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I think it's admirable that someone was resourceful enough to build a shelter for themselves so cheaply. I would love a little house in the woods, but would probably prefer something like this:
As we've seen with glamper microhomes and high-end, luxurious tiny homes (that come with their own high-end price tag), smaller spaces aren't always as affordable as one may think. However, using salvaged materials and gifted items will keep costs down, as Pacific Northwest resident Scott Brooks did with his tiny home, which he built for "well below" USD $500.
This does not factor in the value of the time spent on the project. For many of us, such a project would practically require quitting work to find the time, and thus be far more costly than $500!
Cost is cheap, with this hermit house I guess he'll never invite a woman/man to spend the night...
No plumbing, no refrigerator, and he uses a nearby outdoor shower and outhouse, what a wonderful outlook in the winter.
Oh this just makes it even worse. No refridgerator means that dealing with food will inevitably take more time, money, or both. And no bathroom? So you can't shower if there are 2 feet of snow on the ground? And how do you dry off and get dressed before you freeze your **** off in the winter?
For fair-skinned folks, even 15 minutes of sun exposure can mean getting burned. So summer is a problem.
Where does this leave you? Can shower in spring and fall only?
This does not factor in the value of the time spent on the project. For many of us, such a project would practically require quitting work to find the time, and thus be far more costly than $500!
How much of your time does it take each month to pay the rent/mortgage?
(pretax)
-and no, 2 hours/ day and a few Saturdays, particularly if friends helped....
I don't know why dude doesn't have a fridge, he's connected to the grid, so there's no reason other than space he couldn't....
I'm amused this practical/junk free mode of living is taking so much flack on the "green living" forum.
I find the latent animosity to this type of housing interesting. Just think of the scads of money he's saving by NOT having a mortgage, utility bills, and credit card bills for stuff no one needs but the ever-present commercials convince us we need? And in lieu of a 'regular' job, he has time. Time for everything he wants to do and nothing he doesn't.
And after looking at his blog for a little while, if I was 30 years younger..... whoa, good looking healthy real MAN there, not a cubicle farm or office stuffed suit wannabe.
It isn't animosity, it is just stating that he really didn't accomplish anything. Lets say the value of gifted materials is $2000. Then the real cost is 5 times what is eluded to. I have built better playhouses and Forts as a kid, with no money using all recycled materials. This is in very temperate climate so no efficiency is built in. Really, just about anyone could do as well or better, so as I said "Big Deal".
The cost of the land.
The amount of "gifted" items.
I could build a 5000 sqft home with gifted materials and $500 of my own money.
That isn't a house, it is an outhouse with a bed in it.
Actually, it's not, because his outhouse is another building. So, it's just a shack with a bed.
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