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And I do mean really, really, really cheap housing.
In 11 days I will be the proud owner of an acre of land with no restrictions on building or developing the lot. By state law, I can't camp on it for more than 6 months. So my question is, does anyone have any suggestions for a single person house, around 300 to 500 sq ft, maybe $5000 (less is always better), that can be built on the land and later be hooked up to water and electric and retrofitted so that I can get a permit for living in it?
I've gone over mudbag contruction, strawbale houses, yurts, domes, sheds, log cabins, shipping containers, tiny homes, kit homes, barns and stables, garages, garages with living quarters on top, and cheap, fix-it-up-yourself manufactured homes. Teepees and tents in the wintertime aren't an option. And there's no hill for an underground house.
What have I missed?
I would be physically unable to do much building myself, so labor cost has to be taken into consideration, even for a cement floor for a shed. Likewise, although I know I can get a free or mostly free shed or manufactured home, the reality is they would cost between $5000 and $15,000 to transport to my site (not to mention how much they would be to fix up). And with a shed, there's always the cost of insulating, plumbing, and electrifying.
Are there any other options? Do I even have any other options?
Construction of virtually any type can be estimated by the cost per square foot. At the low end, your allowance of $5000 for 300 square feet only allows for a construction cost of $16/square foot.
That isn’t very much. A concrete pad will run you $8.00/ sq foot (very roughly) and that doesn’t include any earthwork or footers. With much luck you might get a light foundation poured for $5000, but it won’t have any stub ups or embedded conduit/pipe for utilities.
That doesn’t buy framing, doors, windows, insulation or roofing, much less any flooring or drywall.
I might consider the yurt. Get a gravel pad, have somebody build a wooden, insulated floor, install a wood stove on a brick surface. Not sure how you would insulate. You might, with luck, get it for that cost.
Thank you for the suggestions. I need all the help I can get. Truly!
Yeah, it's a challenge, all right. I had been leaning towards the single wide myself. The problem is finding one I can fix and one close enough so hauling isn't so expensive.
Does anyone here have any idea how much it might be to insulate, wire, and plumb a largish shed?
https://elsesociety.com/the-5000-diy...of-the-future/
The materials [FOR AIRCRETE] are about a dollar per square foot per square inch. In other words, if you build 1000 square feet and it’s 5 inches thick, it’ll cost you about $5,000.
https://elsesociety.com/the-5000-diy...of-the-future/
The materials [FOR AIRCRETE] are about a dollar per square foot per square inch. In other words, if you build 1000 square feet and it’s 5 inches thick, it’ll cost you about $5,000.
I thought that too. Wouldn't mind that as a vacation week or so get away but to live in? not practical.
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