Cash, that most basic element of our economy, can be in abysmally short supply for new young families scraping by on marginal jobs.
Sustainable housebuilding may not be foremost in their minds.
But one young couple in Wales managing on an annual income of just $10,000 went ahead and built their own cheap home anyway, sustainably, mostly out of materials from “a rubbish pile somewhere.”
They had wanted to spend as much time as possible at home while their two children were young. Their nearby woodlands ecological management work would have been impractical if they were paying a mortgage.
So they enlisted some help from family, and sometimes just from people passing by, and from any of their friends who stopped by to visit:
The result was their very low impact homemade house. A hand built unique setting for a charmed life for their two young toddlers. I’ll bet they’ll remember this first home for the rest of their lives.
Four months of hard work and they were all 4 moved in and cozy.
Total expenditure? $5,000. Tools? A chisel, a chainsaw and a hammer. Building expertise? Simon Dale says:
“My experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around in-between. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverance and a mate or two to give a lift now and again.”
Sustainable design and construction:
- Dug into hillside for low visual impact and shelter
- Stone and mud from diggings used for retaining walls, foundations etc.
- Frame constructed of fallen trees from surrounding woodland
- Reciprocal roof rafters are structurally very easy to do
- Straw bales in floor, walls and roof for super-insulation and easy building
- Plastic sheet and mud/turf roof for low impact and ease
- Lime plaster on walls is breathable and low energy to manufacture compared to cement
- Reclaimed (scrap) wood for floors and fittings
- Other items were reclaimed from “a rubbish pile somewhere”: windows, wiring, plumbing
(Maybe there should be a new LEED rating just for building so inexpensively: Sustainable Financing. This is one mortgage bill that’s not going to be haunting their mum and dad for years.) Inside there’s a wood-burner for heating – waste wood in the old-growth forest is locally plentiful.To get the most of the heat, the flue goes through a big stone/plaster lump to retain and slowly releases the warmth.
There are just a couple of solar panels – just enough for for lighting, music and computing. It’s a simple life. A skylight in the roof lets in enough natural feeling light, and water is fed by gravity downhill from a nearby spring. There’s a compost toilet. Roof water collects in a pond for gardening
Says Simon: “Our house is unusual but the aesthetic appeals to lots of people and perhaps touches something innate in us that evolved in forests.”
Want to try making one too? Simon will show you how or check out other green homes for more ideas and inspiration like this post on building a cob house.
Images: www.SimonDale.net
Related stories:
Berkeley’s Homeless Build Paleolithic Barbecue Pit
Earthsheltered Home Construction Work Exchange
Wildfire-Proof Prefab Camp Closes Up When You’re Gone
Hard Lessons in Sustainable Living
About Susan Kraemer
This is gorgeous. I’m so jealous! Speaking as an old hippie, this touches a lot of chords in me. Truly lovely and magical. I’d live in this house in a Kansas minute
Congratulations and blessings to you and yours. Cheryl
too bad there are hardly any hills in Kansas
We are building a castle in SW Virginia and were wondering if anyone would be interested in building some of the “Hobbit” looking houses on our property. We plan to have cottages for guests but these look SO amazing we would like a few of them also!
this sounds amazing and id love to help you out..i would def lend a hand and the knowledge i have..these could be your cottages and itd cost way less and what a better way to entertain guests…they could be energy efficent as well..let me know what you think, shoot me an email with ideas and we could figure something out. hope to hear from ya.
how about come and live on my 1 acre san bernardino land.. backyard is national forest, lakes, and build a house and dig a water well.. looking for a person who would enjoy this.. the land is waiting!!! 310 902-8261
Hanah, not sure if you know how amazing that sounds. Is the offer still available?
Nice house!
I built a similar house 25 years ago near Montreal Canada. I was granted a permit because my plans described a house made of reinforced concrete. I took down 3 barns & 3 cedar corn silos & used mostly recycled materials.I built the 3 roofs covered with recycled steel from the barn roofs & basic structure for $3000.Final budget to move in was $56,000 in 1986. video here.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIPRrIM1gwI
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What a LOVELY home. Would love to see it in person. I bet you miss that beautiful dog!
It’s hard for me to fathom the creativity and ingenuity that went into this project. You must be so SMART
Plastic in the roof? 6mil? It will deteriorate if exposed to weather. I’d use poly of some kind or bitumen.
Look I dont know where some of you are from but in Wisconsin If I buy a piece of rural land and want to live in a tent on it I can and people do, If I want to live in a cave on it I can and people do, if I want to build a log cabin out turds I can and if it comes down and crushes me no one is legally going to come to my property and say you cant live in your turd house…they are just going to laugh at me when Im dead….there are so many alternative house around from geodesic domes,to shotcrete domes, to earth homes to cave homes, to tent homes that I wonder if you all dont live in some other country…..now in cities yes, there are building codes because no one wants my turd home to fall down and crush them while its crushing me….or my jury rigged electrical wiring to start my turd house on fire and burn down everyone elses home as well…such is living with other humans….but if you want to be a hermit and live the life of an 1800′s pioneer all by yourself where your inept building zen will only kill you no one is going to give a rats behind….but if you start a fire in the woods from your makeshift firepit, or you waste pit serves as a source of disease that contaminates a local stream, or your homemade house collapses and rolls down the side of a hill killing some campers….well someone might get a little testy…..but again there are over 250 million fellow americans living here now and we all cant just do what we want without being aware that our actions have consequenc…..if that is too much of a burden…try Alaska, there is more than enough empty space for you to carve your niche in the vilderness and not worry about impacting or even meeting a fellow human……
Dang, what provoked that kind of stupid turd house rant?
Lol that turd house guy is on Drugs…lol Anyway that house is fantastic, If I could find some land here in Scotland I would build one very similay perhaps with a watermill or wind mill for electricity although I cant help feeling it reminds me on the teletubbies house, and they seem very happy & cute!
Perhaps the reason they sound like they are in a different country is because they are. The house was built in Wales, in the UK, where there are very strict regulations on each and every aspect you mentioned. It’s not living in the 1800s either, when one has all mod cons. Duh!
Jim, the article does say the house was built by a couple in Wales, which is a foreign country if you’re in the US.
Did you easily get a permission to build this beautiful house? I’m from Belgium, where earthships are not allowed because they are not connected to power and gas distribution. Does somebody know how difficult or easy this is in other European countries especially Germany?
Thx!
completely inspiring and awe provoking. thank you
what about the cost of the land? article doesn’t mention if it’s their property or not? house is awesome nonetheless.
Another article I read on this house a year ago said that this house was built on somebodies land where they essentially traded five or so years of living so that the guy would then have a guest house that was built for free. They intended to save money for that time to buy land and build again… from what I heard, they have since bought land someplace in the UK with a group and are building as a community. I also read that they called up a window company and asked if they could purchase windows cheaply that had been rejected for some reason (wrong measurements or whichever) and that is where the gorgeous windows came from. Because they built around the windows, they could use cast offs that would otherwise have cost a small fortune. Pretty smart rubbish heap
Sure seems like cheap alternative housing will be a reality for many in the near future. I wonder how much a scaled down Micheal Reynold’s type Earthship would cost. Say using polycarbonite panels to form the solarium and utilizing more recycled doors, windows etc. Thermal mass/passive solar means no furnace and zero heating bill – grow your own food – less need to work a 9-5 slave job – more time to research ways out of the matrix.
This has gave me so much hope in the building of my very own eco house, my inspiration is thriving from the site of your beautifully constructed home. Im 24, and im studying carpentry, id love to live such a wholesome, refreshing life like yours, in your homemade house, all the best for the future, Will
A wonderful idea! congratulations and best wishes!
Hey this is on the film set of “Lord of The Rings”, non ?!?
Seriously great stuff – love to know how you got planning permish. though.
Intruguing to see a fellow Montrealer did something akin just outside Montreal – I’m scooting off to his Youtube right now …
What is the square footage in your amazing home? Do you have interior walls set up? Would love to see your floor plan! I love it!…Wonder how it would survive in a more arid climate?
this is wonderful!..i have an acre of land which backs into the san bernardino national forest in southern calif… anyone interested in building a home and living in it for free?..also digging a well cause there is water there!! be in touch.. hana1111@yahoo.com
i live in western mass. we really need t adress the rain and snow. how thick are the roofs?
This is what I want to do as a business. Have MDI training, but have a spin on how to make a monolithic Eco-Dome (no airform). I need to build one to say I have to move forward. Got property? I have hands.. Let’s talk, will relocate.
(254) 479-1377
Im in Texas. States only.
I have a land owner that wants me to build. We need an investor.
This is so beautiful and Hobbit_like!
I love this!
My folks built their log home with a single contractor and a few close friends back in the 70′s. It abutted 300 acres of orchard and made for an amazing childhood.
But THIS place? Im in awe!!!
I want it!
Kudos to you all!!!!!!!!!!
Kim
This home is the apitmany of my dream home! My husband is a timber home/eco-friendly home builder, he builds beautiful, eloborate homes, but THIS is really all I would want or need!
This home warmed my heart right up!
Thank you! Thank you!
Namaste.
Lindsay
what an amazing eco house WOW!! would love to keep in touch with what you are doing as know other people/communities who could really benefit learning how to do this.. especially in Costa Rica where tribes are gathering..
all the best
Hayla
http://www.tonysamara.org
http://www.ourbeautifulworld.org
http://www.heartherbs.eu
It’s very nice, this ‘hobbit’ house has had its images around for a while. But it’s not an ‘Earth Sheltered’ house, it has a green roof . Earth sheltered means having enough earth on top – maybe three feet – to make it partially underground and tempered by the ground temperatures. This is quite correctly decoupled from the hillside, you can see how the builder used stone to lift the moisture-susceptible parts of the house off the ground and away from the damp.
This is marvellous and would be great for places such as here in New Zealand, but we have such stupid building codes it would not meet any criteria.. It would have to be ‘treated’ for borer, water proof, leak proof, air tight for energy saving, have non combustable materials or a fire wall, double glazing and so on and on on on and on….
How great our world would be if we could live so simply and be content in that.. thanks for sharing your wonderful concept and life.
I have a piece of land. It is interesting for me to build something small from cob, snowball or earth. May be not for living, just for the interest. But I can’t do it because of regulations, regulations and regulations. It is crazy. If I want to try something on MY LAND, I need to build first big house (no less then 700 sq.ft) and then any other structures. And I am not sure that they let me do that structure from cob. Any time I can expect them to come and say: “Take it out tomorrow”.
God gave land for people, not for Government.
I want one!!!!
What an inspirational story! I really like the first photo of what is to become the roof. It reminds me of a hobbit house
A house like this would fit in with mendocino county architect
I shall make a plan. This is awesome. We had our first “cookie box home” (that’s just how I think they build them today) built by a large company, in a developing neighborhood. Never again; that is for certain. (Howda ya like that? Two absolutes in one sentence!)
The only problem I see is the inability to get such a small mortgage, if that is a problem today. Read a book by Jay Shafer titled The Small House Book. Jay has included a rather insightful collection of knowledge on “The Big House” industry. (The Big House emphasis mine.) The only difference is Jay’s houses are on wheels and can be moved if desired. Check it out at http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com. I can definitely live in one, but what would be my address?!
have you had any trouble from social services?
Why social services? Why do you think they would care? The kids will be fine and have good role models as parents, who don’t destroy the planet by the way !!
Great example of low budget management and the possibility of housing the homeless, in fact it is a project that could involve the community and those paying their debt back into society.I am sure many youth offending groups would benefit from this project. Learn a skill in and for humanity! It has a similarity to the CASTROS found in Spain said to have been a Celtic society way back in time, the structure and method are almost equal. I Live in London, I would trade my conventional home for one like this, fantastic.
Wow! This is so amazing! The house even it’s small is cozy. It’s very enticing and relaxing!
Two words: Bugs and mildew
Keeping it clean and enough light will keep both the bugs and mildew away.
Anyhow, it’s life, about time we stop living in fairy tales that destroy our planet, and start living like real human beings.
It is our way of living that is unclean.
I tried to subscribe to your newsletter, but it kept saying my email address was invalid…..I would really like to receive yoiur newsletters
Thank you
I want one ! It’s so beautiful and so much more natural !
A chisel, chainsaw and hammer only? Would have taken a while to dig out the area required in the hill with just a chisel….!
looking for the plans for the dome in the earth for 5000. looking to build one for myself and others please send any information in pdf format and any photo s thanks ms. Irvin the one is susan kraemer design author
Oh that’s amazing.
There must be so many areas of land where villages with eco “hutses” like these can be built. I’m sure there is a movement somewhere??
I’m inpsired… I bet hundreds more will be too. Well done!
Hmm, nice BUT… termites, cyclones, tropical wet season, not for the Kimberly’s mate!
Very fun and interesting home. Not sure it is sustainable tho, imagine if everyone were out scavenging wood from public lands (tragedy of the commons), etc. But definitely some of these ideas could be used more widely to help people lessen their big eco footprint.
Very ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’
Just like the house Laura Ingalls family lived in:
“Here they settle in a little house made of sod beside the banks of beautiful
Plum Creek”. At Walnut Grove MN USA
I love the design and the whole idea of using available resources from the environment. It looks like it is really affordable for those who have the time but don’t have enough cash for it. How do you preserve it from molds and termites?
Veneson, join us at http://facebook.com/naturalhomes where there is a lot more about this type of natural building including a profile on Simone Dale and his new home at Lammas.
I am normally trying to find absolutely love your content. This article a great deal.
So much more and so poetic here: https://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes
This is amazing. how do u stop moisture coming into the house through the walls
The walls breathe https://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes
Thanks very much for your interesting article. I have been looking for such post for a really long time.
Much much more here… Join us at http://facebook.com/naturalhomes where there is a lot more about this type of natural building including a profile on Simone Dale and his new home at Lammas.
I’d like to build a similar house. I have no knowledge. I have an offer though. Who ever can build s house like this for me can use it for free for holidays. It’s in Croatian island Pag.
All the knowledge you need is here: https://www.facebook.com/naturalhomes Join us
did they live in a home like this in little house on the prairie? these things are cool, but what if u have a family?
He has a family, you can see it here: http://naturalhomes.org/fbr.profile.simondale
Your own place for 5 grand cash money. Ain’t nuttin wrong with that!!.
There’s an old guy near my place, moniker of Sun Ray Kelley who has built places for folks to live very low footprint house wise. Working in cob and strawbale, cedar and good vibes, radiant floor heating and the whole nine yards it’s all pretty cool. I was pals with his lil brother around 1975 back when lids were 3/4ths ounce and around 10-12 bucks. If I had my druthers I’d have an old converted schoolbus with solar and wireless and a snowbird winter route in a Prop 19 friendly state during the cold months. Can you guess why???
There are many comments here below which speak about human safety being important. It’s a bit of a joke really! Human safety? Then no nuclear power plants should be built around regions like the ring of fire. Nor should any buildings be built in any regions where there are risks of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic irruptions and tsunami waves.
What amazes me actually is the way how it was made. It was given so much attention and time. You have to build it carefully since we are talking of tree trunks here to be held together.
Take a look at the reciprocal roof, including Simon’s http://naturalhomes.org/fbr.reciprocalroofs.htm
Hobbit hole!
hows the plummin?