Cob Houses - Live Debt Free with Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development - Photos of cob homes that I took on the West Coast of Canada

[@w8mk]

They are labor intensive, but we need to look at it with from a different way. It takes 500 man hours for two people working to mix cob with their feet for a 1000sqft home. If you use recycled materials a 1000sqft home can be built for about 15,000. Now compare this to buying a home and working 25 to 35 years to pay the mortgage.... now that is a lot of labor. Personally, I would rather pay for my house in cash and build it over a year and be free of a mortgage and enslavement.

[@animeisballing1]

Boiling Frog Productions Do you all Build in the Tennessee area in America?

[@looopaa9783]

literally, the labour is actually appealing because it’s gratifying real work, id rather do that then sit at a desk for 40 years

[@hippiehillape]

I've watched this video for years now. In that time I've bought the land. Two neighbors have built cob/cordwood outbuildings on their property, drawing alot of positive interest. I'm living in an RV, but something like this is on the horizon, I can see it now.

[@jsnell1979]

I love this too and would love to find a community of people that want to also.

[@Crusty_Camper]

In the past, people used what was available locally and the midwest certainly has a lot of soil. In my part of England we have trees and also clay to make bricks and tiles, so my old cottage has an oak frame with brick infill with hung tiles on the outside. The roof is also tiles, made about 2 miles from the cottage in 1754. They have lasted well.

[@Tinyoak2]

Have to agree. While our siblings are buying 220k homes me and my husband went "cheap" and bought a re-modeled manufactured home for about 17k and after a few paydays, it looks new. That was phase one and next up we are waiting on the spring land auction and plan to grab a few acres, move the home onto it and go off grid as much as possible ( solar, wood burning, bio-fuel kit, etc etc). we pay only $368 mortgage. It is easier than people realize, you just have to take your time and shop around.

[@RIPNTEAR68]

This is my dream home! I'm allergic to parasitic bankers and the accumulation of debt, so this is ideal and stress-free. I'm all for Cob Houses for a healthy lifestyle and healthier environment.

[@boardwalkbw7130]

I had to watch this vid over and over, rewinding it just to get the full experience of how beautiful those homes were....dream world

[@w8mk]

Most people that built these homes in the slideshow had full-time jobs and they used their weekends and free evenings to build them. Some had work shops and work bees. Others had time in the summer and built them in two months.

[@revtmyers1]

I absolutely love this art form. I was a general contractor years ago doing modern stick frame building for residential housing and have never been exposed to this till now. Wow I wish I could get back into building and do this type of construction. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@MandalorianFanboy]

If only I could convince my wife that we would be happy living this way. Beautiful video.

[@w8mk]

+Tron When I interviewed the home owners and a common statement that I heard was that after leaving the large city, their mortgage and dead end 9-5 jobs, that the felt free and way happier. They had more time to peruse interests and more time to spend with their loved ones. The trick for them was being mortgage free and living simpler.

[@sterlingprice5963]

@Drummy drumdrum27 , It would depend on where you live, and how many modern comforts you want. I live in the backwoods of the Ozark Mountains, and drive about 90 miles round trip to my job in the city. My wife does likewise. We earn maybe $50,000 a year, or less. Some years only $30,000. We don't have a cob home, but just a small 3 bedroom mobile home, 25 acres of land. I am trying to convince my wife that now since the kids are all raised, we could build a home similar to the tiny guest house in this video. How cool would that be eh?

[@w8mk]

I feel your pain and it is interesting to note that some of the historic homes in the UK were made from Cob 800+ years ago and some of them were retrofitted with electricity and plumbing. People still live in them today. They stand the testament of time and yet the authorities in todays world want to control what we can build as it all goes back to greed. Developers, the city, the government, trade workers all want their share and yet not too long ago we used to build our own homes.

[@thomasuras]

As home builder for 30 years and I really do like the fact people are building this home to Live and not have the restriction of worrying about resale

[@w8mk]

I think it is awesome that you are pursuing what is in your heart! Life is too short and most people spend so much time trying to earn a living they never find out what living is for. By living cheaply, sustainably and getting out of the 25+ year mortgage trap, people can actually live life by having time to explore their dreams instead of sinking their energy into material wealth.

[@evitasdad]

You know, every single photo wowed me! I absolutely loved watching all of this, it,s in my favourites now. Very inspiring, it reminds of what visionary and talented people there are out there. Greetings from New Zealand, thankyou,and very well done!

[@Crusty_Camper]

We have many ancient houses in England made from cob and we are known for rain ! The secret is " good boots and a hat". This means the lowest level should be brick or stone, to separate the cob from the soil. Then the roof has to overhang the top of the walls to throw the rain away from the structure . What you have then is a massive thickness of wall that changes temperature very slowly, so it's warm in winter and cool in summer. Really lovely places to live, too.

[@ruskiryan2398]

Maybe a narrative of what Cob is, how it is used etc would greatly improve the slideshow of pretty pictures.

[@star4evr9]

Exactly what I was thinking too Ruski Ryan! What is cob?!!

[@rlj1965]

Connie Miles Cob is straw bales coated clay mixed with straw to make an adobe type surface. Google is your friend.

[@Phlidaes]

***** Cob is a mixture of sand, clay and straw, formed into cobs (bread loaf shaped pieces formed by hand usually) then stacked and molded on top of one another. Hybrids of cob and straw are better for colder climates as straw has higher R value than cob, but cob is better for passive heat storage.

[@chadgoings6336]

i suppose this wouldn't be an entry level video on the subject.

[@w8mk]

You should visit Oregon, that is where Cob was really revived! Many beautiful houses there and even in one of the cities you will find cob benches, cob stoves etc.

[@sandravalani359]

Very cozy and whimsical homes that invite warm and tranquility!!! Thanks greatly for sharing your pictures!!!😇😇😇

[@gourleygirldebbie]

Thank you for sharing!!! I just love all of this it just makes me smile :-)

[@MsTigerseye77]

The homes are so beautiful! I love all of the colorful windows and sky lights. I wish there were villages like that here in GA.

[@w8mk]

They use an earthen plaster on top of the cob once the cob is dry. It acts as a protective barrier and some people use lime in the plaster to keep out pests or rodents. Natural colouring agents is used when they mix the plaster.

[@w8mk]

I agree with your comment as I love the curves and artistic flair. The last home was a cob/strawbale hybrid, therefore curves can't be as easily made as cob. The hybrid version is a great alternative for very cold climates.

[@quakefiend]

the timber frame and cob combination is absolutely AMAZING.

[@UrbangardensurvivalPlan]

Really lovely homes... so cosy and warm... very welcoming and blends in so well with the surroundings with all the natural materials... Thanks for sharing :)

[@drummagick]

Beautiful homes! This video is very inspiring! And I LOVE the music!! If this were available on a CD I would buy it immediately! Thank you for posting this!

[@radarlove007]

Each one was a master piece. Beautiful!

[@Tinyoak2]

I think it is just wonderful that more and more people are realising what we have these days just isn't working, and so returning to the "simple" life...after all they say "If it ain't broke don't fix it". the one at 3:35 though is my favorite. with the candles and decor it reminded me of that southwestern mission look I saw so much of in Arizona.

[@SMCasts]

Thank you for including the price range for these structures. It helps begin to formulate possibilities.

[@consciousliving5163]

SO BEAUTIFUL!!! Thank you for sharing. I am completely inspired.

[@LeslieMomma]

The frog shaped chimney is very cute. I love the side door and the kitchen.

[@Vaul_The_Merchant]

Hello, Wyatt. I just finished reading the chain of comment/replies you had on this video, and I must say I love what you're doing. I'm 20yr's of age on my 2nd year towards getting my BA, and I cannot wait to own my own land and start making my own progress towards my dream, which is so much like your own. I work on a family farm full time that is self sustainable, so im slowly learning the ropes. I plan on buying my land outright ( I save literally every penny ), and living in an RV I purchased

[@2faatcaats]

Gorgeous home, lovely. It has a great feel to it. I love the work area outside.

[@lisakn27]

Still can't get over how neat these little homes are. I'd live in it.

[@tamara8908]

Awesome!!! Thinking about cob and now planning it after seeing this. Gratitude!

[@The72Nana]

These houses area works of art. Great job!

[@w8mk]

Well clay is easily found by ponds, lakes, rivers, and when a builder digs up a foundation they usually have to remove it as a waste product and it gets dumped somewhere. Some careful cob builders sourced their clay from commercial builders digging foundations.

[@meghanlivingstone]

I love cob houses!! Beautiful photos. What is the name of the song that plays throughout the video?? I love it!

[@lisakn27]

I really do love these houses, so unique. It looks like a vacation house or something like that.

[@katybileto4315]

this is beautiful, and much bigger than most cob houses i've seen.

[@w8mk]

@Mrawre1 People in England still live in Cob homes that are older than 800 years. Turkey has cob homes that are still lived in that are over 1000 years old. They retrofitted them with plumbing and electricity. So, yes they last longer than our current method for building homes.

[@w8mk]

@ConditionRedDawn I did not build any of the houses, I simply interview the owners and took photos for a book on alternative homes. The builder of the guest house used beach logs, his own clay, dirt and sand. He built his own door and the living roof was made from old carpets, tarps and poly from the dump. The windows were purchased used and the only materials he paid for were lime, nails, screws, saw blades etc. He provided all the labour himself.

[@chuckerroo5977]

im very inspired as a concrete contractor tired of seeing no emotion in our houses we build and people in the rat race so blind to this type of beauty -- thank you so much for posting this video-- more power to these people and how they live like this-- i envy you all

[@w8mk]

@soinet Yes, I agree! The feeling inside these homes is so peaceful and natural.... it is like living inside nature.

[@signalfire6]

Absolutely beautiful, thanks for posting. Lots of good ideas and inspiration here.

[@pinhighiron]

This may be the most beautiful video I have ever seen on YT.

[@TheSingleStatus]

VERY INSPIRING! So natural and beautiful... LOVE the ideas!!

[@ajhuser1]

Love the look of cob homes....wish I were younger I'd tackle this myself....

[@w8mk]

I hear you, it frustrates me as well. My hope is to simply plant seeds of inspiration that may one day sprout and start getting humanity to change our ways. It is too easy to become a fatalist and if I go there I will lose my purpose, become depressed and turn into the TV watching Zombie, drinking myself to a slow death :P It becomes empowering when you are around like minded people who see and try to create a better path. We have a lot ahead of us.

[@karenchakey]

I love the concept of the cob house, one can get so creative with it!!!!

[@TheBoHoBoy]

only limited by the mind.

[@TheTcooper50]

Wow, just so beautiful designs, they are original, breathtaking with those candles lit at night. The style of each structure is unique, definitely my future home.

[@opelske]

Beautiful houses and lifestyle. Flintstone lives! I truly believe that when we can all get back to a family/community centered lifestyle, and get away from the 'shopping' and 'debt' lifestyle, perhaps we can all profit from some of our great technological inventions. But it takes the independent and responsible spirited people to create the truly independent lifestyle. Bravo to those who carry this forward in the hopes that others will follow. It is possible and it gives people choices.

[@OpenBookBuild]

Great designs...will have to check out your other vids. We offer free help to those that want to build their own home the traditional way. But this looks like a great alternative to the old methods .

[@Tunerguy23]

Luv Everything about it even all the Fireplaces.. Good for you..

[@sophiah88]

Great film. Inspiring ! Thanks for your wandering photography and excellent eye.

[@w8mk]

Yes, that is a problem in the United States and Canada. The trick that many used was to either move to a place with no regulations and the ones that were stuck with regulations worked with an open minded building inspector and engineer. They are hard to find but they do exist.

[@onewyatt1]

Thinking I will build a place for others to come learn prepping. Maybe a few cabins and a camp ground or something that give others a place to learn canning food, blacksmithing, shelter building, Aquaponics, creative survival, etc..... It could be a weekend thing or something. I likely can't build it alone and have given thought to how to get help short of starting a commune. Still working on that. Wish me luck.

[@Moniemon7]

brilliant! who wouldve thought luxury could be so cheap, and eco friendly. its a win win

[@stinkycatz]

Simply , Marvelous ! stunning and imaginative . Breath taking heavenly sanctuaries .

[@wheelori814]

We have a lot of restrictions here in the U.S. also, but not EVERYwhere. There are certain parts of certain states that allow green building, but you do have to get permits and show the plans to them for approval. A lot of restrictions still apply.

[@w8mk]

@drummagick I am glad that you enjoyed it!

[@w8mk]

Well some of the builders of these homes were very resourceful. They used beached logs, a community lumber mill, stones and ripped up sidewalk from the city for the foundation, clay from ponds or dug up commercial foundations, habitat for humanity for used doors/cupboards/windows, the garbage dump, etc.

[@w8mk]

@Quick2000 You could but they are labour intensive, which is why most people built smaller ones. It is best to have a smaller plan that allows for expansion.

[@MrSitanon]

this is so wonderful and inspiring for me to gradually plan for my own, next to a creek....already wonderful environment in Northern Thailand. Thanks.

[@flordelizguarin957]

I love these cob houses !!! I vow to make one soon.

[@colettejt]

What an awesome way to enjoy life & have such a cute home that anyone can afford who's willing to do it! I'm so inspired! :)

[@ehites]

wonderful ideas for things I am working on manifesting. Thank you so much. Stunningly beautiful and organic...

[@radarlove007]

I feel your pain. I wish I had done something like this. I really like the cement dome homes and earth ships!

[@lillygirloflove]

wow, I cant believe how bright that guest house got with just that amount of candles. My house is always so dark.

[@1soulsurfer]

I just discovered Cob Houses a few months ago after moving to Oregon. Looking for land now to build me one!! Wooo Hooo!! lol

[@strixcz]

Beautiful! Thank you very much for the inspiration - I'm getting really amazed so many people willingly enslave themselves fol half an life by mortgages just so they can live in some kind of totally cold and unnatural habitat while you can build a HOME like that (often for fraction of a cost of common house). I'm seriously thinking about this kind of living now... :o)

[@humble2318]

talk about talented people! nice!

[@w8mk]

@MsJunglebird All of the homes were filmed and photographed on Mayne Island British columbia. It is one of the small gulf islands between Vancouver and Vancouver Island.

[@semcarteira]

BELO PROJETO !!!!! PARABÉNS!!!!

[@ghainos]

I have 12.5 acres of farm land, a pond and a three bedroom house but no farming experience whatsoever. When I bought this place (1 1/2 years ago) my plan was to do what you described above, that is after I gain some experience. I will be taking a permaculture course in the Fall...that's a beginning. I wish you good luck.

[@thomasedmonds6028]

Absolutly wonderful! Are there companies who will build these?

[@timothyclassen9082]

So beautiful and creative concept.

[@TennilleClayton]

I wish i was smart like you Harry! I got my home in 2006 and now I'm upside down. I got into the "I want a house and getting a mortgage is what you do" craziness. Now I know better.

[@nature1960]

This is Beautiful thank you for sharing ,I wished I would have done something like this in my younger years . Not letting the bank make you a slave is also beautiful . Thank You so much for sharing.

[@Protectedbikelanes]

How pretty! What a fairy tale look! I'd feel like a fairy living in this type of home, how beautiful! ^_^

[@tracyjames1580]

Hey thanks for responding i didnt expect that! I really think this form of construction is a possible retirement solution, after out kiddos are grown and move out(hopefully they WILL someday do that). I am going to try to research any examples of cob hoouses in my area and fet the lowdown on all that pesky codes and standards ca-ca ie: how others have fared with the "authorities"....should be interesting...and thanks again for the youtube vid it one of my faves a treat for the eyes and ears!

[@amyh5872]

Like the round feel, windows, counters and such.

[@unickgodess]

Greeting from Romania!I love it!Thank you for sharing!I want to have a cob house,I like very much.In winter are warmy in summer is cold inside.Cob is the best material to build a house.Here traditional houses are made from cob,but modern houses not.All I like at these houses is design,you cand have any form of walls,of windows and doors.Just love it!

[@xsdsf]

i have no words....this is amazing

[@w8mk]

It is a short stock music clip from garage band, iMovie, or final cut pro.

[@Naturalfairthinker]

2) and cool in the summertime. The homes are basically super moldable (as seen in this video). in addition, earthen walls are good for you to breath in. They follow some principals of 'earthing' (walking around barefooted and sleeping on the ground). Log cabins or wooden framed shelters rot and become moldy, and this can cause you some money. peace/

[@gloriousdayJZandMAX]

great video...love this lifestyle...we should all take a look at moving towards a more green life.

[@w8mk]

@smpwrflgard Thanks for the kind words! I have been working on the website/blog but I will not be able to get it up and running until sometime after October. Teaching full-time, running a photography and documentary company all along with the hydroponics equals not enough time to get everything done. For my summer holidays I will be taking and filming elements of permaculture course in Basalt Colorado. They have 4 green houses that run on the sun and 2 electric fans.

[@dkerris]

Even the sheds are inviting! Do all cob homes just scream comfort and peace?

[@georgetrahan4591]

Rally justicia scream

[@loclvocl]

Great idea! I would love to be a part of this kind of project. I live in the interior, and real estate is ridiculous. I am a prepper. My skills are mostly food preservation, smoking meat, curing meat, and foraging for berries, mushrooms, pine nuts etc.... Its amazing how cost efficient you can be, when you try. Steve.

[@ChrisSlack]

A lot of sweat equity! I love the skylights!

[@w8mk]

The homes are still using standard engineering and according to the university of victoria, tests conducted on earthquake machines, cob structures held up much better than standard wood structures that are currently built. The load of weight they can bare is much higher than wood as Cob is kind of like a concrete, very thick and strong. So the walls are much better a load bearing than wood.

[@brucebagwell5287]

I have watched this video so many times. I love the music. I love the homes and the staging of the homes. I am in escrow on 20 acres in the southern sierras and would love to build something like the farmhouse. is there any way to get more info on that in particular. would also love to see a follow-up video, with maybe a bit more info... awesome work!

[@w8mk]

@timoanttalainen Cob homes that were built in England 800 to 1000 years ago are still lived in to this day, so wet climates are not a problem with proper construction. The homes in the video are on an island where they can receive 200 + day of rain a year. The song was made by myself in logic studio.

[@TerrillWelch]

Oh my, a friend just posted this link on facebook. I took one look and said to self "hey, that is our house." Sure enough, on closer examination the last house in the clip is ours. We are still passionately in love with our home of the past four years. I remember you coming to take these photographs. Somethings have changed but it still feels the same. Fun to find @maynecob's comments too.

[@iwantosavemoney]

this is very cool im looking in to something like this to build my new home with little to no payment nice slide show

[@loveshackartandphoto]

LOVE IT!! Just my style of living. BEAUTIFUL!

[@w8mk]

Now that is cool. Cob would work great in Florida, you would just have to make a long overhanging roof to protect the walls from the rain.

[@Vaul_The_Merchant]

Yes! That's my mission statement in a nut shell. I'm going to school for an accounting degree for multiple reasons. Where I am there is a huge demand for them with a minimal supply. This creates higher wages, better benefits, and working conditions, because we're needed. Sure it's not a glamorous, money making job, but its a job that would allow me to make the money I need to create my dreams quickly!

[@w8mk]

@heartofsolace Google cobworks and look at the dates of organized tours as they usually do a few tours a year. The first home is located on Mayne, Island in British Columbia and you can catch a ferry from the Washington terminal. As for viewing it, I do not have the information for contacting the owner.

[@ohshit109powercorrupts]

Dude this is so gorgeous. Wow.

[@w8mk]

Very interesting, the led paint and other toxic substances didn't even cross my mind.