Minimizing House Costs | Construction and DIY projects | Forums

I like the 'pole' house.  Just can't see me doing all the stairs when I get older.

That clip is a bit disturbing.  As for access in the house; well, I am just going to stick with my 1 floor design.  I know there is more roof and more foundation material/expense.  Somewhere, Speed Funk posted his thoughts about 1 story vs 2 story.  He has some well thought out points. Building a one story means less ladder work-which is safer and more efficient with time, siding is about the same, and future mobility in the home is better (if your planning on it being your forever home).  All depends what you like and want.

I have a friend who built on piers made from old telephone poles that he got for free. He had a powerful auger machine come in and set the poles and built up from their.  The biggest complaint he has had is that it is hard to keep the floors warm and the plumbing from freezing.  For the floor he insulated the joist bays when he built, a number of years later he laid down rigid insulation on top of his sub floor and that helped a lot; however it meant moving all the furniture out and redoing base boards and he even took out the kitchen cabinets and toilets to do a complete job.  He has also spent a lot of time moving plumbing around and he relies heavily on heat tape in a couple of areas to keep pipes from freezing.  Many of these things could have been done better during the build...but it is a work in progress and there is a learning/experience curve.  He saved money with the pier foundation...like anything there are trade offs.