Tiny Homes

[Mojo2]

With the lousy economy and bank loans so hard to get, it appears people are turning to these:

I've posted about this trend before so was not surprised to see the BBC piece on it. Read more @ BBC News - Americans construct tiny houses ? and new lives

They look pretty neat!

Self contained luxury in a portable size.

More mobile than a regular home.

More opulent than a mobile home.

Just the kind of thing one might buy to enjoy that newly bought acre of land out in the boonies near the fantastic trout stream with the million dollar view of the mountains!

 

[DGS49]

What's the point? You can buy a used mobile home for less than it would cost to build one of these "tiny houses," and it is fully equipped with all utilities and adequate insulation.

I could go for one of these as long as it has a 4-car garage.

 

[Politico]

I never understood the desire for the McMansions. My wife and I sometimes watch House Hunters on TV and I want to wrap my head with duct tape when some childless couple looks at a 3,000 sq ft house and she says "It's so small"!!

And not to mention they are always costing a half million or more. Everyone is rich in Canada.

 

[auditor0007]

I'm a big fan of the "A" frame house...not mobile, but easy and cheap to build.

I could live with this.

Not enough sunlight.

 

[longknife]

No more half-acre homes with large yards? Or maybe a massive yard and small home?
Which will be normal? Here are some pix of this California couple's home.

and this:

Check out the story @ This California Couple's Tiny House Redefines What It Means To Have A 'Dream Home' (PHOTOS)

Seems we are seeing more and more stories like this. Are we being told something?

 

[oldfart]

MY parents and grandparents had large homes, I own a large home. When the last kid is gone, I'm getting a smaller home...

Grew up in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, 1100 sf house. Raised my kids in a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1000 sf house. Live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 800 sf house. Probably could fit comfortably into 600 sf.

Tiny houses can be 100 Sq ft. Out here they have Micro apartments that are 300 Sq ft. You need off site storage to have a closet.

Mrs. Oldfart thinks 100 Sq ft is about right for her bathroom. We have offsite storage, but that's for all the stuff the grown children want to get some day but don't have room for yet in their 2800 Sq ft houses.

 

[oldfart]

Sadly as cute as they are these are a treehugger novelty. They definitely have a use for a vacation cabin though.

In my neck of the woods, those things are called deer stands. In Georgia, they call them duck blinds.

 

[SteadyMercury]

Live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bath, 800 sf house. Probably could fit comfortably into 600 sf.

Yep! We don't need much to be happy either, currently live in a 1080 sqft 2BR townhouse. I don't get the need for much more.

 

[Rshermr]

With the lousy economy and bank loans so hard to get, it appears people are turning to these:

I've posted about this trend before so was not surprised to see the BBC piece on it. Read more @ BBC News - Americans construct tiny houses ? and new lives

They look pretty neat!

Self contained luxury in a portable size.

More mobile than a regular home.

More opulent than a mobile home.

Just the kind of thing one might buy to enjoy that newly bought acre of land out in the boonies near the fantastic trout stream with the million dollar view of the mountains!

My wife and I have one similar. They are referred to in this neck of the woods as park model trailers, and can get pretty fancy. But they have to be under 400 square feet of full height space here. Other areas have different laws. Thing is, you can avoid all kinds of issues having to do with permits for things like septic, water, foundation requirements, and on and on. Most just set them on a number of cement block pedestals, hook up electricity and some sort of septic arrangement, and water, and you are set to go.

So, thing is, many including ours have additional space beyond the 400 in the form of an upper level with less than 6' height, and a covered porch up front, and you feel as though you have some room.
They have become very popular throughout the country anywhere that zoning issues are a problem or where a quick vacation place is of value.