Tiny house help (Pittsburgh, East Brady, Penn: for sale, real estate, 2014)

[ms.miawilson123]

I am actually looking to build a tiny house but i am having a very difficult time finding land that i can lease or that i can build on without a hassle. My boyfriend and i are currently homeless but i have a job working at the Home Depot. I just cant afford to live on grid anymore. building and living in a tiny house away from the city and out in nature has always been a dream of mine, If u can help me, it will be very very much appreciated.

thank you and selah

[sirron]

Originally Posted by ms.miawilson123

I am actually looking to build a tiny house but i am having a very difficult time finding land that i can lease or that i can build on without a hassle. My boyfriend and i are currently homeless but i have a job working at the Home Depot. I just cant afford to live on grid anymore. building and living in a tiny house away from the city and out in nature has always been a dream of mine, If u can help me, it will be very very much appreciated.

thank you and selah

Chances are if you're homeless, you are living off of someone else's grid. That said, initial investment to set up an off-grid lifestyle is more than you think. There are permit fees for setting up wind turbines, the cost of the land and materials to build, the cost of solar panels. If you are thinking of doing this in Pennsylvania, you will need heat for at least six months of the year, maybe more. You'll want to have some sort of generator or battery bank to store power.

And don't forget state and local regulations for water usage. Links follow for a whole lot of information to get an idea of what's involved.

Just a quick story: Here in Pa., some Amish moved in locally and were required to spend thousands to put in a complete septic system even though they don't use it. They burn their waste in a stove on the porch.

How To Find Land For Living Off The Grid

Reality Check / East Brady couple is living off the grid on Sportsman Channel | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

living off the grid in Central PA...is this possible?

MODULAR HOME BUILDER: PA TO TAX HOMEOWNERS LIVING "OFF THE GRID"

Also, there's these:

www.off-grid.net

www.off-grid-living.com

www.offgridsurvival.com

[F.Jenco]

Might have been a good idea to put Tiny House in your thread title, might get more responses from people who know what an actual tiny house is.

[F.Jenco]

I myself couldn't imagine living in such a small space but I'm sure it beats being homeless.

[toobusytoday]

Originally Posted by F.Jenco

Might have been a good idea to put Tiny House in your thread title, might get more responses from people who know what an actual tiny house is.

Good idea, I changed the thread title for the OP.

[thecoalman]

The biggest expense you cannot avoid is the sewage no matter where you put your tiny house. Without an existing and functioning septic system... $$$$$$$$$$$$

[PAhippo]

septic, driveway, well ( or some souce of water) and building permit are all unavoidable but one-time expenses.

on-going: taxes every year-usually real estate taxes and school taxes. May be others depending on locality.

If you're in PA you will need heat of some kind, every year. Probably at least 4 months, maybe 6 again depending on where you live. The southern part of the state is usually a bit warmer.


The house itself will not be the major expense.

[North Beach Person]

Instead of building a house you might look at hunting camps for sale in the northern tier of Counties.

The problem there is work. How will you support yourself?

[Icy Tea]

I just read locally of two homeless people who were living in a storage facility. Unfortunately, they became the targets of some men who shot them and a bystander for unknown reasons.
Those Tiny Houses are worth looking into but there are some pitfalls. One, the builders seem to tout their low cost and efficiency and environmental benefits but still manage to charge VERY high prices for them. And some don't have actual running water, you're looking at composting toilets and toting water. Ordinary travel trailers might be far more cost effective. I know of many trailer parks that offer low housing prices or rents. And some of those are out in the country or the sticks.