Now that we have your attention, we want to talk about a common mistake that a lot of strawbale home owner builders make early on in the process.

Often, the most fatal mistake of any job is underestimating how much it will cost to build that beautiful strawbale home you worked so hard to design. Common examples of this are not including enough money for framing materials or electrical fixtures. Not so common is the mistake that comes before the numbers are even run: who will build the house?

We have heard many people say they will build their own house to save money, only to find that they end up spending far more in the end than they would have if they hired a professional.

This is something most would-be strawbale home owner-builders don’t want to hear. The fact is that building a house is time-consuming and hard work (both labor-wise and mentally organization-wise). Since most would-be owner-builders have a job, it means either time off work (lost wages) or working on the weekends or off days (lost sanity).

The longer a job takes, the more expensive it will be for many reasons:

First, if a loan is involved, the bank often only allows up to 1 year for the home to complete. After that, the penalties start piling up. In addition, the interest on a construction loan continues to pile up until the job is done.

Another “hidden cost” is that material and labor costs continue to rise over time. If you priced out electrical fixtures at $2000 and they end up costing $2500 by the time you buy them, that is money you did not plan on spending.

What does this mean for a would-be strawbale home owner-builder?

Our suggestion to those looking to save money is to BE one of two things.

1. The first is an “Informed-Owner.” As an informed owner, you, as the client of the builder, know how to build a strawbale home. You can walk the job site and identify wasted money or effort. By working with a contractor who is willing to support you in this role, you can save money on the job as a team. You are bringing speciality knowledge to contribute to the project's success for you both.

2. Another option is to be an “Owner-Baler.” Distinct from an owner builder, this type of client recognizes that the work of building an entire home is beyond their scope; however, running or hosting a bale-raising workshop or work party is within their skill set and available time.
   
   By installing all of the bales with discounted labor or free work party labor, you, as an Owner-Baler, can cut costs and still get a professionally built home. All the contractor has to do is give you the frame on time so that the bales can be installed on the posted dates.
   
   Your job is to do the same: deliver the home back to the contractor on time so he or she can continue to move forward on their critical path.

This is a new concept for owners and contractors alike, so it takes the right relationship, solid communication, and a clear contract to allow these ideas to flow smoothly. It is possible, and it is a great way to save money on a strawbale home build.

If you’d like to learn more about being a Workshop Host with us, have a look here to see if it is a fit for your vision or if you want to host your own work party with family but need an instructor to be confident about the installation — Check out our Onsite Training Options here.

In support,
Timbo & Dainella