Tiny House Forum: Recent Posts

nwpsych on "New to the downsizing idea"

nwpsych — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:53:33 +0000

Thanks for your insights Miki! You're probably right about the adjustment... maybe I should start training them to use the toilet instead of the litter box, that way there would be one less thing to take up space... So sorry about your flooding! That really does stink. Good luck to your downsizing efforts, even if it was forced upon you!

Miki on "New to the downsizing idea"

Miki — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 08:58:07 +0000

Well I just have to share this with someone. I have been forced to start my down sizeing before being ready. AAARRRGGGHHH my basement flooded with unclean water so I have had a mess to clean and tones of things to throw out. It is a blessing and a curse; however its only things I, will get through it. This is just a start I still have work ahead of me once the basement has fully been cleaned. To nwpsych: I would think that your cats would adapt well. I think when you live in a 100 sq. ft. of space you would just have to be smart and not have large animals in a small space. Just my humble opinion.

gfowkes on "Mexico"

gfowkes — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:05:38 +0000

My wife and I have been dreaming about owning a small "surf shack" in Mexico. She's Mexican so getting the property titled is easy for us. I've searched the net but can't find any info. Has anyone built a tiny house in Mexico? Thanks in advance, G

nwpsych on "New to the downsizing idea"

nwpsych — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:45:56 +0000

I too was impressed with the idea of living in a tiny house, but one thing that I am curious about is pets. I have two indoor only cats, and was curious how others accommodated their pets into their tiny houses. I live in a one bedroom apartment now, so I don't think downsizing for me would be that hard.

thorpe on "How to build a tiny home in my backyard"

thorpe — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:16:30 +0000

I own a 2 family house in suburban Boston and I'm thinking of putting a trailer based tiny home in my back yard, but obviously have questions. What are the regs about living in an RV. If it's hooked up to water an sewer would it sil be classed as an RV.

talohouse on "How to learn about tiny house building?"

talohouse — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 09:44:31 +0000

In a nutshell, i need the cost of the following: 1) that thing on wheels to build the house on, the one Jay Schafer had on his house 2) cost of materials for building the house I would like to build a tiny house. Similar to Jay Schafers, but does not have to be exactly like it. How much would it cost in USA dollars for all the materials needed? I am no expert on construction/building, but can learn well. I need good plans that can be read by someone like me who knows nothing about construction plans. Basically, building plans are like another language and I don't know how to read them well. Is there anywhere someone can go to learn the basics about this? Is there anything else I am missing? I have searched everywhere and all I can find is some PDF files of plans but I cannot find any demonstrations or photos or basic step by step guides.

ryan112ryan on "New to the downsizing idea"

ryan112ryan — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:49:04 +0000

First off, welcome everyone, I am glad you have joined us! I write a blog about tiny houses, check it out: TheTinyLife.com I would ask this. If your house was on fire and you knew you were the only one home (no people or pets in the house) What would you grab on the way out of the door? This should bring some perspective to everything. It the end the most valuable things are your life and the relationships with friends, family and significant others you have. Two non tangible things. There is also things that you can do to slim down. I went to a craft store and bought 4 scrap books (one each for childhood, middle school, high school, college). I then went through the lengthy task of consolidating all the pictures, memorable pieces of paper (tickets to my prom, invitation to my graduations etc), letters/notes etc. I then dropped these into the scrap book in order. The rest of the photos I digitized and put in three places (my computer, my back hard drive in a fire safe, and on cd & hard drive in a safety deposit box. Once I did this, there wasn't much left and the stuff now occupied 10 inches on my shelf. The experience was a lot of fun, focused the memories in one place neatly and I now am able to enjoy them more often. I have a few post on The Tiny Life (at thetinylife.com) about more tips. Organizing small spaces: 10 tips to make the most out of your space: <a href="http://www.thetinylife.com/organizing-small-spaces-10-tips-to-make-the-most-out-of-your-space/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thetinylife.com/organizing-small-spaces-10-tips-to-make-the-most-out-of-your-space/</a> Practical Tips For Downsizing….Everything Part 1: <a href="http://www.thetinylife.com/practical-tips-for-downsizing-everything-part-1/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thetinylife.com/practical-tips-for-downsizing-everything-part-1/</a>

kweli on "Tiny farm house"

kweli — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 16:49:04 +0000

Fantabulous! It is incredibly beautiful. Just enough. I'm so excited about this movement. I can't wait to join up and start living "tiny."

Miki on "New to the downsizing idea"

Miki — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:53:06 +0000

Anne, I have to be honest with you I want to downsize or at the very least go thru a DEEP DEEP cleaning. I am sick of the clutter/ unorganization. Your right it will be easier in small steps over whelming as well which why it is hard to get started. It hard when it's not just you but your spouse as well.

anne on "New to the downsizing idea"

anne — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:02:55 +0000

Hi Miki. :) I was just talking to someone else about this exact same issue. This is what I told him: I'm not a particularly sentimental person, but I think that's because I write in livejournal so often. I don't need stuff to remind me of important memories because I have it all written down. If I'm having a difficult time letting go of a specific item, I'll take a picture of it and write about how it makes me feel. It's easier to let go after that. Once I move into my new home in three months, it'll be 11% of the space I was accustomed to having in my house. I think the first round of purging is the most difficult, but once you get started it feels so good to clear everything out. The challenge of getting rid of it takes the place of the challenge of keeping it, giving you something new and exciting to strive for. Also, sometimes the sheer quantity of it can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination. Breaking it down into a more manageable size by setting specific goals certainly helps. For example, you could empty out one room at a time or narrow your purging into categories. One weekend, I sorted through all our music equipment, picked only a few things to keep and took photos of the rest to sell on craigslist. That wasn't as stressful as imagining selling everything I own at once and not even knowing what I have. Why do you want to downsize?

Miki on "New to the downsizing idea"

Miki — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:28:55 +0000

Jean , Good luck to you both. Keep us posted.

Jean on "Question on windows"

Jean — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:28:19 +0000

What type of window do you experienced people suggest? When moving this we do not want broken windows from the shifting that can happen. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Jean on "New to the downsizing idea"

Jean — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 10:25:02 +0000

My husband is in the process of building one of these for us now. It is the size of a park model home basically. These could be tied down just as a mobile home would be. Because of the size of ours we will have tie down straps that he will add. We are also new to the downsizing and are 50 yrs old, we are just beginning to rid ourselves of the things we no longer feel are necessary. Wish us luck! LOL

Miki on "New to the downsizing idea"

Miki — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:57:47 +0000

Dana, I never thought about that;good question.

Dana on "New to the downsizing idea"

Dana — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:37:59 +0000

Hi Miki, I just saw the video with Jay on Yahoo. Like you, I'm impressed (and intrigued). I could totally do this...my question is this: What do you do in bad storms (ie high winds) ?

Miki on "not quite a year of living tiny"

Miki — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 14:00:28 +0000

Wow!! Very nice. What advice would you give to someone that is new to downsizing ; however intrested in doing so? Miki

Miki on "New to the downsizing idea"

Miki — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:48:20 +0000

I have just seen Jay Schafer's tiny house and was impressed. I was wondering how did everyone prepare to live in smaller living spaces. I love the idea of the simpler life style, and less cleaning. I seem to have a problem with emotional attachment to things. How do you get rid of that so you can down size your life?

Don on "Tiny farm house"

Don — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:55:59 +0000

Sam, Wow, that's fantastic - great idea and beautiful interior details. It looks like a miniature version of Thomas Jefferson's place. Has anyone called it "Montisilo" yet? Don

ryan112ryan on "The Tiny Life - Tiny House Blog is Hiring!"

ryan112ryan — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:54:24 +0000

The Tiny Life (thetinylife.com) is hiring a paid contributor! Love Tiny Houses? Get paid to write about them find our more here: <a href="http://www.thetinylife.com/now-hiring/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thetinylife.com/now-hiring/</a> -Ryan

nedormsby on "Blow in urethane/soy foam question"

nedormsby — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:10:09 +0000

I would think that closed cell soy foam insulation would have the opposite effect as you travel down the road holding everything together like glue. While I do not have personal experience driving down the road with it, I have used the product many time in residential construction and I find that it is quite tenacious and durable stuff. If you ever have to remove it from a wall cavity for any reason be prepared so spend some time at it.

bodycensus on "blank:"

bodycensus — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:44:58 +0000

This is beyond a PITA to upload a pic, sorry, I give up.

bodycensus on "Blow in urethane/soy foam question"

bodycensus — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:29:33 +0000

Is this stuff likely to crack and crush with the inevitable movement that happens when I roll my tiny house down the road? Mine is pretty big, 10.5 x 25.5 feet. I'd just hate to spend a fortune on that stuff and have it get wrecked. Any experience? Thanks.

anne on "175 sq ft mobile condo"

anne — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 21:25:44 +0000

anne on "175 sq ft mobile condo"

anne — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:47:16 +0000

Our Electrical system is finally sorted out so now we're ordering/installing things as they come. <a href="http://mobilecondo.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4718777340_cfd17e802a.jpg" /> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4718777368_2ba3557f35.jpg" /></a> What kind of electrical system do you have on your tiny house?

heatherllevin on "New Book on ISBU Homes Is Out"

heatherllevin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:30:05 +0000

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know that my partner, Alex, and I just finished a new book, "Introduction to Container Homes and Buildings", which you can see here: <a href="http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2010/06/ok-our-first-isbu-e-book-is-shipping/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2010/06/ok-our-first-isbu-e-book-is-shipping/</a> Our book is the first in a series of books we're writing to teach people how to build with recycled shipping containers. I'm a big proponent for small home living, and my own ISBU home (which I'm still in the planning stages for) will be quite small. Anyway, if you're at all interested in learning more about building with ISBU containers please give it a look. There are some great tips in here, and 20 houseplans. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have! Thank you, Heather Levin

northstar on "solar vs. paying to get hooked up to electric"

northstar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:14:15 +0000

I have purchased a couple 205 watt panels for my tiny house(e-bay-$500 each) shipping $500 and it's still cheaper than buying them here.Anyway I have been researching wind generating to compliment the solar panels.When the sun dont shine, the wind usually blows.I bought the generator off e-bay for $400 MANTA and made the props from green sewer pipe.It works well but I need to get it up much higher to really put out power.I'm even enertaining the thought of building a couple more to make sure my batteries stay fully charged.

KimK on "solar vs. paying to get hooked up to electric"

KimK — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:20:51 +0000

Hi Everyone, I think I finally found a little piece of land that might work for a small house. It is contingent upon finding water on the land, since it is over trap rock. But, I just looked into how much it would cost to get hooked up to electric and because the clearing for the house is down the driveway a ways and the electric needs to be pulled across the street, it looks like it is going to cost around $4000 just to get electricity to a post near the house building site. Because of the cost, I have been researching what it would take to get solar panels instead. I do have a clearing among the trees that would get good sun, but am in N. Wisconsin, so we don't get as much exposure as the SW. I wouldn't be too worried as I don't need a lot of appliances, but I do work from home on the computer all day and through the evening. Even just the laptop adds up. I'm wondering if anyone has experience living with solar power in a less sunny state who uses the computer a lot and how that works for them. I'm also wondering if one can use an on demand water heater with a solar set-up. I currently rent a place with a non-efficient refrigerator and hotwater heater, so it's hard to determine my needs with more energy efficient appliances. I can use propane, but am not familiar with the cost compared to electricity and would rather use non-fossil fuels if I can get away with it. Thank you for any insight or experience you might have.

rigamarol on "not quite a year of living tiny"

rigamarol — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:35:44 +0000

wow that looks fantastic!

KimK on "Canadian Tiny House 24'"

KimK — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:40:52 +0000

Fun! Fun! I like your run. I was also looking at chicken coops this weekend, although I don't think I'll get any until next year. Check this portable coop out. You move it around your yard so the chickens get fresh dirt and you don't get a pile of stinky area to clean out. <a href="http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/grd/1787069880.html" rel="nofollow">http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/grd/1787069880.html</a> I'm not sure if the pictures will paste, so just follow the link above. This attractive, portable coop is made from solid 5/4" cedar planks and rough-sawn cedar boards. Boards are tongue-and-grooved for extra security and weather-proofing. This great-looking coop is great for YEAR-ROUND use in Minnesota. My birds were toasty-warm when it was -26F this winter. Coop never got below +10F. There was as much as 45 degrees difference between inside and out. I used a heat lamp, overnight only, about six times this winter. This coop is designed to protect from all types of predators that live in Minnesota. There is 30 sq. ft. (5'x6') of SECURE FREE-RANGE AREA for your chickens so they don't have to worry about being eaten by your neighbor's dog (or a hawk, fox, etc.). Wire screening covering bottom half is welded at each corner of every 1/2" square and, then, galvanized. *No screening on ground so chickens can scratch to their hearts content.* Designed to be moved daily so your birds get a fresh area to scratch and fertilize. Two ten-year-old boys move this great-looking coop with no problem. INCLUDED: Wheel system for ONE adult to move coop. The floor of coop (upper half) and ramp to coop are eco-friendly, pet-safe, exterior-treated plywood. ***Ramp to coop pulls up from outside of coop for added security at night.*** This, also, makes coop virtually MOSQUITO-PROOF so your birds aren't being swarmed and bitten all night long. This can lead to West Nile Virus. There is NO PARTICLEBOARD in ANY part of construction, as it will DISINTEGRATE very quickly when exposed to ANY moisture or the conditions of a coop. This beautiful coop has two nesting boxes and a natural tree branch for roosting at night.. Nesting boxes have a door for collecting eggs from outside. There is a door at each end of bottom to access secure free-range area. One long door allows access to whole upper half for easy cleaning. There is more than enough room for six standard-size chickens. All structural screws are stainless steel and hinge is galvanized with a brass pin for very long life. Vents on each end are screened to keep out mosquitoes and small predators, like weasels, minks. **Exterior-treated plywood covers to go over bottom screening for rain/storms/winter included** No large dog can tip this very sturdy coop and it would take quite some time to dig under. Digging animals can be easily defeated by simply moving coop. This coop was designed, all boards hand-picked, manufactured, assembled and stained with Behr's Cedartone oil-based stain by myself, here in Minnesota. This beautiful coop could last a very long time with proper care and can move with you from home to home. This very attractive, solidly built portable coop will compliment your home and other outdoor furnishings, as well as your lifestyle. I kept two full coops going all spring, summer and fall with no harm done to my lawn. Because this coop is moved daily, there is no horrible stench as is associated with a stationary coop. All you need to do is choose a winter-hardy breed like Araucanas, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Faverolles (see Henderson's Chicken Charts-Full List) and buy local (see craigslist). This attractive coop will serve ALL your needs for a Minnesota YEAR-ROUND coop. All you need to do is put the birds into this coop. Whatever quality coop you make or buy DO NOT PAINT inside of coop. It will flake off or be scratched off and eaten by your birds. If you buy Catawba Coop Plans (CatawbaCoops.com), they will need to be seriously re-designed for any season's use in Minnesota. As there are many 100+ year old cedar barns still in use today, here is a coop that has a life-time that could be measured in generations, not seasons. This beautiful coop can easily be made to be used as a rabbit hutch. "This coop is nice enough to put in our front yard."---Veterinarian who has one in her front yard right now. Copyright 2009. MorningStar Coops $875 Location: Mpls/St. Paul it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests PostingID: 1787069880

northstar on "Canadian Tiny House 24'"

northstar — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:06:43 +0000

Thank you Kim. I'm glad you like it. The woodstove is easy to do even if you don't weld. All pieces were purchased from a local scrape yard for 23 cents a pound and all pieces were new steel. I did all the cutting with a 5" grinder with Zip-Cut dics. I welded them together in a short time, so you could farm that part out and expect the job assembled and welded in 4 to 5 hours. I have been putting my tiny house on hold for a bit as I have other things that take priority (I bought some chickens(: (19 of them), but I should be back to it soon.

KimK on "Canadian Tiny House 24'"

KimK — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:41:44 +0000

I so wish I could have you build me a house just like this! I so enjoy your work. Plus you are putting all the touches that I would love, such as having a wood stove that you can cook with, heat the house, and heat hot water, not to mention be easy on the space. Thank you for sharing again. I can't wait to see the bathroom and the finished master piece.

KimK on "Tips on Zoning"

KimK — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 20:17:29 +0000

Ugh! I've been looking at land and love the area I live in, but have been doing some research on land ordinances. Look at what I found about mobile homes on your own land. They have to be larger than 550 square feet! 8x32 at the smallest, which is much larger than a tiny house. I was hoping to build something on wheels for several reasons, but I don't want to build so big! What do I have to do, use it for cooking and the day and then sleep in a tipi? Sorry, here are the regulations for my county. If you have any ideas on how to work around this, please share. It just amazes me because I live in a 300 square foot apartment in this county, but I have to have a much larger mobile home to be legal. Sec. XIX. Mobile Homes A. For purpose of this section, a mobile home shall be defined as: "MOBILE HOME" is that which is, or was as originally constructed, designed to be transported by any motor vehicle upon a public highway and designed, equipped and used primarily for sleeping, eating and living quarters or is intended to be so used; and includes any additions, attachments, annexes, foundations and appurtenances, except that a house trailer is not deemed a mobile home if the assessable value of such additions, attachments, annexes, foundations and appurtenances equals or exceeds 50 percent of the assessable value of the house trailer. B. ALL mobile homes which are placed on a given lot or site for more than one 14-day period within any 60 consecutive days shall have a minimum original floor space of 550 square feet. C. NO mobile home shall be placed on any parcel of land which has less than 60,000 square feet total area, provided that said parcel of land shall not be deeper than 5 times the average width of said parcel. D. MOBILE HOMES and travel trailers shall not be placed on any lot or site for more than one 14-day period within any 60 consecutive days unless all provisions of this section are met. This restriction shall not apply to designated areas such as State parks or campgrounds. E. THE AREA beneath a mobile home must be completely enclosed with a skirting material of a quality and strength which assures the durability of said skirting material and which does not distract from the general aesthetic quality of the mobile home and the surrounding area. F. ALL MOBILE HOMES which are abandoned, burned or otherwise destroyed or substantially damaged must be removed from the lot or site on which they are located within one year after abandonment, burning, destruction or substantial damage occurred. G. ALL MOBILE HOMES which are equipped with internal water supplies and plumbing must have a sanitary system which is approved in accordance with Wisconsin Administrative Code Comm 83. H. BEFORE A MOBILE HOME is removed from any lot or site, a permit for said removal must be obtained from the Polk County Zoning Administrator. The fee required to obtain said removal permit shall be $2.00. I. MOBILE HOMES having dimensions of less than 8 feet by 32 feet may be stored by the owner on his property if said mobile home is not being used for sleeping purposes. Polk County Comprehensive Land Use Ordinance 31 Polk County Comprehensive Land Use Ordinance 32 J. THE MINIMUM mobile home size and lot size requirements as set forth above shall not apply to mobile home parks as established pursuant to Wisconsin Statute Section 66.0435. All other provisions of this ordinance shall apply to mobile home parks. K. Other than designated areas such as State parks or campgrounds a travel trailer will not be allowed on any lot for more than one (1) fourteen (14) day period in and within any sixty (60) consecutive days. Travel trailer may be stored by owner on his lot if not used for sleeping purposes.

Ian W on "Tiny houses in the UK"

Ian W — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:28:40 +0000

Great link! Thanks again.

MikeOnBike on "Tiny houses in the UK"

MikeOnBike — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:31:12 +0000

Also ran across this. <a href="http://www.tinyhouseliving.com/tag/uk/" rel="nofollow">http://www.tinyhouseliving.com/tag/uk/</a>

zoborg on "Modern Bathrooms"

zoborg — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:51:43 +0000

Really? that surprises me - when you look in the magazines it still thinks that white is still the new white! I have seem a lot of <a href="http://www.heartofthehome.co.uk">kitchens in surrey</a> and then trend there is going towards some use of steel, but I cannot see it happening to bathrooms.. but stranger things have happened!