Yurts + other small houses

[brianna]

I've been pretty fascinated by yurts and "alternative" ways of housing lately(cob houses, cabins, etc.) It's all just so cheap in comparison to houses most people live in. I like the idea of not having a mortgage, and helping to build my own home. I'm not there yet, I wouldn't be able to afford it now, but it's something to think about.

I like to check out the tiny house blog and the small living journal for info.

This family's yurt (youtube video) looks pretty awesome to me. I think that only cost them 50k. That's a lot of space for 50k, if you compare yurts to tumbleweed tiny houses.
They have a blog too, but I haven't read through it.

I'm also pretty interested in this homesteading cabin. It says it's 400 sq feet and he built it himself for under $2000. He sells an ebook with instructions on how to do it. Pretty interesting.

Anyone here live in a yurt or a small house in general? What related websites do you read? What's your favorite "tiny house" that you've seen?

[skybear]

It would be interesting to find ready-made yurts that are manufactured from recycled and environmentally-friendly materials. I love the concept of yurt living but I would be more inclined to explore the possibility if the materials were sustainable and not coming from a sweatshop in China. That said, I have done minimal research on the topic -- perhaps what I am talking about exists. Nice links. I will have a look.

[trustno1]

Building my own house was a dream I had since I was a kid. Of course, it was a "log cabin" when I was young. I read virtually every book that existed and did "prints" with various layouts, etc.

My father was a builder/developer, so I had lots of experience growing up (prints, framing, etc.).

At one point in my life, I built custom cabins/homes in the mountains with 2 other guys, using the logs and stone from the property we built them on (for the most part).

I've built my own "house" (one was a "log home", the other was a multi-level "chalet" type) twice on different properties. I have also helped others do the same (mountains of Colorado).

Other than requiring the expertise to know how to do it, the biggest "investment" obstacle is that you have to own the land to build it on. (or a substantial portion of the total cost of the land).

After you clear that hurdle, you can build a little "shack", and gradually build it into a "mansion" of your dreams, over time. It is a huge undertaking, (especially if you are inexperienced), but one of the best experiences you could ever have.

It is not as easy as it appears...