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Anti-house porn: tiny house living
If you complain about the smallness of your 400 sq ft studio apartment, in five minutes you won’t feel so bad…
Lately I’ve been kind of obsessed with learning about tiny houses. These places aren’t 1400 sq ft–or 400 sq ft. These are fully functional houses smaller than a walk-in closet. Seriously, many are less than 100 sq ft. The guru of this movement is Jay Shafer (he has a company that manufactures these homes which is a fascinating browse).
Many of the homes Jay and others design and build have tiny living rooms, tiny kitchens, tiny bathrooms, a loft for a sleeping space, etc. They are built on flatbed trailers (because they are too small for code-approved foundations) and are kinda like a motorhome or RV in how they are set-up and work. But people live in these things. Here is a page–with a lot of pictures–for the house design that many people seem to favor.
It seems like a kinda cool idea.
I’ve long had a fantasy of buying some land down in the Shenandoah Valley and building an off the grid weekend cabin there. So I tend to immediately think of these for that use. But then a larger question came to me:
Could these be practical for city living?
Let’s say you live by yourself. How much space do you really need? Could something like this be practical?
Jay Schafer, the tiny house guru guy, built his first tiny house and parked it in his backyard. He then rented out his “normal” house, living in the tiny house.
Could you ever see yourself living in a place like this? Do you think it would be practical?
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Stacys
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I look at these houses the same way my parents (who live in a 3000 square foot house (yep, just the two of them)) probably look at my DC rowhouse. “It’s so… cozy!”
Honestly, this idea seems a lot more plausible to me with the advent of e-readers. One real problem for me with smaller living space is less space for books. Now, I will never part with my books, but younger folks who aren’t so attached to these relics might find the lack of shelf space in tiny homes less troublesome.
Yup, my archaic collections of CDs and books take up 93% of my stuff. All we’ll need in 50 years is an iphone which will contain everything we’ll need.
I think it’s funny that people think not having a house full of books is a new thing. Ever heard of the library? My 90-year-old grandmother has read thousands and thousands of books but owns maybe six.
I want one of these, but my cat would kill me in my sleep. She needs more space.
A little collection of them would make excellent guest cottages at Davenport.
You are so right!
Now that is funny. Miss Gracie and your cat must be related.
After 4 years of my tiny apartment, my cat, Ashlee, is still looking for the rest of it. She can’t comprehend the smallness of 328 square feet.
I love that your cat’s name is Ashlee.
Full name: Ashlee Barrington, she thinks it’s Queen Ashlee Barrington.
My poor kitty is the same way. He started life born on an outdoor Iowa farm, moved to a 4 bedroom house with access to a backyard that backed to 75 acreas of woods (which was like kitty heaven to him), then to a large house in MD with not much of a yard, and now to a small one bedroom apt in the city. I feel guilty about that. He’s gotten so fat now living in a small space. He frequently runs out into the building’s shared hallway and I’ll let him just wander around there if no one else is around.
I like the idea of a little country house like this. Maybe a biiiitt bigger/wider though.
I saw one of these recently that was made out of a dumpster! Now that is too much; I will not live in a dumpster. Most of these are probably only slightly larger than a dumpster. I’m kind of a pack rat and although I dream of one day being a minimalist, I don’t think I could even fit half of my current possessions into one of these houses, so not for me. But all the more power to those who can rock a tiny house.
I’m in love with the tiny house movement, but for me the challenge is the urban/rural divide. I’d like to live in one of these if my life was significantly out of doors and I had an amazing landscape to sit and work in. But for now, I need to work in the city and live in something slightly bigger (but not much) to be able to think of this for retirement.
No way would I live in one permanently, but would be fantastic for a little beach or lake place. Kind of like a little English beach hut – http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/gallery/2011/aug/26/beach-huts-for-sale-to-rent?INTCMP=SRCH
Does it come with the cute Asian kid?
Sorry, he has been booked as “Short Round” in the upcoming remake of Indiana Jones and the Tiny House of Doom.
+1
I live alone and have 1000 sq ft and two bedrooms, so no, this probably wouldn’t work for me.
In theory, I like the idea – I really do like small spaces. But my house is more than just a place for me to keep my crap (of which I have a lot, but that’s not even the point here), it’s my favorite place to just be. And for me to be comfortable, I need space. Maybe not all of the time, but I at least need the option, and this kind of thing doesn’t provide that.
I am claustrophobic just looking at the picture. I fear you’d find me hanging from the tiny porch rafters after about 3 days in one of those.
I lived in less space than this with my wife and two small children for over five years, and alone for most of a decade.
It’s cheaper, easier, and kind of liberating.
That said, the keys to tiny house living are discipline and organization. Without those you will get lost in your own mess. It’s also crucial that you spend a lot of time outside or you go stir crazy.
Now I live in a vast house and I miss the simplicity of those days, not enough to go back yet but it is a future option I plan on. Fortunately I have a wife willing to do so.
Well, a 400 square foot apartment costs around $1200/month, while this guy probably makes money while living in his small house… so we’re still allowed to complain.
I have a better idea. What is the legality of me plopping 2 of these things down in my backyard and renting them out for $1000 a month each?
Seriously, can a lawyer among you tell me I can do this? PLEASE!!!!
I’m with you, bro. I have space for about four of these bad boys in my backyard.
Some of the smaller houses Jay sells are on wheels, so they would be classified as a trailer. If you rented them, you’d be renting a combo parking space/trailer. Probably legal, but your neighbors might grow to hate you.
Not sure you could get $1000 for a 150 sq ft house with an RV toilet. The bathrooms are the one thing that turns me off about these houses — otherwise I love them. I’d have to see the bathrooms in person before buying one.
I think at best, you clear *maybe* around $400/month from renting one of these, after financing the mortgage and the new lines (plumbing, electrical) run to your backyard.
One of these would be super awesome as a weekend cabin out in the woods. I assume you can build a foundation and get it off that trailer if you want to, right?
why would you want to put it on a foundation? Isn’t it more flexible to have it on wheels in case you need to move it?
I’d be afraid to leave it on a trailer out in the woods. I’m not sure who would want to steal it but I don’t doubt someone would try.
But I sure would love to have one of these out in the woods to retreat to for the occasional weekend.
Per Tumbleweed’s website, a house has to be a certain size before it can be built on a foundation. These tiny homes don’t qualify. Though if you “take out” the kitchen, you can call it a shed.
And I agree 100%. I am half tempted to call a real estate agent in Central VA this afternoon and buy a few acres.
See tinytexashouses.com for similar houses that are in a fixed location.
“You’re gonna get a lot of hop ons”
“What do you think, dad… a whole… tiny town?”
Slightly larger but just as fun to fantasize about are the houses at http://www.rosschapin.com.
“Watch out for live-ins”
how would you make it work in a city? You still need to own or rent the land, right? Wouldn’t it then be pretty much the same if you rented a tiny studio?
Do you have to pay taxes on it?
Check out the New Yorker article that PoP linked to. It’s actually quite interesting and spells out the complicated logistics of owning one.
It’s quite similar in space to living aboard a boat (a real boat, not one of those square floating trailer “houseboats”)and it can be done with pleasure; my trawler was about 300 square feet and I lived on it for 11 years in Southwest. The people in sailboats were very efficient with each sq inch
Looks a bit more spacious then my current living arrangement at the Woodner.
Awawaw, I love cute tiny houses!
After living for several years in a small space in DC, I completely understand the appeal of down-sized living. Although it was prompted by moving to a city with high rents, I now actually love my minimalist lifestyle and not having tons of possessions to deal with. When I watch HGTV, I’m always so amazed by how huge the houses most Americans live are. How do you afford furniture to fill that many huge rooms? Why on Earth would you want to have to clean all that?
Not to mention the heating/cooling costs. I know suburbanites who have their thermostats set really low in the wintr becuase they can’t afford $500/month to keep the house at a comfortable temperature. I’d much rather live in a small place and not have to wear scarves and gloves inside.
That’s kind of how I feel about them; having one of those houses on a city lot with lots of empty space or maybe a garden with tomatoes and others. Low utility bills, having less things, less furniture, being more organized.
The only problem is with photography equipment and guitars. Maybe I could have another tiny, tinier house just for those.
Yeah, I like having room for books, camping gear, canning projects, kitchen gadgets, and home exercise. So you will probably never find me in a true tiny house. However, I still don’t need a giant sprawling house for all those things. I can’t imagine ever wanting to live in a house that had more than an extra guest bedroom and maybe a finished basement.
visits from the in-laws are more painful.
this is a perfect excuse… no room.
What happens when someone drives away with your house? That would suck.
All kidding aside, I’de live in one. Maybe have two: one for visitors.
i don’t see how people are saying this would be good in the country. hell no i wouldn’t want to live in one of these in the country.
in the city? sure. especially in this town where there are so many free entertainment options and public indoor spaces. hell, i could put it on top of my car thats parked outside of my mailing address and get a RPP. or, if i wanted to live in a “gated” community, i could keep it inside of a box truck.
in the country after one monsoon season like the one we’re experiencing and i would be found dead from a self inflicted shot gun blast.
I agree. We have a house out in the country in VA on some land and its bigger than our house in the city and I love that. In the city, we are always working, out to eat, doing stuff, so really just need a small place to sleep. In the country is where I like to cook and bake big meals, invite a ton of friends over and stretch out. So, I would rather the tiny house (though no way I could do THIS tiny) in the city and a more normal size place in the country to escape.
and dude, go far out enough in the country and you can build a normal sized house for 50k. price is too steep imho.
anyone know if this has plumbing/electricity? I’m too lazy to read about it…
The sleeping loft looks way too claustrophobic for me (and my cats would probably hate me if we lived in a space this small). I wonder how the plumbing works?
And imagine how many times you’d bash your head on the ceiling trying to make the bed.
OMG I busted out laughing in Starbucks when I read “That’s more space than my place in The Woodner.” Lmao at least it doesn’t have bedbugs! Lol to add insult to injury… There are quite a few mental people in The Woodner… So at least u could be in ur little matchbox house alone sans the crazies and critters.
I’d need to rent a storage unit for my hobby supplies, and get rid of the dogs and my gf (who would never go for the idea), but otherwise I’d definitely be into something like this. We recently bought a small rowhouse with hardly any closet space, and I’m enjoying the challenge of making it all work.
There’s more to the tiny living movement then Tumbleweed’s uber-tiny options: check out tinyhouseblog.com.
I’ve often wondered if you could build one (legally) in DC – some of the models available run up to 1000 sq feet (on foundations) and that’s more than double my condo!
The appeal of the Tumbleweed model, besides the small footprint, is the mobility – so when you are caught illegally parked in someone’s back yard you can just move along…no need to tear down the house.
I could do this. We all have more things than we need. I still remember living in the dorms at school and I had a TINY studio in NYC, so this doesn’t scare me in the least. However, this is about 1/4 of the cost and 1/15 the size of my DC rowhouse, so methinks I’ll stick with what I’ve got.
How is this only 1/4 the cost of your DC rowhouse??
I thought I had a good deal in that my monthly rent is only a little more than the (one-time) cost to purchase one of these, and I have maybe 1/2 again as much space.
reminds me of this guy: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44004150/ns/business-real_estate/t/new-yorker-pays-month–square-foot-apartment/
my brother & sister in law used to rent a townhouse in NE that had a tiny house in the backyard. It would have been awesome as an in law suite/guest room except for the winter (no heat) and the fact that the neighborhood was infested with rats…
I lived in my van for 3 years while traveling around. I had a sleeping bag on an army cot with cardboard boxes underneath for my stuff, and a bean-bag chair. Oil lamp for reading, Primus stove, one pot & one pan for cooking, plastic jugs for water, a coffee-can for emergency pee-ing. (Oh god – I just remembered I glued orange shag carpet to the walls too!) It was great. Yeah, I was 18-20, but it does teach you to live well in a small space, and that living small give you room for great adventures.
where did you shower and stuff? or did you? :p
Amazing what you can do in a gas station bathroom sink! Sometimes I would crash a campground shower.
omg, please post pics
I didn’t see this listed yet, and it’s worth a peek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9qnWg9kak
A Tiny Apartment Transforms into 24 Rooms
+1
Wow. I used to work with Jay at New Pi in Iowa City, IA in the late 90′s. I remember his portable, tiny house from back then.
Me too! I went to school at Iowa and my (now ex) boyfriend was friends with him. Back then, I just thought it was weird to live in such a tiny house. Then I moved to my first place in DC…
Wow, there are others from Iowa City on here?! Yay!
I knew him in Iowa City too and I will remain nameless because I have had unpleasant experiences with Jay in the past. While the tiny house is cute, I believe it’s overpriced — there are other tiny house builders out there who are more affordable and create much more interesting structures.
Maybe we should start an ex-Iowa City club!
was it a crime related bad experience? or just a regular old bad experience?
General douchey-ness. In about 2005/2006 an ex-girlfriend of his published a Modern Love essay in the Times about their relationship (it wasn’t very positive). I would find it and link to it, but he’d probably threaten to sue me for libel again.
I would totally do this in on a slightly larger scale, maybe 500sqft. Trying to explain something like this to DCRA though would be another story. Here’s an interesting article from Buffalo which talks about a couple downsizing into a tiny house due to expenses.
http://www.buffalonews.com/life/home-style/article44652.ece and the photo gallery: http://galleries.buffalonews.com/photo.php?gname=gallery_1271973019.txt&item=2
Looks like somebody has been watching HGTV’s Design Star!!
If you want a house slightly larger, they are making them out of shipping containers now. They even stack them and turn them into apartment buildings.
http://green.yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/8/twelve-amazing-shipping-container-houses.html
Less stuff, less money out the door each month, simplified life. I love these tiny houses. I found lots of them for sale at http://tinyhouselistings.com
Really not sure if it is cost feasible in an urban setting like DC because land cost so much. So how would that cost be mitigated? Share a plot of land (tiny house parcel-mates?). Maybe on the roofs houses instead of a garden? That would be funny.