit in our future. 😉😉 Congrats to you both!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a visit! I've booked the soup wagon, non refundable deposit.
DeleteWow! Great job documenting all the work and process of building your home. Well done you two! You did it!
ReplyDeleteDocumenting it was a chore in itself!
DeleteThe effort and time you have invested certainly shows, your home turned out great ... just as you imagined it would. You're able to relax and enjoy it now; oh wait there is that gazebo :)
ReplyDeleteHa! You seem to know us pretty well, we are already working on the gazebo!
DeleteYou guys have had quite the decade! Looking back on it you have accomplished so so much! Would love to see it again now that you have gotten it done. Congratulations 🎊 🥳🥂🍻🍾
ReplyDeleteThanks for your help Richard. I think of you every time I walk through the woods and see the rolls of barbed wire in the trees. You are not too far away now, swing on over!
DeleteTalk about a blood, sweat and tears house, but the thrill of completing it and knowing you did it yourselves must be so incredible and satisfying. Well done, and I hope you get to spend many happy years together living there :) xx
ReplyDeleteUs too. Or should we sell it and start all over again?
DeleteStunning,perfect setting,awesome accomplishment- all the above comments undoubtedly say it better.So,now kick back a bit & enjoy your home plus travels.All the best.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we plan to!
DeleteYou are so lucky to have had that dream and followed it through. A big high five to both of you, especially BARB!! LOL. But wait ... where are the DOG pictures!!! It truly is fabulous!! That was my dream once ... I'm really happy you made yours come true!!
ReplyDeleteI snuck one dog pic in with our first wall. We miss our little Daisy! I will make sure to include more next week!
DeleteIt is truly amazing the work you and Barb have done to see your dream come true. To be able to take on a task of that multitude is, like I said truely amazing. Some of us however are a little more crippled and arthritic but we do the best we can without your help. I remember a talk we had so many years ago about this. You probably don't remember because you were drunk as usual. I remember you blubbering something about building Barb a castle because she deserved it. You wanted to get her a double wide trailer house on a quarter acre of land outside of Chicago. I stopped you and told you to go to South Dakota and build her a house that looks like the Ark. And so you did. Now that you say it is finished we may have to come and visit.
ReplyDelete"And so they came, two by two to the Ark....."
DeleteCome on down, we need a pair of sasquatches! Although you are not the finest example of the species, Lisa makes up for your shortcomings.
I loved the ride-along Jim, nice job documenting it. What a ton of work, but boy, did it pay off - simply stunning and oh-so-private on those 63 acres. BIG Kudos for making it through the whole build.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we are incredibly happy with how it turned out!
DeleteYou guys sure set the bar pretty high. Not many of us could do what you did. Now, could you please just sink into a sedentary lifestyle and make us feel better! Ha!, not likely!
ReplyDeleteMore, but not likely! Barb is already going around room by room and doing a punch list!
DeleteWhat a great post! Long.....but great nonetheless. You should be proud of what you've accomplished and proud of the good choice you both made when you picked each other.....
ReplyDeleteA day Barb's probably been regretting the past 38 years!
DeleteWhat a beautiful home you and Barb built with some help from your friends.
ReplyDeleteYou and Barb and an amazing team together !
We certainly could not have done it without the help of our friends. Especially Kevin!
DeleteWhat a beautiful dream you had and look at your fantastic house you built.Great job you two! We have been following your journey from start to finish all these years and can only congratulate you and hope you get to enjoy it for many years to come. Your postings have been very entertaining too :-)
ReplyDeleteMY GOODNESS! That is epic! I was hanging in reading until it began to rain on my out back. It was worth coming indoors and finishing it. EPIC! Barb is a catch!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to tell me that twice, she is definitely a catch!
DeleteWOW! You both should be very proud of all you have accomplished…what a lovely and comfortable home you have created!
ReplyDeleteThanks guys! You name made me chuckle, my fingers often slip him typing my name and I will sign things "Him" instead of Jim.
DeleteWhat an amazing journey! Your home is stunning and something to be so incredibly proud of! Mike and I with the help of his 78 year old Dad built our log home in Montana--it's hard, back breaking work. But Mike said one day--"it's the best money you can make building your own home" and he's right! Good for you guys and thanks for taking the time to write a blog about your build--I enjoyed it very much!
ReplyDeleteVery true, I do not know how much we saved but I would say that we definitely saved over 6 figures. A log home would be even harder with all the fitting and chinking of the logs.
DeleteLoved this blog of your awesome home through the years! So much work I don't think there's any way we could have taken on a project like that! You are right about Barb! The heights she went to gave me goose bumps. I figure we started reading you at the beginning of 2019. How time flies! Again, Congrats on such an amazing place to live and enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWell, then you got to witness most of the journey in person! I do not know many that would do what Barb did, she is a superstar in my book!
DeleteHaving joined the party late in the process I'm delighted to see it all come together in one place - and wow did it come together!!! Kudos to both of you and all your friends for all the hard work and incredibly beautiful finale. It is a stunning home built with loving hands. Congrats and enjoy the fruits of your labors.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jodee! We could have probably finished years sooner but we did not want to give up traveling, it was worth taking the extra time.
DeleteI'm so glad you did this whole write-up so we can see it all from start to finish. What an incredible accomplishment! The finished product is just beautiful - and so well designed and thought out. That home will keep you warm and safe through the harshest South Dakota winters and, also, a zombie apocalypse should one occur. (I'm just sayin: ya never know...)
ReplyDeleteHonestly, my favorite part is the idea of Lily's chalk drawings being part of your home forever! So sweet!
Congratulations on your beautiful home!
Oh, there will be a zombie apocalypse and we are ready for it. I just hope it starts in Portugal so we have more time to prepare before it gets over here!
DeleteI first saw Howard and Linda's blog I think it was around 2005...just started going through my divorce, but already had a desire to travel. I t was a great blog and I miss it. We finally met them at a Tampa RV Show they were presenting at.
ReplyDeleteI think I love every aspect of your house...what a great job and a wonderful accomplishment.
You have to wonder how many people they are responsible for getting to hit the road. Hundreds, if not thousands.
DeleteI'm with Farmer Bob being exhausted after reading this journey to building your beautiful home. I know I wouldn't have had the patience for five years, but I can see why you did it yourselves and took time to be master craftsmen. You certainly have something to be very proud to call home. The thing that boggles my mind is all the material selecting you had to do...overwhelming!! Your choices made the house special and unique. Love the girls sitting by their very own wash station:) Awesome post summary!!
ReplyDeleteAs we look around here now there is very little we would change. One or two things but nothing major.
ReplyDeleteAs usual I'm late to the party so there's not much I can add to all the previous comments. You, Barb and your friends are the salt of the earth. It's awesome to know we still have Americans with an "I can do it" spirit. May the blessings continue....
ReplyDeleteThanks Elva! Salt of the earth is a first , but a great compliment!
Delete