Exploring new property

[Romans9]

My wife and I went exploring the property we have a contract on today.
I have been working on drawings for our new abode and needed to survey the property to assess what type of grade changes we have to deal with and look for a location that suits our three step process building.

First time we walked it a few weeks ago I found what could be two Indian graves (I didn’t take any pictures).

This time we found a hand dug well.

I am very pleased with this property. The soil conditions look similar to what we have now which is very conducive for fabulous drinking water.
The elevations and contour of the ground will provide a great foundation for all of the designs we are considering.

I have designed both of the houses we have built and I will be designing this one as well.

 

[rivermobster]

What can be done about the graves?

 

[monkeyswrench]

What can be done about the graves?

Out here, you can either leave them be, or if disturbed or wish to move, you can contact the local tribe. They do some ritual deal, and move the remains under their traditions. There's some places not far off the trails out here in the Bradshaws, where there are pioneer/settler graves. Every once in a while, some dumb hick will take stones from the outline to make a fire ring. I've "fixed" one before...not like the movies, with a mound of stones, just a simple rectangle.

 

[evantwheeler]

My wife and I went exploring the property we have a contract on today.
I have been working on drawings for our new abode and needed to survey the property to assess what type of grade changes we have to deal with and look for a location that suits our three step process building.

First time we walked it a few weeks ago I found what could be two Indian graves (I didn’t take any pictures).

This time we found a hand dug well.

I am very pleased with this property. The soil conditions look similar to what we have now which is very conducive for fabulous drinking water.
The elevations and contour of the ground will provide a great foundation for all of the designs we are considering.

I have designed both of the houses we have built and I will be designing this one as well.

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By design, what do you mean? Give a floor plan & site plan to Arch/Eng, or literally do all stages of design & specifying yourself, start to finish? Is there permitting required?

 

[DWC]

What can be done about the graves?

 

[rrrr]

That Siamese tree is cool. I looked for information on the condition but didn't find anything. It must be rare.

It's a nice property with great potential, and no doubt will provide a great backdrop for your future forever home. I have some comments about a similar situation we experienced, and understand it's in no way criticism. It's about how we evaluated property we purchased, and made decisions that were what we felt in the best long term interests of the environment.

In the 90s we lived in Plano, and purchased 25 acres on the other side of Lake Lavon from where we are now, and engaged an architect to flesh out the designs we had begun. The property looked similar to yours, suffering from decades of long term neglect that produced hundreds of trees with trunk diameters less than 3", and significant undergrowth of brush.

The pattern of growth in that crowded situation made the trees grow straight up, unnaturally seeking sunlight, with small trunks and a reduced canopy. There were not any open areas, leaving an impossible, congested, and unusable space overgrown and aesthetically deficient. We knew unless something was done, it would only get worse.

I worked on a ten acre section surrounding the planned house and shop location for a couple of years, removing the small trees and clearing the brush. The results were encouraging. Plans for the future were to do the same to the entire property. Looking into the future at the neglected state, it was obvious that the result of allowing it to continue would produce a choked entanglement with no healthy trees.

But our son was about to start middle school, and the small school district in the area of our property wasn't very good, while Plano schools were excellent. So we sold the property, and purchased a larger home in Plano.

It all worked out. Now we're retired and have a nice place on the Farmersville side of the lake.

I hope your plans and dreams will provide a beautiful place to enjoy the rewards of the hard work you and your wife have put in. Enjoy.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Congrats......Looks like a cool property with a lot of fun seeing it come about going forward

 

[DILLIGAF]

That Siamese tree is cool. I looked for information on the condition but didn't find anything. It must be rare.

It's a nice property with great potential, and no doubt will provide a great backdrop for your future forever home. I have some comments about a similar situation we experienced, and understand it's in no way criticism. It's about how we evaluated property we purchased, and made decisions that were what we felt in the best long term interests of the environment.

In the 90s we lived in Plano, and purchased 25 acres on the other side of Lake Lavon from where we are now, and engaged an architect to flesh out the designs we had begun. The property looked similar to yours, suffering from decades of long term neglect that produced hundreds of trees with trunk diameters less than 3", and significant undergrowth of brush.

The pattern of growth in that crowded situation made the trees grow straight up, unnaturally seeking sunlight, with small trunks and a reduced canopy. There were not any open areas, leaving an impossible, congested, and unusable space overgrown and aesthetically deficient. We knew unless something was done, it would only get worse.

I worked on a ten acre section surrounding the planned house and shop location for a couple of years, removing the small trees and clearing the brush. The results were encouraging. Plans for the future were to do the same to the entire property. Looking into the future at the neglected state, it was obvious that the result of allowing it to continue would produce a choked entanglement with no healthy trees.

But our son was about to start middle school, and the small school district in the area of our property wasn't very good, while Plano schools were excellent. So we sold the property, and purchased a larger home in Plano.

It all worked out. Now we're retired and have a nice place on the Farmersville side of the lake.

I hope your plans and dreams will provide a beautiful place to enjoy the rewards of the hard work you and your wife have put in. Enjoy.

Thats what I liked about my new property. The trees have been maintained pretty well. Still a lot of trimming can be done. Cedars and Oaks. Locals that come out here always say they hate Cedar trees....lol I get it but for now I am happy as can be.

 

[Eliminator21vdrive]

My wife and I went exploring the property we have a contract on today.
I have been working on drawings for our new abode and needed to survey the property to assess what type of grade changes we have to deal with and look for a location that suits our three step process building.

First time we walked it a few weeks ago I found what could be two Indian graves (I didn’t take any pictures).

This time we found a hand dug well.

I am very pleased with this property. The soil conditions look similar to what we have now which is very conducive for fabulous drinking water.
The elevations and contour of the ground will provide a great foundation for all of the designs we are considering.

I have designed both of the houses we have built and I will be designing this one as well.

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Where is this at?

 

[Taboma]

Thanks for sharing

Reminds me of the few spring months I spent as a young draftee at Ft. Leonard Wood.
Seriously bizarre unpredictable weather and a lot of time spent post-hiking removing those ticks.
Once they gave us weekends a few buddies and I would day-tour by Greyhound Bus. Met lots of interesting folks and saw a lot of beautiful scenery.
I thought it funny we'd be at the rifle range and 200 yds away there'd be a large herd of deer grazing, completely unfazed by the hundreds of rounds being fired.
Of course day one the range master had threatened immediate termination of life of any solider that even pointed their M16 in that direction.

 

[lake p.a.l.]

Congrats
Where is it ?
We gotta meet for a beer sometime

 

[Sawtooth]

“She puts the lotion in the basket”!

 

[DLC]

That looks awesome ! Absolutely Beautiful area

Anyone thinking capture the flag w/ paint ball guns? At night…. It’s called Capture the cooler !!