Tiny Home

[lbpeninsula]

I have been intrigued by the Tiny Home movement. It's something I have seriously considered. You can build one for anywhere from 15-35k and basically be rent or mortgage free. You might have to pay a storage fee to someone if you keep it on their property. But if you can buy land to store it you can set it up to be off the grid. The design on some of these tiny homes makes them very functionable and really how much space do you need? Bed, bathroom, kitchen, place to lounge. I believe simple living can have lots of benefits instead of working just to get "stuff" and living in a big place just to store your "stuff" I know this might not resonate with everyone but I get it and am curious if anyone else is pursuing this or has built one and is living currently in one and might have any tips or advice. Thank you in advance.

[snafu]

Happy New Year

During that ghastly 2008 - 2010 crash, a lot of families and even more single guys lived 'off the grid' in a RV, home on wheels and blogged about the experience. I don't mean travellers or those living in luxurious tricked-up buses with slides but cramped 28 ft., Class C units.

We've done short term stints overseas where accommodations are part of the benefit package. They use a fabric-like accordion door for the bathrm as there is no room for door swing. The studio apts are about 24" x 20" with a 'galley' kitchen plus a bathrm that's slightly larger than a handicapped walk in shower. The washing machine is on the balcony with an accordian, pull down, drying rack. The kitchen is immediately behind the entry door so you need to be nimble and jump away if anyone enters as the door will smack the back of your head!

Before you expend funds for a tiny home, I suggest you try living in a pop up trailer for summer, fall, winter. If that works for you, and you don't mind the diligence required, you'll likely be fine in a tiny house.

...just my .02 cents

[LittleMissSplendid]

I actually had to google tiny home to see what you meant lol. Interesting concept, but I personally couldn't do it. I can see this working well for a busy working professional/graduate student that lived alone and was rarely home, but I don't see it for a family or a couple that likes to entertain.

[TBH]

I'm intrigued by this movement too, but I could never live in a tiny home with another person. I am just way to cranky if I don't have any privacy. If I were single, I would be quite keen on this.

Even so, I've thought about buying a few acres somewhere within a couple hours drive of my house (I live in a big city) and putting a tiny home or a yurt or something on it. That's the only way I could imagine having a vacation property--if was very rustic and inexpensive and also close enough to my home so I could use it one weekend a month or something. But even that is hard to imagine spending the money on!

[TBH]

Another idea: Buy a house. Put a tiny home up in the back yard. Rent out the house to cover the mortgage and live in the tiny home. Once the mortgage is paid off, you will have probably enough rental income to live on AND you'll have a home.

(Except you might not be able to get a permit for the tiny home, but maybe if it was on a truck bed so it could be moved?)

[LittleMissSplendid]

Another idea: Buy a house. Put a tiny home up in the back yard. Rent out the house to cover the mortgage and live in the tiny home. Once the mortgage is paid off, you will have probably enough rental income to live on AND you'll have a home.

(Except you might not be able to get a permit for the tiny home, but maybe if it was on a truck bed so it could be moved?)

In that case wouldn't it be viewed as more like in-law quarters or a guest cottage? Those strike me as being on the tiny side.

[Tabs]

I've been following the Tiny House movement for years, and frankly wouldn't mind living in one myself.

I think the biggest challenge is not buying these things, as they are quite affordable in context, but finding a place to put it.

Not all RV or trailer parks will take them, and even when they do, they are not necessarily cheap as a long term option. Furthermore, many of them are not considered as good neighborhoods.

Some lucky Tiny House owners have a trustworthy friend's backyard they can park their house, in exchange for perhaps low rent or help around the property.

Some of the activists are pushing for recognition and trying to create tiny house communities where perhaps a plot of land that is usually reserved for a single suburban house can field up to 4 of these tiny houses.

I mean if you can find a good, affordable place to park, and assuming you don't mind small living spaces, then I think this is an option that is worth serious consideration.

Alas, it's been difficult for most advocates to find that little piece of land they can call home. Even the local chapter leader of the Tiny House movement in my area currently does not have a place to park his house.

Nevertheless, this is something that I hope will gain more recognition and traction.

[97guns]

a $10K tuff shed would make a nice house

[JoeP]

We're probably considering something between a tiny house and a cottage when retirement rolls around. The smaller energy footprint is very appealing, as is the lower taxes and less upkeep. My only concern is getting stir crazy or claustrophobic! A gazebo or porch would help there I would imagine.

[doingitallwrong]

My only concern is getting stir crazy or claustrophobic!

That would be my downfall. On one of the HGTV shows I watched there was a missionary couple in Africa who were living in a 160 s.f. shipping container -- I flipped out just thinking about it. Then I found out about the college professor who was living in a dumpster -- 33 square feet. There's just no way.

I have been looking into tiny houses as a kind of 'guest house' option for my sister, since she's allergic to my critters and can't stay in our house. We have a place to put it, but she's not the type who could deal with a composting toilet....

[ua_guy]

I think tiny homes are great, but there's a lot I don't like about them as well. If the goal is to undermine or eschew local permitting laws and bulding codes and getting away with substandard construction and temporary living practices which could be unsanitary for the environment, etc, then I have a problem with that. Building codes and health/safety standards around sewer and septic, etc exist for a reason and I think they should still be followed.

Otherwise, as a cabin-type property, I think they're great. For everything else, I'd recommend a travel trailer or RV.

[Tabs]

Then I found out about the college professor who was living in a dumpster -- 33 square feet. There's just no way.

Oh, I've read about him! Yeah, he's pretty much out there, even for tiny house communities. Because his uh.. dwelling.. has no wet room accommodations such a toilet or shower so... and not even a kitchen sink or running water I don't think.

Suffice to say, the general consensus among the tiny house community is that he is doing it as a form of novelty... perhaps even as a way to grab attention, be it for himself, or to bring awareness to unorthodox approaches to shelters. Whatever the case may be, it's not a serious, full-time dwelling.

That said, bravo for him to actually get out there and um do something like this.

[doingitallwrong]

Yes, it's more about showing how it's possible to live on a fraction of the energy and water as most households. Phase 2 of the project adds a toilet/shower/laundry facility next to the dumpster. Phase 3 adds a second story, a sleeping loft, solar panels, rainwater collection. etc.

http://dumpsterproject.org/

[Bright]

I am very intrigued by the tiny home movement but not that tiny!! We are debt free. However it comes out to $500 a month set aside for taxes and insurance. One knows that only goes up over time! Our yard though lovely takes me 5 hours a week during the warm months. It is also a lot to heat and cool the house. With the kids in college now there is a lot of unused space. I brought up living in our 22 ft RV when both kids are done with college and my spouse about fainted I explained to him even if we saved only $3000 dollars a year in property tax and heating and cooling it would add to retiring quicker or with a bigger safety net. Let alone investing the money from our paid for home getting into something that cost a lot less than this homes value.

I do have hubby willing to go down to 800-1000 sq feet of home as long as there is enough yard to park the boat , camper and still have his big garden. We are going to look at a model home that is 800 sq feet soon. I am wanting energy efficiency and not 3 levels to clean and a yard that doesn't take me 5 hours weekly. I see a lot of potential cash savings even if that meant building a home to meet these specifications. We would be buying a lot outside the city limits. We actually own hunting land but that is a no go as it is 45 min from work.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I have been intrigued by the Tiny Home movement. It's something I have seriously considered. You can build one for anywhere from 15-35k and basically be rent or mortgage free. You might have to pay a storage fee to someone if you keep it on their property. But if you can buy land to store it you can set it up to be off the grid. The design on some of these tiny homes makes them very functionable and really how much space do you need? Bed, bathroom, kitchen, place to lounge. I believe simple living can have lots of benefits instead of working just to get "stuff" and living in a big place just to store your "stuff" I know this might not resonate with everyone but I get it and am curious if anyone else is pursuing this or has built one and is living currently in one and might have any tips or advice. Thank you in advance.

When tiny homes were called "mobile homes" they were looked down upon and sneered at. Now that they're all trendy and "sustainable" it's considered a good thing. Wonder why that is...