Imma gonna build me a house
Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 11:42AM I am totally going to do this! But I want a bathroom.
If you see my little life list on the right, you'll see that I've had a dream to have a healthy, self-sustaining home on a big plot of land. I picture it with lots of warm woods, white walls (I love white walls because everything else I have is so colourful and there needs to be a balance, and white is the perfect background colour for all art and I have some nice art), tons of books, a big creative space with my sewing machine, fabric, paints, felt, pottery wheel, etc. A kitchen with a big work space and rock walls, maybe copper sink and light fixtures. I'd want wide-plank wood floors that can be roughed up by dogs. Or warm cork floors.
My ex-husband's boss built a beautiful contemporary-traditional mish-mash home in the hills of Peace River and he had a large mud room with tiled floor for his large dogs, with a dog door. The dogs were kept from the rest of the home but could go outside. I'd like that for some dogs, not to keep them from the house all the time, but to have the option of closing them out if friends come over.
But in the meantime, I can do with much less. I like having a small space. The only thing I don't like about it is having to pare down my books and art and not having enough room to cook. So, I'd like a bigger place than the one in that video. I'd want my kids to have their own rooms. I'm going to need some bedroom privacy, you know. (And they will, too.)
And I'm totally capable of building a house! I don't know everything I need to know now but it would just take a bit of research. I've put my son on the job of researching this. I was the best student in my junior high AND high school carpentry classes (the only girl in high school class, too). I did a ton of renos in our first house when I was eight months pregnant and with a toddler. I once built a built-in bookshelf in the bathroom while pregnant and caring for three kids, when Jude was working out of town. Bought all the materials with kids in tow, built it on my front porch with a jigsaw (I didn't have a table saw, so I made do with wood filler and paint after the imperfect cuts). It had nice beadboard in the back, painted a butter yellow, crown moulding, baseboard, and I got the measurements all right except for taking doors into account, so I sewed a pleated skirting for the bottom. And I made it all in one weekend. (With three young kids. And while pregnant.)
To build a cheap little thing with reclaimed and free materials, (and driftwood, Montana said!), it doesn't have to be done perfectly. If I ever wanted to sell a house like this in Alberta, it would be tricky. But here? There are a ton of people who would love a house like that. Students, hippies, older people.
I know people who know how to build cob houses. I know people who would be happy to help me. And how great would it be to have the kids here in the summer for a month, helping to build the house? What a great memory!
First, I need to figure out WHERE this can be done, and do I have to buy land, and if so, for how much? Are there communal communities around here? Can I rent some land from someone else, who has a big plot?
Then, I need to do my taxes for 2009, so that I can get money that the government owes me for 2010. But I can't find the tax forms when I look online.
Then, start asking around and building my knowledge base. I need to find a place to store materials and start collecting those.
If I could build a house and find cheap rent for land, I would be more self-sufficient and would save a LOT of money every month. I would really miss living right downtown but maybe it could help me save up to buy a condo, if I ever wanted to do that. (I'd end up having to get a car, though, which is such a bummer.) But the great thing about living communally, is that people trade and share services. So, maybe someone would want to use my car and then charge me less for rent on their land.
There are so many possibilities! Just have to get creative and ambitious.
Think of all the cool things you could do with your house if you built it yourself and it didn't have to look perfect. All the personal little details.
If anyone has more information about how to go about this, please email me, or leave the info in the comments section here!
Daily Gratitudes
- I love that when my son hears bullshit at school from the DARE cop, like that marijuana is as addictive as heroin, that he is able to say, "Wait a second. That doesn't sound legit." And then does his own research. I love that he doesn't just believe everything he's told and I love that my kids have always argued with me when they've felt something was unjust. Because it forced me to have to argue back (or be a bad parent—that was an option I opted for sometimes) and give reasons, and then when it made sense, they'd listen, and when it didn't, it meant that I'd have to change my approach and then we'd all grow and be harmonious. Because, who the hell am I to say they have to listen to me just because I'm authority? I'm just an experimenter at life. Yes, I get to call the shots, but I shouldn't get to call the shots AND all the conversation, too. Anyway. I love this about my kids.
- I think I lost my Anthropology textbook. But the TA sweetly offered to let me borrow hers when I need to study, for the rest of the term.
- I can do my grocery shopping, from now on, from Spud.ca. Local, sustainable food, organic, free delivery! Just shop online and it gets delivered. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! (Available in Calgary, too.) I think the food is more pricey but ethical food is like that.
- But because they don't deliver right away, I just phoned a delivery service to bring me some sour cream, butter, salsa, bread, and fresh mint, for only $5 delivery fee.
- On Wednesday, I'm going to be modelling for a local photographer and ex-prof at UVic. I don't feel very comfortable in front of a camera, have never modelled, and this will be very weird and a bit nerve-wracking. But a new, cool experience! More to follow.
Reader Comments (3)
Building ones own house seems like the ultimate in creativity. And a great exercise in knowing ones self ( which you are already well practiced at). My aunt and uncle built their own straw bale house. They put colored glass bottles in between the bales so when the sun shines there are all these little glowing round 'windows' in the wall, it' really neat! They live in BC of course :). It seems like a pretty economical option as far as materials go and when it's done you have these lovely textured walls. My parents were building a stackwall house when we were kids. I'm pretty sure my dad cut down the trees himself and we all helped peel the bark of the logs, by hand with only one old-fashioned hand tool. I hope you can make it happen!
I love, love, LOVE to do house fixes/improvements. I fight over the drill with Rob. I recently put a new shelf in my laundry room closet, and right now I am in the middle of a project where I'm going to use old books and make them into their own shelves in a couple of different ways (I know, it still hurts that the books won't be able to be read afterward!).
I don't think I'd take on creating an entire house, though. I really like the micro (obviously, as my comments are often very micro-detailed), but am not great with macro. But my mom loves the big ideas, and has planned her own house to be very "green," and have lots of personal character. She has like a 5 inch binder just packed full of how she'll do it, including pamphlets, swatches, blueprints, etc.
Now, if she just had the money to act on it...
Natasha, you should also look into cordwood homes. I think that might be easier to build than a cob home. We have a chunk of land that I would like to build a cordwood home on. Not sure if The Husband is as eager though.