Top 10 Pros & Cons From Living in a Yurt

I never thought yurt life would be a way of living that I was drawn to and I’ve had a lot of learnings over the course of the last four months.

Truth be told, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and I feel like I just now really settled in here.

And I have to admit, I really, truly love living in a yurt. I never thought I would love it as much as I do.

However, there are some downsides that I’m learning which I will address below, beginning with what I love.

Top 5 Pros of Living in a Yurt

1) It’s an experience I won’t regret

When I decided to move into a yurt one of the biggest reasons was out of curiosity. I had never intended to move into a yurt. In fact, it was probably the last “alternative way of living” I ever thought I’d choose. But something about it spoke to me and I knew even if ultimately I realized it wasn’t for me, I would never regret the experience of it. So far, I really love most of it (except for the cons of course).

2) It’s fun to decorate

Design and decorating are two of my favorite things. I love walking into a new space and figuring out how I want to make it home and although I only had my existing furniture to work with, it’s been a lot of fun decorating a new space in a way that feels like home. Yurts are incredibly beautiful. Their high beam ceilings make it feel spacious, roomy and cozy.

3) It’s peaceful

Honestly, this is probably my favorite part. The early mornings are my favorite. They always have been but I love to make my coffee or tea and curl up on the couch here. The dim light glows in the background and I meditate, journal and usually write for awhile. This is when my heart screams yes! This is it!

4) It’s allowing me to really figure out what I want and who I am

I think a lot of us get pulled into various lives that we think we need to live based on subconscious conditioning. Moving into a yurt was one of the first times I really went against the grain of “normal” living and it feels really good. To be doing something because my heart wants it instead of what “makes sense.” In doing so, I’m learning so much more about myself, my core values, beliefs, and desires.

5) My view

Really, no words suffice. This view is worth every penny I pay to live here. Life can’t always be about the dollar signs. Sometimes it has to be about what makes you feel alive.

Top 5 Cons of Living in a Yurt

1) Flies and Ants and Bugs

I really try not to use the word hate but I really hate flies right now. I probably have about fifty of them in my yurt right now and I’ve tried every natural way to ward them off and now have to resort to “more forceful” means. I already had to use the same force against ants. But I’m not really sure this is just yurt life problems. I think it’s a general farm life issue and since it’s so warm still, I have to keep the doors open right now. I am crossing my fingers that when the weather cools down, the files will chill out.

2) No bathroom in my yurt

We have a communal restroom about one hundred feet from my yurt and right now this doesn’t bug me too much. It’s hot and dry and not an issue to walk a hundred feet to the restroom but I imagine come rainy season, I may be singing a different tune. We are building a private restroom onto my yurt in the near future. Stay tuned!

3) When it’s cold, it’s cold

We are finally transitioning into cooler temperatures here in Northern California and since I basically live in a giant tent, it gets pretty chilly. I do have a couple of space heaters that work well but probably need to invest in one more and maybe some insulated curtains. However, it hasn’t been too big of an issue. On the flip side, I live in a giant tent so when it’s hot, it’s very hot!

4) Noise

Sometimes I forget I live in a tent in a gully of sorts. Conversations echo in both directions. It’s not a huge issue but if you like a lot of privacy when you talk, just be warned that it’s kind of like when you go camping and you can hear the people in the tent next to you talking!

5) Easy to clean, easy to get dirty

Sometimes I feel like I spend most of my day cleaning. It’s been dry and hot so it’s very dusty. On the few days, it’s rained my pets track in the mud with their paws. However, I know this is really no different from the most living situations. The biggest issue is I don’t have any kind of protection over my porch or a place to dry off before coming in my yurt. I’m currently trying to figure out what to do about this. If you have suggestions, send them my way!

As you can see, none of the cons is a real deal-breaker for me. I truly love living here and have been so surprised by how much I love living in my yurt.