Bargain 30' modern vs new 24' traditional

[YurtyGurty]

Hi folks I'm seriously considering a yurt for my permanent home in NZ. We have a fantastic local builder, Jaia Yurts who use canvas and felt but I also have a chance for a very cheap (relative)

Pacific Yurts

which uses modern synthetic materials. I'm hoping y'all could help me choose.

I'm trying to weigh up the pros and cons of these options and given how similar in price, the choice is really about size, the feel inside, and the lifespan of materials as the pacific yurt was produced 8 years ago and has sat in storage that whole time.

Some details about the builds:

30'/9m Pacific Yurt modern style

• 8 years old but new in box, never built. Stored safe and dry
• $39,000 for yurt alone (but A++ fixings etc)
• Footprint 63m2 = More than enough for me alone but space for family in future. Size requires building consent.
• USA production but long lived, trustworthy company
• Materials = vinyl/poly skin and reflective bubble insulation
• Materials = longer life span (15+ years)
• Materials = less breathable = more daily maintenance
• Materials = less sound dampening (rustling plastic sound?)
• Fixings = fully kitted out with glass windows, awnings,

  dome

  etc

24'/7m Jaia natural material yurt

• $32,000 for yurt alone
• Footprint - 32m2 = still over consent threshold (but no bigger than 7m available from Jaia)
• Locally made by friends - likely to be serviced for years to come
• Materials = high quality poly-cotton canvas and wool Materials = shorter life span (5-10 years)
• Materials = more breathable = less daily/weekly maintenance
• Materials = more sound dampening Fixings = vinyl windows etc. No acrylic

  dome

  . more basic and manual (less likely to daily drive)

So some questions I hope you'll help me answer...

1. Is there any risk that the stored materials of the big synthetic yurt might have perished because they haven't been used? The storage is good, dry, and free of rodents. All in original crates it was shipped in.
   
2. I'm concerned about

   heating

   a 30' as it has soooo much more volume than a 24'. Planning to use a log burner but worried I'll be waiting 1.5 hours to warm up and dry the space?
   
3. How different are the acoustic qualities of these different materials sets? I haven't yet had a chance to stay in a modern material yurt but I've read a little and I can certainly imagine how the synthetic lining and

   insulation

   would create a much less pleasant acoustic space. I know both will be loud when it rains and blows etc but I can't get it out of my head that I'll be lying in bed listening to the breeze and instead hear crinkling plastic.
   
4. Feel of the space with synthetic materials? Similar to above about sound but general vibe feel. I know what it's like to be surrounded in natural materials like wool and canvas. It's gorgeous. That plus the ecological impact of the modern style have me weary of the big yurt option...

[Jafo]

"Is there any risk that the stored materials of the big synthetic yurt might have perished because they haven't been used? The storage is good, dry, and free of rodents. All in original crates it was shipped in."

Highly unlikely anything happened to it as long as the storage is as you say.

"I'm concerned about heating
a 30' as it has soooo much more volume than a 24'. Planning to use a log burner but worried I'll be waiting 1.5 hours to warm up and dry the space?"

It does take a while to heat, true, but once heated it will operate similar to a 24' in that you just maintain the temperature.

"How different are the acoustic qualities of these different materials sets? I haven't yet had a chance to stay in a modern material yurt but I've read a little and I can certainly imagine how the synthetic lining and insulation
would create a much less pleasant acoustic space. I know both will be loud when it rains and blows etc but I can't get it out of my head that I'll be lying in bed listening to the breeze and instead hear crinkling plastic."

I never hear crinkling plastic in my 30' Pacific Yurt. The vinyl roof is rather heavy which lends it to be quite stable. The walls are poly, and you can carry on a conversation with someone on the other side.

"Feel of the space with synthetic materials? Similar to above about sound but general vibe feel. I know what it's like to be surrounded in natural materials like wool and canvas. It's gorgeous. That plus the ecological impact of the modern style have me weary of the big yurt option..."

"Feel" is a bit of a subjective term, but I feel wonderful in mine. Keep in mind that there is a fabric liner between you and the roofing material. You don't see the vinyl or poly.

I will say that the vinyl holds up like a champ. I wash the eaves each Spring and am always amazed how it all just looks so brand new when I am done, considering the yurt is 10 years old! I am a person with a limited amount of time so whatever I can do to reduce maintenance time, I do. A cotton canvas of any kind is going to require a bit of work, every year and especially every 5 years or so when you will have to replace it most likely. That was a big issue for me when I was deciding.

[YurtyGurty]

Thanks Jafo. Appreciate your response!