Cohousing-L Mailing List: 50+ and affordable - self-built

[Marganne (marganne]

Seth,

From what I've read here, there's an idea that attached dwellings 
that stick to design guidelines is more economical than detached 
homes. It's probably true if a traditional home or condo is the goal.

I think it will take a paradigm shift for people to think 
out-of-the-box about living space. Check out my comment in an earlier 
reply about a project in Vermont. Pre-fab, modular or manufactured 
homes aren't what they used to be.

I hope there are a lot of responses to your request for existing 
developments that are self-built. I'd like to think I could build a 
small home by myself, but at my age and physical health, I need to be 
realistic.

Seth. You are NOT crazy! ;-)

Cheers!
Marganne

At 9:38 PM -0700 6/28/07, Seth Schneider wrote:
> I've been lurking on this list for a little while, but want to chime in with
> agreement about Sharon's point. I'm extremely interested in the
> affordability part of the discussion, even though I'm significantly 
> under 50 years old.
>
> Along these lines, I'm wondering if anyone knows of any cohousing
> developments that have been built entirely, or in part, by the residents.
> Building one's own (single family) home can save a significant 
> amount of money. And while building a cohousing development together 
> seems more complex than building a single dwelling and full of 
> potential risks, the monetary savings could be quite significant.
>
> In addition to examples, I welcome any opinions about this concept 
> (even if it's along the lines of "you're crazy to even consider the 
> idea").
>
> Seth