Why do Owner-Builder projects fail?

No.066 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 4 minutes

An owner-builder is someone who decides to design and build the house themselves, sometimes with a community.

When you start your journey as an owner builder you have a dream.

But sometimes, turning the dream into reality can be challenging.

For every beautiful cob cottage or cozy earthbag house,
there are stories of unfinished projects,
frustration, and incomplete dreams.

So why do so many natural building projects fail?
And how can you avoid becoming another statistic?

Let’s dig into the key reasons behind these failures—
and how to avoid them.

1) Know your WHY

Simon Sinek, in his famous book Start With Why,
emphasizes that every successful project begins with a clear purpose.

Define this purpose.

Your “why” is the foundation of your project.

At the start, your motivation is sky-high.
As the days go on the motivation fades away.
Doubt creeps in.

When things get hard,
when deadlines slip, or
when the weather doesn’t cooperate,
you’ll fall back on your “why.”

It reminds you of the bigger picture—
why did you start this journey in the first place?

Without a strong “why,”
it’s easy to lose direction or give up when challenges arise.

Example of “Why:”
You dream of leaving behind something timeless—
a home built with love and care,
using materials that can return to the earth.
Your natural home becomes a story for your children or community,
a tangible representation of your values of sustainability,
resilience, and harmony with nature.

2) Bigger Isn’t Better—It’s Overwhelming

Big ambitions can lead to big mistakes.
Bigger the house—
more planning you need,
the roof becomes more complex,
every extra square foot you add means more walls to build.

When you start mixing cob or stacking earthbags,
day after day,
the excitement slowly wears off.

You can get burned out and struggle to finish.

Dream big.
Start small.
Make a rocket stove or
a wood-fired cob pizza oven.
You can even make a tiny outhouse or storage room.

3) Unrealistic Timelines

Hofstadter's Law:

It always takes longer than you expect,
even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.

No matter how much you plan,
there will be delays,
missteps,
and poor coordination.

Be prepared for them mentally.

Develop a realistic timeline and stick to it as best as you can.
Break the project into manageable phases.

Work with nature’s timelines.

Observe the land and design in the monsoons.
Start the foundation in the winter.
Walls will go up faster in summer.
Try putting the roof on your head before the next monsoon.

4) Building a mud house is not dirt cheap

Paraphrasing what the author of the book The Hand-Sculpted House,
and the founder of the Cob Cottage Company, Ianto Evans said,
"Remember everything takes twice as long as you think and costs three times as much."

The myth of the “free” natural house often leaves builders unprepared for the real expenses.

Materials available on land might be free but excavating them involves labor costs, especially if you are on hilly terrain.

Invest in the right tools at the right time.
We are not talking about JCB machines.

Consider the costs of hiring specialists for carpentry, electrical, and plumbing works.

Do not be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Create a detailed budget and add a 20–30% contingency fund to handle surprises.

5) The Climate Always Wins, So Build for It

Observe your land as long as possible before you start building.
How the sun shines,
where the water flows in the monsoons,
how hot it gets in the summer,
and how cold it gets in the winter.

Does it have a history of forest fires?

Are there frequent storms?

Research your local climate and consult experts to match your materials to the weather, terrain, and regional conditions.

6) Romance Fades When the Workload Hits

The dream of dancing barefoot in the mud wears off quickly
when you’re hauling heavy loads in scorching heat or
battling to finish before the rains come.

Unpredictable weather, injuries, material shortages,
or financial hiccups can derail even the most enthusiastic builder.

Build flexibility into your plans.
Expect delays and create contingency strategies for common setbacks.

We have seen many builds struggle with putting the roof.
The roof is the trickiest part.

It’s too late to think about it when the walls are ready.
The span of the wooden beams available could dictate the width of the house.
Try and source as many materials in advance before you start the build.

Plan supply runs in advance,
and if you’re remote,
ensure you have backup options for labor and materials.

7) The Finish Line Is Where Dreams Often Die

Any seasoned builder would be too familiar with the 90/10 rule.

Building the walls was the easy part.

Plastering, flooring, and finishing never seem to finish.

There are thousands of details you need to care for.
Some of them being the ones you had decided to “I’ll deal with it later.”

Finishing layers dry slowly in winter.
You might have to redo several finishes.

This phase tests your patience and every ounce of determination.

Many natural building projects stall just before completion.
Builders run out of funds,
energy,
or motivation after months of hard labor.

Plan your final stages meticulously.
If resources are running low,
prioritize essential finishes
and leave aesthetics for later.

Natural building is beautiful but challenging.
Build Wisely, Build Successfully.

To succeed, you need clarity, preparation, and most importantly resilience.

Start small,
stay adaptable,
and surround yourself with support.

We are always there to support you and cheer for you!

Love,

Raghav and Ansh

PS: Do you follow us on Linkedin? We are putting a ton of energy into sharing our journey and creating valuable content that we think you'll like. It would mean the world to us if you would consider following and sharing our posts with your friends and family.

What you can watch - Of House and Heart, a documentary on a cob cottage from start to finish

Watch this truly heartwarming and well-documented video of building a Cob House in the North East of India.

What you can listen to - 11 EXPERT MINDSET PRINCIPLES From Huberman, Goggins, Mel Robbins & More | Rich Roll Podcast

What You Can Read - Mud Ball - How I Dug Myself Out of the Daily Grind

Atulya K. Bingham completed her lovely earthbag home in a remote Turkish field, despite having very little money, almost no building experience, and endless naysayers who told her she would fail.

Your attention is precious. Thank you for reading.

If you found value in this newsletter, please consider sharing it with a friend.

Kindly forward them this link.

You can read old posts here.

Tiny Farm Friends Newsletter.
Every Sunday, we share tiny valuable lessons to help you transition to the countryside and build naturally.