Floor plan[ning]

Clare bashed out draft 1 of our floor plan a few months back. She used some software that also included a 3d component which made walking through the space "virtually" really helpful in terms of getting a feel for how the various rooms would end up.

On the weekend we did our measurements we also took a printout of the draft floor plan and went and checked out some modern display homes to get a feel for what sorts of measurements made up our ideal sizes. It may sound silly but 3m x 3m on a piece of paper might not always translate to what you want the space to feel like. Based on this we worked backwards, we visited some display homes and singled out the rooms and spaces we liked and noted the measurements. Anything from a toilet to a door height or a hall width we noted what we liked.

The draft Floor plan was flipped the opposite way to how we wanted it on the block so a re-cut was needed. Given it was drawn in OSS I setup a portable install of visio (so we could hand the plan to a draftsperson/engineer on a usb stick) and voila, correctly flipped floorplan 1.0

Some of the features to note:

- Parents room & study are at the front of the house closest to the road.
- Although there will be a front door the majority of family access will be via the side entrance to the open plan section
- All bedrooms are bigger than your average master br (at least 4X4) with the exception of 2 of the children's rooms which are 4X5 (these will be double rooms)
- BIRs are all on shared walls
- Power and phone will be connected to the parents study then network cabling run down the centre of the house to the children's study. I'll still run wifi for portable devices but I want to retain a wired network for gaming & moving data from the server/storage in the study to the children's machines.
- Generously sized pantry to accommodate the sort of foodstores one needs with 7 Children
This is still pretty rough, it doesn't include where the roof will be but gives you an idea of how it will sit.
-Some may note there are no windows in the children's retreat. Not to worry as there will be clerestory style windows in the roof there for light to come in to that room.

Clare met with the draftsperson yesterday and handed over our brainchild to be transformed into a proper house plan. Can't wait to see it.

Good Measure

I almost wrote off today, I woke to dreary & cold rain and little light. One of the Tree guys Clare has been dealing with called and said he couldn't make it out to the block today. I responded with "I don't think we'll get out there either".

Within 2 hours the rain had passed & there was suddenly sunshine and patches of blue sky.

We loaded the tribe into the bus and headed to the block. Just as we pulled up I remembered that I forgot to pack my 100m measuring tape, no great loss as the 2 youngest girls were napping so we made 20 minute round trip home again to grab it.

Knowing know that our floor plan translated to a 25X14 house (extra with veranda) we mapped out approximately where it would sit and what trees may or may not be in the firing line. It was a lot of fun and great to get a feel for the space and also what sort of clearing/leveling will be needed. The children all chipped in running the tape in and out and serving as corner markers.

I also had a good chat to one of our neighbors and we tentatively plugged in a chop fest for some of the trees in the coming weeks.

Running the line out
And round a tree
The boys were eager to help
Our eldest son snapped some shots to the state forrest across the meadow
Teamsters
More scenic shots care of our 11 year old

Using some tablet GPS software to ascertain North
If I had a magnet and a paperclip I would have totally gone old school
The grass is down nice and low care of our neighbors miniature horse which apparently is an eating machine, it means no mowing for me (yay) and our soil is getting plenty of manure.
Its all for you
The biggest tree that needs to come down (Previous owners ring barked it)
After finishing off our measuring we stopped for some afternoon tea then headed across to chum creek where the builder we are hoping to use was nearing the final stages of a 3br straw bale house.

It was close to rendering, all bales and windows were in, all the interior wall frames were done and wiring was in progress. It was not quite at lock up so I was able to have a good look through and even take a few measurements. This house is on a steep block and was built on a combination of brick bearer/sub floor and stumps for the veranda & is around 10m wide so slightly smaller than what we are looking at building.

I probably should have taken a snapshot but didn't feel comfortable, despite the builder encouraging us to go and have a good look it wasn't our house so I resisted. It was so good being inside one (a straw bale house) they have a sort of dense silence about them, somewhat a kin to being in a sound studio I'd imagine. I took the time to take in the smells and feel the textures of the bales and left feeling very positive about this builders work and inspired about what's ahead of us.

Other 'Building a House' Blogs

I have been looking at other building a house blogs for years now. I have noticed a few things between the different types of blogs.

There are the blogs that talk about the whole process. The planning process, the ins and outs of designing the plan, the soil on the land/block, the foundation, framing, roofing, basically the technical side of the beginning process.
They offer pictures of every step, and how it works, why they went with a certain way over another etc.
These blogs I like the most. Most often they are Owner Builders (and/or Earth Homes being built) who write these blogs.
As the build goes on and fittings and fixtures are needed they talk about these, and mostly it is not just about what looks good, but what is functional, and also practical.
Last they will get on with decorating when the house is complete.

There are blogs that are all about decorating, curtains, chairs, bed linen, fittings such as kitchen and laundry, and colours of everything. Their blogs are filled with pictures of finished rooms, designer rooms and completed houses.
Every now and then there is a picture of the actual house they are building. Most times these blogs are people getting a builder to do the whole thing from soil testing, to handing over the key to the owner.

Then there are the blogs in between these. Owners who are both keen about the actual build, but not to the extent of my first example. They are also posting a lot about the decorating of the interior and garden.

I feel we are a mix between the first and third. We are very keen and wanting/needing to know all the bits and pieces of the whole process. As Owner Builders this is a given. There is so much more freedom in what we re doing, but also a lot more responsibility.
In the end this is what we have to do to get the house we want, so while the journey is going to only get harder, it is worth it.

Before we 'started' with getting everything done for our Planning Permit we were looking up lots of pics of Straw Bale homes, colours for walls inside and out, style of roof, type of windows, fireplaces, kitchens etc.
As far as interior decorating though, I'm just not interested at the moment. I do care, I just don't care right now. There are major decisions to be made, and they all much be made correctly, and also carried out correctly.

The biggest priority right now is the kind of soil we are going to be working with, and the best foundation for the soil type. Followed closely by us choosing who we will get to do the foundation, and ensuring is done right.

I am no doubt going to be stressed, upset and cry along the way. But who wouldn't for their forever house?!

So, this very eclectic blog of ours will flow as much as possible, but I will guarantee there will be a random post here and there about something totally off track.

What's happening this week?

What else? more phone calls of course!

I have spoken with council planning a few more times. Always a different person, which is interesting.
I have two quotes from Soil Testers.
One of the Quotes was for Site Classification, Percolation Test, BAL (Bushfire Assessment Level) and LCA (Land Capability Assessment)
This came in at approx $610 total.

The other quote was for Site Classification and Percolation test.
This came in at approx $1400 total.

Now having spoken to both about what exactly they do with regards to each test. There is no difference in method of carrying out the tests, or the report.

This is a huge price difference. Massive actually. In doing research I have found others have come across the same thing. Several quotes for the exact same thing, yet vastly different in price.
Its hard not to think 'Is it too good to be true?' It might be. But I really don't get the feeling. I have recommendations from others on the cheaper quote so I feel confident.

I have a feeling this is going to happen often through this journey.

What else have I done? I have spoken with a lovely woman who lives not too far from us and is going to chat with me about drawing up all our plans. House plans, site map, Elevations etc.
She does not charge for visits/appointments. A little saving there, but to be honest I do not mind paying for a great product. Plans are very important and while shopping around for quotes is important, the person doing the job, and final product are more important.
I will be seeing her in a few weeks with our 'as much to scale as possible' house plan.

Next phone call! Just to make things interesting, and while I do understand, it's a pain in the butt, sorting out septic tank permits are not through the planning department, but the Public Health department at the council. What this means is talking to both departments back and forth in regards to what they need. Considering a lot of the homes in this shire have or will have septic tanks, you would think all the information we need to know could be accessed through the planning department. It would be easier if they could just say, "Ok, now in regards to Septic Tanks you need this, this and this for your permit" and I would be all "Yay."
But year, not that easy.

So what do we have to do? We have to apply for a septic permit through the public health department. To apply for this permit we need a Percolation test done on the site where the tank will go. Fingers crossed this goes smoothly and we are issued the septic permit. Now the tricky bit. The septic permit does NOT need to be included in the planning permit. As in you can apply for that when you want, after the percolation test is done.
However, the planning permit does need the report from the Percolation test included.
Clear as mud? good.

Thankfully I have been given the name of the person who deals with septic permits at the council. Hoping this helps with the back and forth phone calls.

I have made an appointment to see a person from planning department next Thursday. I have a huge list of questions, hope they are ready for me! I will let you know how I go.

An Arborist report is needed to be included in the planning permit. Yup, more reports, more money, more phone calls, more quotes!
I already have a list of 4 in our local area. I am trying to keep it local for both supporting local tradies, and also due to us being in a semi rural area. You have to travel to get to anything out here.
From the little research I have done, charges can differentiate greatly between Arborists, like most things though hey.
I will make those phone calls this week and see how we go!

Next on my list will be looking into different kinds of slab for the house foundation. Yes, there are different kinds, it is not 'just concrete.' Didn't think it would be that easy did you? ha!
The builder spoke to me about Waffle Pod, being an alternative to the raft slab. So I am searching my building and owner building forums about others opinions and experiences with using it. Thank goodness for the internet, it makes researching soo much easier and convenient.

The footings and slab are going to be quite an expense, which we know and are expecting, so lots of researching and quotes to be had soon. Word of mouth, as usual will always favour for us.
So, people out there in the building industry, it pays to do a great job! Word of mouth is very powerful.

Strawbale Links

We have been looking at Earth Buildings for several years now.
I wanted to add some of the sites that have helped us learn more about and understand better the house of straw!

Earth Garden has a whole section on Straw bale. The link I have provided goes to the FAQ page. Many questions follow after we tell people the kind of home we are building, so I thought it would be a good idea to start on this page.

Build Your Own House ~ The ultimate website for owner builders and DIYers. A great Forum with practical and professional help and advice. I really like searching through the posts and reading about others journeys with building their homes. All types of houses are included, earth and modern.

The Last Straw ~ The International Quarterly Journal of Straw bale and Natural Building.
A great website full of photos, tips, advice, and step by step guides in the Blog section.

StrawBale.com ~ A World Leader in Straw Bale Education. A website with everything you could want or need in regards to building your Straw home. Pictures, videos, guides, tips, advice, professional help, articles a blog and also a forum to ask questions.


There are hundreds of websites online about building with Straw, these are just a pic of my top sites. They all cover everything you could want to know about building and living in these wonderful homes.

Builders, foundations, plans and more!

I decided to get cracking last week and make some more calls. Apparently this house won't build itself. Damn.

I bumped into my friend at Swimming and we were able to chat about building, the shire here and soil samples and a few other things amongst watching the children in the water.

Now in my last in depth post I spoke about Mark from Professional Strawbale. He said he would call and send me an email with more details. It never happened. With more info and research since then we have decided to do our render stage a different way, so we will not be persuing more information from him, and to leave it at that.

A person I rang in the professional strawbale business spoke of another person in the strawbale industry in very poor light. He spent quite an amount of time telling me all the things this person does wrong and how I should avoid him.
I have since learned from another friend that they actually hired this person in question and found him to be lovely, thorough and always willing to take time to help them while they built their strawbale.
So there you go! It's always best to ask around as much as you can to really learn about someone, and then to always make the final decision on your own observations.
I personally do not hold much credit to people who want to spend more time talking about others and what their opinions are, rather than telling me about themselves and what they can offer me.

Which brings us to the builder! His name is Phillip and I am very happy with him. We have not made a final decision to ask if he is able to help build our dream, as Hub is yet to meet him and I think that is important.
I called Phil last week and we spoke briefly about what he does exactly and he answered all my questions clearly and politely. He is very well mannered and spoken and really enjoys what he does. All qualities I find very important.
It also helped that he didn't blink and eye when I said we homeschool :) and replied with 'Ooh lovely, we did that for a while with our kids too.' Not having to explain is always a bonus for me.
Sweet!
He invited me to come see him at a Strawbale he is building not far from here and I was quite chuffed at this. It made everything seem more real.
So the kids and I headed out a few days later. All the children prepared with books, food, water and very strict instructions to keep bums in seats!

All went well. Phil showed me through the house and explained about the wider panelling for the bales, about the bales themselves and where they sit and the preparation of the flooring underneath them, that if we can do it a slab is preferred for the foundation, the kinds of slabs there are nowadays, where we can source the wood, and more about what he and his workers do in regards to the whole project. I took my notebook with me thank goodness as I wrote down a lot!

I told him about my frustrating phone call with the planning department at the local council. I had called them before I called Phil a few days before. I am wondering if the person I spoke to was new and was not very learned on people skill and communication. I asked direct questions and did not get direct answers. The person would dodge them, or go off on a tangent about something else. By the time I hung up I had more questions than answers. Grumble.
Thankfully when I told Phil about this he said not to worry and that he found the person you see face to face when you make an appointment to go in, very helpful. Also that the building phase after the permit is done is much easier.Let's hope so!

I left feeling very happy with all the answers and better understanding about what we need to do to get the first planning stage complete. I was also very happy with how Phil spoke to me, his manners and genuine interest in our dream.
Some may wonder why I am putting such importance on how I am treated and the way others speak to me. Basically I am a woman. Yes, this should NOT make a difference, but sadly in the (manly) world of building houses some men like to talk to men, cause you know, having a penis makes a difference. Rolls eyes.
I have learnt from a young age when someone was genuine in their talking with me, or would rather not be talking to me, and isn't there a man, or adult they could deal with instead. I have seen it with my own eyes how a person was amusing me with answering my questions, yet as soon as the husband comes along, they suddenly are able to talk clearly and answer lots of questions.
I have no time for people like this.
I am here, I am intelligent, have a brain and appreciate being spoken to with respect. It's not that hard, really.

Moving along! To the local council/shire. I have looked over their panning and building info several times now. There is certainly a lot of holes. After speaking with Phil I will definitely be making an appointment to see someone from planning in person, and take my trusty notebook with me.

Last I posted I also spoke about Belgraphik Architects. I have spoken to them and they offer a half hour free consultation on first meeting, and after that they charge $90 an hour for services.
I have looked at other architects as well as draftspeople. As we already have a plan written up that we love there is no need for an architect.
On speaking with Phil we would not have to get much done with the plan either. A draftsperson who knows the council, strawbales and the requirements is all we would need to draw up a final plan. This will save us at least $1500. Sweeet! Better in our pockets, and we still have a plan drawn up exactly as council wants.

Next we move on to soil sampling! Yes, the fun never stops! In my research I have find prices ranging from $300 unto to $800. This price is for the same service FYI.
I have spoken to Soiltech who are located not too far and have been quoted at $300-$400. The lower rate is the basic sampling. And if we need a bit more done, will be charged the higher rate. I am happy with that and will hopefully be able to get things started in the next few weeks.
Soil sampling is the first official step in our process, as it determines our foundation and best position for the house. As we will be going with a slab we are hoping the position will be able to be where we want it. Fingers crossed.

But wait there is more! Next we move on to applying to be an Owner Builder. I contacted the Building Commission and will be sent out their kit, so hub and I can fill it in and apply. And because everyone loves to make money off everything, there is of course a 'processing fee.' This did not surprise me at all, and actually made me laugh. Thankfully the fee is only around $80. But still, grumble.

So there we have it so far!
I have more calls to make and need to transfer the plan I have done onto Visio, which all going well will be done over the next few days.
We have to get the measuring tape out and draw up the plan as close to exact as we can. Should be fun!

Industrial

I'm sure Clare and I will butt heads over this but.....


I love the mix of steel and wood



or steel and leather

Or steel and brass

More design Stuff i'm liking

Fireplace

I have been researching for the perfect fireplace and have found quite a few that I could definitely see in our house.
This fireplace below is the one I keep going back to, I like it a lot. I love the door and window nearby with woodwork also. The natural colour and texture of the walls. Modern homes are so lacking when I see pictures like this.
The only thing I would change with this fireplace is the opening. I would make it a bit bigger.



Here is another that I like, but not as much as the first. The colour for me is wrong. I prefer a more tan colour, for warmth and just that it was I prefer really. A fireplace like this would be nice in the family room/kids retreat as it can be closed off.

I also stumbled across this website called Masonry Stone Builders. Wow! Lots of ideas and possibilities there. Of course, I like bits of all of them and would love to combine them into one perfect fireplace.

I can't wait to see how ours will look.

Some Design Stuff I'm Liking

start of calls, emails, enquiries

So last night I decided in the morning I would start calling around.


First up I called Professional Straw bale and spoke to Mark for about 30 minutes. He was very nice on the phone and understood the screaming banshees in the background were safe and sound and not being harmed in any way.
He even had to stop talking for a second to talk to his own child who had to ask him something, so all good there.


He spoke about Post and Beam, which we want to do, and how it would work great with straw bale. We talked about costs for what he offers as a sub contractor, and how it can be cheaper if we are willing to do some work, or have friends help us.


He offered for Hub to spend the day onsite with him for a day to learn and help a build be walled up and rendered, which I thought was very nice and generous. Hub would just have to take his own cup for tea time.
Considering the costs in workshops we feel this is a much better way to go. We do want to put them up and render them ourselves, which yes will be slower, but save us a lot of money, and also give us the satisfaction of knowing we did it when we look at the lovely walls.


He talked to me about how there are several people who build and offer advice on Straw Bale homes, and some are great and some not so great. Like most professions I'd say. Some offer the world, but when things get into it, it ends up costing more than you were originally told. Some offer services but don't follow through. So the way I see it, as with anything when you are wanting work or a service done, you need to really do your homework and ask around. Word of mouth, and seeing a persons handiwork are a great way to choose someone. Getting people who have a good reputation and are local is another great way of saving money also. We certainly intend on doing this.


We will definitely contact him in regards to either Hub going to him for a day or two to learn and work, or also he said he also can come to our house and show us and friends how to do it all, then leave it to us. Depending on the cost this would be a great option for us and our friends who want to help.




Then I called another person who was recommended to me by a friend. She recently finished building a Straw Bale home not far from us. She gave me the details of the surveyor and builder they used. I am waiting to be given the details of the builder so I rang the surveyor. He was very nice and helpful. He explained the way the local council like things to happen with building Homes. We talked about the permits, soil samples, land contour reports, plans, architects, BAL assessments and doing what we can to save money for this first phase.

I wrote a lot down, and also the order of how things need to be done, which helps a lot, especially as spare time around here is, well, what is it?! He also gave a recommendation for Belgraphik Design architects in Belgrave. I have googled them and found others happy with them too which is always good. So I will be calling them tomorrow!


'til next time!

Planning & Inspiration Stuff

Clare and I spent a lovely Friday & Saturday night in front of the tellie on the weekend playing catchup. Not having commercial TV means we we pick and choose what we want to watch & download it generally get our news from the internet. One show that used to be our thursday ritual but has recently fallen behind is "Grand Designs".

Anyone who aspires to design and/or build their dream house will have probably seen this great tv show. Last year saw the addition of a "Grand Designs - Australia" so after a week or so gathering our missed episodes I had 14 eps of season 11 from the UK and 8 eps of Season 1 from Australia.

I have to say the Aussie derivitive was still a good watch but as expected not as entertaining as the original. I think what makes a great episode of GD is the combination of an interesting design coupled with the colorful & passionate characters who build it. There were 2 great eps in the Aussie season that fitted this bill, however some of the others just didn't do it for me. On the positive though, Over 20 episodes of GD not only made for a couple of great nights in with the children in bed early. It also left me chomping at the bit to get some of my ideas down on paper.

I've started a shopping list for gathering requirements, basically a notebook (as much as a tech head I am I need a pencil and paper to create) with pages divided into rooms: Kitchen, Lounge, Dining, Mud Room, Master BR, Ensuite etc etc whereby I can list any requirements I have down as I think of them or am inspired to add them.

We've also both started jotting down floorplans that we like and while I never like everything on one of Clares, she never likes everything on mine. This works well though as each versions brings us closer to the ideal floor plan.

I'm still to'ing and frowing on shape though, while I want the simplistic design of a post and beam I'd really like to have more than just a rectangle. I'm currently looking at the possibility of joining two post & beams structures creatively via a shared corner and intersecting roof beams or possibly using 2 separate structures with a third more simple framed corridor linking the two.

I pulled this floorplan from my copy of "Strawbale Floor Plans" which I highly reccomend for any person looking for straw bale inspiration. It certainly works for me in terms of wings and a central living area, of course I'd omit the garage for a few more bedrooms.

Until next Time

Design Stuff

A family of 8 in these modern times can potentially leave a hefty environmental footprint.

In giving serious thought to what sort of house we wanted over the past few years we knew that our dream house had to be environmentally sustainable as well as energy efficient. Modern homes may be built with water tanks and solar panels but they are rarely designed to be easy to heat or cool.

Our ECO home journey goes back about 5 years when we decided to renovate our three bedroom house on its aprox. 706 square meter block north of Melbourne and sell up with the intention of buying land and building our "last" house.

Here are just three of the many design types I've considered along the way:

RAL Homes - http://www.ralhomes.com.au/

These are a uniquely styled kit home where there is no frame and roof per say just a single continuous arch made up of 8 sections encased in curved color bond steel roof.

There are no internal walls required by default as they are not load bearing. Windows are fitted at the ends of each "Tunnel". This design is not only flexible, it can be built on a slab or 3 or 4 bearer sub floor. The components that make up a RAL home are all separately priced allowing you to assemble your house in sections virtually beforehand to estimate the final costs. There are also energy benefits, the tunnel design means less energy is required to push air through the house meaning heating and cooling use less power & effort. The benefit of having no walls, just a continuous roof also allows every drop of water to be caught for storage, the curved roof also hides the gutters preventing build up of leaf matter.

While the internal appearance is quite striking I feel the curved walls would prove difficult when fitting out the house with items like book shelves, cupboards and anything requiring a flat wall. need to be included in the design. Another advantage is being able to store water underneath the structure should you opt for a bearer flooring.

These homes are 5star energy rated & would still require conventional heating and cooling. Some other issues with curved walls is that items like evap coolers are quite difficult to fit. This desgin also suits a more minimalist interior design which really isn't us.
http://www.ralhomes.com.au/Butler%20int.jpg
http://www.ralhomes.com.au/Bak%20snow.jpg
http://www.employees.org/~mattc/

YURT - http://site.yurtworks.com.au/

Another favorite of mine is the YURT, a multi sided design available again in kit from of various levels of completion. The Yurts are available in several different diameters with multi story options also available. The YURT doesn't really provide the heating and cooling benefits of the RAL but more so a straw bale. A compromise would be taking the "round house" style concept and working perhaps a section of our straw bale design to accommodate this type of structure

Log Home - http://www.greatbearloghomes.com.au/

Another alternative was a log home, specifically the styles built by Great Bear Log Homes. I checked out their operation in Mansfield a few years back and priced one of their hand made off site (then broken apart, transported and assembled on site) homes and it was outside my budget While these homes look so commanding from the outside the inside can be sometimes a bit of a timber overload.

These are just a few of the design styles I've investigate over the past few years. I highly recommend checking out the websites above to see just some of the many awesome house that have been completed.


Cheers


Steve

Project Management

As determined as we are to get this house done there are so many things that need to line up.

In the I.T. world completing a project is simple when you follow one of the many project management methodologies (PMBOK, Prince etc)

Building a house should be very similar to completing an I.T. project (in theory) Of course heart comes into play. When you have essentially one shot to get something "Perfect" for your dream house you focus so much more on the design phase.

This for me has been a struggle as my background in IT projects has been much stronger on the implementation side of things. While Our new house should be completed in 3 main segments:

• Requirements Gathering
• Design Phase
• Implementation

The Design phase will fall more on myself and the Requirements and Implementation on Clare. Of course this is very high level but loosely it amounts to what needs to get done.

Designing your dream house is no small feat. The first issue I'm coming up against is trying to wade through 15 years worth of house ideas, coupled with over a dozen houses I've actually lived in.

One doesn't normally take a photo of that kitchen they liked in the share house they lived in for a 6 month stint 10 years ago nor does one have house plans and dimensions from any or all the houses they liked/didn't like.

The principal of my design will be very simple with the external walls not being load bearing. I've always admired the simplistic design of a post and beam "barn" style dwellings whereby there are 3 rows of posts with beams linking them. This type of frame allows for a loft.

The trouble is the house has to have character and I dont want a simple rectangular design. Some possibilities are:

• Going with 2 post and beam dwellings joined in a L shape
• Using a lop sided roof option
• Building split level

But I really want the emphasis to be on simplicity and there in lies the problem. Simple design = $cheaper but means less aesthetically pleasing. A more complex design equals more time and more money.

This is one of my many quandries, i'm currently sussing out the option of linking 2 post and beam structures, just need to find a good way to do it simply.

Stay Tuned

Where we are at

Is me going crazy, and having dreams of the house being built EXACTLY how we want it, but in the blink of an eye and with no work or input from us.
Sweet right?!

Yeah, not going to happen.

Before Christmas I popped into the local Conveyancing/Surveying Company and while they knew their stuff, it was clear they were not into nor very knowledgeable in regards to Earth buildings and sustainability.

I was emailed a quote from them and given a few numbers for people who can do soil samples and land contours. Wow! If we went with these people we would be looking at around $5000 just for the samples, contour reporting and surveying.

So I left it at that. I figured we would let Christmas and New Year happen and get back into looking end of January.
Just by luck a woman I have chatted to a few times at our local library has just finished building a straw bale in our Shire. What luck!
She gave me the names and numbers of the people who helped make their dream come true.

So now I have some numbers, just need to find the time and quietness to call them!

We went to check the block the other day. I do love to see it, try to visualise a house there, the garage, the kids playing in the yard. Happy Sigh.

Seeing the block so bare, apart form the overgrowing grass, trees and bushland we have on it, it feels like it is a far away dream. Even something that might never happen.
I want to stop thinking this way.
I want that house dammit. I want our lives to feel like they are grounded. That we have a life to lead and most of all, I want the freedom that having our own house again gives.