World

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

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.

Hobbit House costs under $5,000 to build.

Simon Dale and his family in front of their "hobbit house." (Photo: SimonDale.net)

The Daily Mail reports that Simon Dale built the home without any prior home building or carpentry experience on a plot of land that was provided for free in exchange for watching over the owner’s other property. Nestled in a Welsh hillside, much of the home is made from scraps and scavenged material and wood:

“Being your own have-a-go architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry.

“Building from natural materials does away with producers’ profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.”

[...]

As well as being made from sustainable material the Hobbit house, as it is dubbed by locals, has lime plaster on its walls instead of cement, a compost toilet, a fridge cooled by air from beneath the foundations and solar panels for power.

Mr. Dale said: ‘This sort of  life is about living in harmony with both the natural world and ourselves, doing things simply and using appropriate levels of technology.’

Hobbit House costs under $5,000 to build.

(Photo: SimonDale.net)

Hobbit House costs under $5,000 to build.

(Photo: SimonDale.net)

Hobbit House costs under $5,000 to build.

(Photo: SimonDale.net)

Dale and his family are now working on a new hobbit house that will be the first “low-impact ecovillage” in Wales. Learn more about Dale’s projects here.

[H/T Gizmodo]

Comments (206)

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  • macpappy
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:49am

    Kinda cool, but way crude. I have seen houses built on 16 foot lowboys. I guess in Britian nowadays, folks have low expectations. He sure could have used a level and square.

    Report Post » macpappy  
    • burnteye86
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:00am

      No,. He didn’t need a level and square. It looks just fine.

      Report Post » burnteye86  
    • saigonpaul
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:58am

      looks like we have the next WHITE HOUSE plans already here, just have to get these HOBBITS out so BO and family can move in………..

      Report Post »  
    • Jack of Hearts
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:00am

      It’s a fantastic house, just love the reaction of miserable little people with no imagination like you. No joy in your life, no sense of wonder or what’s possible, no innovation, no admiration for others efforts – typical of the whining mentality that could drag the USA down. Get a life.

      Report Post » Jack of Hearts  
    • BlackAce41
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:04am

      MACHAPPY have you even seen the “Lord of the Rings” Movie?

      Report Post » BlackAce41  
    • Marcia
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:14am

      Gotta agree with Burnteye86 – just charming the way it is!! Good for them! I wish them many, many happy years there!

      Report Post »  
    • Bgrasspkr123
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:21am

      Yes he could use a level and square, looks may be fine but what about longevity, If it aintstanding up straight , it aint gonna stay there, Laws of nature .

      Report Post »  
    • c0mm0nsense
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:07am

      Dont you just Hate those Creative People? I have friends like this and it makes me sick when i throw something out and next time I go to their house my garbage is made into something………..well I hate them too.

      Report Post » c0mm0nsense  
    • Favored93
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:17am

      This would be a cooler story if they were not eco-nuts!!

      Report Post » Favored93  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:38am

      Ah, the benefits of socialization.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:04am

      Love it! What a great guy! Hope he built in an area not subject to earthquakes! LOL

      Report Post » AzDebi  
    • mils
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:13am

      IT’S A HOBBIT HOUSE…no levels, sqs etc needed…it’s cute…i don’t want it…but it ‘s cute

      Report Post »  
    • tersky
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:07pm

      I disagree. He formed the house to fit with the landscape and to follow the curves of the materials he had. The organic lines and shapes are perfect for the setting. Had he made everything straight and square it would have lost that organic feel and been less…. magical. I think it’s wonderful. But… have they got termites in Wales?

      Report Post »  
    • JAYBECONSERVATIVE
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:15pm

      It does look cool, whatever floats your boat man! better he exercise his freedom than try to impose his belief on me. i’ll take my manufactured home. Hope some local building inspector doesn’t evict him now! on second thought, I hope the place doesn’t crash down on top of him and smother his family!

      Report Post »  
    • Roberto G. Vasquez
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:21pm

      A quaint shack is still a shack. I just had a 3/2 house built here on the Tex-Mex border: 1700 sq ft, all brick exterior, all tile floors, 10′-12′ ceilings with fans, central air/heat, walk-in tile shower plus a large garden tub in M bath, large picture window next to tub looking out on the garden patio & water fall, granite countertops, etc, etc, $105,500. The difference is that our house will be worth more over the years, while a shack won’t be. Especially since the shack is on someone else’s property. But….whatever floats your boa!.

      Report Post »  
    • chrisser
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:52pm

      Couple things…

      1) Perhaps he was able to build this for cheap because he collected garbage, but if he sourced the wood from the home site, then the cost of the property needs to be considered. Just because it doesn’t cost you anything right now, doesn‘t mean it doesn’t cost anything.

      2) In many places, the permits alone (if you could even get permission from the Leftists running the building department to deviate from “zee rulez”) and the changes required to comply would easily double the cost of this structure, if not triple it.

      3) It’s funny that the same people who whine about “creativity” are the ones who are constantly advocating greater and greater power for the state – the single largest creativity destroyer in the history of humanity. Know the reason alternative fuels like LNG and Propane aren’t used in vehicles – the costs to comply with the EPA. Know why you don’t see cob houses, or strawbale houses or yurts or compaated soil or other alternative home building techniques in your neighborhood – national, state and local building codes and their enforcement minions. Leftists created this government leviathon and now they whine about creativity when it is the single largest reason creativity is dead. You idiots built the monster, and you blame everyone but yourselves now that it’s out of control against your pet interests. Well, we’ve been warning you for 50 years that it would happen, but you knew better.

      Report Post »  
    • panz
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:36pm

      You’re obviously one of those people that prefers “a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry.”

      You missed the whole point except the one on your head.

      Report Post » panz  
    • Spirit 72
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:42pm

      .
      “Cocktail of carcenogenic materials” vs. Mold? Leaks?
      Termites?
      “Compost toilet” concept vs. cholera prevention on a water well?
      Neighborhood values with great outdoors outhouses?
      Building Code / Zoning Nazi input?
      Eco-nutz gone mad

      Report Post »  
    • KickinBack
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:21pm

      It’s beautiful. I like.

      Report Post » KickinBack  
    • A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:43pm

      @panz,

      “You’re obviously one of those people that prefers “a mass-produced box designed for maximum profit and the convenience of the construction industry.””

      Mass-production is how things are made cheaper. And if more people wanted to live with less technology, they’d mass-produce this hobbit house and make IT cheaper, as well.

      Of course, with all the regulations and property taxes (and Fed-created housing bubbles), housing prices are higher than they would be in a free market.

      Report Post »  
    • macpappy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:18pm

      Yeah, I’ve read Tolkien, and have all the movies in my library. My quip about the square and level was a bit facetious; but my point is that the hut is cute but of no real use. You could build a better hut with more use if you knew what you were doing. We are celebrating mediocrity here as this little Hobbit home is a cute piece of crap.

      Report Post » macpappy  
    • macpappy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 4:28pm

      @jackofhearts
      I build real houses every day puff ball. It is not a fantastic house, it is a work of art if anything. Like most liberals you feel the need to get all defensive if someone says something they don’t agree with. Get use to it, or find another way to entertain yourself.

      Report Post » macpappy  
    • FreedomPurveyor
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:09pm

      I love it when people end a long, emotional internet rant with “get a life.”

      Report Post » FreedomPurveyor  
    • SlimnRanger
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:47pm

      What an amazing beautifull home and i bet his utility bill is real low

      Report Post »  
    • The10thAmendment
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:29pm

      I wish this site allowed us to upload photos. There’s a Hobbit House in Salinesville, Ohio that is really incredible. Beautifully done, and even better appointed on the interior. It’s not a green house, but they sure put natural elements to use in a great way.

      Report Post » The10thAmendment  
    • getalong
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:34pm

      This is just like I imagined my forts to look like when I was a kid playing in the woods. Very Cool!

      Report Post »  
    • just happy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:56pm

      “Have a go at it” is the ultimate invitation to enjoying your God given liberty. It is how we became the greatest civilization in the history of civilization! every gov’t restriction we have is a block to this necessary portal to changing the world for the betterment of mankind.

      Report Post »  
    • Jezcruzen
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 9:56am

      I think its pretty cool! I love the way its camouflaged… blending in with the natural surroundings the way it does. Should be difficult to find by the muslims after they riot and take over England and begin their hunt for all those infidels. Wont be long, now!

      Report Post »  
    • Ne_FAL
      Posted on November 27, 2011 at 9:23pm

      Hope he has clear title to the land & an easement to get to the nearest public road . otherwise all his effort was for the benefit of the guy that owns the land & not him or his family .

      Report Post »  
  • littleQueenie
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:46am

    I love it; I would sleep well there and wake every morning inspired. Where you live affects you more than most people realize.
    It doesn’t matter if it takes constant tending. It’s a work of art that will continue to grow.

    Report Post »  
    • symphonic
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:21am

      You would not sleep well if RATS were able to get in and scramble around.

      Report Post » symphonic  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 5:23am

      It would be the Government regulators scrambling around that would be unnerving. Think of the building code violations they could come up with.

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:25am

      I was thinking the same thing….we could never do that in the United States because there are far too many regulations to follow. Heck I couldn‘t even replace my own hot water heater because the old one wasn’t up to specifications. Even with a home warranty, I had to pay $600 to get it up to code. Can you imagine trying to build a free form house like that, with no Union contractors?

      Report Post »  
    • jeanfiddlehead
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:52am

      I would sleep well here with cats for rodent control. So how different is it from camping in tents? I have dug up roots and boards in my garden that are intact after at least 10 years when used as ground fill in this floodplain location. They do have solar panels, that wouldn’t do much here with clouds abundant, but might work in the warmer climate there. Building codes are a good idea for earthquakes, tornadoes, huricanes, blizzards and such with our mobile society.

      Report Post »  
    • PlowMan
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:26am

      Wonder if it leaks? You guys that are talking about building codes in the US are talking about local laws. If you live in an area where there are no building codes (i.e. country) you can do this sort of thing. The problem with no code or very little oversite is you get people who live in squaller. With squaller you get varmits & sick people and kids who grow up in it & develop all kinds of problems as a result. So some oversite is a good thing.The problem comes when people see the need to form an opinion as to what I can do in my own castle then make a law to prevent it. Just my two cents.

      Report Post » PlowMan  
    • shirleyandpearl
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:42pm

      It is cute….they should design those built on wheels so that one could move it into different settings and plug it in to utilities when wanted. It’s kind of cool… but wonder about the compost toilet. Where’s the sat dish for the big screen though?

      Report Post » shirleyandpearl  
    • dmcote77
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 9:16am

      @plowman – if our modern materials and methods are so great, why do so many more children have asthma than ever before?

      Report Post »  
  • Arizona 9-12
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:33am

    Love Tolkien, house is nice but if I was moving into a Middle Earth home sign me up for Helm’s Deep.

    Report Post » Arizona 9-12  
    • Mannax
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:35am

      As a the comment told to me during the first movie as the heroes arrive in Rivendale the first time and see Hugo Weaving’s character. My friend leans over and whisper’s, “Welcome to Rivendale, Mr. Baggins.”

      For those of you who do not get it. Replace Mr. Baggins with Mr. Anderson and think the Matrix movies.
      I almost spit my coke on the people in the next row because I started laughing.

      That being said… Cool house. And probably cheap to heat and cool as well.

      Report Post »  
    • Iman Azol
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 2:28am

      Mister Baggins! Welcome back. We missed you. I don’t know how it happened, perhaps part of my ring imprinted on part of yours…

      Report Post »  
  • Sorocialism
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:23am

    This house has a 3 year lifespan…at best before major renovations/repairs have to be made. Have fun being eco-friendly when u have to rebuild every 3-5 years.

    Report Post »  
    • symphonic
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:21am

      Seems like water and rot would get into such a structure made out of hay. I am remembering the three little pigs story.

      Report Post » symphonic  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 6:33am

      Renovating every 3-5 years is better than paying $250,000 for a house worth $99,000 because of all the interest. And with no house payment, they can save for the renovations.

       
    • country_hick
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:57am

      You mean like some people that move every 3 – 5 years? Or those that remodel every 5 – 10 years to “upgrade”?

      Someone mentioned the possibilty of rats… Do they mean like the straight and square buildings in big cities infested with rats?

      ONLY a couple of things matter here: Does it work? Does he and his family like it? His answer to anyone that doesn’t like it should be the same as mine to someone who disapproves of the way I live – LEAVE!

      Report Post »  
    • dnewton
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:33pm

      I think they have some kind of moisture barrier on the roof under the vegetation. This may control moisture inside and protect the wood provided that there is no condensation in the winter. Warm moist air would rise to the bottom of the roof and condense if the conditions were just right. All you would need is cold weather outside and people breathing or cooking inside. If the wood responds by increasing the moisture content, there would be a chance of brown mold that would attack the wood. Insulation would prevent this but increase the cost.

      Report Post »  
  • Politijack
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:21am

    Pretty cool looking..

    But ive been in the residential construction/remodeling buisness for 25 years and Im gonna have to call BS on him doing all that for under 5k

    Report Post »  
    • Conserving Ink
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:35am

      The book you are looking for is ‘The Fifty Dollar and Up Underground House Book’ by Mike Oehler. He‘s a ’hippy commie’ but math is math and engineering is engineering. Personal beliefs do not change how a structure works. While I have no intentions of living without electricity or plumbing, many of Oehler’s theories will make it into my subterranean home when I build it.

      http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Dollar-Underground-House-Book/dp/0442273118/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322199063&sr=8-1

      Report Post » Conserving Ink  
    • Conserving Ink
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:46am

      I followed one of the links and looked at the ‘napkin’ drawing of the home’s elevations. It is classic Oehler engineering. I have no doubt that this man referred to Oehler’s work while constructing this home. It also means that the home will stand just fine.

      Report Post » Conserving Ink  
    • TCPatriot
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:36am

      Really I just put new floors, new wood work, plaster and paint in the kitchen and dining room remaking both rooms for less than $700 in 2 weekends. All materials were good quality brand name products and were available within 20 miles of my home in northeast Oh. It took two weeks to research and was well worth it. I work 50-60 hrs a week at my regular job so time was at a minimum. No union contractors or building codes but would put my work up for inspection with no fear.

      Report Post » TCPatriot  
  • SanDiegoCountyCitizen
    Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:04am

    This Hobbit Hippy is lucky he didn’t try doing this in the land that sprouted the hippies… California, who’s original hippies now lord over the most stringent set of notorious building codes on the planet! CalOSHA and the local county building inspectors would red tag that house in a heartbeat and boot that whole family to the curb. They couldn’t even live in a brand new mobile home, since the current building codes mandate stick-built on foundation… How else is the state going to swindle money if they don’t have any added value to tax?

    Report Post » SanDiegoCountyCitizen  
    • dnewton
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:21pm

      Right. They would,in California, probably want a residential PVC sprinkler system to protect against fire. I am a little confused about where the solar panels happen to be. It looks like they would have to be in the top of a bunch of trees. I am a little skeptical about the size of the rafters. A natural curve in wood does have its advantages, as shipbuilders have known, but wood will creep over time if extra capacity is not provided and it’s strength changes with moisture content. I can not think of a code that would allow undressed or unshaped wood for structural support without supervision from an architect. This makes it easy for the inspectors. The thickness of the walls seems to be substantial, thus suggesting lots of insulation and a reduced heating load. I suspect that they might get chilly in this winter if they only use solar heating. Maybe they won’t mind doing jumping jacks. Around here, you could not expect a frig powered by air under the house to be cooler than about 55 degrees. The “frig” sounds more like a root cellar. If people want to live there, under those limitations, I say that is great. I just don’t want an over bearing government forcing people to pay more than they can afford for a house.

      Report Post »  
  • lusus.naturae
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:59pm

    I don’t understand the roof. Won’t all that dirt rot the wood? If it is pressure treated, that is not environmentatally friendly because pressure treated wood is full of arsenic. From the inside pictures it seems the roof is already buckling, probably from the weight of the damp soil. It looks nice, but I think it is a death trap.

    Report Post »  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:05am

      The death trap is being regulated all of your life.

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • rcw_68
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:18am

      Treated wood lately is not treated with arsenic. I forget what it is, but I don’t think their allowed to use arsenic anymore. Personally, I love the house. I’m sick and tired of all these cookie cutter houses. That’s why I look for older houses.

      Report Post »  
    • Huckabee Gingrich 12
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:58am

      The green treated wood still contains arsenic. The brown stuff is arsenic free ACQ (alkaline-copper-quaternary) and does not last as long. Wood treated with arsenic is okay as long as you’re not touching it constantly, and try not to eat too much of the sawdust from it. It tastes like hell.

      Report Post » Huckabee Gingrich 12  
    • symphonic
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:25am

      It IS a death trap waiting to happen. With all that TONS of dirt and hay up above, that is a lot of collapse waiting to happen. Its a third world idea. A third world safety hazard. An earthquake would bring it all down in a second.

      Report Post » symphonic  
    • ohyan2912
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 8:01am

      Arsenic is & has been illegal for 20-30 years. The new PT lumber will rot over time.

      Report Post »  
    • Stu D. Baker-Hawk
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:39am

      Yep, death trap indeed. And what’s he gonna do when that death trap collapses on his family? Build another one for 5K so he’ll be able to save enough money for their funerals? Idiot hippies.

      Report Post »  
    • Ditto Head
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 12:31pm

      @Ohyan
      Arsenic is illegal? How do you criminalize an element? You have arsenic in your body. It is in your food and water. And, they still make some pressure treated lumber with it.

      Report Post » Ditto Head  
  • wtfhappend
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:59pm

    I will continue to burn my oil, and run the AC. The quicker we can burn all the fossil fuels the quicker the true green tech will be revealed. Improvements come from necessity.

    Report Post » wtfhappend  
    • Nathaniel Horn
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 1:36am

      Wow. Somebody said something intelligent. Reality cannot be more concisely expressed that these two lovely sentences. If one emptied the vaults of the major oil companies of all of the simple yet amazing technology they have bought up, hoarded, stolen, murdered for and otherwise absconded with which is locked away in a black hole in the ground, we’d all be in the 24th century right now.

      The irony is that The Great Pretenders’ green technology already exists. He just doesn’t know about it, so failure is assured. It’s just not time yet even though it could be. For all of man’s potential, we’re still the stupidest creature on the planet. What other animal takes their own potential and flushes it down a toilet? We are our own worst enemy in an almost infinite number of ways. If you really knew how deep the vein of pity and failed birthright runs, you probably couldn’t go on. It doesn’t have to be this way, and yet it is. Welcome to hell called earth.

      The biggest irony is that the real 99% (chuckle) don’t have a whisper of a clue what they are missing. Misery loves company so I’ll tell the unlucky reader what he/she is missing: Only complete health, happiness and full self expression. Oh, and the Star Trek economy where our technology fully supports us so that all we have to do with all of our love and intelligence is explore it. That’s what we deny ourselves. How stupid are we?

      Report Post » Nathaniel Horn  
  • the68
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:46pm

    This is so cool.The self-reliant survivalist in me wants me to build one of these. Shame the guy buys into environmentalism. Don’t get me wrong; as a guy whose family has had to deal with the stupidity of the EPA, DEP, Soil Conservation, etc. I understand environmentalism to a degree. I’m all for alternative energy sources. I think solar panels are awesome. If I could mount a solar panel on every electronic gadget I have I’d be ecstatic. I think this house is cool and as a single guy I’d definitely live in it for an extended period of time (but then, I’m also a huge JRR. Tolkein fan). The problem is that environmentalism and conservationism is taken way too far, to the point that it actually harms the human race rather than helping it. “Everything in moderation.”

    /rant off. Cool house. I wanna build one.

    Report Post » the68  
    • loriann12
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 7:12am

      I like the first line….the survivalist in me wants to build one, too. If it blends with the countryside, it would hide better. It pains me to think that Whales is more free than America, because we have far too many regulations to be able to do that. What would they value it at, for property taxes? how would they get their money from us if it was built so cheaply? How could they justify no union labor used to build it?

      Report Post »  
  • riseandshine
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:44pm

    That’s one neat little house…I like it.

    Report Post » riseandshine  
  • last frontier
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:38pm

    4 More years of Obama and we will all be living like Hobbits.

    Report Post » last frontier  
    • paperpushermj
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:47pm

      hahahah

      Report Post » paperpushermj  
    • Randy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:04am

      Think about it, your leased a land to look after another for free, so you build a cheap dwelling that you love, for only 5 grand. What is the average rent for a lot, let alone a home on a lot for 5 years. Don’t know how long the poo compost will make it, but if it last more than three years, I’d say that they are saving big, as long as they watch the ceiling. I once had a non reinforced hay float that lasted for almost a month before giving in. If the fam can make it for at least 3 yrs with no electric bills, no sewer bills, and no mortgage or lot rent, hell yeah.

      Report Post »  
  • WPtG
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:23pm

    Beautiful. Human ingenuity at its finest. Reminds me a little bit of the earthships in New Mexico, which are also incredibly cool.

    Report Post » WPtG  
  • Dutchie812
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:20pm

    What is a “compost” toilet???

    Report Post » Dutchie812  
    • last frontier
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:35pm

      Pete Moss, the stuff that preserved the Mammoths.

      Report Post » last frontier  
    • MichiganDave310613
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:59pm

      Its where do your #2 and then spread a layer of sawdust or some like it then after its full you go and bury it hahahaha sounds fun huh? I think its funny too

      Report Post »  
    • IMAWAKENOW
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:45am

      I’m pretty sure a compost toilet is what my grandma had out behind the garage when I was a kid. We called them outhouses.

      Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
    • lodgerat
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 3:08am

      Who is Pete Moss?…just kidding.:-)

      Report Post » lodgerat  
    • cloudsofwar
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:50am

      stinky.

      Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:43am

      It‘s a latrine lined with Huff Po so your tush don’t freeze.

      Report Post »  
    • Iman Azol
      Posted on November 26, 2011 at 2:35am

      Composting toilets are Swedish originally, contain peat moss and some enzymes. Paper goes in the trash, only excrement goes in the toilet. You turn a handle to churn it. The enzymes and bacteria rapidly break it down (a few hours) and evaporation out a stack, like any plumbing system has, takes care of some of the ammonia. Eventually it fills up, and you truck it for compost (after giving it a while longer to stabilize and eliminate certain bacteria), load up a new starter culture, and resume use.

      They’re actually very clean, quite safe, and perfect for areas with limited water.

      Report Post »  
  • broker0101
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:17pm

    People who make it a priority to live on as little money as possible never seem to have any money. But then again, most of you already know that.

    Report Post » broker0101  
    • Lord_Frostwind
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:23pm

      On the contrary, the vast majority of millionaires who have earned their money actually live fairly regular lives without the extravagance their are stereotyped as having. It‘s just harder to tell because they don’t brush their teeth with caviar.
      A family like this might not have much money, but you never know how much they will be able to earn without having to pay an expensive mortgage.

      Report Post » Lord_Frostwind  
    • poverty.sucks
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:39pm

      Living within ones means is one thing, I agree, many folks seem to have some sort of mind block not excell. Just doing minimal for their own satisfaction.

      Report Post » poverty.sucks  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:03am

      Yes, the good factotums that exceeded their expected $640,000 in lifetime earnings for the Corporation, have paid dividends for the owners of their birth certificates.
      The Corporation of the United States of America is pleased with your performance.
      Continue on.

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • Brooke Lorren
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:18am

      Wow, that must be why my grandma is only a millionaire… because she spent her whole life trying to save money. If she had spent like a drunken sailor then I guess she could have been a billionaire by now!

      Report Post »  
    • SgtB
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:29am

      Read the millionaire next door before commenting anymore. Those who are always complaining about the cost of things are generally the ones paying attention to their savings and spending.

      Report Post » SgtB  
    • IMAWAKENOW
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:56am

      I have to disagree. My wife and I live like every nickle is our last. We shop for cloths at Good Will, haven’t bought a new car for over 16 years. never buy anything on credit. We still walk on 25 year old carpeting and cook on a stove of the same vintage. We have NO bills other than taxes and utilities. We have also saved enough to live out our lives as long as our money retains some value after obama and bernanke are done with this country. If not, I am ready to live like a hobbit, we have been practicing for years.

      Report Post » IMAWAKENOW  
    • TCPatriot
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 10:20am

      Maybe they live as God tells us and don’t worship the almighty dollar.

      Report Post » TCPatriot  
  • Beckett
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:10pm

    What about utilities> do they have heat? running water?

    Report Post »  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:46pm

      I was all for it til we got to that compost toilet, sorry , but i like the flush thing…. Just sayin !!!

      Report Post »  
    • Randy
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 11:25am

      If you are underground, you live around room temp. year round, usually only 12 inches, sometimes more. When I was a kid, I saw a family practically bury their house, and save money that way. 65 – 80 degrees year round, because it wasn’t totally buried, or it would be 72 -75.

      Report Post »  
  • Chuck Stein
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:08pm

    Cute house. I hope that they are happy in it. I also hope that it doesn’t collapse on them (which is part and parcel to being happy in it, for sure).

    Report Post »  
  • Nobar
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:01pm

    Tolkien would be proud.

    Report Post » Nobar  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:06pm

      I honestly believe he would have been proud, true.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • SomeRandomPerson
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:35pm

      As a HUGE Tolkien fan I think he would be proud. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were my first and favorite novels that I ever read. I kind of hope this turns into a trend. Wouldn’t mind living in a Hobbit hole.

      Report Post »  
  • dontbotherme
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:54pm

    I love it! I want one.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:21pm

      McCain is Right… I’m a Hobbit!

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • Gonzo
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 7:20am

      Vote for Obama then. We’ll all be living in holes in the ground if he gets elected again.

      Report Post » Gonzo  
  • quickstudy
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:50pm

    Not possible here in the USA. Too many government regulations.

    Report Post »  
    • Ducky 1
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:00pm

      Sad but all too true!!

      Report Post » Ducky 1  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:13pm

      Not true. I bought 7 acres in the mountains last year, and there are no building codes. I can live in a chicken coop if I want to.

      Report Post »  
    • Eliasim
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:19pm

      Of course after I bought land then I realized 50,000 people will be walking all through the mountains if the system collapses.

      Report Post »  
    • skitrees
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:23pm

      Not accurate, @Quickstudy. Depends on which state you live in. Where I live, as long as I do the work myself – I can build, wire, and plumb my own designs; and as long as I don’t plan to rent the building, building codes don’t apply. Unfortunately, the same is NOT true if I am building a church building. I helped a friend once with this, and it was fifteen miles from the nearest town…the regulations were outrageous, and he couldn’t even use 90% of his basement – fire code required him to block it off (even though it was finished and had a fire suppression system installed). Freedom is pretty cool when it is tried, but it sucks when it is taken away.

      Report Post »  
    • chips1
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 9:50am

      ELIASIM:
      If 50,000 people are coming, you had better save your money. It’s going to cost mega bucks for all of the “KEEP OFF THE GRASS” signs.

      Report Post »  
  • quickstudy
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:49pm

    Not possible in the USA. Too many government regulations.

    Report Post »  
    • ProbIemSoIver
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:52pm

      It is one of the many reasons I hate my government.

      Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:07am

      me too… and to me, permits to build a shelter on your land seems pretty unconstitutional. how can someone tell you that you can’t build shelter for yourself or your family on YOUR land? seems to be against our inalienable rights to provide a home for ourselves like every other living thing on this planet…

      Report Post »  
  • ProbIemSoIver
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:48pm

    Awesome.

    Report Post » ProbIemSoIver  
  • TiltingWindmills
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:47pm

    I love it!

    Report Post » TiltingWindmills  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:46pm

    I love it, but how did this home meet county inspection codes? My county fails everything.

    Report Post »  
    • cookieh
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:17pm

      Depends on where you live as to county codes. The only code in my county is septic otherwise you can build anything you want. So here in SD you could build this house.

      Report Post »  
  • iwantmydamncountryback
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:45pm

    it wants it it needs it my precious…lol still kind of neat though

    Report Post » iwantmydamncountryback  
  • CatB
    Posted on November 24, 2011 at 10:44pm

    Wales … well I knew it wasn’t here .. you would never get a building permit where I live for such a “dwelling”.

    Report Post »  
    • wildbill_b
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:28pm

      why would you need a “permit” on “your ” property? But I surely agree IF you enter a contract by applying for said “permit” you would certain need to comply with their rules.

      Report Post »  
    • LeadNotFollow
      Posted on November 24, 2011 at 11:40pm

      CATB, same here. My county is so strict. You need a permit for everything, and I do mean everything. My town is not big, well to do, or upper class, but the county commissioners are upper class, wealthy snobs, who try to control every aspect of the tax payers’ lives.

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on November 25, 2011 at 12:04am

      permits suck. plain and simple.

      Report Post »  
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