Operation Opt Out

[DarkHorse]

Hi guys,
This is my plan - I call it Operation Opt Out.

I don't want to live in the rat race anymore. I havn't wanted to for a long time. So I decided to save and save...

Well I spent 5 years saving and here I am, all I managed to accumulate was £15,000 and that was tough, I worked 2 jobs night and day.

I'll never have enough to buy a house or land with planning in the UK at this rate I'll be overworked and dead before that happens.

I figure my best option is to buy some cheap land, hopefully under 10k and then I was thinking about buying a coach to live in.

I believe its legal for me to keep a movable structure on my land such as a coach or camper van.

I would like to grow food off the land and make a rain collector / filter for water etc I'd use a solar shower in the summer and maybe get a wind generator or something on top of the coach for some warm water in the winter.

Anyway, thats the plan. Looking forward to any input / advice on doing this successfully and getting out of the rat race once and for all.

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Well I hope you go ahead with it and that it works out, Im sure it will be great if you can become completely self - reliant, I think the hardest thing will be disposal of sewage and waste, Ive seen reed beds used to process sewage but I dont know how you would go about it.

 

[Sawyer]

Interesting & I wish you the best of luck. It takes guts to go against the grain of today's society so fair play to you.

Worth checking out permaculture, e.g. http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums for lots of useful info to make the transition.

 

[tobes01]

Read up on planning law. As I understand it, if you can reside in a structure for 10 years without planning, and nobody objects, then you have a legal right to be there and can replace it with a proper house. Could be wrong though.

 

[Conrad81]

Have you done any research on the price of land in the UK? How much could you get and how much are you planning on spending on a coach.

Do you have any experience growing vegetables/crops and raising livestock?

Also £15 000 isnt a lot of money in the UK as im sure you are aware, if you are serious about this, and I hope you have given it a lot of thought, have you not maybe thought about setting up somewhere overseas where the value of the £ is stronger and you get more value for your money?

Perhaps you should do a short term experiment, maybe a month or two, or even a full year to make sure you can live sufficiently before committing 100%.

Also have you a family that you need to factor in or will this be a solo venture?

 

[v-ness]

I think many here can identify with your situation.

Not sure if you're allowed to live year round in your campervan even on your own land if it isnt designated residental land.

Have you thought about what you want to do for a little money to come in?

Make a list of your skills and requirements is my suggestion. That will narrow done where in the country you could settle.
Also, it might identify somewhere were you could put your van without having to buy the land, i'm thinking farm labourer, camping site supervisor, or offering security somewhere (fishfarms, nature reserves?).
Just a few ideas...
Good Luck in your ventures and let us know what you decide on!!

Cheers
Ness

 

[RonW]

Hi Darkhorse,
That's a brave step to take, but it sounds more like a desperate one!
Are you running away from the rat race or are you truely interested in being selfsufficient?

I've been busy working on that and similar ideas and what I wonder is this; did you, apart from saving, spend any time on learning skills??
Have you had any experience in gardening or growing crops. What about preparing hunted or trapped animals for food and foodstorage?
Have you given any thought on getting and keeping fresh, drinkable water?
Living completely cut off from societey in isolation, is that your goal?

I am spending a lot of time, learning, reading, getting ideas and discarding them, rethinking my options.
It is possible if you prepare well, knowledgewise.

I wise you all the luck and happiness you seek!!

 

[Andy BB]

One thing tthat hasn't been mentioned so far is the location. Ideally it would be near, or on, the coast, with immediate access to protein and minerals in the shape of fish, shell-fish, sea-weed and sea/estuary-based greenery - seaweed etc.

 

[DarkHorse]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

This is a solo venture. I have thought about going abroad - it would be easier in some respect, warmer - more sunlight for energy, grow more food. Then in other ways it would be harder, have to learn a new language and culture, expensive long trips to visit family and friends.

I havn't found any appropriate land yet but from what I've seen there is some land locally that can be purchased within my budget. I've only just started looking seriously with intent to purchase.

I have some ways of getting money. I fix peoples computers part time and I could still have a part time job - provided I get my showering facility sorted and don't stink At worst I could pay to use the shower facilities at the local swimming pool. I was thinking about collecting and filtering rain water as my primary source.

I probably am running aware as well as wanting to be self sufficient but running away happily!

I've been learning some skills about growing foods off my family who are green fingered. I've been researching solar showers, ways of generating electricity, cooking outdoors, survival etc

My goal is to not have to work 9-5 in a mundane job and constantly pay bills etc. I want to get off the system as much as possible and have as much of my work directly benefiting myself as possible - like growing food to eat. I don't want to completely isolate myself from people but being isolated when I want to be would be good

 

[sandbender]

Good luck.

I know a chap who lived in a small yacht on his piece of land (miles from the nearest water), his house was a barely habitable but the boat was really very cosy inside.

 

[Will Bowden]

Basically you have a struggle on your hands in Planning terms.

Assuming the land has no planning for use as 'dwelling' then living there for over 28days is not on, even if you are on wheels. You don't need planning to park the bus but to use the bus as a dwelling and live there you do as its a change of use of the land. Never underestimate to ability of NIMBYs to see what you are up to and grass you up.

I've got a mate who lives in a yurt and his life is a constant battle with the planners.

Will

 

[DarkHorse]

Thats because hes not being a good little slave and paying all his peanuts to the monkey above him. I intend on growing some big bushes and hiding the bus inside of them. Stealth would be my only weapon against those who seek to shackle us to their system.

 

[TeeDee]

Whats your Language skills like? I've pretty much ruled the UK out for 'my' idea of the Good life adventure, However France is still very cheap ( I think )

http://www.jbfrenchhouses.co.uk/

You could get a wreck of a house to do up with some land for the money you are talking about In France , and do the House up yourself when funds allow and live in a whatever the rest of the time.

 

[DarkHorse]

Hmm interesting. I'm actually pretty good at french. I only got a GCSE B grade but when I wen there on holiday I had a conversation with a cafe owner and understood 90% of what he said. My replies were just a few words but we understood each other I'd definately be interested in links to cheap French property. Thank you

 

[Minotaur]

If you have never gardened, that is a big skill. It not hard but so many things can go wrong.

Take a look at the BBC programs about living in the past like the Farm series. There are a lot of skills that we do not use, that you will have to.

I tend to agree with what has been said about going abroad. It is not about the space or the money so much as being able to hunt would make such a diffrance.

Also it not just the land you need to spend money on. You will need things at the start, and as you go on. There will come a point you can survive on your own, but it is getting there and staying there.

Also as far as I know it is impossible in the UK to be Tax netural. The one problem is if you live in something somewhere for over six months, you would need to pay poll tax for a start.

 

[vizsla]

planning authoraties use helicoptors to spot non consented buildings(buses) being built(parked) now days so you would need some pretty big bushes and also the local land owners might have something to say about it.
sorry to be negative

 

[TeeDee]

Well if your French isn't half bad , I'd say do it , I wouldn't say have good French language skills is a requirement but will aid you in becoming intergrated within the community and that may open up work opportunitys , bartering ,etc etc.
Its only water between us and them.!!

Hmm interesting. I'm actually pretty good at french. I only got a GCSE B grade but when I wen there on holiday I had a conversation with a cafe owner and understood 90% of what he said. My replies were just a few words but we understood each other I'd definately be interested in links to cheap French property. Thank you

 

[foxtrot]

If you do move abroad then it might be handy to have a qualifacation such as TEFL - Teaching English As A Foreign Language. Lots of opportunities to earn enough to keep you going.

 

[Bluemerle]

Try www.ukhippy.com loads of info to help you make your mind up. maybe not that easy,but i wish you luck.

 

[_mark_]

Your very close to being able to afford a canal barge, just a thought, you then have the freedom of the waterways or a permanent mooring?

All the best whatever you decide upon doing! Problem with the rat-race is all the rats!