I am about two months or less from closing on a piece of land.
Problem: once I close, I will not have much money available to build a house.
It strikes me that there must be a good way to build a house cheaply. If I were in the US, I would probably just buy a doublewide. Here, that’s not an option, so we need to get creative.
The tiny house thing won’t work well for my family for a couple of reasons.
- There are ten of us
- There are ten of us
You could also throw in #3, which is “where would I set up the giant cane mill/rum distillery,” but we’ll worry about that later.
Fortunately, in a group chat with Rachel and my mom early Sunday morning, we did manage to hash out some good ideas.
10/7/18, 7:43 AM – David: We should have land when you arrive. Almost all the paperwork is done. We may not be able to afford building on it, though. Estimates on building a good sized house are way high. Maybe we will set up tipis instead.
10/7/18, 7:45 AM – Rachel: I’m confident we’ll eventually make something work.
10/7/18, 7:46 AM – David:
10/7/18, 7:47 AM – Mom: Or the kind of shelters the Seminoles built.
10/7/18, 7:48 AM – David:
10/7/18, 7:49 AM – Mom: Oh dear no let’s go back 125 years
10/7/18, 7:51 AM – David:
10/7/18, 7:51 AM – David: Interesting. It is called a chickee house.
10/7/18, 7:51 AM – Mom: That’s it
10/7/18, 7:52 AM – Rachel: You guys are cracking me up!
10/7/18, 7:52 AM – David: Just a platform under a roof.
10/7/18, 7:53 AM – Mom: Talk about a simple life (and exposed) I mean where did they put the legos?
10/7/18, 7:54 AM – David: The white man stole all their legos. Kavanaugh oversaw it.
10/7/18, 7:54 AM – Mom: You and the boys could sleep there and build an air conditioned enclosure for Rachel and the girls lol
10/7/18, 7:54 AM – Rachel: Maybe we should build the house out of legos.
10/7/18, 7:55 AM – Rachel: I’ll take that, Mom!
10/7/18, 7:55 AM – Mom: Now you’re talking Rachel
10/7/18, 7:56 AM – David:
10/7/18, 7:56 AM – David: We just need to break down the bare essentials of what we need, then go from there.
10/7/18, 7:57 AM – David: 1. A kitchen
10/7/18, 7:57 AM – David: 2. Restroom/outhouse
10/7/18, 7:57 AM – David: 3. Sleeping area
10/7/18, 7:57 AM – David: 4. Art studio
10/7/18, 7:58 AM – David: 5. Recording studio/concert hall
10/7/18, 7:58 AM – David: 6. Indoor shooting range
10/7/18, 8:00 AM – Mom: If you can get an enclosed building securely built with electric, plumbing seems like you could finish the inside and then build up. Grandpa started with a basement which we lived in a couple of years and then the first Floor and then the second. Praying truly God will prosper your work and help you build.
My Grandpa and my Great-Grandpa both build their own homes. I can do the same – I’m just going to have to be creative about it.
Do you have any ideas on red-necking together a livable home without breaking the bank? Please let me know in the comments.
77 responses to “Ideas for building a cheap house?”
Cinder block?
It’s a very solid option but somewhat expensive.
Shipping containers are a realistic way of putting together a shelter for a fraction of the cost of a regular building. You can start with one or two and add to it as you can afford it. Kinda like giant legos.
I am very tempted. I can get them at a decent price.
I’ll donate legos.
Awesome.
Silly question, perhaps, but are there any sort of building codes to which you are expected to adhere? If so, that is the place to start, as they will dictate the type of structure and materials with which you can work.
Pursuant to that, if you have a lot of clay available, an adobe-style home might fit the bill. Cheap and affordable if you do most of it yourself.
Similarly, you might consider a glass bottle and mud house, assuming you can collect enough bottles cheaply.
Sorry, I botched that second link: glass bottle and mud house.
There’s another solution you have here on your own website.
No – building codes are very lax, fortunately.
First off, I love the Swiss Family Robinson, do it! Around here the practical choice is pole barn with metal sheeting. They are strong, use less framing lumber, easy to construct, and low maintenance (I’ve reused metal sheeting over 50 years old). They are the modern version of your chickee house.
With your exotic woods, you can probably source rot resistant poles locally. As a combined exterior and structural component sheet metal is relatively cheap.
Very good idea. A local guy also told me that was a very good way to build on the cheap.
My thoughts went to shipping containers too. Don’t know how available they are in your part of the world, though.
I can get them, often with crazy logos or some Chinese lettering on the sides.
You could make you own little dystopian society-type property. A la: The Stacks in Ready Player One.
Earth bag home. Sand from the beach, some Quickcreat and the sand bags. Start with one round structure with kitchen and bathroom. Add the bedrooms as you can. Lots of info on the internet. Praying for something good for you and your family.
I’d really like to try that. I would have to buy the sand as mining the beach would get me in trouble, but it could be a really good way to build a recording studio/office space. Lots of solidity to keep it quiet.
Container or Swiss Family Goodman. Either will be a great video series. If you do the container, make sure you have access to a welder or cutting torch for windows and doors.
I can’t back it up , but I once read that Quonset huts are among the cheapest ways to get square footage. You can order any size you need and then blast spray foam over the interior to get insulation. I’ve been seriously considering doing one as a 4k sqft duplex rental property divided into two 2k sqft houses.
I’m with you. I think that’s the best bet!
Good luck with your endeavor. Keep your eyes open everywhere you go. As you ride around be on the lookout for materials to scavenge. Think outside the box. Also, keep an eye on every house you pass. You sometimes find the more creative solutions off the beaten track. If you stumble on something brilliant someone has already done, copy it. You become an instant genius. I am sure you will scrape something together in due time and your marriage will survive. Hang in there.
Pole barn?
https://www.google.com/search?q=live+in+pole+barn&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-ab
Along the lines of earthbag considering the type of soil that seems to predominate where you live wouldn’t cob or rammed earth be an option?
I guess were I in your shoes I’d throw up something quick like shipping container housing & then work on a larger structure as your mother described.
I only know what I’ve read on the Internet (lol) but I’ve gotten very interested in rammed earth construction. Thermal mass sounds good. Essential Craftsman on YouTube discussed the benefits of pole barn construction (I can post the link, it’s the recent “shop expansion” series IIRC), and conex (shipping container) housing seems like a great option if you can get them at a reasonable price; my concern would be moving the darn heavy things into position. Again, no experience on the subject, I’m just a nerd…so take my thoughts with several grains of salt. God bless!
I think a cob house would be the cheapest. Go on YouTube you will find a lot of the cob houses people have built on the cheap or almost free. Praying that you get your land and find a way to make that home.
I like cob – looks like tons of work, though.
Well, I just found your blog- this is going to be good, I can tell.
I’m just over a year away from finishing this log home. I’m on track to meet my budget of $60k for this 3200 sq ft butt & pass log home, made from trees I got for free from neighbors, and pinned together with rebar. I made my own sawmill track, and saved $7k making my own rafters.
It’s a ton of work, but I’m building it debt free with no mortgage. I took a 2 day class from LHBA in Vegas for about $800, and seriously learned everything I need to know. It’s an amazing method.
I expect it’ll be worth close to $500k when I’m done. Not a bad ROI.
I would love to see pics – sounds like an awesome project!
Sorry- I thought I did include a link, Anyway, here you go: https://loghomejourney.wordpress.com/
Earth bricks make a solid, thermodynamically efficient, lasting building component that can be very cheap. With some simple mechanical help enough bricks to build a house can be made by a couple in a few weeks. If your soil is not ideal you would need to augment it with either clay or sand and the addition of a small proportion of cement aids in the strength of the bricks.
I’ve seen such a house in suburbia and it wouldn’t be possible to distinguish it from a conventional house but the cost savings could be very considerable.
They looks really amazing. Getting a machine to compress them seems harder, though. Any good leads?
I bought an old cracker house 20 yrs ago from a house mover. It had been up on the Suwanee (sp?) and the people had it removed so they could build a new home on the property. It is small and outdated, and needed rehab, but it was a worthwhile project for 2 people. I like that I was able to recycle it. Larger houses are less feasible to move, but you might want to investigate something similar.
That is really awesome, Mary – I would love to see photos!
Steve’s Thailand Dome Home
http://steveareen.com/domehome/
Whoa – that is awesome. Thank you.
You could start with an old bus if one is available, even if only for storage while you build. And old boat that doesn’t run (or even float) anymore?
Have you looked into aircrete? There are plans/vidios showing how to build reproducing unit. Houses are quick and inexpensive to build and is waterproof, fireproof, and insect proof. I have not tried it but it is very interesting. https://steemit.com/homesteading/@basicstoliving/building-with-aircrete-cutting-costs-of-building-a-home-and-most-important-being-debt-free
Set up an account on workawsy.info and exchange room and board for work. My daughter has done all over the world and met some interesting people. Think skills are all over the place but don’t think you will find cheaper labor.
Where is it located that building codes are so lax? I just bought some land in Sebastian and will be renovating a 1910 vintage house inside and out. Will look forward to your progress.
By the way, in speaking to a supplier, plywood is 1/2 the price is was in May 2018.
It’s workaway.info.
My undergrad was architecture, unfortunately it was not tropical architecture, but ventilation is your most important issue after keeping the rain out. If you have a good roof that insulates and can get good air flow, then you have a good house. Without good air flow/ ventilation, you have mold and bacteria problems, plus toxic chemicals getting trapped. The shipping container really has vent problems, but could work for a very short time, then as storage (Still will develop mold and bacteria.) I am going to guess wood with metal roof is the best bet. Then there is the bugs, keeping them out or some of them out while letting air in. Catching breezes is pretty important, and skinnier houses do that better. I don’t know much about a courtyard build and breezes, but that gives you more living space that is secure without covering it. I don’t know if you can DIY a skinny house to a courtyard house easily, the roof would probably be the issue. If you can figure out a way to build and add you have half the problem solved. (Of course, there are always blue tarps to cover the ends while you keep building. )
I live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and the city of Tampa has contracted with a developer to build houses on 85 parcels of what would be a low income area. Ten of the parcels are also going to Habitat for Humanity. The neighborhood in general is disappointed that the houses seem to be in the 180-220K range – hardly affordable for the neighbors currently there. Their argument – and it seems valid – is that they are being priced and forced out of their own neighborhood. Their answer, as I see mentioned already – is the use of shipping containers. Several homes have already been built that way in this area and once finished you can’t tell the origin. The price is also definitely more affordable. The containers can be modified as you get the funds but can also be made livable long before you would be able to apply finishing touches – especially if there isn’t the rigid enforcement of what would be onerous building code requirements in your area. They definitely are sturdy given their initial use of exposed sea-borne transport.
I live in St. Thomas which was hit by TWO category five hurricanes a year ago. One of the things I think of is safety! Quonsets, as mentioned earlier, are good for hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fire, and repelling termites. Very inexpensive per s/f. You and your ten can erect in a few days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JYDmFb24F0
Sounds like you’ve left the mainland, as I have. I have returned home. Airflow is much more important here than you know!
Either build with easily gathered materials (palm trees, bamboo) or something disaster proof like a quonset and inexpensive to keep costs down. Sand is becoming a rare commodity and is driving up concrete exponentially. It’s only affordable for the Uber Wealthy here!
I remember a few years ago seeing an article about a man who made houses from trash (recylced material) and some of them were cute. I found these sites that have similar ideas. https://www.criticalcactus.com/beautiful-recycled-homes/
Of course some look like they’re made from trash, but there are some nice ones.
https://www.countryliving.com/home-design/g3122/trash
This is great – thank you.
Earthship build for free out of trash by unpaid volunteers.
Like a huge mound-builder crypt!
I don’t know where you are but here in Nicaragua ‘canterra’ is pretty cheap. Cut stone, $1.25 for a 16×30 inch block.
2 canterra high perimeter wall to be filled in later, with locally harvested Guapinol (termite resistant weather proof) posts and a simple tin roof will keep you dry. Worked for me. Cement is expensive but the sand and gravel are cheap. Easy to work with and fast.
You can do a beautiful combination by using shipping containers, log, and cob. You are a handy man and can have the strength you need with steal containers. Opening them up and extending them with logs, making a cob cooking fire place. Cob walls in some areas log walls in some areas. Steal containers on the four corners. One or two in the middle. You can do it. Even if you have a GoFundMe page. Try to sell your books more. Put together a DVD or memory stick with all of the YouTube videos and sell them. You are knowledgeable and talented. You can do it.
I like the cob and shipping container idea.
David, Have you checked out aircrete? Research “honey do carpenter”. He has taken Domegaia’s basic ideas and done amazing things…including building a building, bread oven for rocket mass heater and more…the man is very creative, and the most expensive component is Portland cement. Aircrete (also called foamcrete) is economical, highly insulative, insect and fire resistant. Cans be sawed and screwed like lumber.great stuff!
Also check out “hypar roof”. Hypar short for hyperparabolic. Also done with concrete, this was a project by a George Nez, a U of Colorado prof (i think I got that right) looking for low cost ways to quickly refugee housing using on hand materials and essentially unskilled labor. Also called “Nez roof” More out of the box thinking.
Best wishes and blessings to you and your family!
Thank you – someone sent me an aircrete video. It looks cool.
You mentioned that a double wide is not feasible, but could you find a couple of cheap used RVs or even heavy duty, expedition base camp or miiltary type tents to use as quick, functional shelter while you build with whatever is the best method for a permanent building based on what materials are most readily available on or around your land and what tools you have or can acquire? It’s hard to make practical suggestions without knowing what is available for free on your land, but some possibilities are, roundwood timber frame, possibly combined with cob, mud, straw bale or cordwood walls. Is the land stony? Is adobe practical? Compressed earth blocks, earth bags?
Also. the climate and terrain you are building on have to be taken into account. How much rain do you get? Is there possibility of flooding?, etc. Basically, I would suggest finding something functional and temporary and then letting the land tell you what is best to build. Whatever it is should be heavily informed by traditional building methods in the area.
Lots of rain, high humidity. We do have bamboo locally but it rots fast in the weather. I can also get rough boards from a sawmill. Concrete/cement is expensive but available. Floods are a problem.
In Belize, people living in areas that flooded during rainy season built their houses up on well anchored posts of rot resistant wood or concrete, above the level of the flood, and traveled by boat during the flood.
Smart design.
What do the local people use? I’d start there since they’ll have some generations of ideas as to what works and what doesn’t. Do people build their own homes with local labor, or hire construction? Ask reliable neighbors who the local go-to guy is.
Board houses are traditional. Basically shacks, painted bright colors, with whatever they could scrounge. Now concrete block is the most common, but they are hot and stuffy.
Yurt.
Lay your foundation perimeter blocks. Build a very large deck. Put several yurts up. Then proceed to build the balance of your permanent home as funds permit. You can reuse the yurts elsewhere wen home is complete of sell them.
I love your idea! Someone here on St. Thomas (USVI) is building some post-hurricanes. I’m going to have to catch up with them.
Cool idea. I will look up yurt-building.
Hey David,
I can help with plans/drawings 40 plus years of building stuff
just sent you an email also
Just wrote you back – thank you!
Do they make Modular homes there? They deliver and put it together. They are built like a house, not a mobile home.
They may. We live a long way out and I haven’t found anything like that yet, but someone may be doing it.
Mike Reynolds from Taos, NM. built homes from recycleables. You could look at pics of some of the houses. Ferrocement is another idea for building.
Yes – I remember watching the “Garbage Warrior” documentary. Some of those projects are really amazing.
Hello David,
I don’t know if you have ever heard of Kirsten Dirksen, but I recommend that you look through some of her videos for ideas.
She does some fantastic work https://www.youtube.com/user/kirstendirksen/videos
Yes – I have seen quite a few of her vids. Good recommendation.
Hey David, I am building a work shop that I plan to live in here in Tennesse. My budget to get it into a usable workshop is $300, then I’ll just need to add insulation and a floor to live in it comfortably. The size is about 12 by 20. Foundation of scavenged local rock and standard mortar, costs around $50. Walls and frame polebarn/pallethouse hybrid- poles from trees on the property at corners, free pallets filling in the rest; costs around $25 for hardware. Walls covered outside with scrap OSB, then plastic, then siding made of pallet boards. Another siding could be used if you are worried about rot, but it is very humid here as well. Free front door from the dump(refinished) or make my own. Roof of scavenged sheet metal, or scraps from the tin company @ $1ish a foot. Free windows from the dump. Loft built with pallets supported by a big pine beam, a free “scrap” from the sawmill.
I love where you are going with your cheap house idea!
Oops I didn’t check the dates-maybe you built a house already
No! Not yet.
Hi David. I saw an article years ago that showed fairly detailed instructions for a diy dome made of either rebar or BAMBOO. I imagine you have access to large tall bamboo. This article was for making a 5/8 dome with a diameter about 75-80% of the length of your 10 longest culms (out of 30 required). It showed examples of bamboo domes that had withstood hurricanes with 75 or 80 mph winds. I couldn’t find the article again, but a similar design is shown in a book called the Domebook 2 https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Domebook_2_1971smaller.pdf (see page 99 of the pdf) , but with much shorter pieces and a lot more lashed joints. The first plan I saw involved marking the 10 longest poles, starting 1′ from the bottom, with red tape, then measure RR to another red mark, RB to a blue tape mark, BB to another blue mark, etc. The longest 10 poles go red, red, blue, blue, red, red, blue, blue, red. Then you lash them together overlapping the small end, lining up the the two blue marks, 2 by 2. Then you lay them out with the BB at the center of each pair forming a pentagon at the center and lash them at the blue marks. They hoisted up these first members using a bamboo as a mast (or 3 as a tripod) and a pully (or block and tackle) and pulled the ends to cross at the red marks below the pentagon to form a star, and continuing to cross again at the second red mark from the bottom, lashing them there. The next 10 would be marked blue (1′ from the bottom), red, red, blue, blue, red, red, blue, and paired up at the smaller end matching blue, red, red, blue together, and then matching those pairs at the middle to the red, red to the red marks below the points of the stars and crossing each other at the red mark above the blue near the bottom. Then the other 10 form the rings around the bottom and the middle, 5 for each. By doing the math according to the bamboo length you have available to figure out how big of a dome you could build, you just calculate the segments RR, BB, and RB (BR) and fill in the blanks.
Very interesting idea – thank you. I forgot about that book.
P.S. The only covering they talked about in the article was palm thatch, or any indigenous method. I would think thatch would work well, if you’re into it. Cob might be a possibility too, or wattle and daub… combination? Hope it gives you something to think about, and that whatever you decide on turns out awesome!
Thanks for all the great info! Keep it coming!
I was looking for something on youtube and this video randomly showed up. It was very interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_vLGL5L6pc