owner-building/homesteading in Dearborn & Franklin Counties IN

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Anybody out there ever build their own home (with their own hands) in either Dearborn County or Franklin County, Indiana with alternative materials? My wife and I are probably going to move to one of these counties some time, and we're trying to find out what obstacles we might run into as far as local building codes, zoning, and the like are concerned were we to build our own home from scratch out of logs, cordwood, or something like that. We're also considering things like catchment systems, wood heat, and composting toilets, so we're trying to find out if those things are allowed either. We've talked to people in Planning and Zoning, Building, Health, and Assesors offices in both counties, but sometimes they don't seem to understand what we're talking about. And by the way, anyone selling anything in either of these counties?

If you don't know about this area, can anyone offer advice on hands-on, from-scratch owner building with alternative materials near cities or big towns?

-- Brian from Cincinnati (bdmetz@altavista.com), December 03, 2001

Answers

The biggest problem is most inspectors never go outside the lines they are told to follow in inspecting the building to see that it follows code. I noticed that Alaska has passed a law no more out houses in the state. That means every thing will either be on a sewer system or septic tank. Now I know composting toilets are neither but would be a workable idea and should be oked by the inspector. Bet you would have a problem getting it passed. The next problem is money. If you have the money to pay for it in cash no problem. If you need to borrow most lenders will not even consider it. Really can't blame them 95 percent of the people don't want anything that is different in housing. Resale is really hard, unless you can find a person of like mind that has the money you are in a bind because the same bankers you could not get a loan from are the ones they are trying to borrow from. Remember it is your dream home and you are planning to spend the rest of your life there but, things change, jobs go away, health reasons may change what you can do, family resposibilites come up. Almost every one ends up moving for unforseeable reasons. Lots of our neighbors are selling out and moving to smaller places closer to medical help as they get older and their health and strength fades. The building codes are getting stricter every day and will continue to do so. They have just passed a law here that you have to have a certified plumber to do most plumbing, and this is Alabama. Its do able with alternate materials I just think you should think it all the way through.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), December 03, 2001.

I built mine my self in Montgomery Co IN. But it is built out of all native hard wood. I had it cut local and sticked it for 2 years. My outside walls are 11 inches thick so it doesn't take much wood to heat it. It is 2 story gambril roof. We have lived in it for about 17 years now and love it.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), December 04, 2001.

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