Property for sale
New Brunswick welcomes you!
Safety, stability, resource rich and the it's relatively lower currency has made Canada perhaps the best place to live!
The province of New Brunswick is the size of Switzerland but while the population of Switzerland is nearly 9,000,000, New Brunswick's population is only 750,000. The province is even far less populated than many Canadian cities.
So if you are finding that you have a deficit of nature and a surplus of people where you currently live, then New Brunswick is the place for you :)
Welcome to 122 South Knowlesville Road!
The following is a detailed walk-through of the property for sale in our organic community, plus a bit of background & the story of how the neighbourhood has come to be and the ever-evolving endeavours of the community members, those both established and newly arrived.
History
Some of the earliest inhabitants arrived here during the American civil war, in an effort to avoid fighting in that war. This area is also known for the Underground Railroad, travelled by those escaping slavery towards hope of freedom.
The pattern of folk moving to this area in the search for sovereignty continued during the Vietnam war where the draft-dodgers moved here in 1969 to avoid fighting in the American war in Vietnam.
This all to say that our region has a history of non-violence which signifies good vibes. The trend continues today as folks arrive here to start a peaceful life.
In the 90's, a resilient single mother of four chose this area to start a permaculture organization, perhaps one of the first in all of Canada.
Folks from around the world came here to learn permaculture methods to take back and implement in their own countries. The award-wining organization operated for decades before it closed its doors only seven years ago.
We have been fortunate to get invited to annual apple-press gatherings and to skate on the pond.
Incidentally, that former organization's location is directly across the road from our property for sale.
About ten years ago, a well-meaning man from Louisiana purchased some land and formed a Land-Trust.
Shortly after, he and his wife purchased an old church and moved it to the area, creating the Knowledge, Art and Nature Centre, which encompasses a Waldorf/Enki forest school. Both the Land Trust and the KAN are located across from ou property for sale.
As you enter our neighbourhood from Knowlesville road onto Simms road, you are greeted by a happy, colourful, hand-painted sign reading "Knowlesville Welcomes You", followed by an old house on the corner that is outfitted by some of the earliest examples of solar panels. Their age is evident but they cost many multiples than the panels available today. The property is owned by the founder of the aforementioned permaculture organization and those old solar panels show just how far ahead of the times the founder was, in advocating for renewables.
Continuing along Simms road as you drive east towards the neighbourhood core & our property, at the halfway point, you start noticing small-homes and their owners out and about on their modest properties tending to their gardens & animals. Everyone in our neighbourhood grows organically :)
Shortly before you arrive at the intersection of Simms road & South Knowlesville road, you will see the KAN centre/school on your left side of the road. Our property for sale extends from about the halfway point on Simms road to the crossroad (about 1 kilometre) and about 660+ feet going right on South Knowlesville road.
About 100 feet away from the intersection you will see a meandering stream flowing through the property. There are two streams on the property. Our first driveway (exit only) is about 100 feet after the stream.
You will start to see whimsical brush-walls made out of twigs & branches. One can't help but to follow their lead as they wind their way into the forest. They have been constructed in many spots within 600 feet radius of the main-building. Sometimes made out of fallen trees, resembling old fort walls & ruins. All to capture your imagination as you walk through the forest. The large fallen trees have been left where they lay as to allow a place for moss & other forest inhabitants to do their thing :)
Of course neither the streams nor these whimsical structures are visible in the winter as they are buried under the snow. However there are still lots of amazing things to be entertained-by such as huge wild turkey, moose, deer, little critters, bunny etc. tracks, as they crisscross through the property. We also see & collect "Old Man's Beard" otherwise known as Usnia, after every windy/stormy day. Look it up, another nature therapy treat.
There are two driveways on our property. Please pass the first and turn right on the second. The first driveway is actually the exit. No drop-ins. Please make an appointment well in advance, prior to visiting us.
The driveway is about 300 feet and is U-shaped. It was designed following the FengShui model of flow which ensures that the driveway not travel directly or end at the front entrance of the main-building.
Once you turn on the driveway, the newly-built clubhouse is immediately on your right. It is tucked away between the cluster of trees. It and the surrounding grounds create a very happy & whimsical space. It serves a multi purpose. Everything from a kids clubhouse/book-club to a writer's getaway-place to a budget overnight space for travellers. This 100 sq ft structure is almost always missed, even by neighbours & visitors who know of it's existence as they walk right pass it, so well does it blend in with it's surroundings.
Straight ahead, you will notice a triangular structure made completely out of smaller trees. Some call it a teepee for it's obvious resemblance to it. Others call it a Buddhist Stupa or a meditation chamber. It was simply built as a fun & whimsical conversation piece that all ages can use for whatever purpose.
On your left, you will see a structure we call "The Gathering-place". It measures about 450 sq ft, with 33 windows. This combination floods the interior with light from every direction, even though it is surrounded by trees.
We used heavy solid lumber here and a steel roof for longevity.
What one can use this space for is limited only by one's imagination.
Some ideas are, small weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, intimate gatherings, reunions, high-tea, small celebrations, outdoor indoor yoga, meditation sessions, women's circles, book-clubs, artists studios, workshops of all natures, crafting space, maker's space, storage space, curing space(garlic, onions,..), canning/processing gatherings, indoor outdoor market space, jam sessions, live music cafe, overflow sleeping space for your overnight guests.
There is also a large, bright, whimsical outhouse at the back of the structure that has yet to be used.
Of the 30+ raised beds on the property, two are close to this structure.
On the S/W side of the main-building, you will find our newly-constructed chicken coop.
Built like Fort Knox to keep predators out, it too is another whimsical structure and has it's own dedicated blog post.
There are two large raised beds along the side of the coop. One with rhubarbs the other with a number of black current plants ready to be planted in the ground. If you don't know what Black Currants are known for, please conduct a search for this amazing plant.
5 composters are located close to those raised beds. So much goes into them and so much more goodness comes out of them. And of course they are not made out of plastic.
Next to the composters is our first constructed outhouse. It was built there with the intention that while working on the raised beds, gardening, groundskeeping, etc. we wouldn't have to go inside to use the washrooms because once you're outside, you really don't want go back inside.
On the west side of the main-building, we constructed a woodshed with intention of avoiding having to travel far from the back door to get firewood.
And, for our final feature of the property outside, the 30+ raised beds. They vary in size (length & width) but they mostly share the same depth that is 2+ feet deep. The longest are about 12 feet by 4 feet. The walls are constructed mostly out of 1 inch thick boards. Inside, we decided to use Hugelkultur.
So, the sequence of material used to fill the beds is as such: large chunks of softwood at the very base, then progressively smaller branches, then mulch, then leaves, aged horse manure, comfrey leaves and finally top soil that is mixed with eggshells, wood ash, compost and starting next year, chicken manure.
Every year, as the base materials breakdown & settle by about 2-3 inches, we top-up the soil with another layer material to include mulched leaves and compost.
Not factoring-in our countless hours of labour, including screening the soil/manure, mixing the last layer before applying etc. these 30+ beds cost us about $5,000 in thick boards, screws & nails, hired labour, 3 dump trucks of aged horse manure & 1 dump truck of top soil.
We never till the soil as to not disturb the soil structure, the mycelium & other fungi, so that the nature can do it's thing. Once the beds are planted, we also apply diluted composted tea.
This year, we are dedicating six beds to 400 large cloves of garlic. That should yield an average of 4 cloves each so 1,600!
We say average because some cloves only yield two, while others yield an insane six large cloves per head!
We have a larger attached garage on the east side of the main-building and like most homeowners, it is not used for it's intended use. We use ours to store firewood, bikes, wheelbarrow, gardening or power tools and other material such as boards for projects, crafts etc.
Attached to the garage, there is another woodshed on the north side. The idea was to provide an extra layer of insulation/wind barrier to the garage, in addition to creating a useful storage space.
It has a whimsical outside door on the east side, much like the ones on the Gathering-place & the main-building. It is also accessible through a door in the garage, for convenience.
A 185 feet drilled well also resides in the garage. The cost in 2016 was nearly $4,000. The updated price for 2024 is over double that at about $8,000+.
Update!
A new stainless steel premium submersible pump in 2024 at about $2,000, including installation.
Before we enter the main-building, let's visit the covered porch/solarium. It covers the east side and most of the south side. It has clear roof paneling, 9 windows plus 2 picture windows. All of which flood the space with light from sunrise to sunset.
We recently added a bunk bed there to offer budget accommodations or perhaps to folks who want to sleep under the stars but not out in the elements. We also use this space as sort of a green-house and also to harden the plants before it's warm enough for them to get planted in the raised beds outside.
In the winter months we use the space to store our snowshoes, cross country skies, sleds, shovels etc.
Ok, let's go in for a walk-through.
The main-building is a perfect marriage of;
Industrial, with it's polished concrete floor, exposed engineered beams and restaurant-quality heavy-gauge stainless steel double sink & countertop,
Modern, with it's unconventional dinning-room tables, chairs, shelving units & LED strip lighting,
Architectural digest look of solid wood panelling walls & parts of the ceiling that provide an Alpine design, and Whimsical with one-of-a-kind doorhandles, coat hooks, firewood rack, branch curtain rods.
This theme continues throughout the entire structure.
The main floor.
Concrete slab floor with lots of insulation and embedded with pex pipes for future in-ground heating set-up.
We wanted to leave the entire main floor with exposed concrete partly to get the maximum radiant heat, partly to stain it red & overtime have it resemble the old-world clay floors of Tuscany and partly for practical reasons.
The intention was to have an organic farm-to-table restaurant and host workshops (cooking/baking, candle-making)...all of which could stain the floors anyway. This way, a mop is all that is required. It can always be covered with whatever you envision your floors to look like. It's currently a blank canvas.
The dining room can seat 18-24 with tables that double as storage units. Each of the four tables can hide 2 tubs in their enclosed core.
There are 4-5 windows facing east but mostly south. Lots of shelving space to display your kitchenware on the south & the west walls. The kitchen is outfitted with industrial quality sinks & countertop. The double sink measures a foot deep by 18 inches in width & length. There is also a custom-made island with glass windows to display your pies & cookies & other food items for sale.
More heavy thick lumber shelving here.
Two fridges in this kitchen. One stainless steel & lager than average, that was only used for 3 weeks, and one smaller white fridge that has been in operation for 5 years.
And now the absolute heart of the building. An Amish-made CSA approved wood fired cookstove(Princess Maid). This black enamelled & chrome workhorse both heats the building and provides us with our hot water in the colder months. A stainless steel loop brings cold water into the firebox/chamber and as it heats up, the water travels up to a tank on the second floor, through thermal syphoning. As the hot water enters the tank, the cooler water returns down to get heated before traveling back up the loop.
Of course it is also the foodies dream-stove & oven due to it's size & capacity.
The first room after the kitchen is the battery & storage room. Surrette by Rolls batteries are truly the Rolls Royce of batteries. Deep cycle series 4000. S-550 6v.
Update!
In 2023, we made a huge battery bank upgrade by switching our already powerful batter bank for a Lithium battery bank at a cost of about $15,000.
Update!!
In November of 2024, we added another lithium battery to our battery bank.
The batteries are fed by a total of 12 solar panels, 10 of which are on the roof of the building (south facing) with another two on the west side of the building, to harvest the afternoon sun.
This room is also where the in-ground floor heating pex surface to be hooked-up is, should you desire it. We did not find the need to do so as the building is super insulated.
While on the subject of insulation, the building is framed using double stud-walls that are staggered for rigidity and create a large cavity into which dense-packed cellulose insulation was blown. Incidentally, the walls are nearly a foot thick!
A french door, made of cherry wood framing, divides the dining room from the hallway that leads to the guest rooms and bathrooms.
After the battery-room we arrive at two larger than average 3 piece bathrooms, one on each side of the hallway.
Each outfitted with a dual-flush and an inch shorter than average toilet (for better deposits), sink and shower.
Also each with a small window.
And finally two bedrooms after the bathrooms. Also one on each side of the hallway and near the back door for emergency fire exit.
They each hold a custom-made double bed with plenty of storage space underneath. The room on the right has a west facing window that looks into the raised beds & the forest. The bedroom on the right has two windows.
This room is designed for early risers & light-seekers as one window faces south for the morning light and one facing west to capture the sun setting over the forest.
Open the back door and you are immediately looking into the gardens, the air filled with birdsong, all around you can see wild flowers, bees, wild strawberry ground cover, with the forest in the background. A amazing & peaceful sight despite the teaming wildlife that is busier than the grand central station.
No grass lawns here :)
Let's go up to the second floor.
2 inch-thick steps off the kitchen take you up to the second floor but before we get there, on our way, we have to make a stop at the essential "Brain-room".
More like a closet than a room, is where you find the heart of the solar assembly (mission control). Here, you see our Midnight charge controller, Sentex inverter, breakers, switches, etc. This is the third leg of the three-legged stool, the other two legs being the solar panels and the battery bank.
Also on the way up we made a trap door on the landing that opens into a cavity which provides a lot of storage space. Right next to the landing, we made use of the inside walls cavities by turning them into a pantry. No empty space is unused here.
Upon arriving on the second floor, you are immediately in the living-room. it has two south-facing windows and two west-facing windows + a french door to keep the flow of the sun from the sun-room next door.
Keeping with the flow of the natural light, the staircase leading up to the yoga/meditation studio from the living-room has no rises.
There is a 4 piece bathroom off of the living-room on the way to the sun-room. It is the largest of the three bathrooms in the building. It features large natural stone tile flooring and a custom-made vanity with two sinks.
A space off to the side of the living room is provided for one of two hot-water tanks, the insulated stainless steel chimney pipe and our washing machine. Living off-grid does not have to mean living a rudimentary life. We also have a chest freezer that our solar assembly provides for.
Update!
New Washing machine in 2024.
With the exception of the french door in the sun-room, the french door on the main-floor, the front, back and the garage door connecting the kitchen to the garage, which are steel doors, all the remaining 9 doors are solid wood.
An entryway off the sunny living room takes you to the second floor bedrooms. One on each side of the entryway.
About the same square feet with different layouts & for different purposes.
The N/E bedroom features a custom built-in raised double bed with heaps of storage space underneath. 2 windows facing north & east. A closet with a large hot-water tank stored at the back. This hot-water tank is an overflow of the smaller-one and is the one used to heat the water via the solar panels.
The S/E bedroom features 5 windows to take full advantage of the morning sun. It also offers a twin custom built-in bed (again with storage space beneath), a closet, dresser drawer, tables and shelving to double as an artist studio.
Please note that all flooring beyond the ground floor is solid wood.
Absolutely every room in this building was designed to create a friendly & happy place and everyone who has ever visited us, has commented on this achieved design. However, the next two rooms are above & beyond anyone's expectations and are ones that no-one ever wants to leave :)
The sun-room.
It features 4 larger west-facing windows to capture the sunsets. These windows also overlook the gardens with the forest as their backdrop. 2 windows installed on the interior walls that separate the living-room from the sun-room, allow the morning sun in via the south facing living-room windows. And finally a south facing picture window that also allows us to stargaze or moon-gaze on every clear night.
There is a large movable solid-wood construction table for meetings, art sessions, etc. with a built-in centre as storage space. Due to it's massive size, it will be included with the structure.
Below, next to or under the picture-window is where kids like to gather to play board games, sleepovers etc. Adults too prefer this space for their crafter-noon gatherings or catch-up over tea & cookies.
And finally a solid & whimsical staircase takes you up to the third level where the yoga/meditation studio is located. This sacred space is completely encased in solid wood. From the flooring to the walls & the ceiling.
A window on the east side, welcomes the morning sunrise where you can sit and meditate as you set your intentions for the new day.
It also allows for a birds-eye view of the front property & the mountain ridge.
A west-facing window floods the studio with it's warm glow as it pierces through the treetops . One can't help but have a big smile on one's face even with eyes closed as the sun warms the soul.
Looking down, you can see the garden/raised beds, the chicken coop and forest beyond.
The property sits on 44 acres of mostly forested land.
With the ever-rising cost of lumber/construction material, tardes persons, delivery, heavy machinery etc., assessing and pricing a property is becoming a moving target. Add to that the demand for the move-in-ready and better built structures, families looking for safety of a community in the country, selling our property is starting to look like an auction.
So as of this writing, the numbers that you are seeing are going to be used as a starting bid. If you see this property with it's structures, location, material used/construction quality, 33 organic raised beds, community etc. as your dream-home to live and work from, then make your offer accordingly.
There are currently three purchasing options. Please note that they are listed in the order of least to most ideal for us and perhaps you as well.
We are in the process of selling 5 acres to a lovely young family. The price is $15K/acre.
If you are also looking for a smaller parcel of land to purchase, we would be happy to offer you that option. This is based on a minimum 3 acre purchase.
We may be able to connect you to a few reputable carpenters to build your home on your land. We are also available to be the point of contact, as part of the crew or someone to connect the dots and even send you progress reports/pictures. Those were all options that were not available to us when we moved here but amazing resources that you now have access to. Our fee is $30/hour.
New updated purchasing options;
The 4 structures & the garden + on 9.8 acres of land. $650K. The replacement value is well over $800,000.
34 acres of mostly forested land. $15k/acre. 3 acre minimum purchase.
Or as the property currently stands. Options 1& 2 combined.
LED strip lighting used throughout the building.
Nearly everything in the main-building is custom-made.
As regards to the interior furnishings, there are perhaps a couple of items that will remain with the house but everything else is for sale individually.
You are welcome to come for a scheduled visit or a stay at our overnight guest-rooms. However please note that, we are a scent, pet & smoke-free environment & we are not set up to accommodate kids.
Our rates are $100/night p/p or $150/night based on double occupancy. Meals are extra.
Kindly note that the property is not for rent or lease & we cannot hold a mortgage, at any rate.
If you love this property but do not quite have the resources, you might consider co-owning it with your friends or relatives.
And finally if this property is too grand for you, we can help you find a more humble property close-by, connect you to local contractors & suppliers etc. We charge a nominal fee of $25/h for this service.
Our understanding is that people are currently buying NB properties for various reasons. Covid security, back-to-land, worries about an apocalyptic event, city real estate market crash, affordability, community, land required to feed the ever-growing population around the globe, as investment, etc.
In the past week alone, we were contacted twice by folks who were frustrated by rising real estate prices in NB and having lost their dream-properties. Our advice to all is, worry less about where or how much, rather when.
If you see a property that you like, go for it because you are not the only ones looking/considering it.
For every day that you delay, another property is sold as the prices will rise. There are only so many lawyers attempting to close these deals. The local townships too is not able to keep-up with the processing the paperwork. All and all it takes 6+ weeks to complete the paperwork.
Purchase your new property today and start your new life.
It's A New Day!
This picture was taken on the last day of snow, first day of our spring.
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