Libertine
Gold Member
sendero:
<font color="blue">It's just that I doubt I could do much of the work myself and therefore costs would be high. </font>
Actually, much of the added cost is in the form of labor hours. If you've ever built a boat, a piece of furniture, etc. I'm sure you could handle the "skill" required, or, at least could learn it easy enough. It's not brain surgery. Some of the extra cost is in materials and there's not too much you can do about that. For example, if you go strictly (ie. "pure") you will use board and batten walls. The lumber recommended is cypress which is rather pricey. Of course other lumber can be used. Screws are left exposed and are usually brass - with the screw slots all horizontal please note! The services such as wiring, cicuit boxes, furnace, etc. etc. wouldn't cost any more than a traditional stick house. Since these designs give you "more" in less square footage the all up cost wouldn't be much more. On a square foot basis, how much more? Just a guess, but I would say maybe 20%-25%, excluding the labor issue. Because it's not slapped together, but rather built like funiture, the real additional cost is in labor hours, and, if you do it yourself, it's easier to absorb that yourself. Outside services (such as licensed electrical as might be required for permits) would be no different than any traditional house.
Of course, compared to a steel barn (as discussed) it's very expensive on a square foot basis. Actually, I have been devoting some brain cycles in recent years to the issue of a "self contained" house/lot where much of the inputs are generated by the structure itself. I refer to it as "the house as a unit of production" (which is actually the title of a chapter in a book I am working on). For example, why do no houses have impulviums, adequate built in composting facilities, simple solar features (if nothing more than "french" walls), etc. I have put my existing house up for sale and hopefully, will be ready to make a move within a year or so. I have also considered converting an old school building, church, grain silo, etc to housing. Lot's of interesting possibilities.
JEH
<font color="blue">It's just that I doubt I could do much of the work myself and therefore costs would be high. </font>
Actually, much of the added cost is in the form of labor hours. If you've ever built a boat, a piece of furniture, etc. I'm sure you could handle the "skill" required, or, at least could learn it easy enough. It's not brain surgery. Some of the extra cost is in materials and there's not too much you can do about that. For example, if you go strictly (ie. "pure") you will use board and batten walls. The lumber recommended is cypress which is rather pricey. Of course other lumber can be used. Screws are left exposed and are usually brass - with the screw slots all horizontal please note! The services such as wiring, cicuit boxes, furnace, etc. etc. wouldn't cost any more than a traditional stick house. Since these designs give you "more" in less square footage the all up cost wouldn't be much more. On a square foot basis, how much more? Just a guess, but I would say maybe 20%-25%, excluding the labor issue. Because it's not slapped together, but rather built like funiture, the real additional cost is in labor hours, and, if you do it yourself, it's easier to absorb that yourself. Outside services (such as licensed electrical as might be required for permits) would be no different than any traditional house.
Of course, compared to a steel barn (as discussed) it's very expensive on a square foot basis. Actually, I have been devoting some brain cycles in recent years to the issue of a "self contained" house/lot where much of the inputs are generated by the structure itself. I refer to it as "the house as a unit of production" (which is actually the title of a chapter in a book I am working on). For example, why do no houses have impulviums, adequate built in composting facilities, simple solar features (if nothing more than "french" walls), etc. I have put my existing house up for sale and hopefully, will be ready to make a move within a year or so. I have also considered converting an old school building, church, grain silo, etc to housing. Lot's of interesting possibilities.
JEH
