The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of people around the world being confined to their homes and local communities. While most people have found a way to cope with the elongated time spent indoors, many have started to explore rural living, alternative dwellings and eco-friendly housing as a way to transform their lifestyles. As a result, interest in yurt dwellings has skyrocketed as individuals explore what it would really mean to downsize and make the transition to life in the round. 

If you’re considering downsizing and upgrading to a Pacific Yurt, here are a few tips to get you started. 

1) Plan “Yurt” Vision for the Future

First things first, a move into a Pacific Yurt requires diligent planning and preparation. Luckily for the prospective yurt owner, there are a wealth of resources available to prepare you for #yurtlife. ’How to’ videos and self-installation guides, many of which can be found on the Pacific Yurts website, walk through the process of ordering, building, and furnishing a yurt step-by-step. 

In addition to your research, there are a few key questions to ask before you commit to your yurt journey. What will you use your yurt for? How big will it need to be to meet your needs? What kinds of amenities are you hoping to incorporate into your Pacific Yurt? What’s your budget? The answers to these questions will allow you to determine exactly what kind of yurt journey you’re going to be on. 

From there, the process is about figuring out exactly why you want a Pacific Yurt. Is it because you’d like an eco-friendly retreat? Perhaps a studio or work-from-home space? Or even to start a farm or homestead? Whatever your reason, make sure it’s a part of your preparation and goal-setting phase, as it will have a big impact on the Pacific Yurt you choose. 

Have fun planning for your future life in the round! Spend a few hours designing your yurt with Pacific Yurts’ Yurt Builder 3D, which allows you to create your very own customized Pacific Yurt, including upgrades!

2) Consider Your #Yurtlife Lifestyle 

Once you have an understanding of how your yurt will be built, spend some time figuring out the details of the lifestyle you desire while in your Pacific Yurt. On the more rustic side of things, some yurt owners choose to live frugally, indulging in very few additions and luxuries that often accompany suburban or city living. However, some Pacific Yurt owners have created dwellings as big as traditional homes through the combination of multiple yurts or by building onto a single yurt structure. Still others opt for more luxurious living. 

As we know from the many types of Pacific Yurts around the world, yurts can be converted to fit any lifestyle you choose. In the interest of making your transition into yurt life as smooth as possible, it’s important to honestly assess your lifestyle and space expectations. If you’re inclined to build in a full kitchen, bathroom, and other amenities, consider aiming for a larger yurt, possibly as large as 30’. On the other hand, if you’re dedicated to keeping things rustic and as natural as possible, a smaller yurt structure that will be easier to heat and furnish simply may be the better choice. Luckily, Pacific Yurts offers sizes from 12 feet all the way up to 30 feet to ensure you can find the right size to fit your lifestyle preferences.

3) Learn About the Realities of Living in the Round

For many yurt owners, space efficiency is a critical topic, and one that should be assessed in the early stages of yurt preparation. Depending on how you plan to furnish your yurt, you should keep in the mind the key differences of a circular dwelling to a standard home, and the unique opportunities that creating a retreat in the round presents. 

Spend some time from the outset of your preparations studying the details of your Pacific Yurt and setting clear and relevant expectations around how your space might turn out. In addition to that, try to approach your new Pacific Yurt lifestyle with a certain amount of flexibility. Understand that transitioning to life in a yurt is an adventure, and part of that adventure is adjusting to the unexpected that the process will inevitably bring. 

4) Understand Utilities 

It may not be the most entertaining topic, but utilities deserve a significant amount of attention when it comes to planning your yurt life. While the most basic Pacific Yurts do not include built-in utilities, there are thousands of yurts around the world that offer everything from outhouses and hot plates to full bathrooms and six-burner stoves. Be sure to research the possibility of incorporating utilities wherever you want to live, whether it be a mountainside or in your own backyard. Each geographic area tends to have its own set of rules for installing and/or adding new utility lines, and some regions may even have restrictions around what types of water, electricity, or gas can be added into a given plot of land. 

However, all that said, keep in mind the plethora of options available to yurt owners when it comes to utilities in particular. If you find yourself unable to bring government or county-owned pipelines into your yurt, consider making your yurt solar-powered, or even creating your own water entrapment system to generate a clean water supply without having to tap into manufactured resources. 

5) Putting Down Yurt Roots

One of the absolute best parts of yurt life is the opportunity to create a dwelling in a new location. A large percentage of yurt owners choose to shake things up when it comes to deciding where to build their new shelter in the round. The great news is that Pacific Yurts can adapt to almost any geography, land type, or weather pattern, so selecting a location for your new yurt comes down to personal preference. 

The setting you choose will have a significant impact on the types of amenities, add-ons, and adaptations you’ll want to make to your Pacific Yurt. For example, if you opt to build your yurt in the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest, you’ll likely want to add our insulation layer for the winter, or upgrade to an operable dome at the top of your yurt, to provide easy ventilation. If you hope to live in the high desert or a dry, alpine environment, you’ll probably opt for a screen door, fan support or tinted dome. When it comes to modifying your Pacific Yurt to fit your preferred setting, the options abound, but it’s important to think carefully about where you’d like to set your roots as a new Pacific Yurt owner. 

Get Help Planning for Your Pacific Yurt

Now that you know the steps for planning your yurt, visit our website to explore the gallery, check out the Yurt 3D Builder, and start to visualize all aspects of your new yurt. Have questions? Contact us today! Our team is on hand to help you every step of the way.

Click here to download the infographic.