Bedrooms

[Mojo]

I'll do that! Especially if its a basement in a house built on a hill with one of its walls exposed to the south. Front entrance on the north or east side main level, deck on the south and east sides, and doors and windows for the basement on the south side. Pretty ideal if you ask me.

Now that sounds perfect!
For those who don't know, a basement like this is essentially the footprint of the entire upper house, but with virtually no walls. Imagine just 1200 square feet of open space and that's a pretty big space for a sister wife to take up residence! The larger the ground level house, the larger the basement. Maybe the SWs live upstairs and the basement becomes the Patriarchal Palace....er man cave.

 

[IshChayil]

Can I just say that living with this guy can be terrifying at times. Like when he was thinking laterally and decided we should all live in a house bus, or in a shipping container, or with a compost toilet... Oh wait, we actually did that one. It's wonderful living with a guy that thinks and also very worrying at times.
Silver Fox, like Samuel said, there are various options when you open your mind to them. I've lived though a few experiments, some that worked and some that didn't. You can always try something and if it doesn't work, change it. Get all three of you working on the garage and I bet it could be done super fast if needed. Just be prepared to be flexible, that's all.

Regarding your hubby's travel container ideas...
Check this out. Fox news areticle on travel container based homes for vets in the states:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/06/0...-built-from-recycled-shipping-containers.html

 

[IshChayil]

Now that sounds perfect!
For those who don't know, a basement like this is essentially the footprint of the entire upper house, but with virtually no walls. Imagine just 1200 square feet of open space and that's a pretty big space for a sister wife to take up residence! The larger the ground level house, the larger the basement. Maybe the SWs live upstairs and the basement becomes the Patriarchal Palace....er man cave.

BTW I agree a basement can be awesome... I do, however, want to echo @ZecAustin 's concern you do need to keep it in mind. At our old location, when I was courting 2nd wife, and I indicated she could have the room downstairs (our old location), and 1st wife and I would have 2 separate rooms upstairs (baby with her), even though the room downstairs was really the best room in the house (near kitchen for late night snacks, near living area, had it's own bathroom etc, cooler in the heat of the day) it hurt potential wife #2 feelings.
She's a trooper too, but she felt like she was being separated on a different floor than the rest of the family (upstairs).

I think the basement thing can be great, and as a man I see that as the best room I wanna be in a basement like that! Hello, Man cave!
Just make sure you pitch it right to the sister wife because she may not see it the same way you do. It may be if you give her a choice of living in a big closet near everyone else vs isolated in the basement she'll opt for closet (personality pending). As long as she feels it's her choice I think she'll flourish.

In my case it was a duh moment on my part which I could have avoided had I known about Biblical Families http://biblicalfamilies.org/

 

[FollowingHim2]

Regarding your hubby's travel container ideas...
Check this out. Fox news areticle on travel container based homes for vets in the states:

Thanks. We've looked at all sorts of different ideas, and actually had a plan - ish - of our own. We ended up buying this house as it was perfect for us. It's ex military accommodation and we shifted the whole house onto the farm. It was going cheap as we had to move it too. Came with a garage and shed as well which was fantastic.
Sometimes we can plan all sorts of alternative ideas and ways that we think we should be going, then YHWH throws something at us that is absolutely perfect that we never thought we'd do. His plans are always the best ones.

 

[FollowingHim2]

In NZ we don't really have basements, but I've seen some of the ones you guys have over there in the USA and they are pretty amazing. You could do some awesome stuff with that!

 

[IshChayil]

Thanks. We've looked at all sorts of different ideas, and actually had a plan - ish - of our own. We ended up buying this house as it was perfect for us. It's ex military accommodation and we shifted the whole house onto the farm. It was going cheap as we had to move it too. Came with a garage and shed as well which was fantastic.
Sometimes we can plan all sorts of alternative ideas and ways that we think we should be going, then YHWH throws something at us that is absolutely perfect that we never thought we'd do. His plans are always the best ones.

Oh awesome, yes even better.
Yes, sometimes I think He lets us plan just so we are distracted and don't jump on the wrong thing... so we are ready for what He has for us WHEN He provides it.

Not all states in the US have basements. It really depends on the area. When I lived in California nobody had basements, just big garages. ALthough California is larger than most countries so it may be different in a different area.

 

[The Revolting Man]

Basements are rarer here in the southeast. Which is strange because of how hot it is but there you go. We're a proud, stubborn people here in Appalachia and it may be that basements smack of northern aggression.

 

[Lili]

My family recently relocated to a 5 bed 3.5 bath with a master downstairs and all other bedrooms upstairs, and it has been really good for us. First Wife took the master, which has its own bath. Second Wife took a room near the landing, which is next to the hall bath, and I took a room at the other end of the hallway, which also has its own bath. So our bedrooms are separated, and we don't share a bathroom.

In our previous house (a 3 bed 2 bath), we were piled on top of each other. My room and Second Wife's room shared a wall, and our doors were maybe a foot and a half away from First Wife's master. It invited a lot of problems because we couldn't get away from each other, not for time alone as individuals or with our husband. I know people don't talk about it a lot, but the last thing you want when you're having a sad day in plural marriage is hearing your husband spend "private time" with a sister wife. In addition to that, the master bath had problems, so we shared a single bath.

I guess every family will have a different issue as far as housing is concerned, but it doesn't have to be hard to find something that works for everyone. We lucked into our current home, but it wasn't super hard to find a house that allowed each of us our privacy and comfort.

 

[NetWatchR]

I'm hearing another vote for my 15/15 Chateau style.

 

[Joleneakamama]

Have thought about this often.

One roof, but with distinct spaces for each spouse seems the way to go for us.

A basement would be awesome (if those are an option in your area).

Our old house has a full basement, and it is delightfully cool in the summer. My hubby talks frequently of fixing up a huge room down there for a new master bedroom and bath.

I'll do that! Especially if its a basement in a house built on a hill with one of its walls exposed to the south. Front entrance on the north or east side main level, deck on the south and east sides, and doors and windows for the basement on the south side. Pretty ideal if you ask me.

I agree this would be ideal! Our basement has no windows, and I would hesitate to give up the view from my current room, that let's me look out at the apple orchard, and the sheep. I love watching lambs frisking about. Walls cannot compete with that!

 

[NetWatchR]

Walls cannot compete with that!

true, but imagine having HD cameras around the exterior of the house and a LED TV framed on the wall. You can change your view at the touch of a button. Not the same, but close?

They're called virtual windows.

 

[FollowingHim2]

Oh my gosh, the fish! Ha ha ha!

 

[aineo]

I could really use those virtual windows in my office.

 

[mystic]

One issue with basements is radon, a carcinogenic gas which occurs naturally underground and can seep in and accumulate. I believe we sense the danger and that it's one reason basements aren't always places one would wish to linger, let alone reside (and why walk-out basements are prized over others).

Sorry to bear bad news.

Basements are rarer [...] in Appalachia

The above-linked article says Appalachia has some of the highest radon hazard in the US.

Oubliette

Heh, my feeling as well. Tried to find a good clip from Labyrinth to link to, but it's hard to beat the news story about the discovery of what's believed to be an actual medieval oubliette beneath Nottingham's Shire Hall. (Given the clip's ominous opening footage of chains and ever-deeper dungeon staircases, the subsequent line "We were taking up the floor to make this a new visitor attraction" just cracks me up.)