"We Live In A Shed!" (simple living, houses, good)
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There is a movement across the US, UK, and Australia of living in garden sheds/tool sheds. Young people, especially, find the idea of living this way very appealing. They may not be able to move out of their parents' houses, nor able to find work that pays enough for them to afford rents. Whatever the reason, the companies that produce these buildings have jumped onto the bandwagon, and have made them look like "cabins". They have also introduced financing for 3 to 4 years - "no credit check" - at high interest rates. This makes the whole idea even more appealing. Here is one young man's thoughts:
The young singles are not the only ones wanting to live this way. Here's a man with a wife and 3 young children living full-time in one of these "cabins", while he finishes work on the interior. Interestingly, they do not live off the grid. I chose this video (he has a whole series on how he finished the interior) because his carpentry work is a cut above the usual messy, unskilled slop found on Youtube these days:
While some people try to associate this with the "tiny house" movement, I maintain that it is separate, driven more by economics than by any desire to scale back, or to live simply. Many of the sheds are not that "tiny". Some of these people are able to skirt around zoning laws, esp if living in their parents' back yards. Others are just mum about such things as septic permits and building codes. It is common, for instance, to find just one exit on a fairly sizeable building. Authorities are cracking down on such attempts, but this movement is growing too fast for them to stop.
What do you think? Would you consider living in one of these if you had few other options? Would you want one of your grown children living this way? How much better is this than being homeless, living in one's car or van, or seeking government assistance? Is this trend here to stay?
I would live in one if I didn't have any options. I hope the guy in the top video plans to add some insulation to those plywood walls. I envision a little cabin on a rural wooded lot, maybe a stream running nearby. I think they would do well as a "second home" or little vacation lodge. Every once in a while I think about simple living, then I remember how much I like my stuff. It is not a concept I would expect my children to embrace.
We actually are considering one as a guest house. They are too small for me to live in permanently, but 300-500 square feet allows the kids with family and dog to show up for a month at a time without anyone wanting kill each other.
It's brilliant! Latching onto the movement to down-size your home makes sense. I have had to forcibly downsize due to divorce and I'm not looking back (the freedom from "crap" is real and I now wonder why I ever started collecting "stuff" that is basically useless and going to hit a dumpster someday anyway when I die).
If there was a nice piece of land I wanted to own nearby, I'd consider doing a tiny home like one of these as well as doing something even more economical and off-the-grid such as a tiny Earthship: Earthship Biotecture - Radically Sustainable Buildings . As it is I'm waiting to see where I want to end up before investing in something like that.
I think with some forward thinking you can cut your bills significantly but still enjoy a good life and these ideas are terrific and thought-provoking.
It's brilliant! Latching onto the movement to down-size your home makes sense. I have had to forcibly downsize due to divorce and I'm not looking back (the freedom from "crap" is real and I now wonder why I ever started collecting "stuff" that is basically useless and going to hit a dumpster someday anyway when I die).
By that logic you can be considered "stuff" that will die and eventually hit the dumpster too
In any case, owning stuff is OK, so long as you understand WHY you own it. My litmus test has always been whether I have used something in the last 6 months to a year at least once or twice. I may relax this criteria for things like tools but in general I sell everything I have not touched in a while. Then there are basic things like "do I need 24 expensive champagne crystal glasses"? Generally no as we do not entertain much but they are gift from Mom and Mom will not live forever so it may be something I want to hang onto just because...
My cabin is only 400 square feet on the main floor, 200 in the loft sleeping area. Plenty of room for the wife and I. When we retire and move into it full time, I will have to plumb it and add a shower and bathroom, (women are soooo finicky about some things ) which will mean adding the bath as a seperate room onto one side of the main floor.
That said, I need a pretty good sized shop to house my tools and for working.
I don't spend much time in the house anyway, so a small house in my situation would be no big deal as the house I live in during the week is only 900 square feet.
I don't keep a lot of stuff I don't have any use for.
I guess this is not a 'young' person's movement after all, given that I know some posters' approximate ages (ancient, like me!). And sure, these buildings have a tremendous appeal as vacation and guest cottages.
One other thing I like about them is, you can get a nicely-built shell put up quickly without doing much heavy work...the interior finish is much easier to do by yourself. Even the cost is competitive, as these manufacturers use so much lumber, they get prices most of us never could. Plus, they deliver (like pizza!). How can ya beat that???
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