A cross-country move for a dream home and property
The Paquettes - Sweetwater, TN
By Farima F.September 12, 20243 min read
Angela and Robert Paquette ran their homestead on an acre of land in Arizona for eight years, but they were looking for a change. See how their cross-country journey in an RV led to them buying their dream land and Clayton home in Tennessee.
For the Paquettes, the desert climate in Arizona came with the challenges of drought and extreme heat. They wanted to fulfill their passion for gardening and living a more sustainable, fulfilling lifestyle, so they set out to move somewhere greener where they could have more land while also downsizing their home.
“We had a luxury home, but we knew we wanted to downsize,” Robert said. “Bigger homes have more maintenance, and that factor was one of many that played into [our move]”.
So, Angela and Robert sold their home in Arizona and drove their RV across the country, not knowing where they’d end up. They researched several places along the way and took their time there to see if each spot was a good fit.
“When we got to Tennessee, we realized that was the place for us,” Angela said.
They were looking for a place where they could take everything they learned from their homesteading experience and apply it to a ranch in a more suitable climate. Tennessee checked all the boxes. And once they found the perfect piece of land for them, it was time to find their perfect home to match.
“Location was the most important part of finding a new home,” Robert said. “We were not looking at getting a fixer-upper or a ranch that already existed.”
They were determined to build their home on their land from the ground up, but the process was far from simple. With the builders they talked to booked for two years and the price for a kit home soaring, they were faced with delays and challenges.
