Your ideal home/property

[Ryland]

I built straw houses for 4 years, and people asked about fire alot, so a few times we took a MAPP gas torch to a bale... a few times... they will smolder, but getting a nice flame is really hard! then you incase it in concreat stuco sealing it compleatly from outside air, and yourn runs of romex that are designed to be run in wood framed walls that have empty voides that act as chimneys, and you start to realize how safe your straw house is, but I'm getting off topic.

My house would be in town, I like the idea of a garden and grew up with one, and I don't want a big one, they are just not my thing, I would however take some fruit trees.
being that space in town is limited, I'll most likely go for an exsisting house and super insulate it, or tear it down and start over with straw, I don't have any floor plans in mind yet, I like the idea of a garage, single car with that much more shop space at least, and a car port, open on 2-3 sides.
the location should be walking or biking distance from either were I am working, or where I want to spend the rest of my time.

[Fudog1138]

Originally Posted by WaxyChicken

I'd just be happy if my house was bigger than 537 Ft^2.... and it's not.

Hey dude, if your in AZ, build an addition out of Adobe or cob. Tack on another 500 foot with a hobbit house or something similar.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/adobe.htm

[igo]

Ok, my "dream" home at the moment

-Under 1000 sq ft
-Row house or a small gap in between homes
-A block or two away from a shopping district
-A small yard in the back would be nice (at least big enough for a small garden)
-An alley in the back and a garage
-Tree Lined streets
-Obviously It needs to be walkable and have a good community


This may give you some insperation

[Silveredwings]

Originally Posted by Who

Insulated so well that I only need 2 big dogs and a medium one for heat... and when not needed they stay outside! LOL

So you really could have a 3 dog night (and listen to Imagine, too).

[Fudog1138]

Originally Posted by igo

Ok, my "dream" home at the moment

-Under 1000 sq ft
-Row house or a small gap in between homes
-A block or two away from a shopping district
-A small yard in the back would be nice (at least big enough for a small garden)
-An alley in the back and a garage
-Tree Lined streets
-Obviously It needs to be walkable and have a good community


This may give you some insperation

Nice thing about your idea is the walking distance bit. You could get a bike or an electric scooter with a homemade 4x2 bike cart and pretty much take care of all of your shopping needs. Only use a car when necessary.

[WaxyChicken]

Originally Posted by Fudog1138

Hey dude, if your in AZ, build an addition out of Adobe or cob. Tack on another 500 foot with a hobbit house or something similar.

http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/adobe.htm

Can't do it.
1 - money
2 - internal layout
3 - required setbacks from property edges. (already almost 1/2 our front yard is city land)

[cfg83]

WaxyChicken -

Originally Posted by WaxyChicken

Can't do it.
1 - money
2 - internal layout
3 - required setbacks from property edges. (already almost 1/2 our front yard is city land)

Yup, That's why I don't consider straw bale to be practical in (sub)urban settings. Them's walls eats up square footage. If you got the acres, straw bale is grand. I remember big "middle of nowhere lots" in New Mexico that had really nice Adobe/Straw Bale homes.

CarloSW2

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by igo

Ok, my "dream" home at the moment

-Under 1000 sq ft
-Row house or a small gap in between homes
-A block or two away from a shopping district
-A small yard in the back would be nice (at least big enough for a small garden)
-An alley in the back and a garage
-Tree Lined streets
-Obviously It needs to be walkable and have a good community


This may give you some insperation

I'm with you on this.... Even a roof garden or deck garden is fine.... As long as I can plant lots of veggies

[Erdrick]

Originally Posted by Fudog1138

If you could pick a piece of property, have the type of land that you wanted and type of house that you wanted. What would you buy or build?

Me:

-2 acres, semi wooded, no more than 5 miles from stores.

-Build a 1800 sq foot straw bale or cob house with basement

-Pitch the roof to take advantage of solar heating on the south facing wall

-Roof would be grass, maybe even build the house into the side of a hill or makr a portion earth covered (yah Lord of the Rings style)

-2 car garage built of cob or strawbale with 220 available

-Combo solar powered\wind generated power so I could go off grid

-1/2 acre garden for veggies

-Fish pond with solar fountain

Most of the yard and landscaping would be natural. I'd just have a small portion dedicated to a lawn.

I'm just curious what you would build

I started thinking about my post, and decided to read what others had written first. Well, Fudog1138, your post nailed my dream house to a T! I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that I too am from Michigan?

Ideally though, I wouldn't live in Michigan. I love the snow, so somewhere like Oregon or Washington would be ideal for me. The winters are mild enough that you don't have to worry (at least compared to Michigan) about freezing to death. Both states have a border with the Pacific ocean. Both states have beautiful scenery and mountains. Oh, that and midwest people are some of the worst humans ever.

I personally would like some neighbors that would be located semi-nearby. It is always good to be surrounded by nice people that you can rely on. I have always grown up surrounded by good neighbors, and have learned to appreciate the warmth that it brings to your life. Compare that to my current life in Japan, where even if you live next to someone your entire life, chances are you will do everything you can to avoid ever having to talk with them. Cold cold place Japan is. Sad thing is I don't think that this is the way it used to be hundreds of years ago...

Fudog1138's original post didn't go in depth on heating, so I want to add some of my own thoughts. Geothermal heating is very attractive to me. The pumps being powered by solar/wind power would be excellent. An eco cute (currently Japan only) system for hot water would be icing on the cake. The ultimate though would be to find property with a hot spring, so I could enjoy unlimited bathing without ever having to worry about heating the water that I use. This in and of itself would be the deciding factor for me, if I were choosing an ideal place to live.

[Fudog1138]

Geothermal? Oh yah, not to sound to much like Smokey, but I second that emotion.

And as to the posts above. I totally agree, city's wouldn't be an ideal place for stawbale or cob. I just love the idea of being grid dependent. Maybe I watched to much Gilligans island when I was a kid. My kids tell me that I'm the father in the movie (book) The Mosquito Coast to a T. I don't think that I'm that bad, but I certainley admire the guy. Until he went insane of course, but I stil liked his ideas.