“It’s time we begin thinking differently about housing, in terms of what our shelters are and should be made of, and of how we create and inhabit them,” Kellner writes in the book “Housing Reclaimed: Sustainable Homes for Next to Nothing”

For starters, she recommends that we simplify our wish lists, embrace smaller homes that are environmentally sustainable, and participate more in building them.

Here are more excerpts from Kellner’s tip sheet:

Salvage: Buildings slated for demolition can provide materials for new projects. Do the demolition work yourself, and you might pick up materials for little or no cost. This approach leads to designing around materials you find, but those materials can create a one-of-a-kind home.

via Buying a home can mean changing expectations | CharlotteObserver.com.