Maine very small houses (Bangor, Woolwich: rent, loft, new home)

[bluemute]

While looking at houses here in the Phippsburg/Georgetown/Woolwich area, I got interested in maybe buying land and building a very small house. I rent a 468 sf house for now; pretty doable for one with no pets.

I found a bunch of websites about what's called the tiny house movement for houses under 500 square feet (tumbleweed.com, for one). Although the 120 sf houses on those sites are too small (year round cabin fever?), I'd like to know if anyone here lives in or has a space less than 500 sf they've built, what your experience was and your recommendations might be. Anyone considering building a very small house?

Photos would be great too ...

And I just want to add for Thanksgiving appreciation how good and generous the regular posters of this Maine forum are. While we're all heat challenged this winter, this forum is a great way to stay warm.

[Elcarim]

LOL! I was browsing Due East Realty's website earlier. I was wondering how the heck they get 3 bedrooms into a 900 sq ft house! WHAT?? I guess you have room to walk in, turn around, and walk back out again. I wouldn't be able to breathe!

[tankratt]

I have a small house but not that small more like 1100 sq ft not counting the cellar. There is 4 of us and all of the dogs. I was looking on the tumble weed site not to long ago and they have some nice stuff, and as far as buying some land, that is never a bad idea imo, put your rent money to work for you not your landlord. Good luck.

[Maineah]

I've seen smelt shacks bigger than 468 square feet!

[Fern435]

We have been looking at the Tumbleweeds website too.

There's also a website called Resources for Life/mobile hermitage, and somewhere within that website there is a link to an article about a Maine family (near Bangor, I think) that built a very small, efficient home. It was great to read about the thought that went into it.

The tiny cabin/office on wheels intrigues us.

[starwalker]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I've seen smelt shacks bigger than 468 square feet!

And I have seen a house smaller than that -- lived in by a bachelor, kept neat as a pin.

The smallest house I have lived in was 256 sq ft -- that is counting the loft and I had a roomie, too.

Next smallest was 480, two story sort of... the second floor had no hip walls (was the sleeping area) and my family of 6 turned to a family of 7 while living there. For several weeks we took in a family of 4 when they needed to leave an abusive situation and it was wall-to-wall sleeping bags, believe me! Actually our first home was 480 sq ft as well, but the first one did have a hip wall on the second story loft. That was one I designed and built (part of 3 person crew consisting of my hubby, who had all but flunked Jr. high wood shop and my dad, who was undergoing chemo at the time.)

Third smallest was initially 384, but I added two rooms upstairs making it a spacious 540. There were only two of us living there at that time.

When living in small spaces, I don't do rooms... but divide the space up functionally in other ways.

No wonder this trailer seems roomy! LOL

[chaosX5]

In the early 1950s my parents purchased a new home that was 900 sq. feet. They raised four children in it for many years. For that time, it was an average sized home, they had no problems with it. It's all what you get used to I guess. My home is twice that size, I can't figure out where to put everything! ( the lack of a "real" attic doesn't help, and no basement either!)

[starwalker]

Personally, I think "house size inflation" is a terrible shame, especially as the typical family is getting smaller. So much of the space in many houses I have seen is seldom used or just plain wasted, due to lack of design planning.

• Lack of basement/attic and storage space in the living quarters...
  More costly to heat
  More rooms to be lit (and for lights and other devices to be left ON in
  etc etc

Call me an old codger (wouldn't be far from the truth!) but I think larger homes are not helping build strong families either. After supper (if we even have family supper any more) everyone goes off to their own cave to do whatever... no interaction, no learning by osmosis from one another, no learning how to work together and share space...

Heck, I know families that IM each other on the computers when they are all under the same ROOF!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Hill View Mini Barns, Storage Sheds, Garages, Camps, and Cottages can set you up with an economical building. I bought a 10 by 20 for a storage building at camp. I saw one delivered that is 14 by 40, insulated underneath and all walls, wired and completely livable. They are delivered and set up level on your lot.

Wish I could post a picture, but here's a link to that very building:

http://www.hillviewminibarns.com/Ima...rner_porch.jpg

[happyfamily1912d]

Originally Posted by starwalker

Personally, I think "house size inflation" is a terrible shame, especially as the typical family is getting smaller. So much of the space in many houses I have seen is seldom used or just plain wasted, due to lack of design planning.

• Lack of basement/attic and storage space in the living quarters...
  More costly to heat
  More rooms to be lit (and for lights and other devices to be left ON in
  etc etc

Call me an old codger (wouldn't be far from the truth!) but I think larger homes are not helping build strong families either. After supper (if we even have family supper any more) everyone goes off to their own cave to do whatever... no interaction, no learning by osmosis from one another, no learning how to work together and share space...

Heck, I know families that IM each other on the computers when they are all under the same ROOF!

I agree. "Contemporary" home designs have sitting and entertainment spaces inside the master bedroom--one more place to hang a TV and escape the children!

I really enjoyed the Tumbleweed website. I hadn't heard of this before. The proprietor seemed to me like a modern-day Thoreau, at least with this philosophy on economy of personal space.