Choosing cost-effective materials can help keep the project more affordable and within budget. Here are a few different types of building materials to consider for your home’s construction. Using reclaimed materials like old barn doors or wood in your home build is not only trendy, but can also save you money. Look for reclaimed doors, wood floors, windows and decorative items when planning the design of your house.Reclaimed Materials
Not sure where to find reclaimed materials? Check Craigslist, Planet Reuse or a salvage store. You can even find a home that is currently being torn down and see if you can salvage any of its old materials.
Prefab Panels
Prefabricated panels are wall panels that are custom-built inside a factory and shipped to the build site. Having the walls built indoors and shipped to the site ready to install can cut down on any required construction. Plus, it can reduce the time spent on framing and drywalling.
Opting for prefab panels can also help you save money because you aren’t paying for the extra labor costs to build and frame the walls. Just make sure you have the appropriate building permits before constructing any prefab housing.
Precast Concrete
Just like prefab panels, precast concrete is concrete that’s poured into a reusable mold, cured indoors, then shipped to the build site. On average, precast concrete costs less than on-site pouring because it cuts down on on-site labor and can help prevent delays due to the weather.
Shipping Containers
This alternative housing idea uses old shipping containers for the structure of the home. Since the structure is already intact, this type of housing can help you save money on construction costs.
You’ll need to consider the modifications you’ll need to make to the container to turn it into a usable living space. Costs can also go up if you need more than one container to create your shipping container home.
Cob
Cob is a mixture of straw, clay and subsoil. This earthen material is so thick that it provides thermal, energy-efficient benefits. Since most of the ingredients for cob can be found on-site for free, you can save a good amount of money on material costs.
Cob is also known to last hundreds of years and only requires a new layer when it inevitably needs to be fixed. This makes it a great building material for a cheap house.
