For centuries the turf house was the only type of building in Iceland. However, few people would have lived in the many-gabled  turf houses preserved on several of Iceland�s bigger farms. The tenant farmers� abodes in remoter parts of the country had little in common with these buildings. Some of the first travellers visiting Iceland describe buildings that give some idea of the poor man�s home.

About fifty years after witchcraft cases were discontinued two Icelanders toured the whole of the country and wrote a book about their travels. Buildings were of no special interest to them (as opposed to foreigners who wrote about their visits in the 18th and 19th centuries), but they mention that the worst buildings are to be found in the seasonal fishing stations. The following quotation is from a chapter about the driftwood on Strandir.

This way of building was probably not used in Bjarnarfjör�ur since land-locked farms had no right to the driftwood. Instead, while the bottom of the valley was all wetlands and bogs, there was plenty of good turf for building and it must be assumed that the poor tenants used material that was close at hand. In Bjarnarfjör�ur turf was used for building well into the 20th century, a late and good example being the great circular sheepfold at Skar� which is still used.

Stone is used for the foundation of the Sorcerer�s Cottage while the walls are built with klambra, turf blocks cut in a certain way and laid in a herring-bone pattern with strips of turf between the layers. Extra large blocks of turf were used on the end of walls and on corners to ensure stability.

Each part of the cottage has a different kind of timber frame made from uncut driftwood logs. On top of the rafters driftwood is used, either short logs split like firewood, outer boards, or short and wide driftwood bits cut into shingles, all with several layers of turf on top, the middle thickest and cut in a special way.