Based on the current project plan the estimated total budget for the first phase, encompassing the first year, is about US $30,000. This includes:

• Labor for 2-3 helpers, each 30 hours per week at $8 per hour and includes room & board.
• Consulting and help from an experienced carpenter, plumber and heating professional on an as needed basis for $30 per hour for consulting, $35 for carpentry and $55 for plumbing.
• The big ticket items (US $500 or above) are:
  • Redesign of the front yard, consisting of adding an attached porch/greenhouse, producing some solar electricity, renewing the sidewalk and driveway, removal of some trees and bushes, repairing the sewage pipe and costs for plants, materials, landscaping and needed tools.
  • A water tank.
  • Adding a back porch.
  • A cob bench in the front yard.
  • Replacement of the existing deck.
  • Increasing the food growing area by 100%.
  • Main footpath with artistic design.
  • House siding and window trim refinishing.
• Permits

For some of the project tasks we do not have yet any bid from contractors. As we plan to do a lot of the work ourselves, costs might be significantly lower or, if much more labor is needed than expected, could be higher. We plan to not go over the budget, but instead discontinue implementation if we run over, accumulate more funds and resume implementation. This will require an ongoing monitoring of our project related bills, received as well as outstanding ones. Using a separate accounting system and checking account should make this possible. As we have already established bookkeeping systems for our own businesses, this will not be too hard to accomplish. For the future phases (2-4) we want to have funds available before we start implementation.

We have decided to provide a loan of up to the estimated total costs for the first phase. The other phases will be started when funds designated to this project have accumulated. For repayment of the loan and for future funds accumulation we are using the following strategies:

• We will use the big-ticket item reserve to which we have been contributing on a monthly basis and also double our monthly contribution until the loan is paid off.
• Berta has joined a gift circle and sponsored one other participant. Half of the gifts received for the sponsored participant will be used for this project after repaying the original gift amount contributed and sponsoring another person.
• Starting in 2008 we will contribute 10% of the revenue from future classes held on our property to repay the loan.
• For the next phases, specially the additional outbuilding, we will research grant and other external funding options.
• If necessary we can reduce costs significantly by implementing less this year and doing more of the labor ourselves, which would take longer.
• We can reduce the total costs by making certain changes to the plan: As the rain water catchment system as a whole is not ready for implementation and the most likely locations are not in the front yard, we could leave it out for a later phase. We could decide to either not realize the attached greenhouse this year, as we need to apply for a code variance, which will take at least 2 months and is not sure to be granted, or change the design to a bay window. We could decide to postpone the cob-bench. Another option is to reduce the size of the solar system and/or take advantage of all the available tax credits.