MAKING A SITE MAP:
Seeing is believing! Go ahead and draw a map of your site and make a list of things that limit your project, and any assets you know of. Think of this map as the architecture of your land. Writing down what your plans are for your project can be super helpful. For instance, if you are going to live off grid in your yurt, and get water from a standpipe, but plan to later build yourself a log cabin at the same site, you would be planning for a beefed up foundation, and would need to get that water line put through the concrete as it is poured. (Even if the water line is capped off for later use.) Other good inclusions can be to list goals, objectives, and ideals!
On a piece of graph paper (so you can draw it to scale), list or draw the following:
1. Existing roads, ditches, power lines, known easements or right aways.
(This could also include neighborhood covenants: like my shed can only be one story, etc.)
2. Natural land features
These can include trees, rivers, streams or other natural landmarks
3. Neighbor’s homes, outbuildings, junk cars or other fixed feature
4. Known utilities, and proposed utility routes
5. Yurt site.
This can also include the perimeter of the construction site, excavations, areas that need graded or filled, planned out-buildings, garden site, barn or animal areas, parking areas.
6. Sun and wind patterns.
This is more important than you think. Some people belatedly realize they get 2 hours of sun in the winter due to the surrounding mountains, or that all those trees they cut down on the North side of the property buffered them from winter winds and storms.
7. Views.
This could be existing or potential. This would directly influence your landscaping plans, if you need to gain more privacy, or remove a few trees.
Of course, this is just an example, and may not reflect your yurt site at all. These site planning tools are intended to help you design your own site, with your unique parameters.
If you’re looking for yurt kits from Shelter Designs and want to know the yurt cost right from the start, you’re in the perfect place! Learn more today.