More on Housing

Continuing my topic of creative housing, there is also the option of building my own home. The whole thing doesn’t have to be built by me alone; I can hire sub-contractors to work on the parts that I don’t feel skilled to handle myself. Even if I hired out all of the jobs I can save 10-20 percent off the cost of hiring a contractor to build my house for me. Of course managing the project would be a big job itself.

Alternative building materials can also save money. Straw-bale homes are becoming more and more common in my state. Earthships, bermed homes with earth filled tire walls, are very energy efficient when planned correctly. Other options include adobe, rammed eath, panalized homes, and even domes. Acquiring building permits can be a challenge for these kinds of structures depending on where you live.I am hoping to build my home with SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels). They cost a little more initially but they should have great insulation and can be erected quickly.

My biggest challenge right now is that I want to be involved in the building process but I don’t have the time because of my job. I need the job to qualify for a mortgage. So for now I will just try to save my money and maybe one day I will have enough saved so that I can quit my job and build a house with cash. Wouldn’t that be nice