Has anyone built their own house?

[TanksHill]

Hi Karen, glad to see you around. Pleas let us know how your building adventure progresses. I would love to see pics of the infamous green house. The solar on our barn will be a hot topic around here as well. Can't wait. G

 

[big brown horse]

Honestly, the kids are so hard on this old trailer, that I'm not sure I want my "house" until the kids are grown and out. Have you had your kids pick the paneling off yet and make a "campfire" in their bedroom? (you betcha, spankings all around! they even had a box of matches in their room!!!)

Sorry, this one made me pee my pants!!

 

[big brown horse]

Hi Karenleaf!

We live in a modular home but plan on building. I would be happy by myself in a yurt and leave the kids etc. in the mod home.

The thing about old mod homes like mine, is they look like a trailer. And don't EVEN think about plotting that bank robery, because the walls are tissue paper thin and the doors are too. We have a basement of sorts, but we call it the Blair Witch, just a place to store garden things. (I signed a strict contract NOT to jump out from the basemet and scare 'em when it is dark and another one to NOT scare 'em in the wood shed at night either! What a baby!)

Now the new mod homes they are making are fabulous! Ive seen some EXTRA GREEN ones being advertised in my domino mags and such. You can almost live off the grid. Very cool. I would consider those only.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I would love to see someone on here build a straw bale/cob house! Cheap building materials and leaves itself open to much self design features....not to mention very, very green! Cool in the summer, warm in the winter.......

I looked on the net a little bit about this type of construction, and it seems to be something that works in dry climates. Here in SE Kansas we have high humidity. Will it work here?

Well, if you look further you will find pics of 500 year old cob homes in merry ol' England....and these have thatched roofs!

Cob over hay bales insures the hay is sealed to outside weather. A good overhang on the roof lines is also a plus, as it is with any house.

We looked into straw bale before we bought the trailer we're in now. Decided (after knowing our kids only a few years) that it would not be good to spend that much time & effort on somehting the kids might half destroy before they grow up & move out. The only major problem with building with straw bales in a humid climate is keeping the straw bales dry until they are covered with cob. Once they are covered with cob, they are all good. Another building material that doesn't get enough props IMHO is rammed earth, both wood formed & rammed tire.

 

[karanleaf]

Thanks Gang for the warm welcome

We have study on this Straw Bale Home idea for a long time and have even looked at one that was being built an a joining county. And believe it's the best option, for our climate, our budget, and our sense of self sustaining life style.

Here are a few photos of the greenhouse during construction and this last winter

Inside about the middle of March

Again inside the end of April

May just before we opened

Sorry for the load of photos I really love my Greenhouse DH did such a great job on it he designed it, bent hoops, framed and built it from the ground up.

Karan

 

[big brown horse]

WOW! That is nicer than my real house!

 

[Beekissed]

Those were grand pics! I'm with BBH, nicer than some homes and neat as a pin!

So, Karenleaf....when will you start strawbale construction and, most importantly, will you show a series of pics for us poor devils who only wish they could do that?

 

[karanleaf]

Thanks so much I am very proud of it, and very very proud of the hard work DH has done.

I know he will put that much love and pride in our home as well.

You bet i will journal the whole project and show how we are progressing.

Karan

 

[blueskylen]

In 2000 we started bulding on some land that we bought off of my parents. we started with a 24 x 48 garage that we built by having someone with a portable sawmill come and cut some boards from hemlock trees on the proberty. my husband, mom, and I worked hard building it, and it turned out quite nicely. We then ordered a log home from Old Timers Log homes, and as my husband had never layed blocks, hired a local guy ( which my husband helped ) build the basement, which I then rocked the outer block walls. When the log home arrived, we had a contractor dry it in and put the drywall up. After that, we did the rest of the work ourselves - painting,tiling,etc. my husband built all of the cabinets for the kitchen and baths. I had gone to an auction and bought 4000 sq ft of oak flooring for .50 per foot, which we laid in all of the rooms, but the baths. we worked very hard for an entire year before moving in, but we are so proud of what we accomplished!. i had plenty of time to scrounge at all of the discount building supplies, reused item shops, etc. and we probably saved half of what having the house completed by the contractor would have cost.

we also are still married and love each other !

 

[elijahboy]

i am going very unconventional and considering biulding a home using shipping containers
they are hurricane proof waterproof and airtight
you can purchase one for 1500.00 but the shipping to get it to your sight cost hundreds
i am going to need 6 so i will also have to hire someone with a crane to stack them
there are some really nice designs this is one awesome design

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/container_house5.jpg

thats not the design i have in mind but thats just an example

for 9,000 i can have a solid structure and im sure the cost of bricks is more than that for a 3,000 sq ft house