New membership proposal

Separating the chateau from the communal ownership
The new proposal to reduce prices involves offering the ownership of most of the land to the community and retaining the chateau ownership myself. This brings down the cost of joining considerably.

The chateau would still be fully integrated to the activities of the community and run as a joint concern, offering the workshops that are run by community members as well as its products and services etc. The accommodation in the chateau barns could also be utilized by reciprocal arrangement for communal workspace and activities as originally planned and the chateau may be able to offer employment to community members as needs arise and by mutual agreement.

Sizes of homes
The other change to the proposal for community shareholding is to buy a right to build a certain size of home.  This takes into account the different needs for space and budget of each family/person/couple.

Design & number of homes
As per the original plans, the design and layout of homes will be agreed and decided upon by each group of individuals or families as they join and are ready to build together.  Smaller homes can be built ‘terraced-style’ in order to save on building costs. There will eventually be approximately 24 homes of different sizes from 50sq.m. upwards and it is envisaged that these will be built as membership grows gradually over time.

Communal fund
In addition, each adult will contribute approximately €15,000 to a communal fund which will pay for the set up costs of the community, the land modifications, agriculture, energy & services, shared facilities and ‘yurt village’ & campsite.  This amount will be included in the purchase price and will be managed by the community. Ultimately, it is anticipated that there will be approximately 38 adults joining, in which case, there would be €570,000 in the communal fund which will be available in stages as people join. This should mean that we have adequate resources to implement most of the plans to set up a self-sufficient community and thriving business to provide a means of income for the members and an excellent facility for teaching others. 

The first step – the yurt village
My suggestion is to build a ‘yurt village’ at the outset to house members while they are building their homes.  These yurts would then become the holiday accommodation for guests.  The cost of this will come from the initial communal fund described above.  Included in this plan is the setting up of one or two large yurts to house all communal activities in the first instance.  As the project develops, we will be able to build more communal spaces as required.  Apart from yurts, there are other forms of accommodation that could be purchased such as  roulottes but these are more expensive than yurts (prices start from €11,000).  They come fully equipped and may be a solution for those who prefer not to build their home immediately: click here and/or click here)

Update for the community business
This element of the community will be discussed in more depth in the planned meetings here.
So far, not all those interested in joining Eco Chateau are interested in participating in the running of the business – probably around 50% will need to generate an income from the community business and I am confident that the project will be able to generate enough income for these members.  We can be fully booked for 8 weeks in the summer from the outset. The mid-season period will take a little longer to promote. Eventually, the yurt village could accommodate 60 people (you can get an idea of income from this with a bit of research) with 18+ people in the chateau. The income for workshops, goods and services will be additional as will meals and other activities. As we grow, the number of members who will need an income from the business will also grow as will the amount of income generated, with the addition of more skills and a greater input of energy. 

Another activity suggested by the local mayor will be to contract with schools to provide workshops and work experience in a range of ‘eco’ activities/skills.

Special joining agreement if you have building or related skills
If you are interested in joining and you have building and/or eco-building skills and/or other applicable practical expertise you will be able to apply for a special agreement which will involve paying a small deposit and purchasing your share over time.  We will need several experienced people to build ‘turnkey’ homes for the members who do not wish to build their own home (there are several interested in the ‘turnkey’ option). This may also include a postponement or partial postponement of the communal fund. Availability of this option will depend on how many people join at each stage and the corresponding need for skilled help.

Insufficient funds to join?  This would involve paying for part of your share over an agreed period of time. We are aware that many younger people may lack sufficient funds to join despite the price reduction and it is vital for the community that we have young(ish) people and young families here for reasons that are obvious.  If you are in this age group, please send an email with your expression of interest stating this clearly at the top of the form as well as how much you will be able to afford to pay initially. Please also indicate how you would plan to pay for your share over time.  There is absolutely no guarantee at this stage that we will be able to offer this option to anyone as it depends on how many people are able to buy a full share outright and whether we receive other forms of funding support.

What other costs will there be over and above the joining and home building costs? Apart from cost of joining and building your home, it will be important for everyone to have sufficient money to live here for at least a year, even on a low income, as the community cannot anticipate much income in the first year.