Mr Relic said a design from Shed House Australia was their best option, and it gave him a chance to literally build his own home.<\/p>\n
\u201cBuilders are in short supply on the island,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end, I just decided I\u2019d roll my sleeves up and build it myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always been very handy and I\u2019ve always admired people who build their own homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything arrives on the same truck to get your house to lock up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Owners can either construct the house themselves with builder support from Shed House Australia or engage a registered builder.<\/p>\n
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Joe and Sarah Relic\u2019s shed house on Kangaroo Island. Supplied<\/p>\n
The Relics decided to do it mostly themselves \u2013 friends helped but Mr Relic said for the most part it was just him, an electrician and a plumber on site.<\/p>\n
\u201cI opted to get contractors in to get the roof on and clad the walls outside,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
They have also sourced much of their own materials locally to fit it out.<\/p>\n
It has taken the Relics \u2013 who travelled for a year with their two children before moving from interstate to Kangaroo Island \u2013 about a year to build the house following a year of gaining council approval.<\/p>\n
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The home under construction. Supplied<\/p>\n
Mr Relic said building his family\u2019s home had been a labour of love.<\/p>\n
\u201cI honestly wouldn\u2019t hesitate to do another one, it\u2019s a very good option to consider,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re willing to learn new skills, you can definitely save lots of money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the way housing affordability is going, it\u2019s a really clever way to build.\u201d<\/p>\n
Designs on Shed House Australia\u2019s website range from $52,000 to $145,000, plus GST, but the cost to build varies depending on several facts.<\/p>\n
MORE: South Australia just cracked the housing supply problem<\/a><\/p>\n These include location, site conditions, trade availability, whether owners choose to build themselves or engage a registered builder, and the interior and exterior finishes chosen.<\/p>\n Shed House Australia founder and director Rhys Uhlich said the business was born out of necessity \u2013 needing to build a home for his own family but being priced out of the market.<\/p>\n With property developers Katie and Dave Penfold, he found a way to turn the humble Australian shed into an architectural home that can be owner built.<\/p>\n Joe and Sarah Relic say the design has helped them save on construction costs. Supplied<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d never built anything before, I just got in and had a crack,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAll of our framing is purely shed materials.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n