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Going to complete self sufficiency off the grid is hard and expensive work, there is a reason societies became specialized so a person can sell off their more efficient production of product A for another persons more efficient production of product B (especially power generation). It's certainly worthwhile to gain efficiencies that will save power and have options in case of an emergency, plus doing things yourself that taste a great deal better (and heirloom veggies) then homogenized products. However be wary of time sinks in doing everything yourself...making your own preserves is very worthwhile (in taste certainly, cost is about equal) while making your own butter, even from store bought non homogenized milk, is inefficient in time and cost (having a cow would produce enough milk to supply a neighborhood pretty easily).
Going to complete self sufficiency off the grid is hard and expensive work, there is a reason societies became specialized so a person can sell off their more efficient production of product A for another persons more efficient production of product B (especially power generation). It's certainly worthwhile to gain efficiencies that will save power and have options in case of an emergency, plus doing things yourself that taste a great deal better (and heirloom veggies) then homogenized products. However be wary of time sinks in doing everything yourself...making your own preserves is very worthwhile (in taste certainly, cost is about equal) while making your own butter, even from store bought non homogenized milk, is inefficient in time and cost (having a cow would produce enough milk to supply a neighborhood pretty easily).
I dont think I am planning on going all the way with the whole self-sufficiency journey... I dont plan on growing 100% of my own food... but I plan on having most, if not all of my fruits/veggies grown for our family. I plan on using solar/wind back-up after I get it all hooked up and ready to do. I do understand that this is a long process... going to take years... and thats after I find the right spot & build the house we want. Yes I would imagine that some would have a very high cost into a lifestyle like this but so far the small things I have done havent cost me a dime and actually have been saving me $$$... We are very resourceful people I just want things simpler... if that means hanging and washing my clothes by hand, growing my own food, building our own house, cutting our own wood for heat... then so be it.. I like it so far We also have a small community and do bartering.. so that would solve the "specialized societies" problem. I'm not saying its easy but I'm not also going into this blindly or alone. Not to mention, I dont think I could ever give up electric.. I need my PC and TV sometimes
We had neighbors who built one, and they openly admitted that for the extra money they spent to go underground, they could easily have paid any heat bill for the rest of their lives. Plus, there are now so many excellent energy efficient building materials that you can have an extremely efficient "traditional" house, if that's what appeals to you.
Underground / subterranean housing is a very expensive option. It has merits, if one is in an area plagued by tornadoes. But it might be hazardous if faced with flooding.
A compromise would be to build on grade, but "jack up" the soil to your flat (modest incline) roof deck.
Concrete sandwich wall construction is optimal (concrete - EPS foam - concrete), but any way you can have concrete cure in the shape of a home is good.
"Helix is toothpick sized, coated metallic wire which has been twisted so it locks like a screw and when mixed into concrete forms a matrix of strength, durability and crack resistance that nothing else can provide."
"Eliminate Unsightly or Dangerous Cracks
* Use Helix in basement floors and walls, driveways and sidewalks
* Cracks in concrete without Helix will appear and spread
Save Money
* Helix allows you to pour thinner yet still have stronger concrete. Three inch thick concrete with Helix is 14% less expensive and 6 times stronger than four inches of plain concrete!
* Eliminate rebar and mesh"
A strange site has alot of good information on building own solar panals and wind towers and on buying "survival" seeds and such, has some good information others take with "grain of salt": www.prisonplanet.com .
I dont think I am planning on going all the way with the whole self-sufficiency journey... I dont plan on growing 100% of my own food... but I plan on having most, if not all of my fruits/veggies grown for our family. I plan on using solar/wind back-up after I get it all hooked up and ready to do. I do understand that this is a long process... going to take years... and thats after I find the right spot & build the house we want. Yes I would imagine that some would have a very high cost into a lifestyle like this but so far the small things I have done havent cost me a dime and actually have been saving me $$$... We are very resourceful people I just want things simpler... if that means hanging and washing my clothes by hand, growing my own food, building our own house, cutting our own wood for heat... then so be it.. I like it so far We also have a small community and do bartering.. so that would solve the "specialized societies" problem. I'm not saying its easy but I'm not also going into this blindly or alone. Not to mention, I dont think I could ever give up electric.. I need my PC and TV sometimes
My husband and I are looking into doing the exact same thing you guys are doing. We really like the Asheville, NC area, looked for land there but found that it was way too expensive compared to nearby states. TN seems to be the best bet for us. The land is cheaper than NC, property taxes are cheaper and there is no state income tax. Check it out, you might be surprised by the money you can save.
My husband and I are looking into doing the exact same thing you guys are doing. We really like the Asheville, NC area, looked for land there but found that it was way too expensive compared to nearby states. TN seems to be the best bet for us. The land is cheaper than NC, property taxes are cheaper and there is no state income tax. Check it out, you might be surprised by the money you can save.
We've been looking more into NW Arkansas area now. Its a lot cheaper then Asheville area. I have a friend in east TN already living this way. But I need to live by a "cool" town for hubby and good schools for my kids.. I didnt see much of that in TN... But I will check it out more again. Thanks.
Certain counties in Idaho (like mine) really don't have building inspections. But that may change in the next few years because of the influx of people from urban areas, horrified at the way they do things out here.
We built our off-grid cabin with no electricity at first, and no indoor plumbing. Then we added a well, built a bathroom/laundry room and another wing. We used candlelight and Aladdin oil lamps for several months till my husband installed the beginnings of our solar/wind system and we gradually increased the system till we could run our washer/dryer, computer, TV and other appliances on it. You don't have to do everything at once.
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I just want things simpler... if that means hanging and washing my clothes by hand, growing my own food, building our own house, cutting our own wood for heat... then so be it.. I like it so far 
