Straw Bale House made by Single Mom for $50000

I built my passive solar straw bale house with earthen plasters in 2000 for K (will most likely cost more today, depending on many factors). This is an overview of the house; it is extremely energy-efficient. My electric bills are about per month.

25 thoughts on “Straw Bale House made by Single Mom for $50000”

  1. strawladyhouse

    @bill65761 I think you are asking if you could build an earth berm around this house or dig the house into the earth for added insulation. You wouldn’t want to dig a straw bale house into the earth; It is important to keep straw dry. But you can build hybrid homes where part is earth-berm and part is straw bale.

  2. hello.i am from far away, wanted to tell you that i like your house lot and i want to ask you about the flooring of the house, how it was done, it looks very good. i wonder if it is also ecologic.i would be thankfull if you could tell me more about the flooring inside the living room.my email address is g_manthor@yahoo.com if you think you need it. thank you.

  3. CassiusChrysanthe

    I am intrigued by this idea, this was a really wonderful and inovative thing to do. And I love how the final outcome of your hard work looks like. AMAZING. I believe I will think the same direction and will find out some way how to make a similar project. Though, just after buying a flat in building estate and got a mortgage on my back… but I’ll find out something… You are great, Strawlady(:

  4. rustymuckybottoms

    beautiful work! i have been building straw bale houses for about six years now, and i am firmly convinced its the only way to go.

  5. Beautiful Job! As a General Contractor and Electrical Contractor I can appreciate how daunting this must have looked at the beginning. Nicely Done.

  6. @DengarTime Thank you. Yes, I was given a list of 23 inspections to pass during the construction period at each phase of the building. This comes when you get your permit to build and at the end of all the inspections, I got the occupancy permit. That then enabled me to get a mortgage and pay back all the money I borrowed to get the house built.

  7. If it helps anyone to understand inspections, When building anything new. You have to get it inspected each step along the way, for example, putting in a footer in takes 3 steps itself, The footers forms put in, after gravel for drainage is added in, and a final time once the footer is poured to make sure it was done right. Does not make sense to some, but if done right the first time. Saves you money, and will last at least your lifetime, if not also your kids. Least, Corry PA inspected each.

  8. @MrEhud77 You are absolutely right about the symbol, but I just used it because I liked it. =)

  9. The straw is completely dry – it is not hay – packed very tightly and completely covered with thick plasters. It is so strong and tight it has held up my roof for ten years now. The bales weigh about 90 pounds each. There is no smell.

  10. Well I’m used to living in a city so I just have one question, doesn’t that house smell or has the straw already dried so much that it doesn’t smell anything and is really hard?

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