Thread: Building your own hut...

We got an unused old plastic water tank and put a window and a door into it. Screwed it into the ground. Lease land so no permanent structures so this was an easy way to do one on the cheap

Originally Posted by Sika Seeker

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We got an unused old plastic water tank and put a window and a door into it. Screwed it into the ground. Lease land so no permanent structures so this was an easy way to do one on the cheap

yes nice and simple just needs a verandah to sit under as i bet it gets hot ?????

We built a lean to above it just out of the photo which collects water and gravity feeds down to the hut

As a LBP with over 55 years building experience my advice is keep it simple , verandah a must .

Just a caution to Sika Seeker , ventilation is a must as others in the past have found out to their demise when using gas cookers or heaters in a non vented room

Currently I'm building one myself, just a simple off grit cabin that I can turn it to tiny home,
Wanting something that last for 10+ years or until I sell the land one day.
Started a few years ago and work on it on my spare time and occasionally mates come to help,

I'm not a builder and here is what I did

Originally Posted by No.3

Ok, have been looking at this at idle moments as have a mate who's just brought a block. The block is in the middle of nowhere with no facilities at this point so some sort of base would be good...
What are some good cheap options for materials for this, sources etc.
...

I finally join facebook so I can access the fbmarketplate
bought majority of my cabin build materials from fbmarketplate,
most are 2nd hand stuff but they are as good as new.

my driveway is 500m ish
I laid geotextile on top of the top soil and then gap40
my mistake was I didn't do the drainage --- another project for another year

Originally Posted by No.3

Plans that make good economical use of those materials?...

Access to my cabin is not straight forward, I bought more materials than I think I will need due to access, logistic and time
Stay away from $1 reserve trademe timber sale, its not worth it.

Originally Posted by No.3

Scaleable maybe, build a basic something that can be added too?.

I considered a lot of option but choose this one at the end.

Originally Posted by No.3

Some of the tiny house brigade I think are dreaming a little, circa 300,000 for something the size of effectively a 40' container is a little extreme...

Its a never ending money pit, if you DIY you can save a bit.



Other things that I wish knew before I start

Time - any task will take much longer than you anticipated
Water - get an IBC tank and start collecting that rain water
Power - makesure you cover your generator well else pest will make a nest in it
1st aid kit - accident do happen and I nearly cut my thumb tendons because of my stupidity
Wind - I picked a spot that sheltered from westerlies and northerly but I underestimated easterly
WC - get a compostable toilet if you think you will spend some time there.

The list goes on and on and probably will never end, I hope its all going to be worth it one day.

Re the dunny. The kitset garden shed that is about 1x2.5m foot print work very well. If you build a plywood box of correct height into the non door end and put a hinged flap /door in the top with seat attached....have a 15 litre bucket under this on base and top half of one attached under your flap/ door under the seat so it slots down inside the collection bucket underneath. All the "goods" end up in bucket. When getting half-3/4 full lift up seat flap and go empty bucket into your compost area. Clean and replace.

@Sika Seeker nice! Much like these https://mountainturk.org.nz/about-turks/turk-materials/