Encourage Me: The Return

“Treehouses are the ultimate return to nature.” (Pete Nelson)

Living in the trees isn’t for the birds. Can you believe, the majestic trees in the backyard have real estate potential? Treehouses are making a comeback with style, originality, and affordability. This makes treehouses an attractive option to homebuyers. Treehouses used to be viewed as a place where children played. These dwellings are now a residence people call home. Treehouses are no longer antiquated in fashion.

They can offer such modern conveniences as a kitchen, bathroom, and fireplace. With simple, efficient layouts, modern treehouses are proving to be great starter homes for single occupants. They are delivering cost-conscious housing opportunities to those in need. A treehouse provides unity with nature that refreshes the spirit and awakens childhood memories of daily adventure. It is important for the educated buyer to be aware of the misconceptions that exist about treehouses.

"Treehouses have to be built high in the air." Many builders believe that a treehouse should oversee your entire neighborhood. Not every treehouse has to look like an upscale wooden loft. Some treehouses are constructed three feet off the ground. Building closer to the ground allows for more possibilities, in terms of strength, center of gravity, and construction of additional levels. Bet you didn't know that, did you?

“Building a treehouse will take up a lot of time.” Building a treehouse can take as little as a few weeks depending on how much time you dedicate to the project. You can also ask friends and family to help you out. Remember, the more hands you have working on a treehouse, the faster it will be up off the ground.

“I can build my treehouse in any tree.” The species of a tree is important when deciding where to build. There are only certain types of trees that are stable enough for treehouses. It’s important to take into consideration how big you want your treehouse to be as you might need to use more than one tree to hold it up.

“The treehouse doesn’t have to be perfectly healthy for me to start building on it." Be careful with this. The scent of a tree wound can attract insects that often carry diseases, which will be even more detrimental to the health of the tree. This could cause the foundation for your backyard to be unstable.

“There is only one type of treehouse I can build.” This is a common misconception held by many builders today. Open your mind because not every treehouse has to fit the one room, one ladder prototype. There are plenty of possibilities when it comes to your backyard hideout. Just do your research first.!

”I don’t need permission to build a treehouse. “ If you live in a densely populated suburb, it would be a good idea for you to find out about building codes. If your neighbor thinks your treehouse is an eyesore, they may complain that it's affecting their property value, and take you to court.

“a treehouse should never overpower the tree in which it is built. Iit should sit lightly in the branches.” (Designer Jeanie Stiles)[i]