What does your dream house
look like? Is it covered in solar panels? Surrounded by plants? Flooded
with light? Maybe it's all about location--tucked into the forest or
perched on the coastline. For many people, dream houses remain dreams,
but not for individuals profiled below. We've rounded up six people who
refused to accept the fact that a comfortable, eco-friendly home has to
cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rather than wait the years it
would take to afford a traditionally-built home, these enterprising
folks took matters into their own hands, building amazing yet efficient homes for $20,000 or less! Read on to find out how they did it.
Tiny House Family
In most traditional homes, we end up paying for space we don’t really
use. Sure a guest bedroom, office, den, and two car garage sound great,
but is it really worth the three times a year we utilize these spaces
to their fullest? For the
Tiny House Family,
wasted space wasn’t an option. Hari, Karl and their son and daughter’s
small living adventure began when the sour economy caused their
award-winning restaurant in Florida to close. Knowing they needed to
save money, but still wanting to live mortgage-free, they bought a
parcel of land in the Blue Ridge Mountains and built a 320 sq. foot new
home using salvaged materials for just $12,000.
See pics!
LaMar Alexander
Homesteader and author
LaMar Alexander lives
in a tiny, self-sufficient 400 square foot cabin that he built himself
for under $2,000! Powered by a 580-watt solar system and a 400-watt wind
power system, this cute little cabin includes a rainwater and gray
water harvesting system, a solar composting toilet, propane-heated
shower, and sleeping space for up to six people. Better yet, he’s
authored a series of e-books so that other people can build their own
off-grid cabin.
See pics!
Macy Miller
Idaho architect
Macy Miller dreamed
of owning her own home, but preferred to avoid the 30-year mortgage.
Rather than fork over a ton of money to a contractor, Miller decided to
design and built her own dream home. The result is a tiny 196
square-foot home built on the bed of a 24-foot long, 8-foot wide flatbed
trailer for maximum mobility. It features a composting toilet, a
recycled, 4-burner, small oven and gas stove, under floor electric
radiant heat system, and siding repurposed from old wood pallets. Final
cost? It’s still a work in progress, but Miller says she’s on track to
meet her $12,000 goal.
See pics!
Steve Areen
Hold on to your hats Hobbit lovers! After a long career as a flight
attendant for Delta Airlines, Steve Areen (pictured at top) decided to
settle down in Thailand. Rather than buy a house, he decided to build
his own and the results are magical! The main section of the house is a
perfect sphere, which sparked the nickname “Dome House.” Built entirely
by Areen and two helpers, the home was constructed in just six
weeks using
locally-made concrete bricks. The bedroom dome is capped with a
beautiful grass roof and
the bathroom, like an atrium, is filled with plants and completed with
subtle touches such as a bamboo faucet that funnels water into a
beautiful bowl – like cupped Buddha hands. Total cost? $8,000.
See pics!
Rural Studios
Housing that is both high quality and affordable can be hard to come
by in rural areas. That’s why students from Auburn University are
working with Rural Studios to launch a line of attractive homes that can
be built for just $20,000! The studio has already built 12 houses, the
last of which featured
passive heating and a safe-room in the shower, which proved to be necessary after 23 people died in the devastating Moore tornado in 2013.
Derek “Deek” Diedricksen
Derek Diedricksen is a well-known designer of tiny houses, and his
work has been featured and duplicated all over the world. One of his
most recent creations was this Gypsy Junker micro cabin. The dwelling
was built for Diedricksen’s Tiny Yellow House program, and was created
out of
reclaimed materials that
he found one piece at a time. Inside, there’s a platform bed that can
double as a desk, three windows provide ample natural light and a Dutch
door made from used kitchen cabinet doors, and a colorful window
treatemtn made from spent wine bottles. Diedricksen priced the 32-square
foot cabin at a cool $1,200.
See pics!
Source: http://inhabitat.com
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