How do the homeless build a house?

[Erin]

Currently we live in housing that accompanies my husband's job.  No rent, no utilities is nice, but that's actually part of why we've been so anxious to get our own place.  A job change requires a move.  (Two big stressors at the same time.)  Friction with the boss means friction with the landlord.  Or vice versa. 
Before we had kids it was really no big deal.  But we're done moving.  We like our community.  We have friends.  Our kids have friends.  That's it.  We're here to stay.

Situation:
--After 8 years with this employer my husband has had about as much as he can stand and his employer is actually getting abusive.  So, despite the fact that he's trying to hang on at least until fall, I'm not sure my husband is going to be able to hold out more than a month or two.
But we can't move as there's really nothing available to fit our needs!  We have five horses, eight chickens, five dogs, and the assorted and sundry items a ranch family gathers through the years. 

--We will soon close on 40 acres of pasture which we've been planning on building a house piecemeal, as  money comes in.
But how do we do that when we're homeless? 
our "big" nestegg has been tapped already for the land, so there's not a whole lot left to do wonderful things with...

Help me think outside the box guys!!  (there are no code issues)


We'd have to get the well dug first, obviously.  (big money) Then string in the power (the power co. does this free of charge).  But septic? 
My folks have had a cabin for 30 years that still doesn't have running water, much less septic.  I actually think we'd be fine with an outhouse, short term. 
But what would we actually reside in?  A cheap, used camper?  A barn/garage/shed (though I almost think this would take quite a while to build also)?  The basement of our house and build overtop of ourselves?

[glenn kangiser]

No cheap used mobile homes, Erin?  Many times older RV's are dirt cheap.  I bought a used one for $1000 because the owner wanted to get rid of it - his HOA neighbors didn't like it.

[MountainDon]

Used mobile/modular homes, travel trailers and RV's come to mind. Trave; trailers and RV's are a little light on the insulation, but definitely better than wall tents.

[Erin]

Well hopefully we'd be dried in before the insulation, or lack thereof, of our temporary housing came into question...
And no, I haven't really explored that option too deeply as I just found out today that we're probably not going to have the leisurely year or two I was expecting.   

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Especially with the wind you'll be getting up there... a little better insulation is worth it.  My aunt and uncle lived in a teacherage (in a really small town in SE OK) while they were building their home.  I think they paid about $35 a month rent, and they put up a pole barn for the horses and cows first.  Then, after they built the piers for their house and got a well dug, they moved into a tent trailer on site.  It got pretty chilly, and by the end of the build, they'd pretty much worn the canvas out on their tent trailer.   Oh, and the water wasn't drinkable when they first moved on-site, either... you'd come out of the water smelling like rotten eggs, so they had to haul water to drink from some neighbors who lived nearby.  

Maybe you could experiment with a dugout, a sod house, or cob building?  All are fairly low-cost, if a bit back breaking...  How are you on fencing?  Is it all fenced, or do you have to get some of that done before you could move?  I say, anything you can, ask for it on freecycle.  It is amazing the stuff people have laying around and are willing to get shed of if someone needs it.  You might even ask for an old RV/school bus/etc?  Ask for leftover chicken wire, dog kennels, etc.  Of course, an RV or trailer takes less time than building a dugout, but perhaps more money....  I don't know about this part of the country, but in Wisconsin, people were always selling their campers really cheap before the winter because they didn't want to have to store them, and most of the neighborhoods wouldn't let you park one on your land.    I feel for you.  We had a heck of a time finding a rental property that would take us with our two dogs and a bird, so I can't imagine looking with horses, dogs, chickens AND kids!

[sparks]

   Many,many,many years ago I lived in a one stall garage. Very spartan to say the least. Years later I was working in the shadow of the Sears Tower in Chicago. Occasionally had to deal with the local homeless people. I recall one guy had a BA in businees or something like that. Sad that people fall thru the cracks like that.

   
Just glad I never got a BA.

And those homeless guys argued whose refrigerator box looked the best!

[glenn kangiser]

Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be a good way of life though.

[sparks]

Maybe for a while Glenn. Garages and shadows become way to familiar after a point.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

I think I could live in a tent for 3/4 of the year without it bothering me too much, especially if it was in a fairly decent climate with locally available firewood.
I'm a big sissy when it comes to cold weather, though.
Have friends in Missouri whose house burned down, and they've been living in a portable shed for several years now, along with their two grandsons.  They insulated it and put in a little wood stove.  They cook on the woodstove or a small camp stove.  They haul water from the old outdoor spigots and even haul water for baths, etc., and heat it on their woodstove. 

[ScottA]

When I was growing up we spent alot of time at our cabin on the ranch. Back then it had no running water inside but a faucet out in the yard. We did the same thing. Heated water on the woodstove for baths and dishes. An outhouse was about 40' away and we had a chamber pot for late night use. You'd be suprised what you can adapt to. It's really not that bad as long as you can stay warm and dry.

[John Raabe]

I just sent away for an updated library from the "Dwelling Portably" folks who write on low-cost living, camping and shelter building. They have some very interesting reports on creative recycling, winter camping, and basically living an ultra low-impact lifestyle that the report back on. Much of their writing is done on a typewriter and then reduced at a copy shop to pack more info into each page.



The above is from the back of their "catalog" which was a single 8.5x11 sheet printed on both sides then folded into 1/4 and glued at the edges. It was sent for the postcard rate (26¢). I sent them $25 and have no idea what I'll get back. In 05/05 I sent them $20 and got a media mail package wrapped in a brown paper shopping bag with about 10 years of their output. It was fascinating reading (keep the magnifying glass handy if you have older eyeballs).