Catscratch House and Habitat build

[Catscratch]

I kind of thought I had started land thread on this forum, but I can't seem to find one so I must not have. I'll start one and add to it little by little. I'll have to backtrack a ways but I can probably find enough pics to describe what I've done and keep it interesting.

8 years ago the wife and I had our dream house built. Spent 20yrs planning and saving to do it. We had wanted to build for a long time but needed the funds and conditions to be right. When Obama's economy was suffering and the feds lowered interest rates from 6% to 3% we jumped on it and haven't looked back since!

 

[Tree Spud]

Looking forward to the journey!

 

[Turkey Creek]

I enjoy these posts as well.... hope others do as well as that's why I started mine! LOL I remember pics you had posted from your basement project, but can't necessarily recall habitat ones. I like Jordan Selsor's post of his house build and habitat project, but then he had a couple more kids and probably doesnt have time for any of that anymore! LOL We hopefully have a house build in the near future.

 

[Catscratch]

It started with building a driveway. Wasn't a lot of work but it's sure eaten lot of gravel.

 

[Catscratch]

Then I cleared for power lines. Did all the work myself except for a dozer that removed less than 10 trees. Power came from half a mile away and was almost a deal breaker. The power company whose territory we were in wanted $80k to run a line. We couldn't afford it so after some calls to legislators, the Kansas Commerce Commission, and several meetings a territory swap was done and we ended up in a different district. They ran it for $12.5k (same distance). Without going political and the companies agreeing to do the swap we couldn't have built. Very thankful it worked out! During the year of fighting to get power we considered off grid. I had a friend who installed solar. He had a complete system that would have ran our house for $40. Bank wouldn't give us a lone on it due to there being no "comparables" in the county to price it against. Keep in mind the wife and I both had credit scores over 800. What a process!!!

 

[Catscratch]

Next came the dig. We went over budget in the first week of construction. Hit rock shelves that had to be broken up with a giant iron ball that they dropped on the rock repeatedly to Crack it up. Then they scooped the rubble out. 8hr dig took 5 days. Before going further our builder asked if we cared if our house sat 18 inches above print. I replied HELL NO, stop digging and start building.

 

[Catscratch]

Our pond had an erosion problem so we dumped the dig rock on the bank. Then used a spot next to it for fill dirt. Actually worked out really well.

 

[Catscratch]

Then came the pour. I was just a spectator on this stuff.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Dang! I like having a basement, but if I had to remove that much rock I am pretty sure I would have just went slab on grade! I remember that big pond you have, that is one thing we really wish our property had. We can probably do some dirt work in the future and get one big enough to stock some fish in, but it will be no where big enough to consistently hunt waterfowl on.

 

[Catscratch]

Turkey, with the wife and I having grown up in KS we've both seen too many slabs wiped clean by tornados. She was solid (very solid) on having a basement with a cement capped shelter, no compromise.

It's also cheap square footage. The bank requires move in ready after the contractor hands over the keys. Therefore the ground level was finished on the loan, and I finished the basement out of pocket. I probably pay a bit more for materials than a contractor but it isn't on a 20yr interest loan. I hate paying interest! Hence me doing all the backfill and yard/landscape work, basement, loft, and deck. I'd keel over if I had to pay interest on all that stuff.

 

[Catscratch]

And... I sincerely hope you can get a little water on your place. Fishing and duck hinting are such wonderful attributes to a property. My dad's pond is small but has good duck hunting at times.

 

[buckdeer1]

Still looks good,I have a basement but with the house in town theres limited storage.If I was in country i would have big shop and no basement.Theres lots of storm shelter options out there now.My daughter is building and they have 10x10 safe room in 3 rd garage area. Are you still doing any of the experimental food plots?

 

[Bill]

Pond? That's a lake....

 

[Catscratch]

Pond? That's a lake....

It's pretty awesome! We've caught some really nice fish out of it.

Double rainbow is one of my favorite pics. Sometimes it floods and gets huge!

 

[Catscratch]

Still looks good,I have a basement but with the house in town theres limited storage.If I was in country i would have big shop and no basement.Theres lots of storm shelter options out there now.My daughter is building and they have 10x10 safe room in 3 rd garage area. Are you still doing any of the experimental food plots?

Always experimenting with plots! Pretty simple this summer though; milo, sunflowers, proso, pinto beans, and forage collards. Looking like I might get some sunflower blooms this yr. Deer usually eat them before they get that far along.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Dang I’m in love! Need another son? We can go on runs together in between fishing hunting and planting

 

[Catscratch]

Dang I’m in love! Need another son? We can go on runs together in between fishing hunting and planting

Always looking for someone to run with! And what better way to relax after a run than to go fishing. I had pretty good mileage this summer. How about you, running going well?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Always looking for someone to run with! And what better way to relax after a run than to go fishing. I had pretty good mileage this summer. How about you, running going well?

It is. Summers suck here with the dang humidity though. I’d rather run at 11,000’ than 75% plus humidity.
Just got back actually. Just shy of a thousand miles for year. Did a 56 and 73 mile race this year. Have a 31 in November and signing up for a hundred next year before these bones get too old!

 

[Catscratch]

It is. Summers suck here with the dang humidity though. I’d rather run at 11,000’ than 75% plus humidity.
Just got back actually. Just shy of a thousand miles for year. Did a 56 and 73 mile race this year. Have a 31 in November and signing up for a hundred next year before these bones get too old!

Dang man, that's amazing! What Hundred are you going to do?

 

[T-Max]

You guys are animals...............