Читать книгу The Self-Sufficiency Handbook - Alan Bridgewater - Страница 11

If you are a bit low on capital, or you dream of a large setup that requires a larger workforce, consider the option of going in with friends or family—sort of like starting your own mini-commune. Of course, much depends on your own situation and circumstances, but let’s consider an example: you are part of an average couple and are short on funds, and your parents or your partner’s parents would like to contribute to the costs for a share of the land and responsibilities.

This is a very common scenario, and while it is not right for everyone, there are many advantages. Older people generally have more life experience, more money, more free time, and so on. In addition, many tasks are much easier if there are more than two pairs of hands.

Going in with friends can be more complicated. Experience tells me that it is always best to start such an arrangement by building in an escape route so that dissatisfied members of the group can pull out. It is best to draw up a legal agreement with the help of a lawyer.

Here are some more considerations:

• You might need your family’s or friends’ help with money, but can you work and live together?

• When going in with family or friends, you will all have to make compromises and you will all need to have your own areas of responsibility. At the same time, the group should designate someone as a leader and agree on the terms of his or her leadership.

• Look for a property with plenty of living space so that everyone can have privacy when they need it. One example is to find land with multiple houses so that each couple or family can have a separate house.

• When drawing up your initial agreement, consider all of the possibilities. What happens if one party wants to leave and pull his or her financial support? What if one of the members becomes ill or disabled or dies? If you need to sell the property, how will you handle it?