These are the exact house plans that we designed in SketchUp and used to build our own 600 square foot home. I laid the plans out similar to (in my own childhood experience) LEGO instructions to simplify the ease of construction. Using the plans also allowed me to create an accurate pricing and materials list for ordering. These plans can be used for creating your own small home, or to start your planning process. (more…)
I despise banks. There, I said it. I realize that they serve as a general evil necessity, but still. After the Wall Street crash and sub sequential government subsidiaries to private entities (which, I should now be entitled to a portion of a share, seeing as though my tax dollars went to save private entities which “can’t” go bankrupt) I have exponentially increased my desire to leave mainstream banking. (more…)
Prior to beginning day 18, I made sure to take stock of my material pile. What had begun as several piles of what would comprise our house was now dwindling daily. Large stock was taken down as the lower rafters were framed. I knew that by day’s end my pile of rafters would no longer be on the ground; they would be on the house. (more…)
For as tired and irritable as I was on day 16, day 17 found me refreshed and invigorated. Even though my framing never turns out perfectly, I still enjoy it. Throughout the entire process of building our house, framing has been the most joyous of all tasks. What begins small ends up being the skeletal, structural bones of our entire house, and it fills me with happiness to see it done. (more…)
A little while ago I mentioned that I was preparing to write a book. As I said, I’ve always wanted to be an author, but I never could find a topic to which I felt knowledgeable enough to write a book. Eventually, my plan is for this entire blog to become a book so that others might enjoy (or laugh at) some of the experiences we’ve had in building our homestead. Then I had a thought. (more…)
I was sore. Tired and sore. Cranky, tired and sore. Sheeting takes a toll on the body as well as the mind. For as simple a task as it is, it weighs upon you. The physical labor is fleeting. The monotony of the task lasts long afterwards. (more…)