# Ultimate Survival/Retirement Home



## Tex

I plan to build a home on several acres after my kids have grown and left. What type of home would you build and why? I want my home to be low maintenance, safe, and very energy efficient.


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## TechAdmin

To be short this is my goal as well. My primary goals are for the homestead to be secure, off the grid for energy and water and able to provide food year round. I'm a gadget guru so I spend a lot of time looking at homestead automation. I would want a lot of automation involved to make it easy for us to focus on other things. Such as timed irrigation from rain water collection, fairly self sustained food plant choices, etc.

Good topic!


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## George_H_M

Well if money was no object . I would build a home that could hold me and my family comfortably. Be powered with wind/solar/water, geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling , and have all the creature comforts . The exact design is still evolving in my head but right now money is the reason I live in an urban area and not on a nice plot of land. Hope this gives you some ideas.


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## Tex

My wife wants a country house with lots of windows and big porches. I like them, but I want something that is low maintenance and energy efficient. I want to provide my own water and electricity and the need for air conditioning in Texas makes that very expensive. I like concrete dome houses. I toured a concrete dome house that was 2700s.f. and it only had a 1 ton AC unit outside. These houses are tornado proof, fire proof, hurricane proof(except for flooding), earthquake resistant, and can even be buried for an underground home. A coat or two of industrial paint is the only outside maintenance needed for 50 years. If you have several too close together, it looks like a hippy commune, but it can be done tastefully on several acres of land.

They are made by inflating a dome shaped balloon called an airform. From the inside, you spray in a 3 inch thick layer of polyeurathane insulation. Next, the rebar is installed along with any outside wall conduit for electrical boxes. Then 3 inches of concrete are sprayed inside. After the concrete dries, the doors, windows, and interior framing is done. It costs about $110/s.f., but there is little need for insurance, since the house is so durable. These houses have stood through forrest fires, hurricanes, and even a tornado with only minor damage. (windows broken)

Monolithic Dome Institute

Has anybody done haybale construction, underground homes, or any other alternative building technique.


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## SierraM37

*Our Home Build*

We built our home on 12 acre's in the Sierra Nevada foothills in 2001 - Actually broke ground on 9/11/01 ironically.

We didn't plan in terms of total preparedness but did do the following:
2 wells on property that I wish the state of CA didn't know we had. they'll come suck it up when the H2O crisis hits. Need to find a way to get the water up without power or alternate power.

Radiant Floor, Wood burning and gas fireplace on top or traditional HVAC system. Need to re do the radiant floor so I have a solar bypass to use that free sun rather than the gas H2O heater.

I did get a tractor with a backhoe and want to build a storage cave/rootcellar that is concealed.

We've got the veggie garden in and are up to 8 chickens.

I would've had a fireproof safe dug and built into the slab.

Hope this helps a little. Todd


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## northernontario

Tex said:


> Has anybody done haybale construction, underground homes, or any other alternative building technique.


Arrrgggg... just wrote a nice long post... and got logged out when I tried to post it.

Basically... straw bales are good. High insulation values, good for the environment, etc.

You'll need to find a local source to help you along the way. check this out...
Camel's Back Construction - FAQ

It's canadian, but still answers a lot of questions.


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## red haranguer

Check out many of the 1970,s The Mother Earth News magazines. They contain many low cost, energy efficient homestead ideas. They cover sod, passive solar, active solar, log construction, etc. They also have many low cost plans for alternative power including wind, solarand water. There are also plans for ways to make fuels for your vehicles. An excellent source of information from the "back to the landers".


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## Tex

If I can't get my wife to go for the dome house, I may look into an earth bermed hay bale home with a metal roof. I'll have energy efficiency and she will have a big porch and a country decor.

Whatever type of house we build, we will start with a 30x50 shop with covered RV parking. We can live in the RV while we get water, septic, and electricity situated, and build our home. The shop can house power generation and washer/dryer, refridgerator/freezer, and stuff storage until the house is built.


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## BIGJ

Geo Dome or Deca Dome are the most effecient. Next step - if you can't get your wife to buy off on those would be an ICF structure (insulated concrete form). We built our ICF home in '03. Basically the walls are a foot thick. 3" styrofoam insulation inside / out and 6" concrete center. Re-rod gets put throughout as well. There are plastic strips throughout that you can screw your drywall, etc. to. Its like huge lego blocks. We just used a jigsaw and cut channels out for all of our electrical (check your local codes). I was very surprised how easy it was.

There are MANY different ICF manufacturers we went with Superblock

Welcome to Super Block Systems.com

I'm not sure how handy you are but these forms are VERY easy to put up yourself. Bracing is the most important thing along with a concrete pump & concrete vibrator.

Our home is about 3600 sq/ft including the finished basement and my father's home next door is about 2000 sq/ft and we use exactly half the propane to heat our home that he does.

With recent changes to the economy I'm now looking at adding an inline multi fuel (wood, corn, cherry pits, etc.) furnace in case things get scary. At the time I wasn't sold on geo thermal - my mother in law has it and its been a maintenance nightmare for her. However I've been researching it further and the systems today look much better - so its not out of the picture yet. Also - since we're on 35 acres I'm looking at windmills. One that interests me a lot is the Whisper 200 - google it. Seems very effecient and easy to install / maintain.


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## Tex

I like the idea of insulated concrete. It's bug proof and fire proof. Something like Superblock would suit my wife better and could still be used in an earth bermed house. I still like the simplicity of a concrete dome, but I like options. Keep them coming.


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## RedRocker

I'm in the same boat, we have 17 acres in Bowie and looking to build.


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## trace

If you want it to be energy efficient, see if you can build it into the side of a hill; that makes it a lot cooler in the heat.


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## billinthehills

read an article other day on using old car tires filled with sand and layered like bricks. A steel belted radial 2-3 feet across filled with sand sounds pretty energy efficient not too mention cost effective as tires could be had for free. Anyone else seen or heard of this concept? I belive it was titled earthen homes.


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## chesterburrito

Isn't survival supposed to be rugged but retirement is supposed to be comfortable? Why have a survivalist style retirement?


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## Tex

chesterburrito said:


> Isn't survival supposed to be rugged but retirement is supposed to be comfortable? Why have a survivalist style retirement?


I want to build something comfortable as well. If I can provide my own utilities, I won't have as many bills. That stretches my retirement savings further. If I'm not spending money, they will have a much harder time taxing it. My kids will inherit my place and my lower cost of living if they want it. Besides, if we ever get to a SHTF situation, my life won't change as much.

I toured this guy's home when it was 100 degrees outside. His 2700s.f. house was very comfortable and had only a 1 ton AC unit outside. I didn't like where it was located or the facade of the front entry, but the inside and the back covered patio were beautiful. His roof and patio cover caught rain water and fed it into a concrete cistern. A wood burning stove near the back patio entry would heat both domes easily.

Charca Casa Dome Home


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## Big B

Look into berm homes ,if you have no hills, or a berm home up against a cliff or big hill. The earth provides an amazing amount of insulation ,cool in summer and easy to heat in winter.
In the plain states these homes were plenteous at one time.


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## xj35s

*go log...*

We have been looking to build on our 17 acres. Modular homes are $75-$100 psf. These log homes are around $17 psf, but it doesn't include wiring, door/windows, or roof. I think I can do the work with family and friends for far less than the modular companies can.

They have an R value of 20. Can be built solar. all natural too.

Of all the log home companies we've looked at this was the best. They build the home fully before it goes on the truck. They insist on assembling it on site so it's right. They are the least expensive of all companies and most caring.

Canada's Log People - Log Homes Crafted with Quality and Pride - Home


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## Tex

I love the look of a well built log home, but I worry about fire and termites. A "box" house made of log or any other material would lend itself to solar panels on the roof. They make amorphous solar panel strips that adhere to metal roofing material. It doesn't look gawdy and works better in high heat and less than direct light situations.

I'm looking to provide power with solar and wind. If I find land with running water, micro hydro would be good. If I'm not on the grid, I can supplement with a small generator. Any extra power generated will be shed to a water pump to keep a water supply. If the tank overflows, I will direct it to the garden. I plan to put all power generation and water pumping in my detached shop. That will keep all noise(wind generator and backup generator) and other hassles away from my house. I will concentrate on energy efficiency and comfort in the house.


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## flatwater

We start on an underground house this next spring with a full open south face and about a foot of earth on the roof. I have designed it to get maximum controled daylight . Ambiant temp year around will be about 56 degrees with no help from us.
flatwater


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## Tex

I'm jealous, Flatwater. My dad framed the inside of a 2000 s.f. underground home with only 1 Southfacing wall exposed. It had a clerestory window for natural cooling at night. I wish I had taken pictures of it, but that was 25 years ago when it was built. From the street, all you could see was a small building that housed the clerestory windows.

What kind of construction are you using? (concrete, haybale, etc....) How big and are you providing your own utilities? What is the site like? (trees, on a hillside, how much land)

You should start a picture thread once construction begins.


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## nefaeria

A cob completely off the grid, with a on a nice acreage that's partially wooded, and partially clear with it's own body of water. Oh, and outer buildings for the critters of the homestead 

And why? Hmmm....well, simply put: cob stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and is pretty easy to build/maintain.


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## Tex

What's a cob? I think we have language differences or I'm not familiar with what you are talking about.


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## skip

Our dream home is a log cabin. Not one in the kit form, but one that is handmade. My son-in-law's brother just finished one that they cut all the logs and most of the lumber on property. The only money he spent was for a used sawmill, new tin roofing, and insulation for the floors and ceiling. Only about 1600 SF, but big enough for them. They have electricity, but installed wood heat, and have a wood cook stove for backup. Sleeping is in the loft.


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## Tex

nafaeria - I googled "cob" and found it. It's a variation of stucco.


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## Rancher

Something to consider....... I have assisted in the construction of three of these.

Domes from American Ingenuity - Home


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## Tex

Good looking domes. Are they hard to assemble? How many people are required? Any special equipment? The price looks good. A 48' dome costs about $40k. That's 1800 s.f. on the ground floor alone. I added this link to my favorites. Thanks Rancher.


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## Rancher

They aren't difficult to put together. Two to three people working together can assemble the shell. Although I've found that the help of a local small crane operator makes lifting the panels into place much easier and faster.


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## The_Blob

depending on how heavy the panels are, you could rent a trailer mounted boom & use it for a crane... I did that when I built my barn.


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## bunkerbob

Hello, we built our retirement/dream home about 3 years ago. We considered earth-sheltered homes, but, realized for us Nu-dura ICF block was more practical. With a few classes from the manufacturer, a owner/builder can raise the walls themselves. It is made up of foam blocks 2 1/2" thick on each side and the core is filled with 6" of steel reinforced concrete. The roof trusses are attached with 3/16" angle iron brackets to concrete embedded J bolts, then 4" steel straps are laid over the roof sheeting( OSB with a foil liner, a R7 insulating factor) is nailed every inch. R38 fiberglass insulation in the ceiling tops this off, no HVAC required, inside temp 81 degrees max with outside temp of 110 degrees summer months. The ICF block company states this system will provide a insulation factor of R50 in the walls and should resist a rictor-10 earthquake. The exterior is concrete based siding with the interior with 5/8" drywall. We have a water well that produces 40gal min to 2-5000gal tanks, and a 24vdc jet pump to pressurized the house. Gravity feeds water to the organic gardens, orchard and trees. We live off the grid with a 3.7KW solar-wind hybrid electrical system with a propane 12KW genset backup, with 28- T-105 batteries in the bank. A propane fired tankless water heater provides hot water and the system when fully charged, will pre-heat water in a small water-heater before the tankless water-heater. You can visit my home building site if you like to see how we are coming along...bunkerbob. I try to keep it up-to-date with photos. Also visit my other posts for info on my ongoing underground shelter project.


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## questor

Concrete Canvas

with a little extra wok and design , it might be usable


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## Turtle

If I ever win the lottery, I'm gonna have these guys build me a castle:

CastleMagic Castle Builders

Since I don't buy lottery tickets, I probably don't have much of a chance of winning it. So when we buy some land, I plan on building a small stone tower and workshop somewhere on the property, and building it strong enough to hold out and take a beating.


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## twolilfishies

earthship 101

look that up on google


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## TechAdmin

I want a castle.


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## pdx210

Basically, i would build a home into a hillside it's a home , bomb shelter, fortress all in one build as many energy options into it as possible on grid & off grid wind, solar, fire wood


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## Vertigo

Turtle said:


> If I ever win the lottery, I'm gonna have these guys build me a castle:
> 
> CastleMagic Castle Builders
> 
> Since I don't buy lottery tickets, I probably don't have much of a chance of winning it. So when we buy some land, I plan on building a small stone tower and workshop somewhere on the property, and building it strong enough to hold out and take a beating.


Dunno if that link works for you guys, I clicked it but couldn't see any photos.

Here is another link: Castlemagic


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## GatorDude

Tex said:


> My wife wants a country house with lots of windows and big porches. I like them, but I want something that is low maintenance and energy efficient. I want to provide my own water and electricity and the need for air conditioning in Texas makes that very expensive.


Since you'll be spending a lot of time with your wife during your retired years, I'd consider the country house idea. Your challenge is to make the house LOOK like the country house on the outside, but be super energy efficient on the inside. Wide porches with ceiling fans might make outdoor living much more comfortable. Look at solar tubes to supplement or replace electrical lights. Get super-duper energy efficient windows. Use solar heating for hot water. Double the amount of insulation recommended. My parents routinely have electric bills that are 35-40% less than any house on their street simply because they had the builder use 2x6s and insulate. It was unheard of in Florida at the time, but it has really paid off.


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## Jaspar

Tex said:


> My wife wants a country house with lots of windows and big porches. I like them, but I want something that is low maintenance and energy efficient. I want to provide my own water and electricity and the need for air conditioning in Texas makes that very expensive. I like concrete dome houses. I toured a concrete dome house that was 2700s.f. and it only had a 1 ton AC unit outside. These houses are tornado proof, fire proof, hurricane proof(except for flooding), earthquake resistant, and can even be buried for an underground home. A coat or two of industrial paint is the only outside maintenance needed for 50 years. If you have several too close together, it looks like a hippy commune, but it can be done tastefully on several acres of land.
> 
> They are made by inflating a dome shaped balloon called an airform. From the inside, you spray in a 3 inch thick layer of polyeurathane insulation. Next, the rebar is installed along with any outside wall conduit for electrical boxes. Then 3 inches of concrete are sprayed inside. After the concrete dries, the doors, windows, and interior framing is done. It costs about $110/s.f., but there is little need for insurance, since the house is so durable. These houses have stood through forrest fires, hurricanes, and even a tornado with only minor damage. (windows broken)
> 
> Monolithic Dome Institute
> 
> Has anybody done haybale construction, underground homes, or any other alternative building technique.


I used to live in Texas and saw a group of those houses just north of Waco. Thought is was some religous cult or something. :dunno:

They sould pretty darn durable.


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## questor

*a safe home . . .*

I may have found one . . . . . .

is-this-the-safest-house-in-the-world: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance


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## Vertigo

questor said:


> I may have found one . . . . . .
> 
> is-this-the-safest-house-in-the-world: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance


can you give another link, cause all this gives me is a link to yahoo...

thanks

V.


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## longtime

is-this-the-safest-house-in-the-world: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance


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## UncleJoe

I get the same thing. No house here. :scratch


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## Vertigo

longtime said:


> is-this-the-safest-house-in-the-world: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance


same thing still, it wants me to login or create an account or something.

V.


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## mdprepper

google "safest house in the world"


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## TechAdmin

The Safest House in the World | Real Estate | Mainstreet

Maybe?


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## texican

If you're building in Texas, cooling is going to be an issue... one way to help cool your new home down in the summer would be to site it in the shade of large deciduous trees. For years, the home I built was completely shaded by large oaks, and the inside temp would be 20 to 25 degrees cooler than the outside temps. 80 sure beats 100... When one of my oak trees died, I suddenly had heat issues about 5PM...

I have only a tiny wall unit. Run it only a few days each summer, when it's extra humid and the temps are in the low 100's. Keeps the moss from growing on the walls ... basically I use it to draw the moisture out of the house.

I'm building another home... this one on a hill, overlooking my lake. There's a prevailing breeze even on the hottest days, coming off the water. I'd prefer to not 'have to' install a/c.


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## booter

This house may very well be the, "safest house in the world", and it probably has the,
"state of the art", in high-tech: security, surveillance, electronic, wizardry. But it sits
in the hills, overlooking downtown Los Angeles, (Zombie-Central), home of some of the
most violent & vicious streetgangs on the planet. Most certainly near the top of the
lists of strategic targets to nuke, that area is famous for its' lack of readily-available
water, not to mention the owners/occupants have blown every form of OPSEC by the
announcing/listing the residence/location to anyone with access to a computer! 

But, the design is sound of theory....


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## edgarinventor

Tex said:


> I like the idea of insulated concrete. It's bug proof and fire proof. Something like Superblock would suit my wife better and could still be used in an earth bermed house. I still like the simplicity of a concrete dome, but I like options. Keep them coming.


I just dug out this from Brazil, OK, it's in Portuguese, but the video's self explanatory, and the company is sure to have an English page on it's website:

Faz você mesmo: Uma casa por blocos, termo-eficiente

They said Sunday they'll say more so now it must be more concise, at that link.

Here's thhe page
http://www.eco-block.com/training/contact.aspx


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## LVMikecheck

Check this one out

Ultimate Secure Home

The company that did it is Formworks Building


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## tmike

I live just outside of Austin in a cement monolithic dome home. The smallest window unit I could find on the lowests setting keeps the whole house cool in the heat of summer. Although it freezes many nights in the winter here, I need only 3 or 4 fires in the wood stove to reduce the humidity when it's too cold to open the windows. If I didn't live in my dome, I would use shipping containers. They, too, are practically indestructable and can be bermed as can the dome for increased insulation. Shipping containers are used for very elegant living structures and have a more conventional look when clustered together than the round dome. I feel more secure with cement, steel, earth or combination of these between me and the elements.


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## musketjim

While my house is far from perfect for survival we work bit by bit to retrofit and add on what we can. Our bugout cabin is advanced beyond our house of course as far as being off the grid but no doubt survival there would be brutal. Now getting to our cabin with martial law and armed gangs will be problematic. All you can do is keep preparing and hope nothing happens because it will be tough on everyone.


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## questor

with some 'modifications', I giving this some serious consideration

Earthbag Building Index

it's going on the same property as the the bolt hole.


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## gary863

Wife and I bought a rustic cabin with 3.5 acres a few yrs ago in Vermont. No electricity, no water, woodstove with an outhouse. This past summer we had a well drilled and septic put in. Also put on an addition and had the plumbing done. This summer the solar power will be installed to run our well pump and run a few lights, we plan on staying off grid. We have a long way to go before we retire to this place, but we are enjoying the work.


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## Von Helman

gary863 said:


> Wife and I bought a rustic cabin with 3.5 acres a few yrs ago in Vermont. No electricity, no water, woodstove with an outhouse. This past summer we had a well drilled and septic put in. Also put on an addition and had the plumbing done. This summer the solar power will be installed to run our well pump and run a few lights, we plan on staying off grid. We have a long way to go before we retire to this place, but we are enjoying the work.


sounds like a lot of fun.. and very rewarding


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## kejmack

Tex, if you are still on the forum, I would be interested to see how your house building turned out.


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## RedRocker

kejmack said:


> Tex, if you are still on the forum, I would be interested to see how your house building turned out.


+1.........


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## Tex

I'm still planning. Our oldest is in college and our youngest kid has 7 more years until he finishes highschool. That's when the real fun starts. Until then, we are saving and planning. We will probably be buying the land in the next couple of years. I'm looking East of Dallas so I can keep my day job and plan to commute to the office if I ever get too old to work in the field.

My middle son graduates in 2 years. Maybe I should be looking now and find good schools for the younger one in 2 years. Hmmmmm.


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## machinist

Better early than late, IMHO. 

I would be in favor of an underground house, passive solar heating assist with wood stove backup, since we have plenty of wood around Indiana. Don't know about your locale. 

After 35+ years in engineering, I am firmly convinced that gadgets are not timesavers. They only put off the day when you will spend a LOT of time trying to keep them going. So, I go for simple and practical, every time. A BIG cistern for water with bucket access, a hand pump, and a gravity drain to be SURE I can get water when I want it. Water is paramount. 

Underground, at least mostly underground, reduces both heating and cooling needs. Passive, hot air solar heat is pretty well idiot proof--make that failure proof, and costs nothing but maintenance once installed. "Cool tubes" buried deep underground for cooling only require a fan to operate, and can be mostly passive with a suitable warm air vent. Got a friend who built that sort of thing just outside Boise Idaho and heated it with only what radiated from the WATER HEATER until it got below freezing outside. Super insulation if a one-time only cost, and pays forever. 

I would go conventional roof, not earth covered, for many reasons (including water collection), not the least of which is, WHEN it leaks you can fix it. And it WILL leak. Everything leaks eventually, so plan for it. Metal roofs are more durable than shingles and are easier to repair, in my experience. Use a lot of screws in it, and build it to hurricane standards. 

Concrete cracks. There are 2 kinds of concrete--the kind that is already cracked, and the kind that is GOING to crack, so plan for that, too. I'd suggest tar coating with a flexible membrane over that outside the walls, and a GOOD drainage system at the footers. Add some styrofoam over the outside, and you are good to go. 

What you do from there is mostly personal preferences. I woud add some solar PV for power, especially lights and communications, plus refrigeration if that is high on your list.


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## zimmy

*Survival / retirement home*

Tex,
Here is a link to some home construction ideas, and also I have many pics posted on this site.

Make a smart decision on the property you buy, like elevation, trees, water, distance to towns, proximity to neighbors, zoning, taxes, lay of the land.

Incorporate some old ideas like outdoor kitchen for canning and cooking during summer, outdoor living spaces for the time of the day (N. side house middle summer day), outdoor sleeping room.

If you can, live on your land, or stay on the weekends to get an idea of placement and orientation of buildings. Look at Monticello in Virginia (Thomas Jefferson) , the house is above the dependencies so as not to block the view. Examples are: garden shed should be close to the garden and close to the house. Animals should be away from the house but close to water and electric. Orchard can be far from the house but with a 8' deer fence top wire electric to keep out racoons. Planning is very important! http://www.youtube.com/user/DOESolarDecathlon


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## Akg980

This is a great forum, I really like some of the ideas and links on here. I'm looking to bring in modern design into the survival aspect. I am working on some ideas and I hope to get some feed back from this forum soon.


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## Starwht

I built my 750 sq.ft. home from a book called 13 Energy Efficient Houses You Can Build Yourself. This was back in 1990. It used passive solar attached greenhouse heating and cooling. It was energy efficient in insulation and electric heat with the assistance of the local Public Utility. It now has a wood stove as well. I built it on 2.5 acres, mostly in pasture land but had a 1000 ft. raised bed garden with drip irrigation in front of the house. I raised Rex rabbits for show and meat and had them in a metal frame building with tarp roofing. Later I built a corral and shed to house the horse in the winter. The 1000 sq. ft. garden was a bit much to handle for someone not used to so much garden space. White flies sabotaged my greenhouse growing.


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## Gravlore

I must be the only broke dick builder on the site. We built our 1200 sq ft home for $40,000.


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## Grimm

Convert an old grain bin/silo.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-i...t&utm_medium=email#axzz2Jg0IpRSM?newsletter=1


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## RedRocker

Gravlore said:


> I must be the only broke dick builder on the site. We built our 1200 sq ft home for $40,000.


I'm not a builder, but I have the other part covered.


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## Fossil

I am watching the demise of two close friends as age catches up with them. One 83 years old, the other 78. The older guy lives in a single level home and can still get around with aid of a walker. The younger lives in a monster home with three levels and many stairs. He is having an increasingly tough time getting about in his own home now, and is starting to shut off parts of the house.
My point is, if you are indeed considering building for retirement, age is going to rear its head one day. Is a loft bedroom really practical when you start teetering around? Are the doorways wide enough to allow a wheelchair? Are the floors slippery? Is there enough light to actually see? 
Not to throw a wet blanket on anyone's dreams and ideas, but I am seeing some things change with me as I "get on" and find I am adjusting my thinking on many levels. Stairs and ramps are an SOB as aging comes along. Enjoy your mobility as it lingers, but consider the days to come in your plans.


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## cnsper

Quonset hut... I know where I can get a 40x70 for 10k right now. Now that is something that you can deal with easily and have room for feed, hay, storage, garage, livestock and you all are in your own faraday cage... LOL


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## dixiemama

I have RA so when my husband and I were building our home, we considered the natural progression when it came to the house. It's one level, 20x40, open living room and kitchen and wide doors to accommodate a walker or wheelchair. It's not something anyone wants to think about, let alone when your 26.


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## zombieresponder

I have enough different ideas running around in my head that I confuse myself at times. I have wanted an earth covered monolithic dome for several years now, but I don't think it will happen. We just bought 5 acres for a BOL, and I'm currently leaning toward earth bag construction for it. It's off grid, and I hope the power companies never run lines in. I'm planning on solar and wind, plus a generator. It will have a wood stove for cooking/heat, and I may put in propane as a backup. I'm not yet sure what I will do about water. I'm learning a little here and there about permaculture, and have several ideas on natural barriers that will also provide a place to grow food. I will have an excellent view from the front porch though. 

It will be a bit more scenic than this:


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## machinist

Consider the water as a first priority. It's HEAVY, so you don't want to pump nor carry it very far. And, you need water EVERY DAY, as does your garden and livestock. That was always the first consideration for those who first settled this country. Decide where the water is coming from, THEN design the rest around that in a logical manner.

Ours comes from a cistern, fed by rainwater collected from our house roof. 6,700 gallon capacity is just about right for 2 of us, if we are frugal with it. (12 feet X 14 feet X 7 feet deep, including the walls.)

Next, is a Southern exposure for the house and livestock quarters. Not on the top of a hill because it gets too windy, and not in the bottom of a valley either, because it gets too wet. 

Fertile ground should be near the house for a garden, and access to a road needs to be nearly level, if possible and high enough to keep the road from getting too wet. 

Violate any of the above principles at your own peril. I have fought all the problems that come with ignoring them and it is not fun. You will pay for mistakes as long as you live there.


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## zombieresponder

That's absolutely true. Our structures will be located about halfway down the slope of the property. There is a stream/creek at the bottom edge of the property, but it doesn't do me a lot of good. I have to figure out a catchment system that will put the retained water uphill/above the dwelling.


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## jsriley5

I realize the origins of this is very old but what I dream of making for my long term retirment and self sufficient homestead is a ICF (insutlated concrete form) Home with 8 or 12 inch poured concrete walls over a basement with a sub basement "bunker" Solar hot water heat with wood backup as well as LP instant hot water heaters to back up. Solar and wind (posibly water as well if I have a good stream) off grid electric. I would likely build some out buildings of the same stuff for keeping of animals and even a plant nursery. 

Stilll waiting for that winning lottery ticket to blow across a parkig lot and stick to my shoe though.


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## gidaddy911

Anyone ever considered building from recycled shipping containers?


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## RedDunesPrepper

gidaddy911 said:


> Anyone ever considered building from recycled shipping containers?


I always thought that was a good idea. There relativly cheap and very strong.


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## gidaddy911

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I always thought that was a good idea. There relativly cheap and very strong.


I have been working out different layouts. I have a couple in mind. I am factoring in wind and solar power in my costs as well. Trying to be as self sufficient as possible.


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## LongRider

Tex said:


> I plan to build a home on several acres after my kids have grown and left. What type of home would you build and why? I want my home to be low maintenance, safe, and very energy efficient.


We would have bought a pre fab custom kit house. Had we known about them before we bought this place. One the cost is about a third of a conventional stick built home. Even more important because the components are built under cover, in a factory setting with laser guided computer assisted machinery in steel jigs. Every component is made far better than is possible for an onsite stick built house. Not to be confused with mobile or modular homes. The framework, eaves, joists, walls are pre fabricated at the factory. All windows, doors, pre fitted. Wall insulated are insulated with Styrofoam that is so precision cut that a piece of paper can not be slid between it and the framework. The building are air tight with all air circulation controls for maximum energy efficiency. Electric and plumbing pre fitted. The building arrives at your site in sections to be assembled on site onto your foundation. So can be financed just like a custom stick built home, which is what these are. In addition to being precision built they must be made to meet standards in all fifty states so they are built far sturdier than a stick built that must meet only the standards of your local. One manufacture that appealed to us used only old growth hardwood timber from two, three hundred year old homes. That they salvages and re milled so that in fact used new old growth hardwood lumber that has cured for two, three hundred years for post and beam construction. The homes were nothing short of magnificent with stunning old growth maple and oak exposed post and beams throughout the home. As these are custom homes you can include things like, solar paneled roofs, safe rooms, and building methods to harden your home as you like as you can with any custom home. A quick search found
Maple Homes
PureBlox
Pacific Modern Homes Inc
to give you an idea of what I am talking about. Could not find our favorite but there is every style of home you can imagine available.


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## LongRider

Von Helman said:


> sounds like a lot of fun.. and very rewarding


Good to see you posting. Your above ground concrete bunker is still by far the best BOL home I have ever seen


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## memrymaker

I saw a spot featuring this home. It survived Hurricane Ivan. I wish we could do something like this - awesome house.

http://www.domeofahome.com/pdf/2004 1106 Sun Sentinel.pdf


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## helicopter5472

booter said:


> This house may very well be the, "safest house in the world", and it probably has the,
> "state of the art", in high-tech: security, surveillance, electronic, wizardry. But it sits
> in the hills, overlooking downtown Los Angeles, (Zombie-Central), home of some of the
> most violent & vicious streetgangs on the planet. Most certainly near the top of the
> lists of strategic targets to nuke, that area is famous for its' lack of readily-available
> water, not to mention the owners/occupants have blown every form of OPSEC by the
> announcing/listing the residence/location to anyone with access to a computer!
> 
> But, the design is sound of theory....


The price tag however is just a smidge over what I have in the bank...


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## LongRider

helicopter5472 said:


> The price tag however is just a smidge over what I have in the bank...


Von Helmans above ground bunker came in came in at about $170,000 as I recall and was far nicer more secure and self sustaining.


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## Saoirse

Tex said:


> I plan to build a home on several acres after my kids have grown and left. What type of home would you build and why? I want my home to be low maintenance, safe, and very energy efficient.


My favorite:
http://dornob.com/uk-celebrity-plans-on-building-huge-underground-eco-home/?ref=search

Big...porches? Check.


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## GaryS

First thing to remember is don’t build the retirement home you want at 50, and expect to be living in it after 70. Your mind may not change, but your body will win the vote.

We built our first “retirement home” when I was 55. It was a 2400 sq ft, story and a half, on one acre in a small town20 miles from a larger city. It was energy efficient with 6” walls, geothermal heating and cooling, premium vinyl windows, and Energy Star appliances. I was content, but my wife wanted to be closer to her dad, so we moved to East Texas and built our 2nd energy efficient “retirement home” when I was 65. This one was on a heavily treed acre in a rural subdivision four miles from the nearest store, and thirty miles from a larger town. It was 3000 sq ft, story and a half, and had even more energy saving features, plus a whole-house emergency generator. I loved it, but when my wife’s dad died, she wanted to move back nearer the DFW area where most of her friends live. Being the type of guy who realizes when Mama is happy, everyone is happy, I agreed if she let me build the house the way I wanted.

We moved into “retirement home” #3 this past March. It’s 2500 sq ft, on an acre and a half in a tiny town without even a grocery store, and within 30 miles of Fort Worth. It has 6” walls with foam insulation, non-vented attic, premium grade windows and doors, class 4 shingles, Energy Star everything, geothermal heating and cooling, and a concrete “safe room” in the center of the house that serves as our main pantry. I also designed a long closet for “prep storage”. 

Because I’m retired and now have time for my car hobby, I built a three-car workshop away from the house, in addition to the two-car attached garage. The lot is level, without hills to climb, like those at our two previous homes, and the soil here will actually grow something other than briars and poison ivy. All landscaping has been with mostly native Texas plants that require less water and less maintenance.
The difference at age 72 is that the body doesn’t work as well as it did ten years ago, so this house has no stairs to climb, or entry steps into the house. You can easily travel anywhere with a wheelchair or walker, and the halls are wide enough to accommodate both. The master bath even has a large shower with no door, and is level with the floor so a wheelchair can roll in. Since we have no attic storage in the house, I built a large walk up attic in the workshop. 

Cutting firewood has become difficult, so this fireplace burns propane instead of logs. A 500 gallon propane tank will keep warmth in the house in a short term emergency and it will power the 20kw generator that is going in soon. I also fenced an area in the back yard that will be used to install enough ground mounted solar panels to provide at least half my annual usage. To make things easier to hook up, I already installed sub panels and underground PVC pipes.

Yes, it’s far more than a basic survival house, but at my age, comfort and less work trumps off the grid living in a remote location. I would have built it even smaller, but partially gave in to dear wife's wishes. As much as I loved being self-sufficient when I was younger, I’ve discovered that it’s nearly impossible when you hit the seventies. If things really get tough, we wouldn’t survive for long anyway, so we might as well be as comfortable as we can while we are here and can afford it.

Sort of like Goldilocks, we tried three homes before we found the one that fit. We even kept our home in the Tyler, Texas area to make sure we preferred living where we are now, but I guess we will be selling it now, as this one seems to be just right.


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## smaj100

BunkerBob,

How did you like the Nudura? I've been talking with a dealer and getting pricing and information from him. I'm planning on doing our ICF home in the next few months, and he's a leading contender. Did you diy or contract? Where there any problems you noticed or found before, during or after construction?


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## questor

RedDunesPrepper said:


> I always thought that was a good idea. There relativly cheap and very strong.


can't bury them.
They're only very strong on the corners, where they're stacked


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## questor

memrymaker said:


> I saw a spot featuring this home. It survived Hurricane Ivan. I wish we could do something like this - awesome house.
> 
> http://www.domeofahome.com/pdf/2004 1106 Sun Sentinel.pdf


http://www.monolithic.com/


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## bunkerbob

smaj100 said:


> BunkerBob,
> 
> How did you like the Nudura? I've been talking with a dealer and getting pricing and information from him. I'm planning on doing our ICF home in the next few months, and he's a leading contender. Did you diy or contract? Where there any problems you noticed or found before, during or after construction?


Back then they were the only company that offered "T's", the others had to make your own. We happened to have not only a local contractor but a architect and an engineer that had designed and built these.
We were going to do most ourselves, but with work and all we decided to be a owner/builder and hire the necessary people. I did a lot anyway, interior tile, cabinets, electrical etc. 
Again we were lucky with the local inspectors, none were versed in this kind of construction and the code didn't cover the construction techniques and our off grid electrical system.
We love our house, R-50 walls, that will stand up to a ricktor 10 quake, here in CA very important along with a long list of benefits.
Did you look up my simple website for more, @bunkerbob2.


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