# Tiny Houses



## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Anyone have any thought or experiences on Tiny House (<300 sq ft)?

Watching a documentary on Net Flix about it now


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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

What is the name of the documentary? I'd like to watch it as well.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

The problem with trying to build a smaller home,even if it is not "tiny" lies in the vast majority of municipalities . Most mandate a size much larger than what quite a few people want or need under the guise it will bring down property values of adjacent homes if you build smaller.


How ridicules is that ? If you build a 2,ooo sq.ft. house and spend $100 a ft. and I build a 1,000 sq.ft. house and spend $200 a sq. ft. where is the rub ? Houses in America continue to get larger every single year,to accomplish that and keep price down,do you think material quality increases or decreases ? ?


We as a nation need to wake up ! IMHO,the quality of the vast majority of new construction in this country is a far cry from what it was prior to WW II . We are on a slippery slope .


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

FJN. many tiny houses are built on trailer frames, which i'm sure would take it outside municipal jusridictions because it's non-permanent.

My buddy on one of the channel islands is building one right now. He's got it dried in as of the last i heard. 20k trailer frame and axles...paid scrap price for it. It requires a particular person and lifestyle but it makes a lot of sense for those that it makes sense for. Wouldn't work for me but for a guy who's tools all fit in a milk crate or 2 and has no kids and is in a warmish climate...i could see it. I'd consider it if I didn't have a family, Most of all i use my house for is sleeping anyway


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Agility said:


> What is the name of the documentary? I'd like to watch it as well.


Tiny: the story about living small


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Correct, the majority are built on trailers making them mobile and code exempt.

One couple was living in a 125 sq ft house. Crazy


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I'm guessing my buddies is 8' wide (outside dimesions) by +/- 20' long so 160 sqft give or take probably take. He does have sleeping loft though so .....


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## VinylHanger (Jul 14, 2011)

I've been toying with the idea of building one this winter. Might be a fun side gig.

I was just looking a this site yesterday.

http://www.tinyhousedesign.com/


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I think my tool trailer would need to be bigger than my house trailer at this point. lol

The landscape on the documentary is amazing


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## EarthQuakens (Nov 6, 2012)

All new houses built around here seem like just a bunch of wasted space inside. I've been tossing around ideas about building a house and minus my garage and my fiancées closet I don't need a lot of space like a piss poor designed houses that just look good from the outside that these builders are tossing up everywhere


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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

The whole idea is pretty cool, I definitely admire anyone who can pull it off. I think we could live in a tiny home pretty comfortably but we'd need a barn for my tools and her dresses/blouses/boots/whatever.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Agreed. My wife needs a tiny house just for her clothes.


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

A small house on wheels with fold out beds. Wouldn't that basically be a non-aerodynamic camper ? 
I think its foolish. " I save all this money by living in a shed" great. What are you gonna buy with all your money ? Nothing fits in your shed. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

It's not necessarily about saving money...it's about not needing stuff. Maybe they use the money they save to live in a warmer climate 6 mos a year...who knows, maybe they spend it on blow.

Maybe it doesn't work for you, that's fine, it works for some. And yes, it's a lot like living in a trailer or a camper, just personalised and much higher quality


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

The house is on wheels not for portability but as a way to get around building codes. They build the home on a trailer and haul it to its final location and that's it. Some may build the home where it will stay.

He's right, it's not about saving money. It's about living with less, unnecessary stuff. The people on the documentary seem very happy.

I don't know if it would our wouldn't work for me and my family. But, I'm not opposed to at least entertaining the thoughts.

We all know people who have huge houses or estates with only two people living there. The ones I know, it's a waste. But to them, it's a status symbol: huge pools that they never use, huge yards that they never use. I could go on. I know one couple that has seven cars for two people. A few of the cars are so rarely driven they need to be repaired due to dry rot. Waste.

But it works for them. BTW, they're both very miserable too.


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## ACS1 (Feb 13, 2009)

I watched that documentary just last week. They interviewed a bunch of people living in tiny houses for different reasons. The one reason that really made me stop and think was TIME. 

Instead of working so much to pay for all of this stuff that I don't really need, maybe I could just spend that time with my family, and doing things that I enjoy. Travel, explore, live life, focus on what's important. 

In my situation, I don't see how living in such a small space with two kids would work, but I can definitely see scaling down to a 500-100sq ft. house. 

While building my own house, We lived in the 24'x24' shed that I remodeled quite nicely. If I could do it all over again, I'd have thrown on another bedroom and called it a day.


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## deter (Apr 4, 2013)

I have mixed feelings on the tiny house thing. I mean REALLY, they are mobile homes and/or campers. I see no reason to go to extremes, when a house of 900sf to 1500sf is plentiful and more than enough space for 90% of Americans.


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

I like having stuff. Do I need all the stuff I have or want, no, but I like it. I work hard so that I can live in reasonable comfort and have the things I want. Being squished in a shed isn't my idea of a good life. 
What if you ever wanted to have someone over for dinner ? 
I have lived in a small studio apartment and it sucked. 
I like to be able to sit on the toilet and not have my feet in the bathtub. 
I have 4 kids and I like them all having their own rooms so that I know who is grounded for not picking up after themselves. 
I like a big house, affordable but big. I own 2 houses, one is a four bedroom and one is a 5, I couldnt imagine downsizing to even a 3 bedroom never mind a camper. 
I could live in a camper with my family, but I wouldn't want to. 
I could live in a tent with them, but it would be hell on earth. 
Tiny houses are silly. 

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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

ModernStyle said:


> I like having stuff. Do I need all the stuff I have or want, no, but I like it. I work hard so that I can live in reasonable comfort and have the things I want. Being squished in a shed isn't my idea of a good life. What if you ever wanted to have someone over for dinner ? I have lived in a small studio apartment and it sucked. I like to be able to sit on the toilet and not have my feet in the bathtub. I have 4 kids and I like them all having their own rooms so that I know who is grounded for not picking up after themselves. I like a big house, affordable but big. I own 2 houses, one is a four bedroom and one is a 5, I couldnt imagine downsizing to even a 3 bedroom never mind a camper. I could live in a camper with my family, but I wouldn't want to. I could live in a tent with them, but it would be hell on earth. Tiny houses are silly. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


Do your grounded children have to sleep in the smaller house?


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I think our house is tiny: 1200 sq ft, the bedrooms. But we're happy here and love the neighborhood.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

For those interested,here is an article depicting the quintessential brick homes I mentioned earlier.



http://www.oldhousejournal.com/magazine/bungalows/ohj-bungalow4.shtml


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

rosethornva said:


> When I was dating (mostly via Match.com), I found myself pining away for a website that featured handsome pictures of HOUSES rather than men...
> 
> Who cares what the guy looks like. I want to see if they have any taste in good architecture! That's how you can figure out if he's a keeper!
> 
> ...


so if a guy took you to a shed where he quickly converted the dining room table into a bed. people can say material things don't mean anything but there is no dating site for women to meet hobos. you aren't gonna respond to a guy named Al who lists his occupation as searching alleys for pop cams and his address as a homeless shelter, no matter how good looking he is. you never hear of doctors or lawyers marrying fast food workers. 

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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

So just to re-iterate...if people don't believe the same things as ModernStyle or want the same things that he does they are silly (insert profanity here) Why because it is in fact Modernstyle that has things figured out...not them. 

Conformity...the line up begins behind Modernstyle


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

ModernStyle said:


> ... you never hear of doctors or lawyers marrying fast food workers.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


No. But I have heard of them marrying extremely shallow bitches that no one can stand to be around for more than a few minutes.

It may not work for you or others, but who cares? It works for some people. Some people can't afford a huge house on the property of their choice. So, they choose a small house on the property of their choice.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Looked at the Tiny House movement oh, 2 or more years ago. After the housing bust of 2007, gave some thought to building spec homes of smaller size, better quality that could be produced in numbers.

The value of A Tiny House is in pushing the limits of what is needed - to see what happens energy and space and livability -wise. Also, just like in small cars, is it possible to leave room for aesthetics - to have something that looks inviting.

Anyways, there's a new "Tiny House" series starting on cable in this area next week, and just today, NBC news posted this:

I like the way the columns were tapered and the mortise/tenon look in the one on the left.
http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/art-of-the-startup/less-more-how-live-large-tiny-house-n142096


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## Admin (Dec 10, 2003)

Jay Shafer is amazing.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Why can't we build an affordable house. This article possibly has an explanation .


http://archive.wilsonquarterly.com/essays/why-cant-we-build-affordable-house


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I downloaded the PDF and will read later.


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## Sabagley (Dec 31, 2012)

Building an affordable or modest home is a far cry from building a "tiny" home.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Sabagley said:


> Building an affordable or modest home is a far cry from building a "tiny" home.





I know,just thought it would fit in with the theme.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

fjn said:


> Why can't we build an affordable house. This article possibly has an explanation .
> 
> 
> http://archive.wilsonquarterly.com/essays/why-cant-we-build-affordable-house


Same answer I came up with. In my home town (this is out in an unincorporated twp mind you), min sq footage has gone from nothing, to 900, to 1000, to 1400 sq ft.

Curiously, the first home my folks had after WWII, they built themselves & it was 500 sq ft or so.

T&G knotty pine floor to ceiling, cedar clapboards, a full porch across the back, and a Maytag Wringer washer inside & clothesline outside.

No payments. People were smarter then...


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

No one uses a clothes line anymore. Those were the good 'ole days.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

SmallTownGuy;2043
No payments. People were smarter then...[/QUOTE said:


> Even if they were not smarter,at least they did not have champagne taste with a beer budget.:no:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

jb4211 said:


> No one uses a clothes line anymore. Those were the good 'ole days.


We do, so does my sister and my in-laws (they actually use a twirly clothes rack but whatever). I actually find not having one strange


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> We do, so does my sister and my in-laws (they actually use a twirly clothes rack but whatever). I actually find not having one strange





I'M glad you broke the ice on this one ! I use one also but thought nobody would believe me. Use mine only in summer,given right weather,can dry clothes faster than a dryer by a long shot + stuff is not all "crinkly" !:laughing:


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

dom-mas said:


> So just to re-iterate...if people don't believe the same things as ModernStyle or want the same things that he does they are silly (insert profanity here) Why because it is in fact Modernstyle that has things figured out...not them.
> 
> Conformity...the line up begins behind Modernstyle


I know what's best for everyone.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

dom-mas said:


> We do, so does my sister and my in-laws (they actually use a twirly clothes rack but whatever). I actually find not having one strange


I don't see them anymore around here. Besides the practicality of the whole thing, there's something very nostalgic about it for me. It just brings back memories of less stressful, less rushed, more enjoyable times.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

fjn said:


> I'M glad you broke the ice on this one ! I use one also but thought nobody would believe me. Use mine only in summer,given right weather,can dry clothes faster than a dryer by a long shot + stuff is not all "crinkly" !:laughing:


On a hot windy summers day, hanging out sheets, by the time you've put the last one on the first one is dry.

My sister even hangs clothes in the winter. winters are so dry that they dry the clothes to 90% or more. Then a 10 minutes toss in the dryer or hang them by the wood stove and they're done.

I like low tech and free energy. Always have always will


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I'd like to get some of those things back: clothes line, Sunday dinners, days of doing nothing but enjoying family. It seems the older I get the more there is to do. I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with doing nothing on a Sunday.

Get up, go to church. Have a nice breakfast. Relax on the porch and enjoy the day watching the clothes dry in the line sipping a cold drink.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

...


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## woodchuck2 (Feb 27, 2008)

Just finished the final wiring in a "tiny" cabin made by the Amish. it is 12'X32' with a small loft. Awesome little house with a nice layout. Small kitchen with enough room for full size fridge and small stove. Came with cabinets already built in. Very small "utility room" for the panel and access to a crawl space built into the slab foundation. Entry to the back gives room for a small sink/vanity, round the corner to the crapper, then 36" stand up shower with glass door and a small closet space just big enough for a water pressure tank and shelves above that. Huge closet just as you enter for storage of large items. Then a small ladder up to the loft right in the middle of the cabin. To the left is room for a couple single beds and to the right room for a queen or even a king size bed. Just enough room walking through to clear ones head from end to end. Owner stated to me he had less than $25k in the home and concrete slab even after opting for the cedar trim, insulated floor/roof and upgraded windows. The County here does not know how to classify it so they inspected it as a shed. They told him after he gets his CO he can do as he pleases so he has already drilled a well and installed a septic. I told him being a moveable shed "built on skids" then technically he does not have to pay tax on it. By the time he is done he may have $50k into a great little cabin that may even be tax free.


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## Admin (Dec 10, 2003)

I found a weekend workshop that is going to be not too far from me!
http://tinyhousecommunity.com/fair.htm


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

Cricket said:


> I found a weekend workshop that is going to be not too far from me!
> http://tinyhousecommunity.com/fair.htm


You either are serious about this TH stuff, or running out of weekend fun ideas...:laughing:

It says Lloyd Kahn will be there - catch him while you still can.:thumbsup:


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## Admin (Dec 10, 2003)

I am fascinated with it all.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

Did you watch the documentary


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## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

I think it would be pretty cool to design and build tiny houses as a business. Build it up, let the customer tow it away when you're done.


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## Admin (Dec 10, 2003)

jb4211 said:


> Did you watch the documentary


Me? I sure did!


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

There's a whole group of people dedicated to the THs


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Agility said:


> I think it would be pretty cool to design and build tiny houses as a business. Build it up, let the customer tow it away when you're done.


 


Finehome Building mag.feature a guy doing just that. He uses salvaged stuff if memory serves. Pretty nifty little projects. The prices he was getting for them would blow you out of the water.


If anyone on CT has a subscription to their archives,see if you can post the article.


Thank you !


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

I found it,and wonders never cease,they did not try nicking me to pay to read it .:thumbsup:


Here it is 38 K --90 K to buy.



http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/8326/a-new-cottage-industry


By the way,be sure to click on the connection to Texas house.:thumbsup:


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Not that these qualify as tiny homes however,they fit in to the gist of the thread. Here is more info. on the stout,efficient,solid,sensible homes I mentioned previously.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/site/ct-bungalow-flashback-0713-20140713,0,567860.story


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## pappagor (Jan 29, 2008)

around here the city said you have to be so big by sq ft in order to hook up to city sewer and elec.
the small thing is catching on in ln the last few weeks i have got 3 calls about building them


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

pappagor said:


> around here the city said you have to be so big by sq ft in order to hook up to city sewer and elec.
> the small thing is catching on in ln the last few weeks i have got 3 calls about building them


Where's here?


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

So, even tiny houses can get listed and sold (see #7)

http://realestate.msn.com/live-off-the-grid-10-remote-homes-for-sale


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