Does anyone have any personal experiences trying to build green/alternative/low-impact? My husband and I want to (someday) build a home as green as possible--with composting toilet, recycled/reclaimed materials, passive heating/cooling etc. I am concerned that the local authorities%26#039; regulations and ordinances will be tough to deal with since it will be %26quot;unusual%26quot; in their eyes. We don%26#039;t want to go against any regulations, but it may be hard to do something different than the traditional stick-built or pre-fab house. Does anyone have any similar experiences? How did you deal with it?

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2 months ago

Especially looking for info relating to Maryland, but will appreciate anything.
The friendlier you are and the more prepared you are, the easier the authorities are likely to be to deal with.
Also, if you have an architect, or even just a builder - they can also guide you into the best way to handle questions - they are required to build to code, and will be familiar with the regulations in your area.
Hope this helps! http://www.building-your-green-home.com 0% 0 Votes

Been there, done that! Built several strawbale buildings in two different West Coast counties. Most important lesson is to build a relationship with your city or county planning department. They are not the enemy but are there to help. They are not there to be your coach. However, if you build a relationship with them, they will give you more time and advice than they will someone who cops an attitude.

Start by finding folks in your state who have successfully already done what you want to do, treat them to lunch and ask for advice. Better to learn from their experience first! I attended many workshops on building green as well as building with straw and my network was huge as a result. Your local college or university extensions may be a great resource for finding folks who have built green.

Make sure your relationship with your husband is on SOLID ground. Building any house is a major stress on the relationship. Have no idea why. It just is. I built our house and my husband stayed out of the way. This was best for us. He said %26quot;go for it%26quot; and %26quot;tell me when it is time to move in%26quot;. Gotta love it!

Give yourself lots of time. At least twice what you think it will take. Count on expenses doubling or tripling your estimates. %26quot;Newbies%26quot; don%26#039;t know what they don%26#039;t know so tend to underestimate everything. Carefully pick the brains of those who have been successful before you even put pen to paper!

If I think of any books that might be helpful, I will send another message.

You can successfully build the home of your dreams and have fun while you do it if you keep your wits about you and charge your attitude up daily. Have fun! 0% 0 Votes