Tiny house

[BatDude]

There has been discussion about "Tiny houses" here from time to time. There is on in the Terlingua RV park we are at by Big Bend Natl Park. Campground host said it was more than 14,000 lbs! Pulled by duel rear wheeled pick up. Will try to post pix later. First one I have seen with all the 2x4 frame glory and house type AC unit on toungue. Cheers. Bat Dude

[Steve Carlson]

While they obviously aren't meant to be moved frequently, I would want it to be a little lighter than that so it could be towed with a regular pickup. Maybe they could forgo granite countertops and ceramic tile and save some weight...

[JBB]

Weight is the reason I would never want a tiny house. Too many times people who go that route talk about moving every couple months which is completely impractical! A 5th wheel or other camper would be more cost effective. Just my 2 cents!

[Jon in AZ]

They are tiny houses- emphasis on house- and are best approached as a smaller, more stylish, and better-built alternative to a small mobile home or park model. Tenancy is meant to be measured in years, not months.

There is a small development near me consisting of commercial park models along with some custom tiny houses. At least for now the property appears tasteful and well kept. I’m kind of curious what sort of folks live there, but not quite nosey enough to knock on doors.

If I were single, I might be all over this concept. But my wife thinks our 850 SF site-built retirement cottage is quite small enough... and I’m inclined to agree.

[trainman]

Why would anyone spend the money on a Tiny House, for what they cost you could purchase a very nice used travel trailer for a heck of a lot less money. When you get tired of the trailer in two or so years, you can sell it for maybe close to what you paid for it, depending on how well you shopped them used. A Tiny House you would be lucky to get 50% of what you paid for it on a good day and I wouldn't think they would be knocking down your door to purchase it. All being said, and I'm just guessing that they cost around $40,000 on the average, it's probably the worst investment anyone could make.

trainman

[vintageracer]

Another example of an "overweight" Tiny house.

Most builder's give little consideration to the gross completed weight of the trailer/house combination. That trailer probably has 2 7500lb axles under it. I'll bet that trailer is a joy to pull. Tall, heavy and with probably little to no consideration given to proper trailer tongue weight on the hitch.

Most of these "Tiny House's" are a heavy weight accident waiting to happen when going down the highway especially when driven by the generally in-experienced driver in the tow vehicle driving what is probably an overloaded TV.

[Glenn Baglo]

I don't think most of these tiny houses move at all, and when they do it's at about 5 mph with a crew of linemen leading them and moving power, phone and cable lines.

[Raspy]

Is it fair to assume all tiny houses must be able to compete with trailers on the highway? And be towable with light weight tow vehicles? If so, they will never match up. If we assume a tiny house can be moved, but is primarily a very compact home of high quality, efficiency and unique design, built with conventional materials, then it's advantages can begin to shine. House boats can fit into this category too, except for conventional materials, as they can be moved, but likely won't go very often.

I lived in a house that was under 400 sq. ft. for a few years and it was very nice. That was after living on a 42' sailboat for about 17 years, where the extreme amount of fun made up for the lack of space. The advantages of the little house over a trailer were, excellent insulation, queen sized bed with easy access, full headroom everywhere, conventional bathroom fixtures with shower and tub, no concern over freezing exterior pipes, full sized refrigerator and stove, radiant heating in the floor, conventional wood stove, and a large water heater. It was very comfortable with low utility bills and had a large couch that opened into a queen bed for guests. It was not mobile, but it was quite small.

The tiny house option is not right for everyone, but it certainly has merit and fits in some cases. The satisfaction in owning a home can come in ways much bigger than whether someone else thinks it's a good financial investment. In fact, that is one of the last reasons I factor in when deciding where I want to live.

[Glenn Baglo]

I watch the TV show for laughs. I don't think I've ever seen one of these houses that was placed on a lot owned by the home owner/builder. It's always been on mom and dad's acreage, or dragged up some rural road to a rental lot.

I expect the resale would be minimal.
I can say that because my house ( lived here for 35 years ) is 800 square feet and assessed at $4,.900 ( less than my Escape is worth ). The land it's on, however is assessed at $1,299,000.

My great aunt's house was assessed at minus $5,000. It had asbestos siding. The lot more than made up for that, of course.

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I expect the resale would be minimal.

If someone loves their home and intends to stay in it, why is resale value important? Or, if they have limited resources and choose to take an unconventional path, should they be driven by possible resale considerations?

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Raspy

If someone loves their home and intends to stay in it, why is resale value important? Or, if they have limited resources and choose to take an unconventional path, should they be driven by possible resale considerations?

If they don't consider resale, they will forever have limited resources. When circumstances require a change of plans, like a job, or a child, or a separation, or a sick parent, intent isn't necessarily profitable. When the lot you have your house on goes up for sale and the new owner wants you to vacate, you will have to find another location and move the house, or perhaps fire sale it.

[Raspy]

Well certainly, if someone is renting a space on someone else's land to park their tiny home, or their trailer, they will have to be ready to move when the owner demands it.

In the beginning, simply having a roof over my head, that I owned, was enough, and the thought of profiting from it was beyond my comprehension.

I've purchased spec homes that I didn't like, and I purchased one that I loved and didn't worry about it's possible increasing value. It was in Hawaii and I was thrilled to be there. But, as you pointed out, circumstances can change. Then, I built my final home from the ground up in an unconventional manner and never considered resale. It has paid back with an incredible amount of efficiency and satisfaction. That means far more to me than how much I might be able to sell it for, and I find it somehow sad, or empty, when people judge the value of their homes in dollars rather than quality of life.

One kind of increase is "a rising tide lifts all boats". Good for spec homes, especially those that follow a formula, when using them for income. The other is, "I'll build my home better than the others and in a way I like it". This is how a personal home should be and it assumes it won't be for profit. Besides, if I ever do have to sell it, or after they carry me out feet first, someone else will probably like it as much as I did. I can't be bothered to build it for the imaginary person I'll never meet, simply to make it possibly increase faster according to a realtor's formula.

[Jon in AZ]

The "rising tide" is square footage, and I think some folks want to stem the flood of energy use and huge mortgages that comes with it.

Greedy developers, realtors, and local politicians are floating on rising profits, commissions, and tax revenues and enjoying the ride. The rules are written to keep out sensibly sized homes in the 1000-1500 SF range. Funny... that used to be the median size.

Tiny homes are a protest, really, not an investment. The irony is thanks to cable TV, greedy builders have found a way to cash in here, too.

[Paul O.]

We now know they can be moved from place to place, sometimes by means we would not expect!

How about this: https://www.9news.com/article/weathe...8-f04c3ae5f951

This owner learned the hard way how strong those downslope/katabatic/Chinook winds get east of the continental divide. Ground anchors or tie downs? Who cares...

[Donna D.]

Why is it so hard to want to be happy today? No one knows the future and people seem to be more worried about what may or may not happen, than enjoying today. IF someone wants a tiny house, they can afford it... I hope they go for it. Lots of people had big houses with big mortgages and then the economy tanked in 2008. A LOT of people lost everything. A 'tiny' house is better than sleeping under a bridge.

Different strokes for different folks!

[alan H]

Well said Donna
I’m one of the same mindset

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by alan H

Well said Donna
I’m one of the same mindset

Me too. Well said.

[Donna D.]

I guess I'm just being 'sensitive' because I'm actually looking for 'much smaller.' I have a big house. I'm single and solo. What do I need a 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath, formal living room, family room, bonus room, formal dining room and 1/4 acre of grass for? I don't! In the meantime, I have to clean it, heat it and maintain it. Plus pay the dang property taxes. I can't WAIT to get out of here.

I'm actually 'giving' my home to my daughter and her family. I've got three little grand girls. This home is my daughter's inheritance. I'm not going to make her wait until I die. IF I live 15 more years, she wouldn't need it then either. But can seriously use it now. IF I dropped dead tomorrow, she'd get it anyway. So, I'm not waiting.

My wants and needs are soooo much different than 25 years ago. I bet most people's are too if they just think about it.

Peace!

[Raspy]

Donna,

A very sensible approach. When you leave your big place behind, I bet you never miss it. And your daughter will benefit too. On with the next chapter! Time's a wastin'!

[alan H]

We did a very similar thing
Down sized and never looked back