small houses - i dig 'em

[Coreshot]

Shipping containers aren't cheap to buy, and arent cheap to transport, but they sure are a cool platform to start with.

They aren't that bad compared to a stick frame shed. I got my 20 ft shipping container for 3500, but its a one time use container...like brand new, the chalk lines are still on the floor. The more used ones are around 2500, but theyre pretty beat up. A 20X8 ft shed would be about as much and far less secure. The cool thing is, I can finish it at home where my tools and Home Depot are close by then transport it to my cabin.

 

[Kevin B.]

We have a smaller house. 800-something square feet. It sucks. It could definitely be designed better and be more efficient, but even then it would still suck. It's very hard to not be cluttered in a space that small, and it's impossible to have an area to yourself for an hour or two to decompress.

If it was just me, I'd love a micro-house. But with a family, I couldn't hack it.

 

[ID Bronco]

Our house is too big and sucks to heat but I love having room to move. It's great with 7 of us.

You all know, "love grows best in little houses with few walls to separate" classic western tune

 

[mesha]

I like small older houses. They were designed to keep families together. Big new houses are designed to keep people apart.

 

[sixstringsteve]

It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.

[video=youtube;87pkn2APTOU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87pkn2APTOU[/video]

 

[sixstringsteve]

This thing is 10x cooler than my 1st apartment.

[video=youtube;o61BEjKMSfI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o61BEjKMSfI[/video]

I may have to look into starting a side business of converting old school busses into small liveable motorhomes. I think there's a market. It would be more of a hobby than a moneymaker, but I think it'd be fun.

 

[Kiel]

watched a documentary on netflix last week called tiny house or tiny home, it was pretty cool, I envy the principle of it

 

[sixstringsteve]

Cool, i'll have to check that out. Tiny homes aren't for everyone, but I love to see the creative solutions they had.

Imagine paying off your home in 10 years. That would be an incredible feeling.

 

[Kiel]

I will! Thats about what we have left on ours, at a modest 1800 sq ft. We tried to move last year, but just couldn't justify doubling our house payment for a home not our dream house or location

 

[jeeper]

Imagine paying off your home in 10 years. That would be an incredible feeling.

You don't have to live in a cracker jack box to do this..
You could do it on the home you live in now. And then you would have an equity position, and a future payout, which would in turn help you pay cash for the next house when you can no longer walk the stairs.
I have serious doubts about a tiny box home retaining any value.

 

[sixstringsteve]

You don't have to live in a cracker jack box to do this..

Agreed. However, most people buy more house than they can pay off in 10 years. I was uneducated when I purchased my first home and I bought more house than I need. I can afford to live in it, but I can't afford to pay it off in 10 years (which some people would say means I can't "afford" it). However, I'm now seeing the light in something cheaper and simpler. If people were spending $40-60k on houses instead of $250-800k, it'd be a different world. They'd pay off their house in 2 years.

But I realize it's not for everyone. I think humans in general have a hard time thinking outside the box and are pretty resistant to change. I don't think it's the perfect solution for everything, but there's a lot of good that can come from it.

Backpacking has taught me a lot about what I really need to be happy. I think people could benefit from cheaper and alternative housing. As I've come to simplify my life and get rid of things I don't need, it brings a unique feeling of freedom.

I also don't think everyone should be living in a small house. Nor do I think that small houses are necessarily "better" than big houses. However, the restraints of a small house have spawned some really creative innovations. I think it's fascinating.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I've got a lot of hot rod projects I could sell off and free myself of. I'm conflicted. On one hand there's the extra expenditures (storage, electric, etc.) created by having the "stuff." And on the other, I enjoy the projects, the hunt, the builds, and so on. I think of it like my therapy and artistic expression, so for now, they stay.

I have the same conflict.

 

[Marsh99]

If saving money is the driving force here is what I did: I bought a a big house that needs work: 2700 Sq Ft on the highest street on the east bench of Ogden for around 150K built in 1961. I'm not knocking the small house idea, but I love having the space for the price, and having the unlimited amount of projects I can do. I don't plan on living in it for ten years, and hope to flip it for a profit, and then build a house, or buy a house where I want eventually.

 

[sixstringsteve]

... and hope to flip it for a profit

I find that hard to believe.

You were much more prepared for your first house than I. That being said, I love my neighborhood and I am so happy I live where I do.

Saving money isn't the only driving force, though it is a nice appeal. To me it's more about efficiency, simplification, and being more in touch with your surroundings. It's tough to explain. Keep in mind that it's been 10 years since I've lived in a 400 sqft appt, but I didn't mind it.

 

[Unimog]

I'm conflicted on the small house idea. My wife's aunt is pretty serious about it. Does anyone know if there are limitations of communities that will allow you to build/buy something like this?

 

[Kiel]

The show on netflix talked about a lot of places have 600 sq ft minimums on houses. They got around it by saying it was temp. and building it on a trail frame

 

[Skylinerider]

I'm conflicted on the small house idea. My wife's aunt is pretty serious about it. Does anyone know if there are limitations of communities that will allow you to build/buy something like this?

Many places have size minimums in order to limit older trailer/mobile homes. It is definitely something to check out when considering this.

 

[Unimog]

The show on netflix talked about a lot of places have 600 sq ft minimums on houses. They got around it by saying it was temp. and building it on a trail frame

I would venture a guess that most suburban subdivisions don't allow trailers. I'm guessing a significant number of neighborhoods I'd want to live in don't allow prefab-type housing also. I'm just trying to quantify this.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Maybe there's a market for a high-class mobile home/trailer community.

 

[Skylinerider]

Maybe there's a market for a high-class mobile home/trailer community.

There probably is. I know on my mission in Indiana there were some pretty "nice" mobile home communities. a few were even gated and required ID to enter.