Downsizing - the tiny house trend

[Bill Nolen]

Well, dang! And here I thought the original poster's photo was funny!

My first thoughts were not about the declining state of the USA, nor the right or wrong of a TV program, not the value or usability of Tiny Homes....but, instead how in the world did the guy climb into his "home" without it falling over?

But, it is true I do have a simple mind!

Bill

[Glenn Baglo]

"Oh my gosh. This is sooo cute".

[Henry Smith]

Lyle's analysis of the logic and advantages underlying Tiny Homes is compelling. The original picture, as noted, was a humorous reference to an underlying widespread problem. The trend toward Tiny Houses is an offshoot of the "livability movement" (as is some advocacy of full-time living in RV's and travel trailers), which is a reaction to the societal chaos and destruction wrought by modern governmental planning, zoning, and construction mandates. Those with an interest in the subject should read the essay in The Atlantic magazine entitled "Home from Nowhere".

[steve dunham]

When we built our lake cabin 20 years ago ,we built a 1200 sg ft cabin which was the average for that time frame .Today the average laks cabin being built in our rural county is 2200 sg ft.
My 1/2 acre lake lot no longer meets the zoning laws due to new sanitary codes which require larger septic systems increased set backs from the lake and a greater distance between the well and the septic drain field. I do see small structures being built on larger
wooded lots but they are mainly built as deer hunting cabins.
We are looking at purchasing land for deer hunting (40 + acres)
and may purchase a park model trailer as a hunting shack.
Small dwellings have their place and purpose.

[vintageracer]

A "BIG" home gives the owner "MO SPACE" to accumulate "Mo Stuff" you didn't need in the first place, stuff you no longer use and still keep the same old stuff you refuse to throw away. Ask me how I know?

When I am elected President my first "Executive Order" will be that ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, ILLEGAL ALIENS & PERMANENT RESIDENTS must move their primary place of residence every 5 years or sooner to avoid forfeiture of your property.

Just think of ALL the new business's, jobs, tax revenue, consumer spending, charitible giving, commercial storage construction and commercial storage rentals for all the junque you previously had at home and everything else associated with MOVING every 5 years or sooner would create to stimulate our economy and Amerian way of life. This just might be the biggest "Revolution" of the 21st Century!

No more hoarding at home and plenty of new subjects for the TV show "Strange Inheritance"! Storage Wars would be a way of life and what a stimulus this would be for the "Tiny Home" movement!

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by vintageracer

A "BIG" home gives the owner "MO SPACE" to accumulate "Mo Stuff" you didn't need in the first place, stuff you no longer use yet the same stuff you refuse to throw away. Ask me how I know?

When I am elected President my first "Executive Order" will be that ALL AMERICAN'S, ILLEGAL ALIENS & PERMANENT RESIDENTS must move their primary place of residence every 5 years or sooner to avoid forfeiture of your property.

Just think of ALL the new business's, jobs, tax revenue, consumer spending, charity giving, commercial storage rental for all the junque you previously had at home and everything else associated with MOVING every 5 years or sooner would create to stimulate our economy and Amerian way of life.

No more hoarding at home and plenty of new subjects for the TV show "Strange Inheritance"! Storage Wars would be a way of life and what a stimulus for the "Tiny Home" movement!

Or you could do like many of my neighbors and build a 40' x 60' two story pole barn with room for expansion. Then again in 5 Years ,no matter what size out building you build , it becomes too small .

[vintageracer]

I already have that on my property and yes it is to small!

[MRClaus]

love to see it at a camp sight

[Uplander]

I have two huge barns, one tractor shed, another shed for firewood, a two story garage for two cars and my man cave plus a 2,400 sq ft home....they are all full of stuff...neat but full...and the travel trailer...this is after having three tag sales to try to lighten the load of stuff.

At one point we had two homes and a lakefront camp. The process of downsizing is not easy! How we got this way is beyond my understanding...it happens.

Come spring we will have more yard sales.

Tiny house living...you gotta be kidding!!!

[Gina D.]

Originally Posted by MRClaus

love to see it at a camp sight

Ask and yee shall receive. That is if you are referring to a TH in an rv park.

The park I am working at now not only allows them, we are actively recruiting them to come in. I am working on a web campaign to attract more of them than just the one that arrived here a couple weeks ago. Not all Tiny Housers want a hipster/hippie/macrobiotic natural lifestyle and tons of property. They are happy to have a small yard and hook ups. Its part of simplifying.

I personally am in the market for one, but have some specific needs that are not common with the typical TH builders and my search has had many ups and downs. They DO make them small enough to be towed via SUV and do not have to be "huge" and complicated/heavy such as the crazy ones you see on TV. The one I am currently working on with a builder comes in at 3500 lbs on a single axle trailer. Its small, but it is no smaller than he 17 foot molded trailer I am living in now. And yes, its fully insulated.

I have been in several, and I can tell you there is no RV/Trailer feel to any I have been in, even the tiny one I am chasing at this moment. They are warm and cozy, homelike and, its hard to explain, but they do not give off a sense of temporariness that any trailer does....even if fulltiming.

My needs are simple, I am single and pared down long ago, so I can get away with the smaller space. And I do not want to own property again. I am reasonable settle where I am now, but the future is un predictable, so I want to be able to hitch and go...just like I do now with my Leocraft.

I ceased using my trailer as a camper ages ago..too much of a pain to get it ready to tow..and reset up in a semi permanent mode. I wouldn't consider a TH as a camper either. I enjoy overnites in a tent now, or a hotel :-P

What doesn't work for you will work well for others. Its a matter of choice. Both RVs and Tiny Houses have their place.

BTW, this one was towed in by a gasoline powered f250 from South Dakota.

[fridaynext]

Originally Posted by LyleB

In response to some of the very negative comments about Tiny Homes (and the people who like them)...

I appreciate your positivity, in light of the other negative comments. I think the main problem is that (like you said), people think Tiny Houses are an alternative to a travel trailer, when they are not at all. The people featured on TV shows about Tiny Houses are reading scripts and aren't representative of most people actually wanting to live in spaces that would be otherwise too small to be legal.

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by fridaynext

I appreciate your positivity, in light of the other negative comments. I think the main problem is that (like you said), people think Tiny Houses are an alternative to a travel trailer, when they are not at all. The people featured on TV shows about Tiny Houses are reading scripts and aren't representative of most people actually wanting to live in spaces that would be otherwise too small to be legal.

Pointing out the obvious flaws in something is not necessarily negative.
Try going to a lending institution and getting a loan on a non compliant structure.. I bought a book with plans for " Tiny Homes" back in the 80's .One of the plans showed using the shower stall as a combined shower and toilet to save space and water.
(IE The house had no toilet just a shower stall)

[Glenn Baglo]

Episode I saw a couple weeks ago had a 'bathtub' the size of a laundry basket. They were also marveling at a 'unique' dinette where the table folded down to make a bed. Imagine that. Only thing unique was the dinette was built out of 2X4s.

[fridaynext]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Pointing out the obvious flaws in something is not necessarily negative.
Try going to a lending institution and getting a loan on a non compliant structure.. I bought a book with plans for " Tiny Homes" back in the 80's .One of the plans showed using the shower stall as a combined shower and toilet to save space and water.
(IE The house had no toilet just a shower stall)

Stating that:

The Tiny Home builders are not building a real house but are in fact trying to reinvent the travel trailer using all the wrong materials like heavy wood framing and all the wrong roofing materials.

is patently wrong. People build tiny houses to have structures smaller than allowed by the codes that govern normal structures. Tiny houses are not built to be towed around the country like a travel trailer - they're built to be parked semi-permanently. I had professionals install a standing seam metal roof on the Tiny House I built - I don't think it gets much better than that, w.r.t. roofing.

Getting a loan for the construction is nearly impossible, yes, but most people save up and build with cash. I'm not sure what the poorly designed house from a book in the 80's has to do with Tiny Houses today.

With that said, I'm against Tiny Houses in general, because I believe they create enormous amounts of waste during construction that cannot be canceled out while living in them; and it is near impossible to find a place to park them. Nonetheless, none of this is grounds to mock people who decide to live in tiny houses.

[LyleB]

Originally Posted by fridaynext

With that said, I'm against Tiny Houses in general, because I believe they create enormous amounts of waste during construction that cannot be canceled out while living in them; and it is near impossible to find a place to park them. Nonetheless, not of this is grounds to mock people who decide to live in tiny houses.

Actually, did you see the video of the high school kid who built one in his parents backyard? He purposely reduced as much waste as possible. When he was about 50% done with his build (my guess), he had not yet filled two 30 gal trash cans. Granted, he was not building anything terribly fancy, but it was not a "shack" either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXDu2U-CmkI

Part two: The completed house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annota...&v=gMRJ9lwzCaM

[Glenn Baglo]

I don't know about the 'negativity' comment.
I think Tiny House is a terrific situation comedy.

[fridaynext]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Tiny House is really a comedy of errors. And, when it comes to costs, they don't factor in the ensuing divorce.

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I don't know about the 'negativity' comment.
I think Tiny House is a terrific situation comedy.

My wife and I are living in <200 sq ft. Perhaps you can fill me in on when we'll be getting our divorce, too?

[fridaynext]

Originally Posted by LyleB

Actually, did you see the video of the high school kid who built one in his parents backyard? He purposely reduced as much waste as possible. When he was about 50% done with his build (my guess), he had not yet filled two 30 gal trash cans. Granted, he was not building anything terribly fancy, but it was not a "shack" either.

Yeah, I saw that video a while ago, but having built one of these myself, I don't believe that he has only those two trash bins of waste. Whether it's having Lowe's (or someone else) cut the wood and deal with the waste, or whether he only considers small things "trash", I highly doubt that's all the waste that was generated. Still commendable that he built that, though.