Natural and Affordable Housing

February 07, 2017

Natural and Affordable Housing

I'm not sure about other cultures, but for most people in the US, 1/3 to 1/2 of their income, is dedicated to the roof over their heads; this translates to 15 years of working over your lifetime just to pay for it, and because of it 76% of us are living paycheck to paycheck. -The Tiny Life

Are you looking for affordable housing? Do you want a place to call your own, but don't have the 100, 200, $300, 000 to spend on a home? Or perhaps you have simple needs and would rather put money toward family, education, medical expenses or even travel. Here are a few ideas for building a home that is not only relatively inexpensive, but also clean and natural. Just make sure to familiarize yourself with local zoning and coding standards.

Tiny house: Tiny houses are growing in popularity for all of the reasons above. They average from 100 to 400 square feet and $35,000 to build. So much more reasonable!

Straw Bail House: The average cost of building a straw bale house is $20,000. It is considered "brown" building because it is natural. They are fast, easy and locally available in many places.

Yert House: Yurts have been around for thousands of years and originated in Mongolia. They are circular structures that have a wide-open interior, however walls can easily be built. Their cost varies depending on the buyer/builders preferences, and ranges from $1,500-$30,000.

Earthship: The most magical of natural building selections. An earthship is primarily made out of, you guessed it, earth. They are designed to be completely sustainable to an "off-grid" extent, with an independent electrical and water system, a greenhouse in the front and passive heating and cooling. They cost roughly $10,000-$50,000 to build.

Choosing a simpler, natural building design can give you the opportunity to spend your time and money on things that are of more value to you. They can greatly reduce the stress of home-ownership or renting and can bring you closer to what nature intended. Doesn't that sound nice?

Sources and resources:

http://www.hgtv.com/shows/tiny-house-big-living/15-lessons-from-tiny-house-living-pictures

http://thetinylife.com/what-is-the-tiny-house-movement/

http://pajaconstruction.com/advantages-and-challenges-of-straw-bale-construction/

http://livingearthstructures.com/blog/building-materials-going-brown

https://thebillfold.com/why-live-in-a-yurt-and-how-much-does-it-cost-a-conversation-with-melissa-fletcher-5abba1e268f9#.b6h6526ae

http://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/outbuildings/build-a-yurt/

http://www.juicymaters.com/2011/02/5-reasons-to-avoid-yurt-living-at-all-costs/

http://earthship.com/a-look-at-the-models-of-earthships