My goal is to build a home for under 20k,  as an average person with no prior building experience. Crazy? In this society, yes. In many others, commonplace. When I tell people about this project, I get a lot of reactions. Many love it. Some are confused by it. Some disapprove and even downright hate it. So here, I’d like to clear up 5 of the most common misconceptions I’ve run into when talking about debt-free home building.

1. You must be either very very rich or very very poor

In order to have the idea come into your mind to build debt-free, You surely must have so much money that you don’t need to get a mortgage or loan. Or, on the other hand you’re completely broke and mean you’re trying to put up some sort of a shack somewhere to survive. Neither is correct, at least what I mean when I say debt-free building. It means that you ideally have some money saved (on the order of a few thousand –  not hundreds of thousands), and/or also willing to build slowly so that you can put some money towards the project every month for example. But I don’t mean a cardboard box or some dangerous falling-down shack because there aren’t any other options. (hopefully not anyway)

I envision a concept where I’m doing a lot of work myself and creatively resourcing building materials. Although, I do hope very much that more such debt-free projects will eventually help drive housing costs down and create alternative housing options. Everyone, regardless of their financial situation, should have the ability to construct a safe structure to live in. In order for this to happen, we need to develop alternative methods of building that don’t require large machinery, intricate electrical and septic systems, and ungodly amounts of time and labor. In addition, these building skills need to be freely available to learn.

2. You just want to save money and be really “cheap” when you shouldn’t be

It’s not all about just “saving money”. It’s about empowerment and sustainability. When many people think about “sustainability”, often only a couple of vague associations come to mind like reducing pollution, eating organic, going vegan. But to me, sustainability encompasses everything that we can each do to personally live a sustainable lifestyle in all areas: our environment, family, job, finances, eating, drinking, pets, etc. 

For example, imagine you theoretically have a huge farm, say 10 acres, where you grow your own fruits and vegetables, all organic with the best farming practices. But you’re just one person and can’t manage all the work yourself. Perhaps, you do manage for a day or even a week, but for you this probably isn’t a sustainable situation. But, everyone is different. Perhaps this would be a very sustainable situation for someone with a large family that could help, or with other experience. In this example, nobody would blame you if you couldn’t take on such a huge investment in time to care for the farm. And, we can visualize the same thing for finances. 

A house nowadays costs a huge amount of money – hundreds of thousands. That means that normally (unless you’re very well-off) the average person needs a mortgage or financing of some kind. For most, that means you’re putting thousands of dollars down, then on top of that paying 2,000 or so every month for the next 30 years ish. For me, and for many others, this is not a financially sustainable situation. 

Also, living in the complicated houses of today means additional costs for paying professionals who know how to fix the different aspects of your home’s build: air-conditioning, heating, foundation, plumbing, roofing, etc. A traditional home is built with lots of dangerous and heavy machinery, so that when something breaks, every time, we have to get out our wallets and pay a professional team. For me, this is also not sustainable. It’s not just about money, but also about feeling safe in my home – that I know how it was built and how everything works, and I know what to do in the event that a professional or outside help isn’t available at the moment. 

For me, exploring alternative building concepts is a step on the way to a more sustainable lifestyle, both for myself and the environment. On this path, I’ve seen that it doesn’t just save money, but also promotes a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle by resourcing used materials and saving good building items from landing in the trash heap. When a home is built with lots of brand-new materials made with all kinds of chemicals and polluting machinery, I find that also not sustainable, in the sense of the environment, and it makes me feel uneasy about the structure that I’m living in.

3. You have to hire a professional to get everything “done right”

This has practically become a mantra in modern day society. What exactly defines a “professional”? Someone with a license from the state? An engineer? Someone with a college degree? Don’t misunderstand, I don’t mean that every experienced, knowledgeable, trained individual is just a fraud. Nor do I think that everything regarding house building or renovation is easy. Rather, I see that many people, myself included, use the word “professional” to mean anyone other than us as long as they say they can do things, just because we feel intimidated. 

But think about it – it’s your own house for you and your family, friends, etc. You’re the best advocate for your life and the place you live in. Another person doesn’t necessarily have your best options in mind just because they have a certain type of training or certification.

4. Doing work on your own? You’re going to get yourself hurt!

Obviously, it isn’t a good idea to climb up on a huge excavator, turn the ignition, head for that cliff you want to grade and hope for the best…at least without some serious training and supervision. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t hammer a nail or pull a weed without significant risk of bodily harm. It also doesn’t mean you can’t hire anyone to do anything – that was never in my definition of “debt-free”. Rather, it means determining what you can do responsibly on your own, what skills you need to learn, and what you need to hire some help for. 

Also, there are many types of alternative houses that can be obtained with far less extravagant means than traditional builds: earthbag homes, hyperadobe, cob, container homes, converted sheds or other pre-built structures, tiny cabins, mobile tiny homes, and more. The skills needed to prepare these types of structures can be safely learned and practiced, and many people are already doing so! However, in addition to alternative building methods, we need an infrastructure that supports the learning of these building skills. 

Sadly, many are scared off from learning new skills (not just building!) in our society by being constantly told “this is HARD”, “You just don’t have what it takes”, “You can’t do that on your own”. I often see ads for grading land, putting down gravel, clearing underbrush, and other various construction services that look something like the following.

“Job xyz can be dangerous and costly if done improperly. Our professionals have the knowledge, training, and expertise to get your job done right safely”. 

Sounds like normal marketing language at first glance – but if you think about it, it’s a bit of a scare-tactic. Further, the internet amplifies these statements. There are tons of businesses in housing development competing for sales and trying to get their websites to rank high in search algorithms. What happens then is when you put in a query like “Can I install a septic tank on my own?” Google says “it is NOT recommended; you need these professionals”. Rather, it might have been more helpful if a page pulled up with info on how to set up a composting toilet, for example. Getting a solution that IS safe and low-cost to do on your own requires a lot of digging through all the statements about how you’ll end up fined, not to code, and injured if you even think about trying.

4. If you’re building your own home, you have to get a contractor. You just … have to

So, what is a contractor? I thought for a long time that it was someone who builds a house. Sort of. A contractor leads your project of building a house, and engages others to execute different aspects of the build: clearing the land, laying the foundation, etc. It’s completely understandable why many would want to hire such a person to build a traditional modern day home. But do you really have to, and is a contractor always the right choice for everyone and for every home concept?

There are so many possibilities for exceptions. Earthbag homes, for example, are routinely put together by small teams of people without heavy machinery, or even by single individuals. A contractor certainly has much knowledge and plays a key role in many projects, but is a contractor and their associated cost really appropriate for every project, type of building, and person? 

5. You’re just trying to be cheap, but you would actually save a lot of money in the end if you would get a contractor and professionals to do the job

Well, if you know a contractor that can build me a place to live for less than 20k then do reach out. This nontraditional build isn’t for everyone, but likewise, a mortgage and traditional housing search isn’t for everyone either. We need an infrastructure that promotes diversity, alternatives, and the development of creative solutions. Accordingly, we need a society that supports learning, teaching, and helping each other. With this mindset, perhaps someday no one would be without a safe place to live. Housing is a fundamental need – it should be the cheapest purchase of your life, not the most expensive. 

Is this goal possible? Definitely. How do I know? People are already doing it! But will I be successful? You’ll have to follow along to find out!