How long to build a house from Craigslist "free" materials?
Seerialmom
inherited an acre of land, free and clear. Presuming it already has
plumbing/sewer/electrical coming to it...how long it might take to
build a house out of just craiglist 'free" items. I often seen
construction/remodel leftovers. I just wish I had a free acre of land
to test my idea.
Rod Speed
> I've been pondering this recently. I'm just wondering...let's say
> you inherited an acre of land, free and clear. Presuming it already
> has plumbing/sewer/electrical coming to it...how long it might take
> to build a house out of just craiglist 'free" items.
Impossible to say, how long depends on how fussy you are
about the house being built and what is discarded in your area.
> I often seen construction/remodel leftovers.
We often see old houses free for removal. It isnt that hard to shift
an entire house from one place to another when its timber framed.
lee houston
"Seerialmom" <seeri...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1185811024.7...@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com...
why not cut to the chase and presume the acre already has a
house on it? and cable tv, and natural gas, trash pickup,
and a swimming pool? And that your inheritance was in the
millions? If you're mentally masturbating, why
not aim higher? ;-)
Al Bundy
I like to dream too, unassisted by foreign substances.
I see all types of vehicle parts along the road. Some core items like
an engine would be difficult to acquire unless you found an abandoned
vehicle. I wonder if some supreme being could take a snapshot of the
world or country's inventory of road kill parts and assemble something
that resembled a vehicle. If he/she/it's a supreme being, they could
make the parts fit and even run, but that would be violating the rule
of my dream.
freeisbest
Years ago I used to see articles on this kind of project in the
alternative magazines. As I remember the typical story, it usually
took several years of serious scrounging to accumulate enough bits and
pieces, but now and then the homebuilder would start with out with a
place to sleep on the land, like a (travel-) trailer or a shed, stay
on the land and build his dwelling while foraging for the necessary
pieces.
otoh, we have an acquaintance who has been accumulating
miscellaneous building parts for 28 years. He has a nice big semi-
rural lot, maybe 2 acres, that used to be neatly landscaped but now
has 3 storage buildings on it filled with used plywood, windows,
balusters, staircases, doors, piles of plumbing pipe, piles of
plumbing fixtures, and anything else he could get free or cheap.
There are squirrels, mice, rats, and probably snakes in it because
nobody has moved the stuff for decades. He's going to build another
house "some day".
Seerialmom
>
> - Show quoted text -
That's true too about the free houses. Unfortunately it's the getting
it from point a to point b that costs. But presuming you're an
eclectic sort and don't have to have "perfect" colored tiles or other
materials, it'd be interesting to see how long it would take just
collecting the stuff with a pickup.
Seerialmom
Ugh...don't want to do that. But I do think having the trailer to
live in while the house is being built would work. To be efficient
I'd think only collecting the stuff you'll use in the next week would
work. For example the starting with the foundation (forget about
cement slab...odds are you wouldn't get enough "leftover" to pour it)
and framing first. come to think of it Kathy Bates had a movie that
was similar to this except she just refurbed what seemed to be a barn/
shack into a house.
Rod Speed
> freeisbest <demeter547op...@yahoo.com> wrote
>> Seerialmom <seerial...@yahoo.com> wrote
>>> I've been pondering this recently. I'm just wondering...
>>> let's say you inherited an acre of land, free and clear.
>>> Presuming it already has plumbing/sewer/electrical coming
>>> to it...how long it might take to build a house out of just
>>> craiglist 'free" items. I often seen onstruction/remodel
>>> leftovers. I just wish I had a free acre of land to test my idea.
>> Years ago I used to see articles on this kind of project in the
>> alternative magazines. As I remember the typical story, it usually
>> took several years of serious scrounging to accumulate enough bits
>> and pieces, but now and then the homebuilder would start with out
>> with a place to sleep on the land, like a (travel-) trailer or a
>> shed, stay
>> on the land and build his dwelling while foraging for the necessary
>> pieces.
>> otoh, we have an acquaintance who has been accumulating
>> miscellaneous building parts for 28 years. He has a nice big semi-
>> rural lot, maybe 2 acres, that used to be neatly landscaped but now
>> has 3 storage buildings on it filled with used plywood, windows,
>> balusters, staircases, doors, piles of plumbing pipe, piles of
>> plumbing fixtures, and anything else he could get free or cheap.
>> There are squirrels, mice, rats, and probably snakes in it because
>> nobody has moved the stuff for decades. He's going to build another
>> house "some day".
> Ugh...don't want to do that. But I do think having the
> trailer to live in while the house is being built would work.
Yeah, plenty build houses like that.
> To be efficient I'd think only collecting the stuff you'll use in the next week would work.
Cant see that working. I would be a lot better to keep what you come
across and use it when its time to do that part of the house etc.
> For example the starting with the foundation (forget about cement slab...
> odds are you wouldn't get enough "leftover" to pour it) and framing first.
Sure, but you're unlikely to get enough concrete for the foundations free either.
No reason why you have to have any foundations tho, plenty of
houses are built without them, essentially with bricks on the ground.
Those are fine free, doesnt matter that they dont match etc.
> come to think of it Kathy Bates had a movie that was similar to this
> except she just refurbed what seemed to be a barn/shack into a house.
Yeah, plenty have done houses that way. Mate of mine started with
an old house, got another one for free, basically combined the two.
Bob F
There would be long gaps where some necessary component would not appear,
killing weeks at a time of work. You would need to be looking several months
ahead to acquire things in a timely manner. It took me about 8 months from the
first part to the last to acquire the lumber and roofing for my 13' x 24' wood
shed. The (repairable) nailgun came a couple years earlier. I did have to buy
nails, a few bolts, and some caulk for holes in the roofing metal.
A house would take a lot longer, unless craigslist is a lot busier where you
are.
And who would want to live in the resulting house?
I re-did a bathroom a while back. The toilet and sink faucet came as freebies. I
was going to use the sink that came with the faucet, but realized on inspection
that it had scratches I wouldn't want. So I spent the extra $100. After building
a mud-set shower, and tiling the shower and counter with new tile, it was worth
the extra. The Durock was from freecycle, except one sheet. All the hidden
plumbing was new materials - no scrimping there. I think some balance is
advisable. Some of this kind of thing should be considered long term
investment.
Craigslist and freecycle together provide me with many needs and desires for
free or cheap, making less available needs much more affordable (Like this
really nice computer).
Bob
Bob
Bill
you would be paying more for materials if there are few materials and the
pick-up spot is far away.
I go through this all the time. Is it worth it to drive further, get a lower
price on something, yet pay $50 for gas for the truck?
If I'm paying $30 more to buy it locally, then would be least expensive to
buy here.
A Veteran
Seerialmom <seeri...@yahoo.com> wrote:
We did get a "free" pick-up on CraigsList.
Well, It was a VW van and we cut the back off it. And it cost something
in paying some back years of registration. But it hauled 21 "I" beams
jest fine! ya know wood ones.
--
when you believe the only tool you have is a hammer.
All problems look like nails.
Usene...@the-domain-in.sig
<1185811024.7...@z24g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
seeri...@yahoo.com says...
I just saw somebody post to misc.rural about something similar.
The claim was to have purchased a used port-a-loo.
Specifically, the larger type that is designed to be wheelchair
accessible. Cost was allegedly twenty-five bucks.
Honestly, I have seen those, and could live in one if on a low
enough budget.
The story seemed a bit dodgy, since the idea is that the
actual toilet is still useable. Without consideration that the
contributions just drop into a tank which needs to be pumped out
fairly often.
--
Get Credit Where Credit Is Due
http://www.cardreport.com/
Credit Tools, Reference, and Forum
Usene...@the-domain-in.sig
<1185832733....@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
MSfo...@mcpmail.com says...
Didn't you ever hear that Johnny Cash song about an auto factory
worker who smuggled out parts for years, gradually building an
entire car?
Rod Speed
Not that often actually with just one person using it.
Could get a bit smelly to 'live' in tho.
Gary Heston
Usene...@THE-DOMAIN-IN.SIG <Usene...@THE-DOMAIN-IN.SIG> wrote:
>In article
><1185832733....@o61g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>,
>MSfo...@mcpmail.com says...
>> On Jul 30, 11:57 am, Seerialmom <seerial...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> > I've been pondering this recently. I'm just wondering...let's say you
>> > inherited an acre of land, free and clear. Presuming it already has
>> > plumbing/sewer/electrical coming to it...how long it might take to
>> > build a house out of just craiglist 'free" items. I often seen
>> > construction/remodel leftovers. I just wish I had a free acre of land
>> > to test my idea.
That would primarily depend upon when you were able to get things. You'd
have to get things as you could, then store all of it until you have
everything you need before you start. Once you start, depends upon how
much experience you have and how much help you can call upon.
>> I like to dream too, unassisted by foreign substances.
>> I see all types of vehicle parts along the road. Some core items like
>> an engine would be difficult to acquire unless you found an abandoned
>> vehicle. I wonder if some supreme being could take a snapshot of the
>> world or country's inventory of road kill parts and assemble something
>> that resembled a vehicle. If he/she/it's a supreme being, they could
>> make the parts fit and even run, but that would be violating the rule
>> of my dream.
>Didn't you ever hear that Johnny Cash song about an auto factory
>worker who smuggled out parts for years, gradually building an
>entire car?
I've seen a Cadillac that a fan of his built in line with the song,
then gave to John. John said the title for the car was 1/2" thick.
The song is "One Piece At A Time".
Gary
--
Gary Heston ghe...@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
Yoko Onos' former driver tried to extort $2M from her, threating to
"release embarassing recordings...". What, he has a copy of her album?
Rick
Yeah, but that's the rub: "Free" doesn't always come in the logical
order you need it. And you might need "it" in the next week, but may not
get "it" for six months. You would have to plan a lot further ahead than
that because the last thing you would want, for example, is the plywood
up on the roof - but no shingles in sight for another six weeks. Or get
the thing all framed and sided - but free doors or windows are not in
sight yet to prevent vandalism (by people or critters) or water damage
to what you have already accomplished.
Theoretically, it's an interesting idea. But to really accomplish it in
a reasonable time frame I think you'd have to go slightly beyond "free"
and get creative with low costs options as needed too.
Rick
Michael Black
> Theoretically, it's an interesting idea. But to really accomplish it in
> a reasonable time frame I think you'd have to go slightly beyond "free"
> and get creative with low costs options as needed too.
>
I think the original premise is based on stories we are getting now.
SOmeone comes up with some idea, gets press about it, and everyone
wants to follow. The reality is the original may be less interested in
the final outcome than in the press and the book that they can
write about the experience.
So there was that guy who parlayed a paper clip into a house. A woman
who "stopped buying for a year" and got a book out of it. I'm sure
there have been some other examples.
They make good press, but they are likely pretty impractical. Reality
is not so extreme.
So someone building from as much scrap as possible may not be
as spectacular as the person who builds a house completely from
scrap, but it may turn out to be better, and the hopefully small
amount they do have to invest is compensated for a tremendous
ease in the building.
It's like anything. You can put in a lot of effort, and not
spend any money, or you can try to minimize what you spend, and
still do a lot better than someone who is careless about what
they spend. To cut out money completely, you are likely going
to put in a whole lot more effort than if you are willing
to spend some money. In effect, that last 1% or whatever will
cost dearly in terms of effort.
Someone isn't likely to get another house by trading a paperclip.
It's been done, the novelty is gone, and reality sets in.
Micahel
Usene...@the-domain-in.sig
> Seerialmom wrote:
> > Ugh...don't want to do that. But I do think having the trailer to
> > live in while the house is being built would work. To be efficient
> > I'd think only collecting the stuff you'll use in the next week would
> > work. For example the starting with the foundation (forget about
> > cement slab...odds are you wouldn't get enough "leftover" to pour it)
> > and framing first. come to think of it Kathy Bates had a movie that
> > was similar to this except she just refurbed what seemed to be a barn/
> > shack into a house.
> Yeah, but that's the rub: "Free" doesn't always come in the logical
> order you need it. And you might need "it" in the next week, but may not
> get "it" for six months. You would have to plan a lot further ahead than
> that because the last thing you would want, for example, is the plywood
> up on the roof - but no shingles in sight for another six weeks. Or get
> the thing all framed and sided - but free doors or windows are not in
> sight yet to prevent vandalism (by people or critters) or water damage
> to what you have already accomplished.
I once lived next door to a vacant commercial building where
something like that happened. Although it wasn't being rehabbed
with "free" stuff. But, there was a bunch of roof work (lots of
banging right outside my window.) Where they seemed to get the
roof about halfway redone, with the plywood, and so forth. And
then ran out of money or something. For months and months, while
it was apparently warped and damaged by the winter rains.
And then, somebody got more funding, and the earlier (but now
damaged) roof work, was pulled up, and re-re-done. But with the
addition of that tar stuff or whatever it is.
Chois...@search.aol.com
> It is quite expensive to drive a pick-up. I would think that in some cases,
> you would be paying more for materials if there are few materials and the
> pick-up spot is far away.
>
> I go through this all the time. Is it worth it to drive further, get a lower
> price on something, yet pay $50 for gas for the truck?
and the cost of your lost time traveling further.
> If I'm paying $30 more to buy it locally, then would be least expensive to
> buy here.
easier to return if the item is defective (assuming that's one of the conditions of
transaction, which also is rare with "free" stuff)