Personally I don't think I could live in the same house with other people. Even my best friend would drive me completely nuts after a while and I'd long for time with just my hubby and kids. When I think of communal living I think of people living in their own homes in a central location and all helping out with the chores and gardening and animals and things. I'm all for communal living with people I can deal with for any length of time - just not in the same house. Good luck with your plans!
Adobe is good too, very good for heat storage. But very costly to build with as it is very labor intensive. I would LOOOOVE to have an adobe house but the blocks are way heavy to lift and we are actually going to do this my hubby and I by ourselves, only contracting out the pouring of the concrete slab the house will rest on.
I know the ins co said it would cost more to insure our house due to the adobes that it would to insure a stick built home. I love how cool it is in the summer.
I wonder if there's a climate issue at play? Insulating may be a tradeoff for us since we're living in a climate where it can get down to -20 celcius. We got lots of cold winds and I'm betting nowhere near the same amount of sun. Even with solar heating of some sort we're still going to have to supplement with another system (either wood or geothermal). I imagine you don't have a lot of the same concerns where you are?
I would think its not a good idea. you would get tired of being around other people. what if you wanted to have company or the kids eventually want sleep overs (what about Christmas and thanksgiving)? what if someone pulls out of the plan.
Not trying to hi-jack. But you have struck my interest as you seem to know a lot about building. My house seems cold in the winter, how do I make the my adobe house warmer and cozier?
Well that website I quoted has tested buildings up near Seattle so I don't know. I don't how cold it gets there. My hubby is the one who knows a lot about this stuff, not me. I try to learn but he knows about building houses and insulation and stuff, and he said that icf's were great on paper but not if you were going to do passive solar. If you don't do passive solar at your place then I guess it wouldn't matter too much. For adobe, well, I know that it all depends on how you design the house initially. Facing it towards the south, having big windows in the front and an open hallway in front of the house behind the windows with a solid wall (brick/concrete) behind it so that it can be heated up.
Passive solar is allowing the sun to heat stuff up without the aid of mechanical devices and heat the house up that way. Like that hallway with the solid wall behind it I wrote about. http://www.thenaturalhome.com/passivesolar.html
Okay, ours would be active or passive solar with a backup. The North and east are useless for heat so they'd be bermed and insulated. So second though it's probably more an issue of latitude as to whether you'd require insulation or not.
Amiee, I am going to honest with you and you might not like it. I personally think it woud suck. It never works living and being with someone other then your dh and children 24 hours a day. What will happen if someone gets upset and walks out of the deal? What happens if someone tells one of your boys something you or dh don't like or correct them for them something you don't think is any of there business. Yea it sounds great. But, before I did something like that I would have my ducks in a row, go to a lawyer and have everything drawn out. I wouldn't trust anyone friends or family for anything. I wrong move and you could be in for it... Think hard before you sign on the dotted line.
Oh, you definitely need insulation, no matter what. For heat or cold. Just not on the outside of the house like with ICF's. With concrete blocks you have the insulation inside the blocks instead. That way the heat is actually built up and released.
Well, I guess the general feel is that this is a really bad idea. I was hoping that if everyone involved was legally protected it wouldn't be too bad of a deal. Apparently I'm just desperate. I don't know what else to do, ladies. The bleak reality is that with my losing my job last week, our finances are in dire straights. Yeah, I got another job, but the truth is my bring home will be about $200 a week. DH has been averaging $800 a month working with his dad. Our rent and utilities alone are $1000. That leaves $600 left over for EVERYTHING else. That math doesn't work out so well. I hoped this would be a viable solution for all involved. I had no idea that living with other people would be so terrible. I guess I'm just too much of a dreamer.
I think your whole plan is quite interesting and has some merit. However, I agree with others that have posted about having everything "legal." I don't think I've seen it said, though, about having a section in the legal papers about how to extricate yourself from this situation if the need arises. The legalities should go beyond just who pays what or does what while living under the same roof. There should be some sort of "escape clause" for each of the groups living there. What happens if you want to continue the arrangement but another party does not? Do you have to buy them out? Do you have the finances to do that? Will you have to give it all up if something happens? Just things to consider.... Carol
FYI, the land belongs to Trasi already. She would be fronting the bulk of the money from the sale of her home. Essentially, if you look at it the way we are, we would be renting from her for our portion of the loan. From the quotes and math we have worked out currently, we would have the loan paid off in less than 5 years (at which point the "rent" would stop and only our portion of utilities/household expenses would continue). If someone wanted out, Trasi would pick up their portion of the payment, since it would all be in her name. We already had agreed to include a clause that states that she can not push us out unless we are willing to go. We're not naive. Well, about the legalities, anyhow. But apparently we are about our ability to live together. At least from what just about everyone else here has said. I mean, I really had no clue that it would "suck" (to quote one poster) so badly. So, my bubble has been burst and we will find another way to survive.
NO! The general feel I got was just that people thought you should make sure the legal ducks were all in a row before you went ahead. A few of us said we wouldn't do it but that's a VERY personal opinion and you can't extrapolate anythings useful from that for yourself! You know your family and friends better then us. If your feeling is that this can work for you then make it work for you! It's a reasonable and practical course for you to take....And it's a dream. Don't let that go so easily! Seriously, it looks like a good plan for you. Hold on to it.
That was one person's experience. Many people live very happily in the situation you've outlined. Don't make your decision on our anecdotes. No...You're going to further research this idea. Take the warnings and concerns people have here and make sure you address them, that's all. This idea has too many benefits for you too dismiss it so lightly.
