building your own house

in the next few years if the rest of the world allows me, i would like to retreat into the bush and build my own home,

shipping containers underground with secret entrances, trenches and the like all connecting itself
cabins ontop with access to the underground bunkers,


what would i need to think about?
-access to water
dont really need power,id start my own vegie patch etc etc, green house type thing.


anyone know any good websites that teach you to build your own kit home like houses, or should i just get a girlfriend and go harves in an apartment in the city and melt with the rest of the rats.
im from melbourne in australia

i know i havent thought that deeply about much of this but ideas from people would be appreciated. im just reading a few of the survival hand books on ats but would think it would be good to hear from people who have done this type of thing before or know the best things that will work,

as in structures,tools needed,best materials.. etc etc
essentially id like it to be some sort of commune. or cult where i am the leader. heh heh heh

reply to post by questcequecest


thats what i want to do, go build a retreat somewhere but continue living in society until SHTF, then go live in my prepared place.

and i like the commune idea, idk bout it being a cult though
2nd line

you should get some basic construction skills etc as you also want any structure you build to be safe.

I would also get a copy of the building code. Not that you are going to have any inspections mind but you you have an idea of whats considered safe etc. in terms of structure etc.

reply to post by questcequecest


I have a few ebooks in my collection that maybe of some use to you.
Drop me a U2U if you are interested and I will gladly send them to you.

Good Luck.

Look up earth homes or Earth bag homes and you can find some cool things but it doesnt sound like thats what you want. It sounds like you want shipping containers underground and a cabin over the top... I don't really understand why.

I love the log cabin idea but if your worried you will need to hide then maybe do an earth mound home like a hobbit house. No need to not have any modern conveniences though, google off the grid home and get plenty of ideas.

The man behind survivor man Les stroud has a great video

I think many have the same idea as you, myself included.
Here are some interesting sites to get you started...
2012base.com...

www.usbunkers.com...

www.survivalcenter.com...

I think it is a good idea to find like minded people as survival in numbers is the way to go.

Good luck man and see you on the other side

reply to post by iSHRED


haha yeah was a little joke.. where u from mate?

reply to post by Mythkiller

thanks mate
happy travels

reply to post by whoshotJR


yeaaahhh thats the way i like those earth homes, i do that instead of the cabins! thanks!
but the shipping containers i thought are strong, easy to get ,dig a whole chuck am in concrete around am reinforce them
insuliate em, then connect them all upand have a maze of them under the ground.i think its important in australia anyway to have underground parts of the house for floods/bush fires etc...

www.shippingcontainerhomes.com.au...

reply to post by questcequecest


I thought that this thread my interest you, as well as the info provided. Mini-homes. www.abovetopsecret.com...

Also a slide show of what they look like
www.pbs.org...

And a video of how its done, I plan on making my own this summer.
www.pbs.org...

Let me know what you think.

Peace, NRE.
BTW, this is a home to look into if you have to be mobile, also its very affordable and easy to do!

Another thread about building a bunker

I'd posted a link on the other thread so will do so here, about a a concrete tent that takes 40 mins to put up and 12 hours to harden. It's even bullet proof and comes in a bag.

" Welsh lads developed it and it's now used by the Brtish Red Cross.

news.bbc.co.uk...


If you are wanting a "home" as such, you could always get loads of them, connect them up.

try this website. Many up is the Pacific Northwest are doing just what you described. Digging in.
www.mastersconnection.com

Here is my dream home.

I would look into the prefab steel buildings. They come in a kit. The pieces you could put togther onsite. Where ever that might be.

www.us-buildings-direct.com...

reply to post by JBA2848


I’ve clicked everyone’s links on this little thread, and I’ll tell you what. I’m having the best time doing it

I’m so wanting to go down to the local demolition yard and start putting those old windows, doors, sinks, knobs, handles and anything else you can think of and put them to good use.

I get interesting stuff from the guy at todaysplans.net

I got one email linking to a pdf on how to build solar panels. He puts a lot of different small house and cabin plans in his newsletter. There are also green homes that already have the solar panels in mind and regular house plans... garage and workshop plans, different things.

I know someone that buried a 53 foot semi trailer in their yard. I'm not sure if that is the best idea in the world but it has been done.

What do you have, a bottomless budget? Or just not worried about breaking your back digging? Must be pretty much one or the other....

I've been researching cheap-yet-sturdy ways to build structures in the boonies for a few years and the best ways are using natural materials, either learn stone masonry (same kind used to build tight stone fences, with or without a mortar) or lumber you can harvest and soak in barrels with a solution to weather-harden them and prevent them from rotting, or both, and lash them together with industrial pull-cord if you want to hold it together with some heavy-duty force. You can still make the earth domes and lots of other designs using these things alone. 4-5 feet of soil/rock insulation underground and you've got a steady temperature year-round, provided you don't have any gaping holes nearby for air to circulate in and out of. Windows will sap heat energy too.

I have a book called something like "Build Your Own House for $50 and Up" using ideas like this, but unfortunately it was written in the 1970s, $50 now is more like $200 or $300 or $400 realistically for these purposes, at least using their designs.

Originally posted by questcequecest
shipping containers underground with secret entrances, trenches and the like all connecting itself
cabins ontop with access to the underground bunkers,

The problem with buried shipping containers and stuff is they will quickly degrade from water corrosion. They are not long term options.

The easiest way to get a solid, long lasting underground structure is buy a bunch of prefab concrete box culverts and stick together as many as you need to make the size of room you want.

www.hansonsilo.com...
www.modcon.com...
www.procastproducts.com...
They are already reinforced and designed to tolerate road traffic. So sitting under a house won’t be a problem.

If you don’t want to use the heavy construction equipment, then the only option is hand digging a big hole, putting in the rebar and concrete forms and hand poring the concrete. You have to have rebar in it because without it, you are taking the chance of being squished like a bug if a chunk of concrete falls off the ceiling.

Excellent thread S&F
Im also looking into this, but looking at a viable area first. Need to be high up (incase of rising seawaters) far away from civilisation but close enough to commute to main towns for supplies if needed.
Im in Sydney, and found something similar and only $100k aud. for 200acres with a weekender already there.
Im pretty sure i wont be able to build a permanent structure there due to zoning regs, but we'll see.