We often suggest that it could have been a wise choice to start off with a smaller house, and then extend more rooms once we were settled. That way, the build would have taken less time, which means less time in the cabin! It would have been quicker to get completion if the house was smaller, obviously. We might have then had the opportunity/energy to have more internal strawbale walls. I love the size and texture of those walls and I am seriously considering doing straw internal as well as external walls in our extension.

Our house is designed in such a way that we could have but it in stages. We could have built the kitchen, bathroom, pantry, a bedroom and living area, and lived in that fairly comfortably, and then extended afterwards. It would not have taken as long to build or complete. It would have meant, however, that we would have been in a state of building upheaval for a long time!

As it happens, our house was built very quickly (13 months), considering it was mainly monte building, whilst running his business (talk about superman). I think that building it in stages would have been annoying. We would have the issue of perhaps not being able to match materials, like skirtings, doors, cornices, tiles etc. I don’t think it would have made the process quicker; it would have meant less time living in the tiny shack though. Maybe.

If we had built in stages, we might not have completed the house in strawbale. We were put off it for a while, but our energy and love for it has returned as we realize how amazingly comfortable it is living in a home constructed this way.

I’m so proud of monte’s efforts to build this house. I never want to sound like I am complaining when I write about things we could have done differently.