Hello,
Just joined the forum (after lots of reading - thanks for all the good info.!).
Looking for some advice on buying a used yurt here in Alaska. There's a 20' Nomad Shelter yurt that we're going to look at soon, hoping to buy. Great local company that builds quality yurts for our climate; we know many happy customers, so feel good about that. The 20' is currently directly adjoined to a 34' yurt, which we wouldn't be buying (beyond our budget!). It's installed on a raised deck (the circular platform is insulated with rigid foam and is on top of a square deck). Very beefy
package (from Nomad) for roof and walls. Owners bought the yurts new 3 years ago and have been living year-round in them since. They have a wood stove in the larger yurt, but no stove in the 20' (I believe they have used fans and possibly space heater to heat it). We plan to add our own wood stove (easy to do in these yurts, venting out center cap on dome). The 20' has one exterior door currently (2nd door adjoining to larger yurt), as well as a vent mechanism in
. 3 vinyl windows.
If we buy it, we'd have to disassemble it and move to our recreational property about an hour away in Talkeetna (hopefully waiting until better weather to do so). The seller would include the 5/8" bamboo flooring and circular platform, if we want it. The challenge is that the bamboo floors are nailed, as is the framing for the platform (was hoping screws, for hope of easier disassembly).
Here are my questions - hoping to get feedback to guide us on what to look for when going to see the yurt in person, and to gauge if possible issues with a used yurt is worth the cost savings:
1) How can we check for
issues, in a currently-erected yurt? Reading about how common that can be especially in winter climates with year-round yurt use, I want to be sure there isn't mold or damage.
2) Does the fact that the yurt has been lived in year-round likely help or hurt in terms of longevity/condition of the structure? I know it depends on how well/carefully it was maintained. But I waver between seeing it as an asset in that it was heated all winter and thus not left with heavy snow load on it to strain the structure, and conversely seeing it as a drawback in that it saw more wear and tear, and more likely
issues with full-time use. Bath and kitchen are in the other yurt, so that's a plus, thinking that most moisture was likely produced there.
3) How difficult is it to separate adjoining yurts? There are 2 interior doors in the frames currently abutted to each other to join the yurts, I believe with special yurt exterior fabric outfitted to cover above (the manufacturer's recommended contractor installed the yurts, so it was done to Nomad's recommendations). The owner made it sound like we'd just need to replace the interior door currently there with an exterior one (it's standard size). Does that sounds easy enough? Has anyone done it, with advice to share?
4) Any hope that we could reuse the platform and/or bamboo flooring without a ridiculous amount of labor, considering it sounds like nails were primary fasteners? It'd be sure nice to move it whole, but I don't know of a way to transport a 20' disk on the roads, unfortunately!? We'd love to save cost and reuse it, but not if it creates way more labor than is worth the savings (we'd be doing it ourselves). I'm guessing the flooring is for sure a loss, but any hope for the the plywood subfloor and joists/beams underneath? Thanks for advice on this; not very experienced.
5) Any experience/tips to share on disassembly/transport/storm-term storage of a manufactured yurt like this?
Advice/feedback on above questions or your just general opinion on buying a used yurt from harsh winter climate area would be much appreciated!
Considerations for buying used yurt?
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