Book Description

This book explains the best designs, materials, and ideas for eco housing. You might want to live off the grid. Or you might need to build a more affordable suburban house that complies with council regulations. In any case, this book has you covered.Most of us spend a lifetime paying off debt to put a roof over our heads. Is it reasonable? If you need to, you could survive in a tent, so you don't "need" much. But with all our technology, we can do a lot better than tents - and without costing a fortune. Some options are extremely cheap, but not particularly luxurious. Others are just as comfortable and safe as standard housing, but without the price tag.But there's more to consider than a roof over your head. The biggest problem is government approval. You cannot just build whatever you want, wherever you want. So this book contains practical designs and realistic solutions so you can live in comfort, but without the debt. And it explains the major issues when getting council approval.The Book Explains The Best Designs That Meet These Requirements:Easily constructed: Labour to build your house is very expensive. Ideally construction would be simple enough for you to do yourself. It's not difficult to erect a prefabricated wall.Safe and secure: you don't want your house to be easily broken into, or destroyed by bad weather. It needs to be safe for your family. You also don't want the walls or the roof falling onto you.Meets council standards: this is actually one of the most difficult parts. Local councils have strict standards. In most cases, you can't just build whatever you want, wherever you want. And the strict standards usually require housing that is more expensive than it needs to be.Non-flammable: you don't want to build a deathtrap. If you are in a bushfire prone region, it should be fireproof, which is not as difficult as it sounds. At the very least, you don't want your home to burn to the ground because of electrical fault. Ironically, most "modern" houses are made from wooden frames and easily burn.Safe and non-toxic materials: even modern houses include many toxic ingredients. Ideally your materials should be completely natural, such as Earth itself. Portable: portability is not necessary, but it's an added bonus. If you only have a small family, having a portable house is more viable. One of the benefits of a portable house is it can be moved if you run into any problems with local councils. This may happen if you choose to build without bothering to get a council permit. I wouldn't recommend this but some people do it in remote regions, without any problems. If the council doesn't know about it, they won't do anything. And if they do force you to take the building down, you can without too much trouble or financial loss.Energy-efficient: careful design features such as skylights and insulation ensures your house needs very little heating and cooling. For example, partially underground houses maintain much the same temperature all year round, without any heating and cooling.Practical for families: if you live alone, you can easily live with very simple facilities. But if you have a family, it's more practical to have segmented areas for privacy. Easily maintained: it should be easy and cheap to maintain. If something breaks, it should be easy to fix, without costing a fortune.