Want to See the Human-Sized Hobbit House That Costs Less Than $5,000 to Build?

TheBlaze ^ | 11242011 | Liz Klimas

[TheDailyChange]

This is not some set left over from The Lord of the Rings. This hobbit house is an honest-to-goodness man-sized home. Not only does it fit a family of four, but it cost just over $4,650 to build.

[hinckley buzzard]

There is something wrong with the psyche of the left in that they can never be proud of their own ideals without tearing down what others do.<

Just so. Another illustration of my conclusion, which I have posted here at various times, that the driving dynamic of the left, whether Stalinist or flower child, is hostility toward one's fellow man.

The Left sings hymns to "the masses" while perpetrating gulags for the individuals and genocide for "the other" they so pompously revere in abstracto.

[hinckley buzzard]

When I lived in Arizona I toyed with the idea of a natural house, based on the old Spanish models pre-air conditioning--sunken rooms, thick walls, small east and north facing windows, high ceilings. I never got to build one, but still wish I had given it a try.

[marktwain]

You ever hear of buying a piece or land WITHOUT HOA and CC&R’s?

Yes, I own a number of them. They still exist. There are even counties that have no zoning at all.

[Bigg Red]

...the driving dynamic of the left, whether Stalinist or flower child, is hostility toward one’s fellow man.

^^^
I have often noticed their disdain for their “inferiors”, such as waiters and store clerks.

[MasterGunner01]

I really don't know why there weren't a lot of trees on the prairie, but there weren't — at least not in the numbers out east. It could be rainfall and the soil conditions just don't promote forests that are a prime source of building materials. There were trees on the prairie and some scraggly forests. However, they were not extensive so that all-wood frame houses could be built in large numbers. As the railroads moved west, they brought building materials from the east to to the prairies. As soon as more and better materials were available, the sod huts and houses went away.

[Pipe Dog]

Be it ever so humble, I like my indoor plumbing, running water, central heating, and other creature comforts. You born-again Hippies can keep yours. Thank you, very much.

Lol, I agree. I'm in the process of building a basement home. I'm all about efficiency but I think I'll have to take a pass on the compost toilet and other hippie crap.

[MasterGunner01]

One of the ideas that I toyed with was the conversion of Intermodal shipping containers. These are available in both aluminum and steel. They are now available as surplus around our port areas because the owners rate them as having so many across-the-ocean trips before they are retired.

Standard sizes are 20’ by 8’ by 8’; 40’ by 8’ by 8’; 40’ by 9.5’ by 10.5’; and 45’ by 9.5’ by 10.5’. The latter two are called “high cube” containers. These shipping containers are designed for ship, rail, or road transport. All it would take would be to run in the water, sewerage, and electrical to a site. Do the necessary foundation prep and then bring the container to the site and plop it down. Conversion and finishing could then be done on-site. Or, the container could be prepared and converted off-site, trucked, to the site, off-loaded, and hooked up. Sort of like a Wausau Home.

[txhurl]

I’ve just always puzzled over if Centex can grow nearly 100% forest of cedar, oak and elm over NO dirt - just limestone - and hardly any water why the Plains can’t figure out a way.

[marktwain]

I’ve just always puzzled over if Centex can grow nearly 100% forest of cedar, oak and elm over NO dirt - just limestone - and hardly any water why the Plains can’t figure out a way.

I believe a lot of it was the Indians modifying the environment to suit their purposes. They routinely used fire to keep the prairies open and to hunt with. If the seedlings get burned up, areas where trees grow slower never get trees. I notice that most of the plains have trees along the creeks and rivers.

[txhurl]

I really like this house.

[Rebelbase]

HA!

[Mr Rogers]

I’d bet the cost was way over $5000. Based on the last time I priced windows, I’d guess his glass windows cost that much.

[Chickensoup]

me too. Deep in my heart I am an elf.

[marktwain]

I like the house too, but I would be concerned about how he waterproofed the roof and support structures. I would bet the $5,000 is only for materials and that most of those are salvaged.

If he did the proper waterproofing, that house could last a long time. There are hay bale houses in the Dakotas that are over a hundred years old.

[Pipe Dog]

Interesting, but being 8' to 10.5' wide would be uncomfortable imo. Different strokes for different folks though. Also wonder about the corrosive effect of exposure to salty air and water on the steel containers.

[EternalVigilance]

I believe it was because of the prevalence of prairie fires. Killed the trees, but the grasses loved it.

My home state, Nebraska, was originally pretty much devoid of trees, except along the river bottoms. But they have planted millions of them over the last century and a half. They do fine without the naturally-occurring prairie fires to take them out.

[Baynative]

The black voting block is an illustration of marketing and PR at it’s best. Who could have imagined, 60 years ago, that the descendants of slaves would one day support the party of segregation to the extent that they now do?

[Baynative]

Don’t ask me how that post got on this topic!

[txhurl]

They do fine without the naturally-occurring prairie fires to take them out.

---

That’s what I was thinking. If we can grow trees hydroponically, certainly the Midwest can do it conventionally.

[Jay Santos CP]

That is strange!