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Ranging from as little as 100sq feet, up to the behemoth 172sq ft 'Popomo', a lifestyle change for Americans is just a few pages of plans and some lumber away.
Lower power bills, less maintenance (replacing an 8x16ft roof doesn't cost that much), and overhead.
The wave of the future is here. And since banks do not finance these things, they could basically end the "foreclosure crisis" in a couple of years. No more complaining about a 30 year mortgage, adjustable rates, etc. These things are bought the old fashioned way. With cash, and some sweat and labor.
Tumbleweed Houses.
But the irony is, this country is so broke - Less than 80% of working Americans couldn't even afford to buy one them right now even if they wanted to!! Ha, ha.
Go ahead. Personally, I find that my 1,150 ft2 house fulfills the needs of the DW and myself just fine. And it is also totally paid-for, no mortgage. If you want to get cabin fever year-round, go ahead and live in a closet!
This is a fad that will fad(e). Soon, Mr. Shafer will begin to offer bigger, better versions of his little house. And bigger, better leads to sizes approaching what can be found in many older neighborhoods and cities around the country: houses in the 1,000-2,000 ft2 range. It is only during that recent crazy spell that people begin to think that starter homes should be 4,000-5,000 ft2.
How many older people would be able to move around in a 172 sq ft house? Since most of us are no longer able to fold and unfold our bodies in order to take a shower, a dollhouse with a doll-size bathroom is not our idea of comfortable living.
In addition, where do we find available land the size of postage stamp that is located near hospital, doctor offices, markets, shopping, and library? Since all the photos show the houses in the middle of nowhere, how much would it cost to bring in telephone line or internet cable?
For most people who are still on the workforce, they would need to live where there are jobs, meaning in or near a city. Where in any city can anyone find a tiny plot of land for this kind of house? The house may be inexpensive and easy to build, but the land in a suitable location is not.
Last edited by Ol' Wanderer; 01-04-2012 at 10:55 PM..
Me and my wife , we live in a 527 sqft 1 - bedroom apartment (with cellar and and a big 215 sq ft garage we use to stockpile things since we don't own a car). But since our flat is groundlevel, we have also a small private garden (1076 sq ft) with terrace -our "second living room" half the year from May to October!
Good quality of life in my book.
Now don't hold your breath, we live in Europe of course.
Well, I think they are great! I have the Small House Book and my son who is 25 years old and developmentally disabled carries it around because he wants a house! The ones on wheels can be moved around, a real asset these days and can be put, or so it is said, anywhere an RV could be parked but with a superior quality to that of the RV.
Now 57, this looks like a great affordable lifestyle to me and I expect to be able to move around and we practice homeopathic and herbal medicine so our needs could easily be met on a large parcel of land which would be affordable along with one of the smaller houses. They are all not that small and some like Slabtown in Arkansas do custom units which are just beautiful and which, as I age, I would not have to abandon because of the high cost of utilities. This is another great website for ideas: Tiny House Blog - Living Simply in Small Spaces I have seen too many older people have to give up their homes because they could no longer afford to maintain them. One of the video clips I saw of Mr. Shafer has him discussing his own aging and ideas for a more suitable tiny house for those that are older and I thought he even mentioned the possibility of having them clustered together, sort of community-style. This is way to continue to have a manageable and affordable lifestyle. I love it!
How do you entertain in a small 500 sq ft home? Or do you rent venues?
We go out (beach, bar, club, library, park, etc.)
Renting a venue could also work (thanks for the idea).. better than paying a higher rent/mortgage for excessive housing you don't need.
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