One of the first things you need if you’re planning on living off the grid is your own cheap off-grid house. According to Home Advisor, the average cost of building a house in the United States nowadays is an incredible $285,912 with high end homes having a $719,000 price tag.
Not everyone can afford a six-digit home and very few are perhaps willing to dole out that much for an off-grid home. Fortunately, there are ways to have your very own off-grid house for cheap.
Land
You can’t build a cheap off-grid house without a piece of land to build on. Some off-gridders who don’t have that luxury or don’t want to say in one place have opted to invest on a mobile homestead. If you prefer having an actual off-grid house, then you need your own property.
The location of your land is vital to your homesteading dreams. Ideally, you need a place surrounded by natural resources. A popular spot among off-gridders is near a body of water such as a lake or river. However, it would be better not to be too close to water since it will attract other people, particularly when SHTF. In the event of a societal collapse, people will be looking to settle in a place near a water source. You don’t want people snooping around your property so choose a spot that remains conspicuous.
Off-gridders also look for lots of trees and vegetation. They will provide food and other resources such as the materials you need for your cheap off-grid house.
Materials
Once the issue of where to build is settled, you need to train your focus on the materials for your cheap off-grid house. Basically, using cheap materials result in a cheap home. However, cheap doesn’t necessarily mean low quality.
As mentioned, it’s best to settle in an area with lots of trees. The trees will play a vital role in your off-grid house since you will need lumber, especially if you’re building a cabin. You need to cut down the trees so it’s ideal to have a good chainsaw.
Once you’ve cut down a tree, you have to trim the branches. A chainsaw will do the trick but you can also use a manual chain saw or a folding bow saw if you want to save up on gas or electrical charge (if you have a rechargeable chainsaw).
A portable sawmill will make things easier for you though you still have to shell out some cash. If you do your math right, however, you’ll see that it will cost more to buy lumber from the store than to cut down your own trees and mill them yourself with your portable sawmill.
Aside from wood, other natural building materials you can use for your cheap off-grid house include rocks, stones, sand, mud, clay, straw bale, and reeds. Bamboo and coconut are also popular sources of natural building materials for affordable houses.
Keep an eye out for building materials camouflaged as trash. Some people throw away stuff that can still be repurposed or reclaimed. In fact, reclaimed wood is popular not only among homesteaders but also with people into woodworking and DIY. Visit salvage yards, dumps and even garage sales.
You can also purchase used building materials such as bricks, tiles, G.I. sheets, glass, plumbing fixtures, and furniture from second-hand stores. These usually come from demolished buildings so don’t expect too much.
Hardware
Aside from a saw, you will require other hardware to build your cheap off-grid house. Since you skimped on your building materials, you might as well spend some of your fortune on the right tools. Start off with those that you can’t do without.
One thing you’ll definitely need in your homestead is an axe. It’s a harder way to chop down trees but it’s definitely cheaper and produces less carbon footprint. An axe can also be used for splitting wood, hammering, sharpening wood, preparing game animals, self-defense, and zombie slaying.
There’ll be a lot of hammering for an axe to handle. As mentioned earlier, there is a right tool for every job so you should have at least one hammer among your tools. There are different kinds of hammers but the most basic one you’ll need for your cheap off-grid house is the claw hammer.
A flat chisel is another valuable tool for building your own off-grid house. Along with your hammer, the chisel is used to make notches on the tree trunks to help shape your off-grid log cabin.
If you’re building a log cabin, you need to take the bark off first. A draw knife is the perfect tool for this. It’s also useful in making wooden dowels.
Once you fell a tree, you need to carry the log. This is quite a task for a solo project. Good thing there are timber tongs or carriers. These things will ease the burden on your back, forearms and wrists. It also keeps you safe from scrapes and scratches from carrying the log or timber on our side or back.
With all the work necessary to build your very own cheap off-grid house, your tool will eventually become dull. A sharpening stone will keep your bladed tools in tiptop shape.
Labor is the likeliest part of building a cheap off-grid house where you can save the most. Since you’re doing building your cheap off-grid house on your own, you don’t have to spend a penny on hiring anyone, especially the expensive professionals. That is if you know a thing or two about construction, carpentry, electrical wiring, plumbing, and the like, then you can build your home with your own hands.
It takes years to be an expert in any of these fields but it doesn’t mean noobs should not dare try. As long as you learn what needs to be learned, you can go on and make your own homestead.
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