Rent and the affordability of housing are one of the biggest financial issues facing residents and homeowners across the province.
Sally Hollingsworth, a Kelowna realtor, has been intrigued by the interest in earth houses since researching the viability of a home in the Okanagan for a client.
“You want to find an efficient green home that saves heating and cooling,” said Hollingsworth. “I think people are getting more interested because there is this whole element of society that wants to leave a lighter footprint.”
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Earth houses are smaller houses that are often built underground or in the slope of a hill. Often times, a container house is built into a hollowed out hill and covered with earth and dirt to insulate the house.
The insulation allows for less heating and cooling of the house, Hollingsworth said, as the earth houses have average temperatures of 16 ° C year-round.
The construction costs are lower; the lot sizes are smaller and the containers, which cost around $ 4,000, can be stacked and assembled into a comfortable home.
“I was starting to imagine a whole development that they could become. We need forward thinking in our communities as it is more minimalistic. Less can be more, ”said Hollingsworth.
While researching the possibility of earth houses in the Okanagan is one thing, doing the right job is another thing to start building them.
The research of the desired property, the development of building plans, the determination of environmental sensitivities in the vicinity of the desired property and the communication with an environmental planner in front of the building planner are all necessary when it comes to the construction of adobe houses, as well as with each new approach Home.
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“(People) need to do some research and find out what the county allows,” Hollingsworth said. “A place to buy a lot where they are cheaper is because they are (often) off the beaten path.”
“In order to find (more) places where people can use them, communities have to open up to receive them.”
One of the big concerns is that the “ugly” containers could bring surrounding property prices down, but grass and gardens on the ground houses will add a cosmetic appeal to what is already huge financial appeal, especially at this time when affordable housing is being debated, said you.
Ever since her research began, Hollingsworth said that other agents in the Okanagan are becoming increasingly interested in getting more information.
For information on the Okanagan reality, visit Hollingsworth’s website.
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Kelowna real estate
