24 Realistic and Inexpensive Alternative Housing Ideas

 If you buy an item via links on this page, we may earn a commission. Our editorial content is not influenced by commissions. Read the full disclosure.

Are you in the market for an inexpensive alternative housing?

If you are a homesteader or dreaming of becoming one then not only will you need to purchase land, but you will also need a place to hang your hat.

Today, I’m going to be very candid with you. If I could go back to my earliest years of marriage I would completely re-do my home buying decisions. It wasn’t until we moved to our homestead did we make, what I considered, the best housing buy.

So today I’m going to share with you cheap alternative housing options that you can turn into a really nice home without accumulating a ton of debt.

1. A Fixer Upper

I named this as the first alternative housing idea because this is what we did. In my earliest days of marriage, we bought into the suburban lifestyle. We purchase a brand new home with all of the bells and whistles and had a ton of debt and not much land to show for it.

Then we decided to homestead. So we sold it all and moved to the country where we purchased a few acres of wooded land and a house that was in really bad shape. But over a few years, we have managed to turn this house and land into a really pretty place for not much money.

2. Pallet Home

Yes, I know. Apparently, I think we could change the world with pallets. I wouldn’t quite go that far, but I will say if you have very little money, you need a place to live on your land until you can save up enough money to build something sturdier, and you have pallets then you can have a home.

So you just place a few pallets together and can build a quaint little house. Like I said, it may not be your ‘forever home’ but it will give you an inexpensive place to live until you can save the money to do something different.

3. An Outbuilding

I’m sure you’ve seen those places on the side of the road that sell prefab outbuildings. I actually purchased one for our land not so long ago.

Well, they make great little cabins. They require no credit checks and for less than $10,000 you can have a nice little cabin with a cute front porch to boot. Here is a great how-to article on how to change one of these prefab buildings into a home.

4. RV

If you don’t have a ton of money but need a place to live you can always purchase an older RV and renovate it over time. It may not be ideal for some but for others, it could truly be just what you’ve been looking for.

So if you browse the internet you will find lots of stories of how people have taken old motor homes and made them their perfect homestead cabin. Even if you don’t want to live in it forever, it could still be a decent temporary fix until you can save up to build something a little better.

5. Manufactured Home

Buying a new or used manufactured home may not be as inexpensive as some options but it is still less expensive than the cost of the average home. This might be a good option if you have a larger family.

So to be honest, I love the idea of tiny house living but with three growing children, it just isn’t something I’m willing to tackle at this point. But a manufactured home gives you a little more space than what a tiny home would provide, but you still don’t have to purchase a bunch of unnecessary space if you don’t want it.

6. Shipping Containers

Have you ever seen any of these homes? They are flat out amazing. I’m not sure who came up with this thought initially, but they were really smart and very creative.

But now that the idea is out there, if you are looking for a different and less expensive alternative housing idea then this just might be it. Here is how you can transform a shipping container into your next home.

7. A Silo Home