Building a home for peak oil

gonfishn · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:55 pm Post subject: Building a home for peak oil

Heres the deal,I have a few acres I inherited and if I stretch really hard 80-90,000 cash I can use.{Avoiding the bank like the plague}
I have a great southern exposure,a creek for one border and a small river for another.{possible hydro-potential}terrain is mixed,gradual slope to flat river bottom approx.80' elevation change from end to end.{earth home or walk out basement?}
Last but not least an artesian spring at 3 gpm.

Pitch me your best ideas on a P O friendly home for four making the most use of what I have described.

roccman · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:04 pm Post subject: Re: Building a home for peak oil

A little cramped, but stays cool all year.

Less than 10K.
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hope_full · Heavy Crude Joined: May 27, 2008 Posts: 254

Soddies were all the rage throughout the 1800s. Easy to build and easy to heat and cool and no worries about the kids making a mess in their rooms. Maybe the occasional Mom might yell, "Sally, will you stop tracking that mud OUT of this house!!!!"

I'd recommend St. Augustine sod, myself.

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1313

Strawbale construction has merit. Energy efficient, fast construction, durable, $20/sqft is not unreasonable, nice and quiet to boot. Google will offer all sorts of styles/designs/sizes.

If you want really cheap, pitch a tent, bootstrap from there. A step up would be a camper, then a mobile home, both can be had for cheap. I suspect that in the future there will be man people who would envy a busted up used trailer or even a tent.

My objective accounts for function regardless of form. Lots of people want the McMansion with the giant roof, all the gables, a foyer, solarium, den, family room, breakfast nook, master retreat, office, great room, sitting area, wrap around porches, central vacuum system, water preheater, wine cooler, downdraft stove, spa jet tub, multi-head shower, even a bidet to wash their backside. I'd be happy with in a cabin with a woodstove.

Function, in my opinion, is a durable structure, energy efficient, easy to heat, good air flow for cooling, rooms I can close off in the winter, open up in the summer. It would have a single bathroom shared by all. Bedrooms for sleeping and storing personal effects/clothing. The kitchen would be large enough for 3-4 people to work on different projects simultaneously. The stove being the primary feature. I would want ample storage-an empty room I can fill with shelves would do me just fine. A south facing roof allows solar energy devices.

Keeping the house simple also keeps costs down. This offers the chance to build the shed/barn/workshop/chicken coop/pig sty/greenhouse. Also important to me would be minimizing the bills. Energy efficient, lots of insulation, natural lighting, and low property taxes. For $5-6k I can install a solar PV system which would offer me enough power to run a couple of lights, small fridge, alarm clock, computer, and when I wanted, a microwave, toaster oven, Iron, washing machine or a power tool. I don't have kids, although I understand they can run up the power use.

The southern exposure may offer enough insolation to operate solar hot water, solar PV, even some solar space heating. This would all depend on your locale and weather conditions. The artesian spring at 3 GPM is ample to irrigate a considerable area of land if you can store and pump it. Hows the wind?

The creek and the river may offer fishing. Summer may see swimming as well. How is the land for flooding? Is the river water potable or must it be treated? Whats upriver as far as industrial enterprises? Be sure to check out hydraulic ram pumps.

If you skimp, you can easily put together a fine homestead with the money available. Water, sun, land, all the basis are in place. Are there fruit/nut trees on the property? How about firewood sources locally. What's the local population like? Do you know anyone in the area? How far to the nearest city of any size? What is upriver and downriver? Do you have a boat-even a canoe can be handy. How far to the nearest train tracks/depot/station? Whats in the area for military installations? Are the schools nearby? Are they any good? What are the property taxes? Any deed restrictions? What are the neighbors doing on their land? Hows the water drainage?

I can go on with questions all night. If it feels right, I'd say go for it.
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hardtootell · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject: Re: Building a home for peak oil

skyemoor · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 5:17 am Post subject: Re: Building a home for peak oil

gonfishn · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:13 am Post subject: Re: Building a home for peak oil

KPEAVEY

The creek and the river may offer fishing.{yes to both} Summer may see swimming as well. {yes} How is the land for flooding?{low risk} Is the river water potable or must it be treated?{nonpotable} Whats upriver as far as industrial enterprises?{small ag and ranching} Be sure to check out hydraulic ram pumps.

If you skimp, you can easily put together a fine homestead with the money available. Water, sun, land, all the basis are in place. Are there fruit/nut trees on the property?{no} How about firewood sources locally.[heavily wooded} What's the local population like?{very low} Do you know anyone in the area?{everyone} How far to the nearest city of any size?{65 miles} What is upriver and downriver?{small farms and residential} Do you have a boat-even a canoe can be handy.{yes} How far to the nearest train tracks/depot/station? {half mile through the woods} Whats in the area for military installations?{Fairchild air base 200 miles west} Are the schools nearby?{4 miles} Are they any good?{yes}What are the property taxes?{1200.00} Any deed restrictions?[none} What are the neighbors doing on their land?
{large ranches on three sides My peak uncaring sister on the other}}Hows the water drainage? {excellent}

Skymoore.Northwest Montana in the Banana belt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_County,_Montana

kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1313

The place is not unlike a spot I've selected for myself.

Looks like a basement would be practical up there. I have an uncle who built a log cabin. He built the basement first, lived in it for 2 winters while he built the structure. Place was warm as could be with just a woodstove. When the upstairs was complete, it included a fireplace and another woodstove. comfortable place it is.

A friend of mine married, must be 15 years ago now, a fellow with several acres of trees. They knew a guy with a sawmill and a lumber kiln. They built a house with the trees on the land, including oak cabinets and maple floors throughout. I call it the Ski Lodge. All the lumber for their place ran them something like $2000. Place is HUGE.
They heat with wood.

With timber being a plentiful local resource, I would give it great consideration for construction and fuel. If I was to be the one gathering my own firewood, I'd want a well insulated house. The lattitude would demand a steep roof for solar PV, but you'd want that to keep snow accumulation down. Solar hot water would be a bear except during the summer, but I've seen wood fired hot water systems. Had one growing up.

While the economy of the area looks rather weak, setting up a homestead with minimal bills is possible. Grow/hunt/fish your food. PV/wood for energy sources. Paid off structure does not require insurance. Well/septic has no bill. A phone still comes in handy. After that, supplies you can't produce, transportation and property taxes would be your biggest regular bills. Your project is not only possible with your budget, I'd say it's well within the bounds of realistic. It is not far from what I am looking at. With everything paid for as you go, one job would cover your normal needs.

Income generation would be my next interest. Crops, livestock, firewood all come to mind as being easy to set up. Woodworking as a cottage industry. I think imagination is the only limit to what you can do with that place.

Keep me posted on your progress. I may be duplicating your project in another year.
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alecifel · Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Building a home for peak oil

1200/year taxes for undeveloped land? How many acres do you have? I have about 4 and my taxes are 25 dollars/year.

I recommend an Earthship. find a local tire dump and start hauling them home. I run one ad on craigslist and came up with two dumps totalling about 3,000 tires in one day. Don't build the slanted windows, though or they'll leak.. at your latitude they'll need to be nearly vertical anyway. But your site description is perfect. Slight slope facing south. Dirt is free. Plenty of trees to use for rafter poles.
Plus you can grow vegetables year round along south wall.
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kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1313

Project PO Stealth House Thread
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