There are many cost effective and low impact homes which can either be built or acquired in some way. There are a few different choices depending on your economic level, there are even some ways to get a home for free using a little resourcefulness.
I will be outlining a few cost effective methods that can be used as alternatives if you can not afford to have a home built.
One method I found is Earthbag housing:
Earthbag homes are reasonably cheap to build. I found that an earthbag home can be built for around $1000 per 500sqft. This is just for the building material alone, not counting tools and manpower hours or things like electric wiring/solar wiring/ plumbing. The premise is to use polypropylene bags to use as a sort of brick to build your walls. This method of building may sound crude but it is actually extremely safe, a great insulator, and is a great filter for pollutants. It is also waterproof, fireproof, earthquake proof, even bulletproof. There are many plans online for sale and even some for free so you can build your own home easily. Polypropylene bags can be found in either long continuous rolls you can snake around to build your walls, or individual bags you can use as a sort of brick to build your walls. The building has wooden frames used for doors and windows, as well as the roof being built out of wood. When the structure is complete it is then stuccoed and can look really amazing and unique. You can build a relatively cheap, bare-bones structure around 800sqft for around $1500. With things like solar or plumbing however, it can increase drastically so for a cost effective alternative I suggest an outhouse and slowly build a solar array as you can in conjunction with generators if needed.
A second technique I found is purchasing a shipping container and remodeling it as a home:
Depending on where you are located, a shipping container can cost anywhere from $500-$5000. Often places such as large truck lots sell these cheaply or give them away if you haul it away. These containers can range in size but are usually large enough for a small, comfortable structure. Once you have the shipping container it is reasonably cheap to install windows, doors, then install electrical wiring, plumbing, and make sure it is properly insulated.
Another alternative method is building a home using pallets, a pallet home:
Pallets are a cheap source of lumber which can often times be acquired for free. Often places such as grocery stores, or large truck lots and warehouses are overstocked with pallets and leave them for people to pick up and haul away for free. This lumber can then be repurposed and used to build a reasonably sized shelter. The cost for building a home like this can be as low as $100, the savings that are obtained from the material cost can be used to upgrade the home to make it more comfortable. Pallet homes can be built ontop of trailer frames and be towed around, so it can be a project you can work on slowly as time goes by.
Another reasonably cheap method is obtaining an RV/Mobile home/Trailer:
An RV can usually be bought used cheaply, or also pricey depending on how much your budget is. A small 5th wheel can be purchased as low as $500 for a simple model. Often in trailer parks they renovate and add newer units, at this time they attempt to sell their older trailers for a cheap price to make a quick sale but often they let people take them for free as long as they can haul them off the property. These homes are easy to renovate and often come ready to move in.
The final method I will advise on is strawbale homes:
Strawbale homes are build using strawbales with a wooden frame. They are then stuccoed or use modern techniques to finish the walls from the inside and outside. It is a reasonably cheap method since strawbales are often very cheap or free if you live in certain areas and can haul them away.
These methods are just a few from a plethora of alternative techniques and methods for getting a comfortable home in a cost effective way.
I will be using most of these methods to experiment on what the easiest and most beneficial way will be to make homesteads for others. I will need help and will be offering land in trade with helping build a few of these on different sites.
If anyone has experience in any of these alternative building methods, or any methods I haven't mentioned here, please contact me at shamashazazelsaturn@gmail.com
In the next update I will be discussing the third part of the blueprint which will be developing farmland and a garden. I will outline what needs to occur so you can use your property to grow food to help you stay self sustaining. With these three parts you can cheaply live off-grid and start working on personal projects and not focus so directly with the working world. You will still be able to make money while money is needed, just using alternative techniques which will be more rewarding in the end.
Again, if you are reading this you were meant to find this.
Find the others.
-Shamash
