[Unswydd]

Tumbleweed Houses

I've been looking at these for over a year now and being single with just my Sheltie Jake and his cat Tishrei it is doable! they're adorable. Not very bomb friendly but cute as a button and eco friendly for sure.

[stairman]

Way too pricey for what they are. You could buy a bigger tool shed delivered and tied down for under $5000, and doll the outside up with a porch ect for another $2000 and be wayyyy cheaper.

[TheAvatar]

They look kinda cozy. For me, I wouldn't mind the small footprint above ground, but I would like to have a pretty big basement. I'm not really sure why, but the thought of living in a "cave" always kind of appealed to me...eh, I'm insane

[carolina168181]

I too like the Tumbleweed cabins,but the cost of the plans are expensive.
However, here are some links as to how to build your own cabin as well as inexpensive cabin plans--

Cottage, cabin & small country home plans


Inexpensive cabin plans
Easy To Build Cabin Plans

[JoeM]

An 8x8 cabin for $35k! Wow. Move to ND. My family bought 3 different, perfectly livable 3 bedroom houses for under $8k a piece.

[Dick]

For something that small I would build a cob house or an adobe house. You don't get much cheaper, and it would have more character.

[Unswydd]

Okay, cost aside they are a great idea!

[mscureman]

They're very cute, Unswydd. I especially liked the weebee and the Fencl. But I'm afraid I have to agree with the others here. That's a bit pricey. I lived in a 26' travel trailer for almost 2 years and loved it. I think it was about 10 years old and I bought it for $5,000. You can get '04s for about $10,000 now. Brand new ones for $30,000ish.

[Celticwarrior]

Originally Posted by Unswydd

Okay, cost aside they are a great idea!

There are a lot of avenues to go by if you want a mini-cabin, other than spending a fortune on some pre-made overpriced version sold to yuppies. Try these mini-cabin kits/sheds. Or the DIY plans from Mother Earth listed below. All of which are in the more-affordable range of a few thousand dollars total, rather than the cost of a real house. Nice for a small chunk of retreat/bug-out property.

Aurora Quality Buildings, Inc.
Wood shed kits
Bison Portable Buildings
Build this Cozy Cabin

Heartland at Lowe's: Rancher 12x8 Saltbox - Special Savings Edition - Installed

If you WANT bomb-proof, then I suggest adding one of these underneath. Utah Shelter Systems - Because Survival Is The Highest Priority

[Celticwarrior]

Originally Posted by Dick

For something that small I would build a cob house or an adobe house. You don't get much cheaper, and it would have more character.

Neither cob nor adobe would be buildable in Indiana, due to water and freeze/thaw cycles. Those type of earth-homes are really only practical in the Southwest with limited water exposure and no freezing. Even earthships don't really work over here. You CAN dig into a hillside and make a decent underground or partially earth-sheltered house, or use a slipform or rammed earth house design, where you spraycoat the finished earthwork to make it more durable in a midwest environment. Tough to get most areas to allow it under codes though. Most are pretty provincial and conservative when it comes to new building techniques.