DIY Gardening & Better Living

ALTERNATIVE HOUSING

 

Alternative housing is a category of domicile structures that are built or designed outside of the mainstream norm e.g., townhomes, single-family homes, and apartment complexes. In modern days, alternative housing commonly takes the form of tiny houses, dome homes, tree houses, abandoned factories and hospitals and even up-cycled vans or buses. The motivation to create alternative homes can arise from destitution or lack of resources to buy or rent a typical home and therefore include improvised shacks in shantytowns, buses, cars and tent-like structures.

 

While the cost of living in an alternative house can be more economical than a traditional home, the start-up cost can be quite hefty. More commonly in the 21st century than ever before in history, alternative housing offers more functionality to many, as well as an unconventional living arrangement. Some alternative housing can be as small as 500 square feet (46 m2) while others can be as large as 5,000 square feet (460 m2) depending on the structure. Alternative housing, much like common housing, usually offers an area for cooking, sleeping, bathing, and an overall living space

 

 

TYPES OF ALTERNATIvE HOUSING

 

Pallet houses: Pallet houses, made from wooden shipping pallets, is an inexpensive way of living. Pallets are convenient to find, and building them into houses is not difficult to construct. In most cases, pallet houses are built for people recovering from natural disasters. Pallets Houses became extremely popular when the refugees were returning to Kosovo after the war.

 

Shipping Container: Shipping Containers, are an alternative style of living for people looking to be a little more eco-friendly. They are really durable for weather, on the downside they can be a little pricey, depending on how "homey" you are willing to make it.

 

Tiny House Movement: Tiny houses, might be the most popular alternative living style out there. Whether the reason is financial, and or economical, it seems to the most common route. Tiny houses average anywhere from 100–400 square feet, and are usually mobile. The scheme for Tiny Houses is live small save big, between reduced maintenance, and having to survive off of a fixed income, Tiny houses are the way to go.

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Outbuilding: Considered as a garage, shed, or a barn, many people choose them for a living, almost like a cabin. They are only about $10,000 and can serve as a nice livable place to call home.

 

Recreational Vehicle: In many cases, people choose to make an RV their permanent mobile living space. While living out of an RV isn't for everyone, it is a cost-effective way to travel the country while never leaving home.

 

Earth House (Earth Berm): Underground earth sheltered homes, are private, can handle extreme weather temperatures, and require less to insure because of the added protection it gives from the weather, and against high winds. However Earth Berms can be on the pricey side about 20% more than a regular home, and moisture precautions have to be accounted for during the building process as well. Also applying for a home loan, and the mortgage process becomes more difficult, with more hoops to jump through.

 

Yurt: A small, Lightweight, but maximizing way to live, with minimal materials. Nomads from central Asia have used yurts to live for centuries. They have natural strength when built, because of their pyramid design, and are aerodynamic, because of curved walls, which makes the wind flow around it instead of push through.

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THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES ARE RELATED TO ALTERNATIVE HOUSING