With housing prices consistently rising and overall quality decreasing, the struggle to find a high-quality, affordable home that speaks to your ideals is increasingly difficult. Whether you are planning to build from scratch or purchase an existing home on the market, the factors of quality and cost are the two most important elements to consider.

Many families believe that in order to save money, they must settle for an already-constructed home. This simply isn’t true – especially if you are willing to get a bit creative. More and more people have discovered that there are superior building techniques that can actually save money when compared to existing homes.

Today, let’s examine some methods for building your ideal home that’ll produce a better – and possibly cheaper – result.

Shipping Containers

If the idea of a custom home built exactly to specifications is something you value, then you may be interested in the usage of shipping containers. While the initial idea of building your home out of something used to transport items seems silly, there are actually many notable benefits.

First of all, the use of a modular item means you can build the home in sections and add on as needed. Secondly, the shipping containers themselves are weatherproof and watertight, meaning they are great for home construction. Finally, they are highly affordable: a modest home’s framework can be procured for under ten thousand dollars in most cases.

There are many unique shipping container homes all across the world, built in a variety of ways. While you may need help for specialised engineering services, there are many DIY shipping container plans and examples on the web that show it can be done cheaply and quickly.

Prefab Outbuildings

If you like the idea of modular living, DIY projects and affordable pricing, then you may be interested in what Prefab outbuildings can offer. Generally designed to be useful facilities for storage or small living, with just a few improvements, any prefab outbuilding can be designed to serve as a full-on home.

For those preferring a larger home, multiple outbuildings can be combined to increase overall space. Considering that a 50-square meter prefab building can be purchased for as little as $10,000, you will have plenty of money left over to renovate, customise and otherwise expand the home of your dreams.

Straw Bales

You might not immediately think of Straw when it comes to materials strong enough to build a home with, but many home owners have found it to be an excellent and affordable way to build completely custom homes.

Not only do the bales serve as insulation, but they also add to the home’s strength when combined with clay and other natural ingredients. While building a straw bale home actually costs a bit more on paper than a traditional home when measured by square metres, the energy savings (upwards of 75%) means you’ll save thousands of dollars on energy costs even in the short term.

Because straw bales are modular like the other entries mentioned today, they can be built and configured in any number of ways. Whether you want a one-story home, a silo-like construction or something entirely different, these are the perfect building blocks for any custom home.

There are many unique ways in which to build a home, but most people value savings and the ability to customise when making their selection. These three methods all offer both of those benefits, but other options do exist that provide the same features. Whether you decide to build your dream home from straw, shipping containers, prefab buildings or something entirely different, having full control over the design of the home is what’s important.

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