Thanks for the response, Tim!
I've been researching straw bale for about 6 months. We are not risk takers...at all when it comes to money!!! lol Neither of us can imagine starting this project until every detail is worked out. That being said, we probably won't start our dream home project for another 3 or 4 years. We are going to take the time to learn whatever it is that we need to learn. So far we've investigated cob, straw bale, tire, and earthbag homes and have so far come to like straw bale best. There is a straw bale farm called Blue Rock Station that we plan on checking out in a few weeks and possibly eventually consulting with, if straw bale ends up being our construction type. So we are very far out from starting a project since we are brand spankin' new to eco construction. But it would be nice to pick out a property in the next year so we can finance it for a year. And so I'm thinking decisions do need to be made. But now I'm wondering if we should have plans drawn up before purchasing a property. In which case, maybe our first step is to find an architect. Do you have any suggestions on what order we should be doing things? Have you built a straw bale home before?
