Alternative Housing

Many of us think of houses as places built of wood and drywall. But houses can be made of many things. Here are a few of our favorite non-traditional ideas... some you can use in your backyard!

New Zealand Bach Houses: Bach is short for "bachelor house." After World War II, New Zealanders built haphazard holiday houses in gorgeous places. A bach was "something you built yourself, on land you didn't own, out of materials you borrowed or stole."  Over the years, baches have evolved into holiday houses on legitimately-acquired land.

Container Homes: Used singularly or connected and stacked, shipping container homes are only limited by your imagination...just like Legos.

Train Cars: In many countries, old train and trolley cars are available for a price, and are being converted to cottages. Some are strung together to form a "train" of rooms. Others are added onto, using the original train carriage as the core.

Trailers and RV's: Instead of building a playhouse for the kids in the backyard, investing in an expensive mother-in-law addition, or converting an interior room into a rental, many people are re-purposing vintage trailers.