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Build Your Own Home

Build your own home and you can cut way back on the expense and get far closer in your goal of self-sufficient homesteading. Once you start pursuing the self reliant life through organic gardening and frugal living, it's only natural to start thinking about your own plot of land and your own home.



Buy buying a home on an acreage or building that home in the traditional way can be expensive and get you stuck with a 30-year mortgage. Is there a better way?

Here are some low-cost, nontraditional ways to build your own home you may not have thought of. log cabin

Get Land Cheap

If you are willing to live in an area that has a small population, you can probably buy your acreage for much less to build your own home. Just remember there is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to land, so if the offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Be sure to hire a lawyer or find a reliable real estate agent before signing a contract.

Also, consider the location carefully. I wouldn't mind living 45 minutes away from a Wal Mart, but you might.

There are some states that will offer free land if you agree to build within a set amount of time and live there for a certain amount of time. Also, look for foreclosures. Sometimes you can get property at a great price.

Find Cheap, Temporary Shelter

Time is money, and donating your time to build your own home will save you a ton of money. But, in the meantime you will need a place to live.

If your property is located in a rural area, no one is going to mind if you put a mobile home on your property. Since this is a temporary shelter, go for the lowest price you can find and put as much of your money as possible to build your own home.

Put an ad in the classifieds asking if someone wants to get rid of their old mobile home. It does happen sometimes. Those old homes are often sitting on lots requiring a monthly rent. Plus it can cost $1,000 or more to have a mobile home towed away. Sometimes they will be happy to give it to you for free.

Low Cost Ways to Build

There are at least two low-cost ways to build.

Building a Log Cabin

If you are patient and willing to put in a lot of the labor yourself, you can build a log cabin with wood from your own property. That's how our forebears used to do it, and we can do it as well. Besides, we have better tools. The Log Home Builders Association offers classes periodically and has a great forum that gives great practical advice on building a log cabin.

Straw Bale Homes

The same goes with straw bale homes. You will need to provide plenty of your own labor and have a lot of patience, but if you are willing to wait a year or two, you can build your own straw bale home andsave a lot of money over the long run. You can read one man's story by clicking here.


More Helpful Information on Homesteading

Do you feel alone in your zest for homesteading? Find others who share your passion for self reliance. Learn how.

Can you work on your homestead full time, and still earn a living? It may take a little creativity, but it can be done. Here's how.

Is it still possible to earn your land just by living on it? It is if you're willing to living in a more remote area. Learn more here.

Have you ever been curious as to what the term homesteading means? Learn what homesteading means today.

Learn how past generations have been successfully pursuing self sufficiency, and what you can learn from them by reading these books.

Read one man's story of what he learned from his grandfather about harvesting wild plants by clicking here

Growing your own food is a crucial part of self reliance. But how do you keep it fresh? There is a way if you build a cellar to store your food. Learn how.

By building your own hown in the country, you save tons of money, and there are a variety of ways you can build your home. Learn more.

Ready to learn how to be more self sufficient? Learn fourteen ways to live off the land by clicking here.

Learn why so many people, including me, are turning to homesteading by clicking here.

Think you need a large plot of land to pursue the homesteading life? Think again! Learn why you should start homesteading now by clicking here.

The self reliant life is great for the individual, but is it good for the nation as well? And what happens when self reliance is destroyed? Learn more by clicking here.


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