Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The OP was pretty clear that they were talking about a sub-1000 square foot house. I think everybody agrees that's a small house and not a tiny house. I own one and thought I'd share my experiences. Until you're trying to store something and bump into the constant lack of storage issue, my house doesn't feel small. In a perfect world, I'd have a circular staircase down to a fully conditioned basement for storage. I have a high water table and a crawl space. I deal with it.
But "tiny house" is in the thread title. That is why I posted about an rv park accepting tiny homes on page 8. Oh well, maybe someone will get some use out of it since I can't delete it.
I went from a large house to a small house, and I love it. There are no negatives for me, except not as much storage as would be ideal and I don't have a garage. I do have a basement, though, and a shed, so that helps.
This is a key point. When we had a house built in western WA, I rented a tiny, dark cabin for a couple of months before the move. If I had not been out and about every day, it would have been severely claustrophobic. There was a stretch of 3 days of real rain, not just drizzle. The first day I stayed inside and was OK with that, just barely. Days 2 and 3 I had to get out.
When we moved into our own house there, even though it was not big at 1800 sf, the relative upsizing was like being let out of a tiny cage. Plentiful natural light from lots of windows and not having tall forest immediately around the house also gave it a more open feel. There, being cooped up for one day was actually soothing, and beyond that first day it was at least tolerable.
I think that depends a lot on the person as well. When my parents were alive and lived in a big house, I kept my room down to one bedroom and the hallway leading to it. I kept my favorite things in my room, even if there had been space for it elsewhere. And while it was 'untidy', my mom finally gave up on that battle. It WAS sorted, and I could find what I wanted easily, with its own system. Putting it in a shelf with enough room to lay it out, okay. Putting it in a shelf so it wasn't laying all over the room? That was my space. Mom quit trying. Dad mostly took his stuff to his desk, but Mom didn't try to direct him.
When I sort, I sort on my own criteria, and what it is has less to matter than what its about and/or connected with. And a box works fine to keep it together.
I see a home as something comfortable to the resident, not visitors. I've always had a space where the 'current stuff' sits even if its not neat and it works very well. If its sorted onto a fold up table then its *organized, which is the whole point of it being there, so it can be used *when* needed.
What I love about 'older houses' is that they provide for basics, and many times 'storage' was built in with the things the stuff was used for with the end goal where we tend to sort it all out and tuck it all into its own little nitches with similar objects. If you used it in cooking, it would be stored there. If you would be using it for cooking sometime later, maybe when winter came, it wasn't sitting on a kitchen shelf. My house is 700sf, about a third not active living space. My goal is to set up places where the 'extras' go. This is large sacks of pet food, the extra canned stuff that was bought so it would be there in bad weather had a place, and aside from the daily dishes, the neat stuff was SAFELY boxed until use. It just seems so much more realistic when you do it that way.
And Mom grew up in part with her dad paying the bills with a good income. Then he cheated and they divorced. He had lots of funds, my grandmother worked in a grocery store handing out samples, and still within the great depression she was lucky to do that. But she kept her house and raised her daughters. She did it by being practical, not trendy or showing off, or looking for the 'perfect' clutter free house. Mine is a bit smaller than hers and built about the same time, and I'm working on storage over style right now myself. There will be LOTS of shelves in the remaining room.... I believe in having the supplies for dinner, even if it comes out of cans, for at least a couple of weeks and if used, rebuild.
When I got sick and future income was clearly going to be limited, I started this practice and its paid off very well, and even if a big raise came along, I still would. One thing you learn is that bad stuff CAN and maybe WILL come, and you should live AS it was around the corner, and limit its use past that for one should *never* assume it can't surprise you.
Sometimes I see the home redo shows where they keep saying this space is being wasted by all this storage... add another toy instead, that they've never had to put together a shopping list when its got to be what's in the cubbord. Eventually, you *still* have to live within your own personal realistic budget.
This is a key point. When we had a house built in western WA, I rented a tiny, dark cabin for a couple of months before the move. If I had not been out and about every day, it would have been severely claustrophobic. There was a stretch of 3 days of real rain, not just drizzle. The first day I stayed inside and was OK with that, just barely. Days 2 and 3 I had to get out.
When we moved into our own house there, even though it was not big at 1800 sf, the relative upsizing was like being let out of a tiny cage. Plentiful natural light from lots of windows and not having tall forest immediately around the house also gave it a more open feel. There, being cooped up for one day was actually soothing, and beyond that first day it was at least tolerable.
I think that depends a lot on the person as well. When my parents were alive and lived in a big house, I kept my room down to one bedroom and the hallway leading to it. I kept my favorite things in my room, even if there had been space for it elsewhere. And while it was 'untidy', my mom finally gave up on that battle. It WAS sorted, and I could find what I wanted easily, with its own system. Putting it in a shelf with enough room to lay it out, okay. Putting it in a shelf so it wasn't laying all over the room? That was my space. Mom quit trying. Dad mostly took his stuff to his desk, but Mom didn't try to direct him.
When I sort, I sort on my own criteria, and what it is has less to matter than what its about and/or connected with. And a box works fine to keep it together.
I see a home as something comfortable to the resident, not visitors. I'm not a big 'window' fan. Mine are covered with a thermal layer and a curtain, and only those I might 'open' don't have the windows covered with privacy film. No need for the neighbors to look at what's on my shelves... I've always had a space where the 'current stuff' sits even if its not neat and it works very well. If its sorted onto a fold up table then its *organized, which is the whole point of it being there, so it can be used *when* needed.
What I love about 'older houses' is that they provide for basics, and many times 'storage' was built in with the things the stuff was used for with the end goal where we tend to sort it all out and tuck it all into its own little nitches with similar objects. If you used it in cooking, it would be stored there. If you would be using it for cooking sometime later, maybe when winter came, it wasn't sitting on a kitchen shelf. My house is 700sf, about a third not active living space. My goal is to set up places where the 'extras' go. This is large sacks of pet food, the extra canned stuff that was bought so it would be there in bad weather had a place, and aside from the daily dishes, the neat stuff was SAFELY boxed until use. It just seems so much more realistic when you do it that way.
And Mom grew up in part with her dad paying the bills with a good income. Then he cheated and they divorced. He had lots of funds, my grandmother worked in a grocery store handing out samples, and still within the great depression she was lucky to do that. But she kept her house and raised her daughters. She did it by being practical, not trendy or showing off, or looking for the 'perfect' clutter free house. Mine is a bit smaller than hers and built about the same time, and I'm working on storage over style right now myself. There will be LOTS of shelves in the remaining room.... I believe in having the supplies for dinner, even if it comes out of cans, for at least a couple of weeks and if used, rebuild.
When I got sick and future income was clearly going to be limited, I started this practice and its paid off very well, and even if a big raise came along, I still would. One thing you learn is that bad stuff CAN and maybe WILL come, and you should live AS it was around the corner, and limit its use past that for one should *never* assume it can't surprise you.
Sometimes I see the home redo shows where they keep saying this space is being wasted by all this storage... add another toy instead, that they've never had to put together a shopping list when its got to be what's in the cubbord. Eventually, you *still* have to live within your own personal realistic budget. And with small houses, creative and useful storage often is far more valuable than some 'style'.
Trees I'd have to think about. I have several trees in my back yard, going on 80 or so. But they aren't sitting all around the house. In a forest, given the current state of affairs, I'd maybe think twice. But the way the tree archs over the yard, from one side growing tall and then arching and now almost reaching the other side of the fence, now that's awesome. I can Her the Mother Tree and she has this deeply peaceful aura around her only time could give. (And as I'm wiccan, she IS of the Mother)
I went from a large house to a small house, and I love it. There are no negatives for me, except not as much storage as would be ideal and I don't have a garage. I do have a basement, though, and a shed, so that helps.
It's wonderful. I recommend it.
I wish I had more storage too, but I also wish I could throw things away easier.
In the last 20 years we moved from 1344sf to 1568sf to 2300sf where we are now. With retirement time coming, we're planning on moving north and downsizing to a little over 1000sf, but with a half basement (unfinished and no plans to do so). Like most folks, we've accumulated a bunch of 'stuff' that we don't need. The only thing I'm concerned with at all is going from an oversized attached garage to a smallish one car detached.
In the last 20 years we moved from 1344sf to 1568sf to 2300sf where we are now. With retirement time coming, we're planning on moving north and downsizing to a little over 1000sf, but with a half basement (unfinished and no plans to do so). Like most folks, we've accumulated a bunch of 'stuff' that we don't need. The only thing I'm concerned with at all is going from an oversized attached garage to a smallish one car detached.
Start clearing 'stuff' out now. As you empty a room close it off. When you get the garage emptied to the point that everyting will fit in your proposed one see if you like living that way.
As a side note. You said 'Move North' depending on where north is having an attached garage can be very nice in winter weather.
I'm really struggling to have a small house option. Seems so many of them aren't quite legal (many cities don't allow full-time occupancy of tiny houses) or are problematic (an RV in most RV parks has to be moved after so many days) or come with a huge HOA (studio apartments). I would really be happy in 100-200 sf, but it's definitely not the norm or the easiest to find conventionally.
Guess I'll start by reading through this thread!
Last edited by otterhere; 12-06-2018 at 01:46 PM..
Start clearing 'stuff' out now. As you empty a room close it off. When you get the garage emptied to the point that everyting will fit in your proposed one see if you like living that way.
As a side note. You said 'Move North' depending on where north is having an attached garage can be very nice in winter weather.
North as in Nebraska. Where older, small houses usually have detached garages (if any). One of the sacrifices we're willing to make to be around the youngsters.
My current house is 800 sf ("grandfathered in" to current city codes which require any new construction/placement to be no less than 1500 sf; crazy). I rattle around in it! Way too big. The largest I would want would be 500, and that would be just to store stuff I should probably get rid of anyway. So I'm definitely more "tiny house" that your definition of "small house"...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
