My in-laws do not have a lot of money and are well into their 60's and still working. They would like to retire at some point. To help out my husband I have offered to put up some kind of housing for them on our other lot were they can live rent free for as long as they like. This would also allow us to help them out as needed since they would be so close by.

We have looked at mobile homes and you can buy a half way decent one for about 10K. Do any of you know any other less expensive ways to go or is this the best we can do?

Also, the lot does not have a well and septic tank, this would usually run 4 - 6K. I was wondering if it is possible to get around having to do this. ie. use a chemical or composting toilet, use the grey water to water plants etc... Run an additional water line from our water pump.....

Any ideas, links or thoughts would be appreciated.

-- anita (anitaholton@mindspring.com), September 27, 2001

Answers

Hello Anita, I have read in the past about Micro-housing, if a small guest house thing is all you want. If you live in CA, I think that is where the houses were built. (Maybe do a search on those) They are built to be ALMOST large shed size. If your going to have them close to your house and they can use all your plumbing, etc. If not, STRAW BALE construction is pretty great. I have a relative that built one in norther MN. They have a HUGE straw bale house, great insulation, pay as you go, of course you may have to finish the inside a couple years later, depending on how much you have to spend. They have way more room than we do. If your in-laws are picky, you may need to get it completely finished before moving them in. Septic.. depends on where you live. The relative of mine that built their own place(straw bale) had a real nice outhouse for a couple years. They did it up real comfortable and it didn't smell. You really have to see what codes you have though. Can you build alternate type housing, and plumbing? Do you need so many acres first? If you are close to a city, chances are you will be more limited. Cord Wood building is another idea, and there are plenty references to that in the Countryside magazines. Can not think of the issue numbers right now. Someone in KS built a straw bale garage and it was on the news. Those buildings hold up well, and do not have to be done the most expensive way. They plaster over the straw to seal it. Hope I helped! You could always go with a small home and build on a couple years later too. Have a great day!

-- notnow (notnow05@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001.

Take a look at www.cabinkit.com Angie

-- Angie (ameininger@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

For the structure, we are planning on cordwood, and must begin stacking massive amounts of softwoods and white pines, (per Rob Roy's "Complete Book of Cordwood Masonry House Building, available thru Real Goods) between now and March. They must dry for a year or two. You may be able to get around a 2nd well and septic, if you can let them use your washer, and provide a composting toilet.We built one (thanks to the "Humanure Handbook", 2nd edition by Joseph Jenkins, also available thru Real Goods) and tested it out for 4 days at our new homestead. It is a cabinet made from 1 by 10 boards that slips over a 5 gallon bucket. You scoop a little sawdust or Peat Moss on the bottom, and liberally after each use. It must be emptied every 2 or 3 days when 2 people are using it each day. It did not stink, even when my brave partner put her nose at the seat. We did notice it is best for air quality, not to add the contents to the compost pile unless it has been sitting in the can for a couple of hours, so just keep a spare can clean, and ready for use. We will compost a pile for 2 years. If you could then get water to them for consumption and bathing, that could be drained as greywater. Mr Jenkins has authorized photo copies of his composting toilet plans, so e-mail me if interested. Good Luck

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

I doubt this would be practical for you, but I saw on tv the other day where a couple was making there home out of blocks made with scrap paper mixed with water and cement. When they first said paper, I thought they were crazy, but mixed with the water and cement it actually seemed very substantial. (Course, we're talking a lot of paper, and probably way too much time.)

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), September 27, 2001.

Anita, I don't know how far apart your lots are, but I would certainly run a water line over if at all possible, and I would also strongly consider sharing the septic line as well. However, before you do this, is this a one shot deal for family only, or would you ever consider selling to an outsider at some point? It might make some difference to how you plan if that were the case.

Have you considered a 'mother in law' apartment as an add-on to your own house? Perhaps make it a bit bigger than a single person apartment for a couple. Or, how about a garage with an upstairs, using the entire garage for a housing area now, but able to convert to a garage or workshop after they have passed on or are no longer using it? That way you'd get very good use from your investment. A 10 K mobile home is fine, but it's no investment at all. A "real" building will add value to your place as well as be useful to you later.

I think it's great that you are doing this for family. :) Good luck!

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), September 27, 2001.

I would put up just a basic building instead of a mobile home if that's possible. Even if it's just one large room with a little bath to one side and a little kitchen area! You can always add onto it if you want to.

You should be able to run the water line from your well unless they are going to use so much water it would interfer with your water supply...but check if there's any kind of zoning against it.

Where we live is in the country but we have "city" water (plus a well we're hoping to get back into service) Anyway, if you put a trailer in your yard for your child or something that will not allow you to let them tap into your water meter...they have to have a seperate meter so they can charge them mega-bucks too! But with your own well that shouldn't be much of a problem.

-- Suzy in Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), September 27, 2001.

Another thing is how you are going to heat the water for showers, etc. They have tankless water heaters now that are supposed to be more efficient, or you can go solar (either low or high-tech). Or, you add another bathroom onto your place (which would add value to your house) with a door leading to the outside that they can use.

How far away are they going to be from your house? Is the meter reader (water and electric) going to know they're there?

You didn't say what state you're in, but you might want to look at the laws for mother-in-law places--you might be able to get a break on a loan or be able to run that extra line to the mobile home.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), September 27, 2001.

Any cottages or buildings nearby slated for demolition? I saw a small adorable capecod style on the back of a huge truck being moved recently, nosey me asked the flag person what was going on, and learned that a new house was being built and the house was free, plus the price of moving it. It cost less to give it away and move than it would have to remove it as debri. Watch those legal notices and spread the word that you're looking!

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), September 27, 2001.

I have several suggestions:

Have you had an opportunity to look at the pre-fabricated metal building kits? Most are set up as office spaces, but can easily be converted to a residential setup.

How about looking at a home scheduled to be demolished. Many times, you can find a home which the owner wants to have removed from the property to build on. Check your newspaper paper, I seem to read not long ago about homes going for $20.00 dollars, allowing you to get that septic service installed. I don't think the moving costs are extrememly prohibitive, unless the distance is really far. Remember to allow for permits, fees and the sons of fees that go on too.

If you decide to build on your own, demolishing an existing building for materials for it might make sense. Better to go for demolishing a garage, as you have as much wood as a residence without having to deal with disposing of all the sheetrock, mechanical ductwork, etc. of your basic home.

Also check on if building an addition to your home constitutes building another residence on the same lot, illegal in some communities. Hope this helps.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), September 28, 2001.

anita, This is just a thought. I know that laws and zoning rules can vary from state to state,so how about a addition to your home, only a addition that would contain a seperate house. this way you could tie in their water needs and bathroom without a lot of goverment input. In this section have a kit, liv, and bedroom. there are kits sold at lowes for a 16X ? ,{ you choose size}cordwood section, log kit, a garage kit or buy your own lumber, build your own addition. We bought a garage kit 24x 32 and built a really nice home for our son and his family. It was $3200.00, has 2 baths and 2 bedrooms, kit-din and living room. hope this helps. lexi

-- Lexi Green (whitestone11@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

We built a 16x36' one bed, bath, living room, kitchenette for $8,500. That's with lots of insulation, a 18,000 a/c, we can heat it with one Ceramic disk heater. If I was doing it over I'd add a wood heater. A lot can be built in the $10k range.

-- K & S (healthywizard@earthlink.net), September 28, 2001.

Anyone mention a yurt yet? You can buy kits. We looked at them a few years ago...could be really cozy! I think Pacific Yurts is one company.

-- sheepish (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

Here's a site with pictures for Pacific Yurts:

http://www.yurts.com/yurts_web/gallery/index.htm

There's probably companies closer to you, but you can get the idea. Good luck.

-- sheepish (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

HEllo Anita, How about an RV (recreational vehicle). They can be bought inexpensively, (used), they are self contained (requiring no septic or other permanent recepticles), and they can live in it anywhere. My family and I have been living in one of one and a half years now. We bought ours used and drove it to the Ozarks. We lived in it as a caretaker of someone's land until we bought our own land. Now, we live in it until our house is finished. Our house is about thirty feet from it. When the house is finished, (soon). We will sell the RV and regroup almost all the money that we paid for it. It has paid for itself already since we have not had to pay rent since we moved in it. (In Florida we paid $650.00 a month before we got the RV). Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), September 28, 2001.

I am watching with great interest the antics of a distant neighbour who appears to be building a house from a number of stacked shipping containers!

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), September 29, 2001.

Well, NZ has the history for it. I can remember staying in a very comfortable spare-bedroom annex to my father-outlaw's (and step- mother-outlaw's - life was simpler before I married and was divorced) batch at Bethel's Beach. Was built from two of those old marine-grade plywood crates they used to ship cars in before the days of shipping containers.

Actually, Australia is the graveyard of the shipping containers - we export bulk, and import (except for some petroleum) manufactured goods in containers. No balance, and the containers often end up stranded here. Some people have adapted them as temporary accomodation while building permanent accomodation (although when you come down to it there's likely to be little more permanent than a shipping container on brick piers). Find whatever aluminium windows are economical, and cut openings to suit with an angle-grinder. I've toyed with the idea of a small cottage from two parallel but separated containers, fill in the end-walls, then throw a roof across the lot.

However, here the most economical on many fronts seems to be ex- construction-site or work-camp transportable buildings. Can be very inexpensive. A small ablution-block would give you all the washing and toilet amenities - maybe just take out one shower and put the laundry in there (assuming you've got septic-tank or sewerage connection. Alternatively, an office block with toilet facilities, and put in a separate shower. Throw up some sort of porch or verandah to disguise the look of it, maybe put a toilet there and transform the internal toilet into a shower, or leave the toilet and put a washroom (combined shower and laundry) under the verandah roof, and you're done. Look at what's available and how you could put it together and disguise the appearance of it enough to satisfy a busy- body local council.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), September 29, 2001.

Well Don they guy down the road from here must have played with Lego as he appears to be going at least three high with these steel shipping containers. He has almost no land, just a niche cut into a very steep bank but he is certainly putting the preparation work in with some sort of steel frame being built and thoroughly painted before the boxes go into place.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), September 29, 2001.