Family's Shropshire hills eco-house build hits cash crisis

The Wheelhouse family started work on their new home this summer, after years of planning – but money has now dried up and they need to raise £14,000 to get the house finished.

Janta and Merav Wheelhouse run the Karuna, a "grassroots" green-living project based on 18 acres of land at Picklescott, near Church Stretton.

They are making a roundhouse made from straw bales and cordwood which will be both a visitor attraction and the family's new home.

They hope the result, which will be fully compliant with building regulations, will act as an example of how people can build their own green home without breaking the bank. But if what has been built so far is not made weatherproof for the winter it may spell disaster, Mr Wheelhouse said.

"We took a big risk by starting to build in late summer," he said. "It was absolutely essential to keep focused on working directly on the house while we still had dry building conditions. Since late summer courses have been running to help people learn the art of straw bale building, clay plastering and lime rendering. All the inspirational hard work and commitment so far this summer has paid off."

But, he said, "due to the unforeseen change in our financial situation" they have had to work on crowd funding in order to raise £14,000. He said it was extremely important to make the house habitable over the coming early winter months, even in the most basic way.

"It is essential the family are able to move in and keep warm over winter and dry out the earth plaster and straw bales," Mr Wheelhouse said. "To an outsider, our base – an old, cold, damp showman's caravan – may appear romantic. The reality is, that over the past four winters the conditions within our damp little hovel have seriously affected our health."

He added: "As an eco-demonstration site, the project can only reach its full potential if it has a proper base which serves as an office and home to those who manage it."