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Building Off-Grid |
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Happy soon to be homeowners Susan and Lars Whitman of Vermont have begun a wonderful and exciting journey. They have decided to make their house off the grid! They are going to have everything from composting toilets to solar panels and they are going to make their house as friendly to the beautiful environment that it will sit in as they are.
Having gotten married outdoors in a beautiful Lupine field in New Hampshire, they proclaimed their vows for each other and for the beauty of nature which shone down on them brightly that day!
Susan is one of the most wonderful amazing people I know, and Lars is supportive and laid back and wonderful aswell!
They have decided to share their trials and tribulations from creating a house off the grid in order so that people may be able to have a guide on how to do it themselves!
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| the cozy couple |
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| A note from Suzie and Lars: |
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Greetings from Vermont! For those of you that don't know - Lars and I have purchased some land in Richmond, Vermont and are beginning construction on our new house as we speak! I've attached a photo of our progress so far (which is just a very large hole...) The basement walls should be poured this week and the first floor decking should be going up next week! As for the rest of the project, the walls, decking, and roof should take until the mid-end of August and then on to the trim, siding and a house full of hardwood floor - any of which we would love to host helpers or spectators for! Construction is slated to be done in early December. If you've always wanted to swing a hammer around, or just want to check out the construction process, let us know! We'd be happy to have you crash in our apartment on the floor or in a tent on the property. Susan will be in town from August 7th to the 15th, and then back as many weekends as possible, Lars will be on the job every week day - and many weekends as well. We also want to host a Labor Day BBQ at the site (you don't need to work to come!) So mark your calendars....
On another note - Susan is finishing her first year of Physician Assistant schooling and will soon be venturing out into the clinics for a year... Visitors are welcome at any point along the way (Lars will be there in Jackson and Alaska!) Here's the schedule so far:
August 16 - Sept 22: New Britain, CT (outside of Hartford)
Sept 27 - Nov 3 : Brattleboro, VT
Nov 8 - Dec 15: Philadelphia
Jan 3 - Feb 9: Vermont
Feb 14 - March 23: Jackson, Wyoming
March 28 - May 4: Soldotna, Alaska
May 9 - June 15: Michigan
I know it sounds rough, but believe me when I say I'll be working hard (while Lars is off skiing every day!)
Hope everyone is doing well and look forward to seeing many of you at some point during the exciting upcoming year!
Susan and Lars |
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July |
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August |
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The walls are almost finished. The only mishap was Lars shooting himself in the finger with a nail gun, oops! |
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Progress seems to be cruising along. We had some wet weather as of late, but today is a blue sky day! |
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September |
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Labor Day Weekend Suzie and Lars had their family and friends up to visit and help out with the house! (and help drink beers and play four square at 1am). There was lots of food, a bon-fire, camping out and some really yummy chocolate Trifle. They got a lot of the interior 'strapping' done and Suzie's sisters Lorissa and Christina made a really neat mail box post. See Labor Day photos and more on the house through the link below |
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More Suzie and Lars's House |
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Links to Helpful sites: |
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Clivus Toilets |
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Building for Social Responsibility |
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Vermont Solar |
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Yestermorrow (Home Design Course) |
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Wood Stove |
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Energy Star Rating |
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Lars's Company |
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Christina's Page |
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