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Well, you'd HAVE to if you did not want to go CRAZZZZZY in such a tight space. I'd be certifiably insane if I had to stay in such a space. Heck, a hotel room drives me nuts if I am in there too long. LET ME OUT!
186 square feet? LOL! Tiny houses will NEVER save the earth as only a fringe segment of the population would feel comfortable in one. While we are talking about this nonsense, why not discuss the merits of the overcrowded tenements of late 18th century New York? It makes about as much sense.
Seriously... I don't live in a mansion by any means. But 186 square feet? That is less than a 15x15 foot room, or less space than four maximum security prison cells.
A large house can also be a Net-Zero / Passive-House.
But it cost more to do so. And you still spend more time maintaining it then you do enjoying it.
Granted it's not for everyone for their own reasons but for some of some people it makes sense. I would also believe that for the people who do it are less inclined to be so less materialistic.
I lived in a 200 square foot apt in Manhattan for four years when I was single. Once had a party with 40 people now that was nuts. And I once had four folks stay over during a train strike.
Other than that I had to go in hallway to change my mind
It's interesting that you mentioned that. Outdoor space is very important & if you watch some videos on tiny homes you'll see that many people have a great outdoor space.
When my spouse and I first moved to Humboldt county California in 1992 after I lost all my yards in the Oakland/Berkeley hills fire of 91, we moved to 141 acres in the mountains with a 12 by 12 cabin that had a small mud room, back porch and a sleeping loft, live there for two years then I got a job up hill where there was no house, but property to live on, we made a makeshift 14 by 14 tent with a front and back wall with a pole structure supporting plastic sheeting and tarps for the roof. Lived in that for two years with a wood burning cook stove for heat and our 4 dogs. We built a 12 by 20 barn and moved into that for the following 3 years. Not till we moved to less then 2 acres after that did the 1000 sf house feel small for 2 adults, 4 dogs and 4 cats. Now we live in a 984 sf house with a 576 sf studio in back that has its own bathroom that we use as our media room. If I had acreage of enough size, I would like to have small, as small as 120 sf houses as bedroom dwellings and another for a separate kitchen, one for a theatre and one for a bathing house, each with its own small landscaped yard. My dream is to buy an old fishing cabin set up or motel with separate little buildings and turn it into what I want. But overall I would still want at least 2000 square feet of space for my wants and needs, even if some of it was outdoor space.
attached is the cabin, the tent and the shed, it is the only picture I have of the shed and it shows up in the upper right corner. The cabin had 141 acres and the tent/shed was on 20 acres with a pond and spring. If I had very little in the way of belongings or interests, a tiny house would be great.
All reminds me of what Mom said about people living on sail boats. "How can someone live in a place that is no bigger than the family room?".
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed067
When push comes to shove most Americans can't cut it in small home. They need their stuff their 60 inch plus TV screen. Four guest rooms an over sized living room a three car garage, etc. Most Americans are just too spoiled to make the change & stick to it. It's like asking them to give up their over sized truck/SUV. It's not going to happen. They can't understand that they don't need these thing but they do want them they feel entitled to them. Small homes might be a cool quest house or a retreat but in the end they will crave their bigger homes, the easy answer to someone feeling a bit stir crazy.. step outside.
Interesting points even if they do contrast some......such as that 60 inch flat screen probably takes up less room than the old 24 inch box. Further, it probably goes further to supporting a minimalist approach to life with its improvement in technology.
I suppose that another can always find a change to an even lower denominator. For example, let's take diary writing as a counter to relaxing to some other method such as drinking or toking. Probably more healthy but the unhealthy ways probably don't take that much room. But then there is the need to put the diaries someplace; between blanks and completed ones, I probably at least have 100 around.
Now another would say I don't need the physical, I can put it all electronic and have them not needing any space at all. Such a method may work for Han Solo (TESB when he comes across Lando's name in his logs), but the therapy that diary writing brings me would be lost. Further, picking on Mr. Solo for his very small home, one has to appreciate the life that home brings him.
Another thing. In my equipment intensive life (scuba, camping, Ren Fests, other things), there is the factor of where to put everything. Now, for the moment, let's just say that everything is neatly and perfectly stored in its own equipment closet. It is the way I have pictured things, if in a dream. But for things to be that way, AT THE VERY LEAST, one needs the straightest, shortest path from pulling from the locker to the loading point and in reverse. Tight spaces, corners to go around, really drives up the stress and will eventually lead to some kind of break down such as clutter. That is, when there is a lot of gear to process and there are corners making the trip harder, one gets tired and the ordered system suffers.
Now, ideally, I have pictured how to do it as a bank of equipment closets with an assembly/disassembly room right across from them and the loading point on the far side of that room.
Finally, it is probably well known "around here" that I am a book junkie. I want my books in my hot little hand, I want them 3 dimensional, I like putting my book markers in them, etc, etc, etc.....in short, I don't want them electronic. Remember Star Trek when Kirk was on trial, "Court Martial", remember this scene:
One of my ways of learning, of thinking, is to have the materials spread out, walk around, stopping to glance at this or that open book, or this or that chart. In the 90's when I programmed, at the start of a task, I would take over a classroom with lots of chalk boards, assign a module to each one, and build from there. In the old days of line printers and linked wide green bar paper, I would print out the code, unfurl it on a conference table, and then mark it up with lines and symbols of where each part was going to another part.
The thing is not all of us sit down to think, to learn. Indeed, health wise, we are told not to spend all our time sitting. We use our legs as well. Whether a few books or oodles, we need the room to be able to think.
I love the idea and I think the tiny houses are so cool. After downsizing from a 2800 sf house to a 750 sf condo, I don't know if I could go any smaller. It's actually not bad for just me but I am renting temporarily. I am looking to buy in a few months and it's hard to find a house smaller than 2000. I don't think I would get the value out of buying a tiny condo even if I could find one. It would be hard to resell down the road and condo associations have TOO many rules. Not to mention they really don't exist in the neighborhoods I want to buy in. I think a 1500 sf townhouse is going to be the smallest I can find.
It would be great if there were smaller single family homes or townhouses available, but it appears not.
My house is a 1930 shotgun house, ONE foundation, no add ons. It's 720 sf. One of the bedrooms was an office but it was cold or hot, and now is a store room. I wouldn't want one larger. It's got two reasonably sized bedrooms and a large kitchen which was non functional and is slowly getting there. I do quite fine in my actually less than 720 sf with the other room full of stuff. I'd be happy with a smaller kitchen which had a better design.
When I had a 3k sf house I found all the stuff I used daily ended up piled next to the computer and I only went into the living room for tv.
Most "Tiny Homes" are on wheels/are nothing more than a "trailer". I see the trend and the excitement surrounding "owning your own home", but folks must keep in mind.... first and foremost.... that these aren't LEGAL living space in most jurisdictions around the country due to SIZE. Beyond that, those who say that tiny homes are the answer forget that "trailer parks" have never been the answer to anything.
And where do you put all of your stuff? Look around. Look at the trailer parks again. Where do those folks keep all of their crap that won't fit INSIDE? Well OUTSIDE, of course! Tiny houses like trailers, will come "magnetized"....attracting any and all junk within miles. Can you imagine the mess?
Like most other things, cutting corners is cutting corners. Owning a home is no exception. With these "homes" not being legal living space...and with most of them existing in a "squatter" type situation where the thing is plugged in to someone else's utilities, has no plumbing and sits on land owned by someone else, one can hardly consider any of this "home ownership". In fact, it's actually just throwing $$$ away because, again, it isn't a LEGAL living space so it cannot be resold as such legally and basically...it's a waste of resources/cash/etc.
In the end there are some things you can't slight/cut corners on. A house is one of those things. Such is why there are codes and regs and all the other stuff a lot of folks don't want to adhere to.
A novel idea....and a great space for the kids as a playhouse....but "tiny" as they may be, they aren't a "house" the way they are currently being portrayed. (no elec, no plumbing, no sanitation, no room to move)
good luck all
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