Update from our Homestead | Living simply on our land 

Retired Engineer with 28 years in commercial construction and 23 years as Engineer, Senior Inspector, Assistant Building Official, and Building Official. In little cities like Las Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Louisville, and the Cayman Islands. Currently in Puerto Rico! Just finished building a woodshop and Chicken Coop for my neighbors. If you're interested in how I would resolve this, You can reach out to me. Although retired I have been used in the in past as a Code Expert in resolving matters. Yours is a unique problem with a legal fix but one that is creative!

The immediate supervisor of the bureaucrat who decided that your cabin is a "ready-removeable" should be required to read Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-126-303, to wit: "According to Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-126-303, *ready-removable structures include, but are not limited to, stadium press boxes, guard shelters, or structures that contain only electrical, electronic, or mechanical equipment that are solely occupied for service or maintenance of such equipment* ....It is against state law to modify ready-removable structures for use as residential, recreational, or emergency housing in Tennessee."

I literally went through something very similar to you guys this year. I'm from North Georgia, and the county I bought land in went as far as to create a minimum size requirement of 1000 sq. 3 months after I purchased the land. There wasn't enough time to get the permits, so I missed out on being able to build my dream cabin. There's so much strict ordinances and codes going in place now that people are returning to the country. It's so frustrating to think about, but what can you do when faced with an unsympathetic attitude from the government, and people trying to protect their property values. At some point we'll just have to ignore their rules in order to live our lives. It sounds like your county in Tennessee is much more human than some. Don't give up!

Welcome to Tennessee from D&J homestead Meigs County Tennessee, from raw land to homestead by ourselves at 67 yrs old. Keep it up.

IDEA: Build a permanent "add-on" to the structure which would turn the whole structure into a permanent structure

No one likes overbearing laws and regulations

Put some wheels on your house and register it as a home-built camper at the courthouse. That would be one way of getting around it.

Make sure to place "No Tresspass" signs on 4 corners of your property!

See if you can get an Ag ( agricultural exemption) on your land for taxes. Also homestead property exemption.. see what qualifies and requirements. Ag exemptions also apply to purchases on equipment for that use too.

The government is insane you can't have anything without them trying to take it or spend a arm and a leg trying to keep what you bought.

I'm glad to see life is looking up for you guy's. It's sad when someone or something comes along and trys too step on your dream. These law's people run into are man made so they can be changed. No need in ruining someone's life over a simplicity that can be fixed. Hang in there guy's God is on your side. Have a great week ahead 😀. Peace 🙏

Might I suggest you putting your unit you're charging behind the solar panel so they have a little shade so it doesn't over heat in full sun

The evening golden hour is beautiful, and it's a beautiful time to relax after a hard day's work. Best of luck to you guys.

Welcome to Tennessee those beautiful yellow flowers are covered in chiggers

gOVERMENT NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF OUR FREEDOM

I think all your troubles started with that 1st Trooper that followed in the Tiny Home. He is likely the one who reported to the state, otherwise, clairvoyance only makes sense. Sigh.

We well naver truly own our property till we get read of property taxes for good

Check the state code, does a structure without a roof fall in the regulation as a removable, if so take it off buil up 6" an reinstall it. An by county rules you built it.

FYI , dont put your solar panels and batteries near or on, or even over any soil you plan to grow edible vegetables.

When living off grid it helps to be a bit of an outlaw.

Literally walking out the door to go fishing and get the alert. Back in sit down and have my soul lifted. You two are special. A modern day Ma and Pa Ingalls. Thank you for showing the world there is joy in all things. As always stay safe and love ya!

Looking like You two are going to love Tennessee. I live in upper east Tennessee and I don't want to be anywhere else. Welcome Home.

Their experience shows how important it is to be sure what the county zoning/permit/inspection requirements are *before* buying land for a homestead, and specifically make sure the county does not prohibit living in an RV on your own property. If at all possible, buy land in a county with no zoning or permit requirements (hard to find, but they do exist). Don't try to get a pre-built "shed" approved as a "dwelling" because - as they found out - the "safety" requirements for a "dwelling" (where people sleep) can turn out to be a deal-breaker. In this case, their Amish-built shed is considered to be a "ready-removable structure" and *Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-126-303 prohibits using or modifying a ready-removable structure for use as residential, recreational, or emergency housing in Tennessee.*

For future questions you have about codes you can always call the state or local jurisdiction and talk in hypotheticals. That will allow you to get clarification without cause issues with what you are currently doing. You will get through all the legal stuff and your homestead will be amazing!

Aloha, I live off grid on Maui the side of Haleakala. Your channel came across my feed as I was just drinking. some coffee overlooking the Islands. I wanted to say you two are a really cool couple, such wonderful energy. Life is good for me. I don't have much but because it's simple and beautiful here all is good. I farm about 15 acres for a local family Persimmons, Cabbage, Kula onions. ..Stay Blessed

I would have bought a small used mobile home to put on that spot for starters . Just my thinking.

Hey guys really good seeing you, I think that's the best approach as far as the cabin is concerned I pray everything is going to workout, great content as usual

FYI, bumble bees arent the kind you want to build a hive for

Say thank you dude, you have the most beautiful and coolest girl in America 👍

If that water is only for the garden and not to drink, add water soluble humic acid, great for root development, feeds the plants and darkens the water and algae wont grow in it

What the county wants is your money, to provide salaries. They won't take bribes so "the Process" is the only way.

You two are inspirational. Don't Give In. Don't Give Up. It's your Land. Remember that and the reason behind it.

If you remove the roof, it is no longer a livable structure. No government entity in his right mind could argue that a structure without a roof is a livable structure. You could then build a roof on it yourself and you have completed and built a living structure

In my state/county, tie-downs to make the home a non-removeable structure is all that's required. I live in a tiny home for 5 years now. The steel tie-down straps are connected to concrete pillars that were sunk into the ground 30".

I saw the video from two weeks ago about the issue of "Ready-Removable" I may have a solution. The simple answer is make it NOT "Ready-Removable". Let me give some background here. I have a home / house in Tennessee in a county just as you describe. My home is a 'manufactured home' that is / was transportable or as they say "ready-removable". The thing is it is NO longer considered such. The reason is that is permanently affixed to a none movable foundation. My home sits on a cinder block and footer full wall that gives me a small crawl space. The home is permanently attached to footer wall with bracing and bolts. Originally my home has a trailer / mobile home title, not a deed. But once it was fixed to a permanent foundation wall I was able to go to the county and have it listed as a permanent structure and part of the real estate and have it placed on the deed, just like a hand / stick built home. From what I see in your video you may need to change out the support pillars for a something else, but I am sure that could be done, and also you only need to work with your county to get it listed as a permanent structure, then kiss the TN state law on "Ready-Movable" good-bye. Good luck

Put the post in the hole THEN put the concrete around the post in the hole.

New Subscriber here. Worried that you don't show the cat the same affection as your dog. I worry that a coyote will get one or both since they run freely. Yep, I am animal lover. Enjoying your channel tho.

I'm a driveway mechanic too. A large piece of cardbord, unfolded box etc. works well. I have huge box that saves that skin and mine being glossy I can slide on it to get out pretty well.

Ask the building inspector who wanted to help you, to sanction the pre-made establishment as a storage shed (that is what you are using it as now). Pay the taxes on it , that is all any state wants is money per year, cut out a pet door for your pets so they can stay in it (this gives the two of you more room in your vehicle). Cut down more trees beside the shed so that you can lay foundation for your DIY house. Stop putting off the inevitable, if you want to be free stay on the road, there are taxes you will have to pay in order to live off the grid while living on land(like it or not).

Thanks for sharing another great video with us... The fall flowers are awesome.... Nice mail box installation too... Take care & be safe

I thought she said you knew about concrete apparently you not know much well setting your post go ahead putting your post in the ground make sure set the proper heights add your dry mix around the post packing it in Reading it about 8 inches to a foot from the top add your water give it time to soak down through it face putting your seat dry makes in there and top it off a water it will sit just fine if the moisture in the ground is high you do not even need to add water Have a nice day my God bless John keep your safe Yes that's a future reference for a setting post

Video starts at 7 minutes

HEY MATT AND CASS PUT YOUR LIL HOUSE ON A BLOCK FOUNDATION THAT WAY IT WILL BE TAXED AS A PERMENATE STUCTURE.

How do you keep deer, rabbits, and other wild life from wiping out your garden ?

Very dangerous riding on the tail gate, I know a woman who was driving her husband to the mail box just like that, she hit a pot hole he fell hit his head on the tailgate and died 😢, real story, can you imagine how she feels..

Dress like your Amish and everything will be just fine! None of the Amish farms around me have electricity nor water in their unpermitted homes and the counties just ignore them.

Being a builder I can tell you that if you put a foundation down and attach that structure to the foundation then it becomes a permanent residence and no longer movable.

I don't know Tennessee building codes. But if you put your building on a permanent foundation, it's no longer "readily removable", lol.

I'm so happy for you guys! Things will all work out with the cabin just put it in Gods Hands things happen for a reason. 😊

Again is your proberty unrestricted property thats unrestricted you can put whatever you want on the property in Tennessee most rule property is unrestricted but cant say where you are if it is or not. I have unrestricted property in East Tennessee we can do whatever we want build whatever we want or live in a shed if we want a man down the road from me put a big boat on his private and live in a land boat. No one in Tennessee checks on your building they would knock on the door and ask if you built the cabin or if a shed company did. Tennessee doesnt have a code enforcement dept that goes around check property at private property the code enforcement is for commercial properties not really residential. Also the amound of property may allow you to get around and code laws in Florida its use to be 10 acres to have a mobile home I think its 20 now but its maybe a thing here with the amount will allow you to do whatever. Another thing in Tennessee if you ask a question about coding dobt expect the lady in the office to really know the laws or codes she probably dont. So check the info your getting. Just because a person works in code enforcement doesnt mean anything you probably talking to someone that has no degree in real-estate laws or codes no experience just answers the phone and had basic knowledge...

How are you going to keep the critters from eating your garden? I lived in the mountains of Tennessee and I couldn't keep a vegetable garden. Something ate everything I ever planted.

We went down to Chattanooga yesterday and I wondered what the yellow flowers were along the highway. Swamp Sunflowers! You're making great progress with ALL the things - mailbox, garden, road, water, etc. Keep plugging along!! 😊

Hope you don't get any critters that will help themselves to your kitchen garden?

Cook trout skin down and let it cook through till done then use spatula to scoup flesh leaving skin right on the grill. Do it with any fish you grill and by doing it that way you won't loose meat stuck to the grill.

You will figure it out! But those building codes are actually there to protect you and your neighbors. poop runs downhill.

These antiquated laws,,,encourage....more n more....Homelessness....this law is SO IGNORANT

You mentioned in an earlier video that you researched areas in tennessee that didn't require permits to build. Would you share that information of the ones that do not require.

Sometimes the honest guy is the one that finds out those that wrote the “laws” don’t fully understand them & cannot translate what they mean!😂 It sounds right. They can’t make things simple & without some “red tape” somewhere. Always been this way, probably always will!!!💕💕 Nothing negates the fact you have absolutely beautiful land!!

Anybody else notice the the limited edition concrete mix?🤣

I'd hit the hardware store for A roll of aluminum screen and screen line roller it has A groove inside of end wheel and one solid wheel.

Just a couple tips..get a good digging bar to use with the post hole digger…When u put wood post in the ground with cement,put the post in then put 4 or so inches of soil in, compact it good,then put your cement in..post will last much longer..if u put cement in & post is sitting on bottom of hole, sometimes wet cement slides under post bottom & forms like a bowl..Then when it rains,water can seep down along sides of post & start rotting from the bottom..Blessings

im on this road building my house off grid here in az. been 4 yrs and lemme just warn you that you will have days where everything just seems to fall apart and you will lose it screaming in frustration. my advice would be to put in something to help you relieve stress, ie a punching bag, fishin spot, case of pbr...whatever is your thing. them ryobi tools r awesome. ive built everything here so far w that lil cordless trim saw. LOVE RYOBI also get a lg bottle of ibuprofen and 1 of tylenol. numerous aches and pains incoming lol

to inprove your soil plant winter rye and grow it for a few years. should have looked to upper michigan as it is nice up here.

I'm a new fan love watching yall in your new journey

If you need some trees cut, or a portable sawmill, let me know.

You guys are totally living the DREAM! Hang in there, can't wait to see where this journey takes you!!

I think what you should do is talk to the lawyer. If there is no hole in the Law, they are able to create one🤷🏼‍♀️😆 another thought, what if you tear your house into pieces and then rebuild it on the base ? (or, let's say, claim you did so)

Screw some wheels on it. I know they allow mobile homes. #clayton

The whole time I watch you guys I have a smile on my face, you both have great energy!

Well heck, I thought I was the only one who used a slim pinch bar as a chisel

How did you find land? I’d love to buy some land and have a tiny house. Any info you will share would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks! Joyce House

Yall need to watch out for ticks crawling all over the ground. Best of luck with the homestead and assimilating.

I would like to watch your videos. I've tried. Without CC though, I am unable to understand what is going on

Thank You. For the update. I'm in southern Maryland. I hike daily. All over Maryland after work. Enjoy Your channel !

It would be easy to take a window out and cut a doorway to just add on a small room like a food pantry or something like that . GOOD LUCK From Murphy NC

You should go ahead and finish the shed to house and live in it and tell everybody you live in the camper. Screw the intrusive overstepping government.

I'm so glad I came across your video last week. I'm enjoying every minute.

Except for certain items like parsnips and lettuce, seeds can last for years. “Expiration” dates on seeds are more like “best by” dates when their germination rate starts drops below around 90%. Seed companies and stores want the freshest and highest germination rate seeds in stock which is why most have 2 year “steel/best by” dates. As a general rule of thumb the rate drops 10% per year until around 5 years. Storing in airtight containers or moisture free, cool, and dark environments can prolong the viability as well as storing in a freezer. I’ve used 10 year old seed and had almost 50% germination.

Well I never heard from both of you so I guess your ok,

How is a storage bldg made into a livable home considered a movable bldg, but a mobile home is not?! How does that make sense? Stupid laws! My wife and I have raw land property there in TN where we plan to move to. We also considered using a storage bldg as a temporary home while we worked on building up our homestead and actual home. Our property is about an hour drive east of Pigeon Forge.

Just found and subscribed to your channel. Looks like fun...can't wait to watch more!

Hi Matt, I just wanted to let you know that your sliding miter saw should have a depth stop on it which allows you to make repeatable sliding cuts ( just like you did on your mailbox post) too a much deeper death than one and a half inches if you see necessary in the future. P.s. I wonder if you could get a local engineer to put a stamp on the lumber or certify that it meets local building codes for a couple hundred bucks?

I've lived in a canvas tent-very comfortable. This could be your "home" temporarily and the nice structure you bought could be a "workshop"...temporarily again. By the time the bureaucrats catch up your home's foundations could be in place and the permits thereof obtained...permanently.😂

Hey you guys you inspire me. Im 70 and bought land in the San Luis valley Colorado to do the same as you. I read a previous post which reminded me , mobile homes are tied to the ground with anchors,huh then skirted. I've built homes since 14 years old and have high hopes for both of you.

So far, I'm learning from ya'll Thanx so much

In Pennsylvania you have 2 options. Either build a traditional house with water and septic or sign an affidavit for a recreational cabin. The latter gives you a lot of wiggle room and far less inspections. We ran 200 amp electric service so that box had to be inspected. Since our structure is 24x24 they had to approve of its foundation (slab). The last inspection is the only one you are guaranteed and its to make sure you have a fire extinguisher and smoke/CO detectors. We also had to provide a bunch of measurements from the dirt road were on. They will ask you what you are doing with waste (incinerating toilet) and gray water (dry cabin). The stipulations of this agreement follows. 1. Will be utilized for recreational activities only. 2. Will not be utilized as a domicile or residence by myself or any other person for any period of time. 3. Will not be used for any commercial purposes. 4. Will not exceed two stories in height (excluding the basement, if any). 5. Will not be used as a place of employment. 6. Will not be a mailing address for bills or correspondence. 7. Will not be listed as any individual’s place of residence on a tax return, driver’s license, vehicle registration or voter registration

this shows that you are Honest folks and want to be legal in all that you do. I appreciate honesty you are great people

Great attitudes guys 👍👍 when life hands you lemons find someone that has gin ...😅😊😅😂

Happy Thanksgiving, gate and mailbox looks good . A little tip when pouring motor oil with less spillage always pour from the side of the container as opposed to the front, same way with antifreeze.

Other people were mentioning things like pouring cement Foundation putting lag bolts to your structure and then a skirting around that now it's permanent structure! Not already removable. And your delivery was a partial construction piece not a finished product!. I'm not a lawyer but it's worth looking into.

It's less restrictive in unincorporated areas of California. I didn't believe the hype- I actually thoroughly researched the laws before I bought raw land. Now I have a tiny mountain cabin minutes on foot from a beach lake and an hour from LA. Cost me less than $5k total.

Rainwater is good, but you can manually drill a "shallow well" by hand depending on local water tables and with filtering you can use the water for bathing irrigation and car washing etc ( not for drinking ) using tools you can buy for under $200 - $300 and drill it and plumb it in a day or two, three tops. get a cheap lowes 110v well jet pump for $100 ish and a bladder tank ( for great water pressure ) run off solar or battery backup ( with an inverter ) or a porteble generator. Also at a minimum build a full comfortable/spacious bathroom and a kitchen in the shed/house even if you keep sleeping in the camper.

BEST OF LUCK. Gods Blessings

Good morning you guys hope you guys are having a wonderful morning hope you guys got that thing straightened out so that way you guys to stay there all right God bless you guys❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Thank you two for your videos! Love learning and watching you guys grow!

I envy anyone that has a property like yours. It's just Awesome‼

Next time use the miter saw sitting behind you. Most of them have depth stops and they do the job really nicely.

I really enjoy your new homestead journey. I’m very new watching. It looks so exciting ❤

Have you thought about putting the cabin on a trailer? It would then turn it into a camper and most states don't have regulations against campers being on raw land and then you can build a deck around the trailer to hide it.

I live on 23 acres near Mattawa Washington. It's a farm based community. The locals are 99%hispanic. I'm not Hispanic but these hard working orchard workers are awesome folks. Some of the locals will purchase 1 or two acres and put 5 rentals on it if it's old mobiles or campers whatever. Then some angry folks call the county and are told they don't have time or manpower to go and do anything about it. But if I try to build anything it's don't even try to build it without a permit. And then the inspectors make you wait a couple weeks before they even come down and look it.