Thrifty couple builds self-reliant, $60K homestead & workshop
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- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2020
- Marlena and Eugene built their homestead in Blanco, Texas using salvaged windows, doors, wood flooring, tile, a bathtub, a lot of plywood, and some lumber. After over a decade of building, they now have a completely off-grid home, workshop, garden, and rental cabin.
While they did spend for the new 23 solar panels that run the three buildings, they bought all six of their 500- to 700-gallon rainwater barrels for a few hundred dollars each instead of the 1,000 they cost new.
When Eugene first arrived on the property, as a caretaker for the main landowner, he pitched a tent as his home, but he still spent nights in Austin (often at his mom's home). Slowly he began to build. First, he erected a porch for his tent. Later he added a one-room shelter with an open-air kitchen.
When his now-wife Marlena joined him in 2016, they began building a more permanent setup. They added shutters to the kitchen so it could be closed off in winter, but open in summer (they rely mostly on DC fans for AC). Their bathroom includes a recycled bathtub and a stone-floor shower.
To accommodate overnight guests for their wedding, they built an off-grid cabin (with gas fridge) in just two months with mostly recycled materials for just $12,000. It now provides income as an overnight rental.
To avoid trips to town, they grow their own food in raised beds and raise chickens in a recycled coop (they plan to add goats and bees). They are now able to go two weeks without leaving the homestead for provisions.
Their latest addition is a modern barn that serves as both a workshop for Eugene’s tools and for Marlena’s jewelry business. It was built to convert into an event space to rent for added income.
Marlena’s music: www.marlenajarjoura.com/
Off-grid rental cabin: www.airbnb.com/rooms/33532013...
On *faircompanies: faircompanies.com/videos/thri... 
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It’s so amazing how when he started he couldn’t build a deck, but by the end of this video he had built a MASSIVE building, 🥰.
What could we do if we believed we could do it? 🥰
I really appreciate how she lets the people tell their story. I always feel like I'm watching a documentary film.
Thank you. I really appreciate when people notice. Was an effort to unlearn putting in music and making fast edits, but made the change thanks to Nico's influence.
@@kirstendirksen Yes I love the way you do your videos as well
Most people miss this! How would the interviewer know more about the build & story but the owner??? Kirsten does this to perfection, viewers subscribe to get the real story not some scripted Hollywood wannabe videographer. Bravo Kristen!
yes! although I sometime fell asleep on them
Get a woman and everything changes....life gets more meaning.
Man has the opportunity to gain hero status....if he doesn't screw it up.
This couple is amazing, they seem much more happier than regular people, It’s about living a life you want and not keeping up with the jones
ANOTHER honest and pallettable video from Kirsten! No filler, no corny host in a tight suit & white sneakers, no over-use of the word "entertain." Refreshing!
Brad the Pitts Amen to that.
@@truthiseverything9511 The wife and I play a game with other "home tours." We try to guess how many seconds in they will climb into the tub with their clothes on and say, "Aaaaah."
@@BradThePitts Entertain LOL!
20:22 "I'm often impressed with my self when something works"
I can totally relate with that! Love their humbleness and the ability to realize the value of making something imperfect and learning from it.
nicesity.....is the mother of .invention....is in ...motion......with them......
The guy is kind of humble!!!
Yup. I too can relate. Even with great role model handymen in my life and I’ve carried it on, I still get a bit gitty when I achieve a certain task. Especially a tough one. I’m no guru or great at anything but it’s so rewarding when you fix or build something that in the beginning it seemed impossible. 🤙🏼
they are outrageous in their honest simplicity
"It doesn't feel like I did it, it feels like it happened". Couldn't have said it better myself. Love to see it
How to build a deck? "Thing, thing, and you put a thing." "No, no, you gotta have way more _things!"_ "And so that's how I learned to build a deck." I can't stop chuckling.
I sooo love those 9' doors, they are so elegant and airy, with all the other windows. All the inventive 'features', the found pieces of the puzzle like the tiles and the wood,
There is nothing more comfortable than a clawfoot tub. I used to read in mine, running more warm water in as needed with my toes (back when we didn't know water was a luxury).
This is so inspiring, the constant learning while doing, the dreaming and inventing, and the love poured into it glows like Austin at night. So happy to share it, thank you.
@E OnTheHike Someone is not paying attention.
I agree. That explanation of how he learned to build a deck was awesome! "No no! You gotta have way more things!"
chez moi Made me laugh too.
Last finds ....water and oil are not finite but INFINITE resources for real check Tavares lady ....
It's amazing how they built up their skill set and confidence by just going at it. Definitely inspiring!
“ it sometimes doesnt feel like I did it, it feels like it happened” as an artist i can relate to this sense of being the least part of a creative process.
I totally agree. stercus accidit.
I might not interested in the interior design of this house. But I like how the owner's hard work and the process of how he learned things & make it happened, also how he tried to fulfill the functionality of those places by using reclaimed materials. Great job!
I think people would be amazed at how inexpensive life really is
@@ravenhummel8202 Like how minimalist was never used. Just a DIY in action solving issues & growing over time. Escaped communism to live free in the country. No zoning & climate is how all this works. Really would like to to see an east TX /LA/MS/AL off grid diy build too. Its all good until the air gives you a bath every day during summer. People did it but, ....
@@ronsmith1364 You can get away with a lot of building mistakes in a dry climate. In a hot, humid climate, not so much, or any wet climate for that matter.
It's politically incorrect to say, but you're seeing pioneer spirit playing out before your eyes in many of these videos. Husband and wife team making a nest. Oldest story in history.
I think when my time comes to build, it'll be minimal $$$ for materials, but some strategic excavations, buryings, and shorings-up. More like a hobbit, with a penchant for Southern exposures and glass.
He's really awesome, and an inspiration. "If there's a will, there's a way." Trust yourself and be confident that you can accomplish things you've never done.
He did it all himself with help from RUclips he said. Gotta love innovative people. Two very interesting likable people. I would like a follow up on them after they start holding yoga events, weddings, etc. An air BnB tiny house is next I bet.
We already have the Airbnb tiny house. It was the 2nd one on the tour :)
I also would love to come & see the place! Such hard working, innovative people ~ I admire you!
Beware: Not all RUclipsrs know how to build safely. Remember, we live in the age of thumbing our noses at expertise.
@@fishheadlemonsnack824 does anyone give a shit though? most people are just poor as hell with no way out, and just trying not to die of starvation. Making business only with ''experts'' is a luxury.
@@consolepeasant7164 You won't think that way when you are fined heavily. If you are poor, no reason to continue on in the same vein. No one is starving. Excuses keep you spinning in place for a lifetime.
I really admire this couple for doing this. It takes a lot of courage to step out and do something like this and the result is awesome,
I think I know Eugene...from a farmstead, far east side of Austin. Glad to see he's found a mate and made his dreams happen.
I love how the place just came together based on their needs & what they could get their hands on. As an artist I can totally relate to that feeling of "Sometimes it doesn't feel like I did it, it feels like it just happened."
What an adorable couple. I love their go for it ideas and willingness to just do what they needed!
As always, when I watch one of your documentary videos, I feel as though I have been on a journey and met the people. They (your films) are so strong. I join with others in appreciating the use of silence and nature ... and the voices of the people you're filming (as well as your own family's voices!). So many times I simply cannot get through a video because of the sound and the level of irritation it produces in me. We are bombarded by sound. Thank you so much for your artistry.
I loved this! Wish I could do this! I'm disabled, but at least I can live vicariously through you! 😍👍
Me too!
Amazing build 😀 I think it’s great how he tells Kirsten his mistakes he made through it all... Nothing worse than big head who sailed through their builds with no errors!
Your great skill is letting them tell the story and not getting in the way. You guys just keep getting better and better. Think about a feature length doc about the history of Curitiba, Brazil. It's a story the world needs to know. Talk with Jamie Learner. Best, Michel Pariseau
This post hits the nail on the head. I really enjoy these interviews as it's all about the subjects, not the interviewer, who asks relevant questions and helps to draw a narrative that's engaging. Thank you for your videos - they provide pleasant educational brain food.
everything on this channel is great but this episode is special - learning as you go , jerryrigging on the fly when necessity forces you - built a couple quasi legal backyard projects back in the day in this same spirit so this guy is close to my heart - frontier spirit meets tinkering junk artist = LOVE IT!!
Great job doing what you did with what you had. It's great to see other people breaking free from a collapsing society to be as free as possible.
That's so cool how each part of their house has it's own story.
I love their creativity with up cycled materials. The view from the sky deck is great, and what a treat to have a workshop with such views out to nature !
We started with a 10' x 12' shed ten years ago. The 'Great Recession' closed the company I worked for, and my son and I built our little house ourselves. while living in that little shed. It's been 10 years and our daughter grew up here on our homestead. I clicked on the video because I saw the roof top deck. I just built an addition that will soon have one of those on top of it. It will take us a bit longer because we have the "enormous amounts of work" you spoke of 😉 Like you folks, we will never be done building! 😊
Wow! This was really fun to watch! :) Cool people :)
This was super interesting. I was glued to every moment... every detail. So satisfying to watch. Thanks for sharing!!
I love seeing videos about people following a different compass in life. Their homes are works of art, built by their own hands, filled with their energy. That's damn cool! And LOVE the doors from the restaurant!!
Very nice!
While at 54y, I may never get to live like this nice couple but at least I live on a half acre in the country that beats having nosy/keeping up with the jones crazed neighbors a 100 feet right next door.
👍👍
I admire your Creativity, self-motivated, time-consuming, your hard work paid off. You realized your dream.
Kirsten...another outstanding adventure!! I soooo appreciate how he uses so many cast off items...saving them from the landfill. They are doing so much & learning even more. Smiling here.
I love this guy so much. He's just.....chill. very humble and down to earth kinda guy. Someone that's just content with what he's got.
You're videos bring me so much joy. Thanks for making so many over the years!
That is amazing ! It takes special relationship to do this, they are great couple ! I enjoyed every moment of this video, very interesting...love it..
Always look forward to your videos!
Thanks. Videos like this one almost edit themselves. Eugene and Marlena kept the tour going with all their builds, and all the details.
That's so amazing. Sending good vibes to this wonderful people. Thanks for sharing their story.
I love the way he constantly talks over his wife, never lets her finish a sentence
Really inspiring to see and hear from this couple. Thanks for posting and sharing.
Another great video! 💚 Thank you for introducing many people to alternative dwellings!
I've followed you for years and enjoyed many of your visits but this is the first in awhile that I've watched entirely. I'm from Texas and my sibling has a very similar farmstead near San Marcos. Loved your video and reminded me of my childhood, caliche, scrub cedar and all!
Okay, this is one of the coolest videos you have, Kirsten. And that's a high bar :-) Some kind of out-of-this-world quality to these guys and their place
Thank you so much! Check out our channel if you wanna see more from our little homestead :)
@@MarlenaJarjoura Thank you, Marlena :-) I will! Be well
Beautiful! Thanks Ms. Kirsten for bringing such stories to life. The only thing this reminds me is labour of love, truly! ❤️👍🏾
Glad I stopped by, this is a great story of determination, of creativity and resourcefulness. Congratulations to all involved. Funny how eclecticism allows for a jumble of looks and styles which somehow work well together.
This couple has their shit together in a SHTF I can see them survive, just making it yourself is awesome. Kudos to them and you Kirsten well done, the documentary
I’m crying tears of happiness and joy; after she starts playing her guitar! Such a touching video (AGAIN!) with insight, inspiration and a deep human connection - allowing me to open my mind AND heart to “alternative” ideas and ways of living!!
I pine to purchase my own land someday and create a collage of a dwelling such as this channel has shown me is POSSIBLE!
In addition, I wonder what the clan of Kirsten’s home must look like!! Just sayin’!!!
This is by far the best video I have seen on building an off-grid home from scratch. This is especially because he was learning as he was going. He has me believing that I can do it and learn the physics of it as I go! So insightful,. Thank you
Love this home and how they did not spend alot and were patient. Beautiful.
In all the years I've watched your channel... Unless I missed it - have you ever done a film about your own home? Would love to see that. ❤️
Their home has so much personality! very unique, I love it :)
Reminds me of how my grandparents built their home in Missouri, when they moved there from Kansas in a covered wagon. There was no "grid" then, but there wasn't much else different. Now, I would probably use a chest freezer/brewers thermostat as a low power, solar "super fridge" to lighten the load on the solar system. You can see the calm love they have for each other and it shows in their home.
Thank you :) this is a sweet comment: "calm love"
It's very inspiring to see people being able to build stuff like this by themselves. Never in a million years would I think I would be able to do that myself, although I'd really love to. I like how they've decorated it, too. Very cosy. Hopefully they will start a permaculture garden. I wonder what else they plan for the future
I love it!! Imagine if everyone had that mind set and would create a home on need and not on "keeping up with the joness"!!!!
Thank you for these amazing videos!
I love the design and their interior taste (the rustic front room is picture perfect!). Every room has so much character and utility! Repurposed material makes everything so unique and wonderful! Bravo.
Nice Guitar !! Wish you would have played longer , site looks amazing !!!! Go with your soul , it will lead you to peace !!!!! What feels right , is . The universe will will tell you , when you are home , you will "feel" it
Love those guys already.
God bless everybody like them and everyone reading this .
Well, you can really feel the love between those two.
Great work! Thanks for taking the time to make, film, edit and share.
Your videos are awesome Kirsten.
Nice! I love it! Their houses are like big campervans in the way that they have their power and stuff set up.😊 👍👍
*love it!* quintessential diy custom home. RESPECT
What a clever, creative, resourceful man. Thank you for this wonderful video ❤
This off grid home is Gorgeous! To be one with and in the land---Ahhhh!!!
This couple has done a fabulous job.
Thank you.👍😊
This channel is amazing. I love this channel. Greetings from Brazil.
It'a beautiful way to build! Nice job to both of you for the home you've created :)
THIS IS SO DELIGHTFUL! Thank you for creating this tour!! And what fun to sit here cheering you all on!! (Even though you can't hear me.) I have learned plumbing and electrical and adobe repair for my house in Mexico, but I just loved seeing and hearing about somebody else's project. Fellow eccentrics about 40 years younger than me. And no, we can't ever stop working. And do what instead? Making stuff, learning what you have to learn to do it, is the best. Although scary sometimes.. Thanks for the inspiration, the validation. It's real special to have your own vision.
This is a wonderful story. What a great home you guys have created!
Greetings from Ukraine, from a neighbor of your homeland. It's so comfortable and stylish house! Thanks for the video!
The only video I "like" even before I watch it!!!!😉 you rock! Omg what a cute couple ... .💘 (goals..)
Great patience and creativity in this project!
This is so far one of the best for me that I've watched. Thanks for sharing.
So tickled you liked what we’re up to out here (I’m the woman in this video)! You can watch another video we made of us on our little homestead here: ruclips.net/video/-7pf8fSuajE/видео.html
+1 that the guest house is nicer.
Pretty impressive work. It looks livable and pleasant.
With this couple living in Texas, I would love an update on how their house fared the insane winter we had earlier this year (Feb 2021). Were they able to stay warm? Did they have any issues?
Great video, thank you, what a wonderful thing it is to be able to use things that are of "your own make". Beautiful.
Thanks Douglas!
They have the right ideas, and the ambition to follow through. Kudos.
Thank you!
Organically grown houses XD From Moldavia, quite special to hear how he's rebuilding his "grandparent's old house" dream. Somehow I think a little isolation against Texas heat wouldn't harm. Thanks, Kirsten.
At 12:14 he mentioned that they have an Air Conditioner.
@@samualwhittemore228 Yay heard that. Really friendly for the environment eh. Building a tin can in the heat and put on the airco ( rolls eyes)
Love your videos!
When the lockdown is all over, you should really get your passport ready and head to Panama to check out Jordan and Kaylee of The Nomadic Movement. In the process of building a beautiful homestead, they are creating community and helping those around them acheive a better quality of life. They literally help others make their dreams come true. Jordan is also a beautiful story teller. They would make a wonderful video with you.
One of the best projects that you have shown. Amazing people!
Extraordinary so much Love....I love you and the people you spotlight and the creative creations of diverse lives and cultures. 💜🕊️🌈🌹
I'm a big fan of how efficient he was in reusing materials but it must be kinda dark in there with all that plywood, I'd definitely paint it white or do plaster or something to brighten it up
Then you have to repaint periodically
You'd have to coat the plywood too so it doesn't dry out and splinter. They both require similar maintenance but to each their own
Screw the drywall directly to the plywood. Very stable and also provides some thermal mass.
They need to see if they can buy some of that land before their "friend" dies or sells it otherwise in a calamity they could lose everything and their home would be worthless without land.
Depends on the homestead laws in the state some places if you occupy bit for 20 years it's yours
I have friends living on my land. Never in a million years would I sell. We’ve done it on trust.
That's what I kept thinking all through the video,
their friend may just need to sell the property for some reason.
There is enough real estate law out there to protect these people. Uncontested occupation over time is very real. There is also a kind of land lease that gives you protection for the span of your life, even if sold.
I agree, it would have been nice if they addressed that aspect of the equation. The owner might never want to sell, but there are always 'relatives' to contest a will, etc. Always, get it in writing. Otherwise, great video.
Congratulations you guys for creating a home you have so much of yourselves invested in.... That is priceless ....
Beautiful 🏡!!! I loooove the use of free and up cycled doors and windows. Those tall yellow doors are everything!
This is the dream!!! So cool. I don’t know how I would do without a/c in that climate though.
Your body gets acclimated. I wanted to lower my energy bill so I started adjusting the thermostat up 1 degree every couple of months. I currently have it set at 78° and use fans, which helps a Iot! I can remember when I first began my mission with the thermostat set to 74° and how that seemed a little uncomfortable at first. Then my body got acclimated as I slowly increased 1 degree at a time. Now when I go outside the weather is much easier to tolerate and I live in TN where summers are 90-100 + and Spring season only last about 2 weeks. It’s all about putting your mind to something and slowly working towards your. I’ve always been the kind of person that hates spending money on something I can’t physically see, touch, or own so that’s my incentive. So my utility bills savings allows me to spend money on things I can see and have as my own. It’s a pretty sweet trade off!
We have AC luckily
Texas can get brutally hot in the summer. It was 105 degrees last week. I am spoiled with a/c but I keep the thermostat at 83 degrees in the summer and 79 at night. I think I could do better though.
13:00 you can actually get used solar panels and used batteries(but it can't be lead acid batteries). There is market place for both Lithium ion batteries and Solar panels that were used in commercial farms for only a few years. Some websites(like batteryhookup) and companies take the best out of them and even provide warranty of their own on these. These can be a lot cheaper than buying brand new.
Cheapest source of batteries is to buy one from a wrecked EV. They usually come with warranties and all the cells have been tested!!
Cheapest source of batteries are the abandoned electric scooters that are on the streets in the cites. Look for “Revel”
Very creative & thrifty processes! It's obvious that eventually their artistic process took over and it's not just a conglomerate of collected materials, but it's functionally beautiful, embellished, & comfortable.
Thanks Kirsten, very inspiring
Good info on the battery drainage. I didn’t know that. Thanks 😊
Marlena and Eugene, you are cute guys! I receive big motivation to watch stories lime yours. My dream to buy big piece of land and biild off-grid house and just enjoy the nature. I am from Ukraine, and one time I was in Moldova;)
I LOVE IT!!! Modern day hippies......takes me back! You guys are amazing!
The husband and wife are very compatible. Love their homestead.
The ads breaking up this video so often is painful. This couple has an awesome setup.
You can download an ad blocker for free. No ads here.
It has the charm of a tree house, and I mean that in a positive way!
Love your videos, so inspiring what can be done with some work and a little ingenuity. Thanks 😊
Kirsten,
For several decades I have been interested in alternative dwellings. I do not travel much so I greatly appreciate you bringing the dwellings of the world to me! Thank you!
Def need both of them together to pull this off
I wish I had their knowledge since i believe we will all be back living this way in a handful of years.
Such an inspiration! I am so excited to begin laying out my plans for my Homestead
Wow beautiful job! Very inspiring couple. Keep up the great work!
This is my dream. Although I am very type A, so I would have to gather a ton of materials and plan out everything before starting to build. I wish I could have this more rational approach!!
Edit: How are there 15 dislikes? What about this could offend anyone?
You would learn a lot about yourself and gain much patience doing something like this. It has taught me more than ANY other thing in my whole life.
No offense, but some people who post on youtube videos tend to be very "special" people.
In this day and age the type of people that would gather all the materials first are not the type of people that would do this type of venture. Even if they did, it would not have the same effect as the way these two did it. The bigger picture is: learning what you really ‘need’ to live and be happy cannot be learned from where most people are in their comfort zone of common misery. We became debt -free by living in a wall tent for three years while we built our house (paying cash) and doing it ourselves to the point where we could move in. I was inspired by meeting a couple living in a tent in the woods when I was young. If we want to be free we have to be brave and control our fears of failure or being less than society deems acceptable. Invest in yourself via tools and experience. Even if you mess up and have to do it over you are learning and it’s cheaper than having a professional do it; they make many mistakes too.
how do you tell the amount of dislikes?
@@nazmountaingirl Thank you for your wise words. I wish you the best. Be well.
So hard to do something like this in the UK. You can buy the land, but building is another issue. Too many regulations, which are understandable in terms of stopping people just building everywhere, but prohibitively difficult if you actually want to do something slowly, by hand and eco-friendly for not too much money.
None of this would pass any code lol. Likely classified as a barn and then lean tos.
Don't forget the bureaucratic mini tyrant a-holes on your local council that can approve your plans, then, when you are 90% done, change their approval on a whim, forcing you into a nightmare of hearings and being forced to make changes. Man I enjoyed watching Grand Designs.
Planning departments are notoriously conservative in terms of design. It has to "fit in" with other buildings - even if you're out in the countryside. But while I admire his thrifty attitude, I think they've sacrificed aesthetics.
@@kate39826 And you couldn't get a mortgage, as it is regarded as "non-standard materials".
So true! I have had a friend in the UK who had nothing but trouble with their local council. 💚
I love it. ❤
We're doing the same right now in Portugal. I hope we're ready next year.
I love the creativity, resourcefulness, frugality, patience, innovative learning, willingness to continue on and constant improvements you've put into put your home! VERY impressive! I know a couple who built with the same approach, back in the '70's. I was a part of it, so what you're doing seems like a "normal" home to me.
I definitely would love the absolute silence except for nature. I crave it and need it. Maybe most folks aren't like that.
Right now I'm finishing a cabin my brother started building. He passed away so now it's my delight to do! I've wanted a cabin in the woods since I was a teenager. Now, however, I'm too old and disabled to do much of anything. I have to pay to have everything done. So far, I've had the land around the main building cleared. Had a gravel road (it's actually a long driveway) installed. A new deck has been built because the old one was not built with pressure treated lumber. It had to be replaced for safety. I had electricity reconnected, but I want solar power installed to draw from before having to use regular electricity. There are 2 wells. Last time I was there, I checked to make sure the well pumps were working. I also plan to set up a rain catchment system for when the wells run low or out in the summer and/or there's no power to run the well pumps. I'm trying to set up at least one or two back up systems for everything...to be prepared for anything. I'm adding plumbing, but there's already a world class outhouse. That's how my brother rolled...world class everything cheap or free! He was a perfectionist, who wanted to do everything himself. Looks like you and he are/were similar in that. I'm trying to come up with an interior floor plan that incorporates the wood stove already there.
Anyway, really enjoyed your video and look forward to what you do next.
Sorry this is so long--I'm really excited about what you're doing!