Cob houses are proving particularly popular among innovative homebuilders

An increasing number of people are ditching traditional mortgages in favour of building their own debt-free homes in the UK.

Creativity is making headway in the UK as an increasing number of people are making homes from wood, cob, a mix of clay, sand and straw, and even recycled shipping containers.

In West Cork in Ireland for example, cob building courses are attracting more and more young couples and singletons who may never have attained mortgage approval but are looking to create alternative homes.

The Hollies Centre for Practical Sustainability is one of the many centres across the UK that offer cob building courses.

They advise anyone considering a cob build to start small. Ulrike Riedmuller is the founder of the centre, along with her husband Thomas.

She said: “Start small, build a small cob structure in your garden, like a cob oven, something that will help you get a feel for the method but let you learn from your mistakes before you set about building something more substantial.”

The pair open up their own cob home to those who take part in their course and there is also an on-site cob dwelling, which costs just over €1,000 (£864) to build and kit out.
At the courses, students learn about getting the right mix of clay and sand before adding straw for strength.
In London, it was reported recently that an increasing number of people are building homes from shipping containers.
At Trinity Buoy Wharf Jubilee Pier in East London, Container City is home to a creative community of residents who are living and working in shipping containers stacked four storeys high. At 20 feet long, the containers offer roughly 45 square metres of living space, which is why some residents choose to stack a second or a third.

Councils also granted planning permission to the Forest Young Man’s Christian Association (YMCA) to establish two sites in Waltham Forest, north-east London, where shipping containers have been turned into single flats.

The Tiny House movement has also proved to be popular among first time buyers wishing to get onto the property ladder without the burden of a mortgage.

Tiny houses have also been popular among cash-strapped Brits

Tiny houses can be small log cabins, homes built into a hillside, or on hills. Clever architectural designs have resulted in practical and attractive homes with good insulation, air conditioning and designs which offset claustrophobia.

The movement lays claim to a series of spin-off positive results, such as simplified living, a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, self-sufficiency, greater affordability and a greater social conscience.

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