Zak and I lived in our converted 20 ft. shipping container for two-and-a-half years, from May 2014 until October 2016, while planning and building our house. For the first eight months, we didn’t have our official building permit which meant we had to live off-the-grid without electricity or proper plumbing. The container still sits on …
“As [Candice] looked over my two years of tax returns and a statement I pulled together of projected income for 2013, she just started shaking her head and bluntly said, “Ariane, you just have to make more money!” Yes, I know. I listed some commissions that were going to come through and she nodded and …
Building a house is somewhat similar to climbing Mt. Everest. The routes need to be carefully planned, your body (and mind) needs to be prepped, and materials and equipment needs to be sourced. Thankfully, it is less fatal. Approximately 800 – 1,000 people try to climb Mt. Everest every year, with only 50% achieving the …
I wrote “How to Build” to inspire people to build their own home and a big part of that journey is to find land on which to build. Whereas a home taps into our emotional state, land is usually seen in a more black & white manner. Both are a commodity, an investment to be …
The day has come… pre-order your copy today! How to Build: a House, a Life, a Future guides readers through my journey to homeownership, weaving a practical how-to guide into an enticing narrative. The story is a meditation on affordable housing, the student loan crisis, and what happens when a generation can’t afford to invest in their …
Even in Houston, which does not implement citywide zoning laws, living in a tent (or a shipping container without utilities) on your property will not fly. Whatever structure is used as a primary residence has to be legally sited on the property. Although we opted to build from the ground up, we had researched various …
As new housing—even affordable housing—is being constructed, it may seem like an unnecessary pursuit to build your own house. But it might just be a revolutionary response to some of the problems facing our society today. 1. You have quality and budget control.You get what you want within the parameters of what you can afford. …
“How to Build” is a memoir and how-to guide to building a house, a life, and a future. It is a meditation on affordable housing, the student loan crisis, and what happens when a generation can’t afford to invest in their community. It follows my journey to homeownership in Houston, and exposes a self-sufficiency and resourcefulness …