After finishing school, Jocelyn and Jarvis had $96,000 of debt from student loans, credit cards, and buying a small rural property. This is the story of how they paid it off in just 20 months, and then built themselves a debt-free custom tiny house for their family of 4. After ignoring their finances for a […]
This is the ultimate tiny house off grid paradise. Situated on 380 acres of spectacular lake-front property with private hot-springs and abundant wildlife, the land will eventually be home to a fully functioning off-the-grid, solar powered community of tiny homes which will be placed amongst a network of geodesic dome greenhouses growing organic food. The […]
The Gypsy Mermaid is undoubtably one of the most creative and artistic tiny house builds that we have visited to date. There are features in this home that I didn’t believe to be possible in a tiny house such as a fully functional feature pizza oven right in the middle of the home which provides […]
Twenty years ago Andrew Michler bought a $60,000 solar shack in the Colorado mountains that “immediately fell apart” and inspired two decades of experiments in off-grid living. Today, he and his wife live in the reconfigured shack and he has turned a former shed on the property into an ultra low-consuming Passive House (Passivhaus). “Passive […]
In this video Shawn James shows the entire process of building an off girds log cabin from the cutting of the first tree to the laying of the last floor board – no food, no talking, no visitors, just carpentry, bushcraft, timber framing, blood, sweat and tears. Shawn’s end goal is to have an off […]
Cold frames are fantastically versatile, helping the gardener to cheat the seasons and enjoy more harvests. With just a few inexpensive and reclaimed materials, a drill, some screws and a screwdriver, it’s straightforward to make your own cold frame to protect plants from the elements. In this short video we’ll show you how to make […]
Here’s a great way to maximize your grow space. Perfect for those renting, with limited space, or just anyone who loves to re-purpose and DIY! Make sure you don’t use just any old pallet as they can be treated or contaminated with toxins that the pallet was being used to transport. Ideally you want to […]
Roman concrete was a material used in construction during the late Roman Republic until the fading of the Roman Empire. Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement. Recently, it has been found that it materially differs in several ways from modern concrete which is based on Portland cement. Roman concrete is durable due to its incorporation of volcanic ash, which prevents cracks from […]
This guy built his own in ground pool for less than $3000. In the short video below you’ll be able to see step by step instructions along with material costs. Here are a list of frequently asked questions related to the project as well… 1. Where did you find a backhoe for only $45/hr? Answer: […]
This is a step by step record of a guy building an underground shelter using a 20 ft. shipping container. For those wondering why he didn’t simply pile dirt over it without pouring a concrete cap first, these containers are mostly sheet metal. Heavy duty as it is, the roof and sides will push inwards […]