Capital

Tools, furniture, kitchen-ware, refrigerator, fire extinguishers (and other fire safety stuff), generator (back-up power), farming equipment, laundry machines? dishwashers?

Electricity
water: The source of water depends very much on where we end up. If the property is in a very dry area, we will have to form a plan for dealing. If it is in a very wet area, we will also have to deal (i.e. being prepared for much of the property to flood every year in some places) We should figure out exactly how much water we will need. (drinking (remembering that we will be doing physical labor), washing, animals, and watering the garden and fields, as well as periodic and non-predictable things like droughts and fires )(emp)
heat (gas? coal? wood? solar?)

Desireables

Web

(MCS)

Web? Yes. This goes along with internet connectivity, which I think is necessary, even if it's only via a dial-in service. Sooner or later, it would probably be more cost-effective to provide our own computing power, and to simply get one high-bandwith connection to the outside world. The internet is recreational, but, as I've been finding more and more, of late, it's becoming a highly efficient way of getting all sorts of information, and of doing business. It's often cheaper and/or more convenient than paper representations of the information.(ejpm)(2/29/96)

(MCS)

TV? Errrm. TV is evil, in general. I think a house TV (or two) could be useful -- educational programs, artful cinema, even just the evening news. But the general quality of television has dropped like a rock; it would be a disservice to one's self and to the community to watch very much of the drivel coming over the airwaves.(ejpm)(2/29/96)

Radio

(MCS)

Radio? Yes. Music, music, everywhere! :-)(ejpm)(2/29/96)

Transport:

How near to airport/train/helipad? Communally owned cars? How many? Do we rent from owners, or does corporation own them?(MCS)

Road, plumbing/sewage, storage, vehicle shelter, barn, phone lines/satellite dish, waste disposal (septic tank?) (what do we do with non-organic garbage?)(MCS)

Pulling together the capital to purchase a large chunk of land which is high enough quality to farm at a more-than-subsistance level but which is not so far out in the boonies that you have difficulty attracting enough folks to make it viable is likely to be the biggest initial challenge..(Bill Sommerfeld)

Recurring costs for capital maintainance may also be big issue: what do you do when you need a new roof? (this is near and, umm, dear to me, having just priced one. oof. $9K to "do it right" on a fairly small house. I can afford it, but it will hurt). (Bill Sommerfeld)

Capital

Necessities that are part of our initial outlay:

Necessities which can be imports or produced:

Desireables

Transport:

Non-house infrastructure:

Land

Maintenance