I have started back up looking at http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
I like the floor plans but $30k for sub 400 sq/ft seems a bit much.
A DIY and budget friendly solution would seem to be to imitate the floor plans by finishing a large prebuilt Amish shed/cabin/whatnot. I have priced some sheds at 14x40 for as little as $7K
I understand this has been done before, what can the collective knowledge of GRM share with me?
I love small spaces and floorplans. It depends a lot on your plans. Are you single and planning to stay that way? (well...if you live in a 560 sq. ft. house, you may not have any choice in the matter). Are you or do you plan to be in a relationship with a partner who shares your values?
I am renovating a 24x26 (624 sq. ft) house as we speak. it's plenty big for an adult, or a couple. it's a bit tight for a family of 4 (but I have done it and it's completely doable).
Most of the stuff I like to do is outdoors. I need inside space for sleeping, shower and toilet, and to keep away from the mosquitoes and snowflakes.
For me, the main downfall about small-space living is where to keep the stuff you don't need all the time. Unseasonal clothes, bikes, tools, etc, etc. Not as much of an issue if you don't have many posessions...but that's not common in our culture.
A small house and a large garage and other outbuildings would be great for me.
You can live efficiently (energy, water, etc) in a small house if it's insulated and tight.
Look at the Japanese culture for inspiration. They have SMALL living spaces and floor plans. REALLY small.
Clem
ClemSparks wrote: A small house and a large garage and other outbuildings would be great for me.
My latest dream house idea is a large (really large - 60'x100' min.) warehouse type building with RV hook-ups inside for water, sewer, etc.
The problem with a shed as a living space is most won't meet the required residential codes. This is why many of the "tiny houses" are built on trailer chassis.
I think it's an interesting idea. Very "Old School." Look at how houses were built on the Great Plains 100+ years ago and you basically have what Clem describes, and the associated lifestyle of living outside and using the house for sleeping, staying warm/dry (sort of), etc. Some of the larger "sheds" modeled at LowesDepot would make a nice small house. Some have an upstairs that would be a perfect bedroom loft. Insulate the whole thing, devise a sewage system, put in electrical and you're good to go.
google search "katrina house" and look at those plans and kits as well.
Lowes and Home Depot have a whole lot of interesting shed/house/cottage plans/kits.
ClemSparks wrote: A small house and a large garage and other outbuildings would be great for me.
My new house: 1248 sq.ft. My garage: 2160 sq.ft.
If possible, build with a full basement. Quickly doubles your space without adding to the foot print. Also max's your 'living' area by moving furnace, water heater, laundry, etc out of the way.
Fletch1 wrote: My garage: 2160 sq.ft.
Amatuer... 
The trend around here for single dudes is this. Buy land. Get construction loan to build a garage, with living quarters above it. Then when they find a lady to settle down with, and gain some income, they add a house to the garage....the house meeting the needs for what every married couple needs. Guest rooms, room for a kid, closets etc. The apartment above the garage, becomes either an in-law appt, spare room, or revenue generating apartment.
Another good resource for small home plans and ideas.
Finishing the inside of an Amish shed could be a good idea. You would however want (possibly need for code) a 2 x 6 framed wall for insulation, and I would bet most sheds would be 2 x 4. Also things like windows would have to be upgraded to multi-pane glass and such for the same reason. But I'd be willing to bet a company would be willing to work with you to make sure you have the best starting point possible.
I'm just thinking putting an affordable 2nd structure on the family land to suit us till we get a chance to GTFO of NY.
sachilles wrote: The trend around here for single dudes is this. Buy land. Get construction loan to build a garage, with living quarters above it. Then when they find a lady to settle down with, and gain some income, they add a house to the garage....the house meeting the needs for what every married couple needs. Guest rooms, room for a kid, closets etc. The apartment above the garage, becomes either an in-law appt, spare room, or revenue generating apartment.
I kinda like this thought actually.
But i would add a small house as the OP linked, maybe a bit larger, then if a suitable spouse came along i would like to just add a house to the existing house or at least incorperate it somehow.
In reply to CarKid1989: It's a practical solution for a lot of guys around here. They want a garage for their toys, and they need a place to live, but don't need a big house to take care of. Many around here are pretty handy. So it's relatively easy to come up with the financing to build a slab, and garage with apartment on top. Often doing a lot of finish work yourself. You just make sure in the planning phases that the septic and house site are planned for in the future. You future wife doesn't want to live in a bachelor pad. However, the fact that you can build your "dream" house, goes a long way towards spousal harmony. In the mean time you have very little finished living space which keeps taxes low etc.
I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I'd rather a tiny house than a dorm room, to be honest. Living in a dorm room isn't so bad. If we were allowed hot plates I'd have no issue cooking for myself in here.
Hide it away in an urban area and you probably wouldn't miss having a larger home, except for family gatherings.
Jamesc2123 wrote: <Finishing the inside of an Amish shed could be a good idea. You would however want (possibly need for code) a 2 x 6 framed wall for insulation, and I would bet most sheds would be 2 x 4.
2x4 is the standard around here. No need for 2x6s
mad_machine wrote:Jamesc2123 wrote: <Finishing the inside of an Amish shed could be a good idea. You would however want (possibly need for code) a 2 x 6 framed wall for insulation, and I would bet most sheds would be 2 x 4.2x4 is the standard around here. No need for 2x6s
I'm not sure if code requires 2x6, but James is 2 towns over from me and I agree that 2x6 would be very useful for upstate winters.
House: 1,400 sq ft. Garage: 1,400 sq ft. Land: 1.25 acre with creek. Purchase price for the forclosure down the street similar to our place: $70k. Difference between $20k storage shed (no, you're not going to buy, build, install necessary insulation, plumbing, lighting, flooring, driveway, etc, etc, etc, not to mention get power, water, and sewer to the house...oh, and there's the land...for $7k) - in ten years, the nice house with huge garage/shop in the nice crime free neighborhood is worth at least $70k, and the shed on 1/4 acre in the tralier park is worth nothing. It's a cute, novel concept, but like most things, if it made sense, smart people would be doing it.
By the way, please go into your local bank and ask for a $20k mortgage, and let me know how that works out for you.
Taiden wrote: I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I'd rather a tiny house than a dorm room, to be honest. Living in a dorm room isn't so bad. If we were allowed hot plates I'd have no issue cooking for myself in here. Hide it away in an urban area and you probably wouldn't miss having a larger home, except for family gatherings.
Wisdom: Beg, borrow, steal enough to make the downpayment on a small 3-bedroom foreclosure. Get two roomates to pay the 'rent' (your mortgage, plus enough to pay utilities - though as far as they know, it's 'split' three ways.) Live rent free till you graduate, sell house, profit.
This is a good sight:
http://tinyhouseblog.com/page/2/
Someone mentioned to me a while back that he wanted to connect sheds together to make a house placed by a lake. Use a shed for each room coming off a central shed.
There's always the Shotgun Shack. No hallway, but then it was designed for a narrow New Orleans style lot. A lot of the old (now ghetto) neighborhoods around here had modified Shotgun-style: All the rooms (boxes) were off a hallway which extended along one side of the house.
'Stead of paying the Amish so they can just blow your money on 4-Loko and scratch-off lottery tickets when they go on rumspringa, buy a nice chop saw, design a shed-house, and get building. You'll learn all manner of skills, save major bank, and probably have better build quality.
I built a 10x12 behind our old house to what is essentially the national building code for residences. the cost was less than an Amish or Home Despot shed, and w/ 7' side walls and a 6 in 6 roof, it had tons of room. And unlike our house, I wasn't worried it would collapse during Snowmageddon.
poopshovel wrote: House: 1,400 sq ft. Garage: 1,400 sq ft. Land: 1.25 acre with creek. Purchase price for the forclosure down the street similar to our place: $70k. Difference between $20k storage shed (no, you're not going to buy, build, install necessary insulation, plumbing, lighting, flooring, driveway, etc, etc, etc, not to mention get power, water, and sewer to the house...oh, and there's the land...for $7k) - in ten years, the nice house with huge garage/shop in the nice crime free neighborhood is worth at least $70k, and the shed on 1/4 acre in the tralier park is worth nothing. It's a cute, novel concept, but like most things, if it made sense, smart people would be doing it. By the way, please go into your local bank and ask for a $20k mortgage, and let me know how that works out for you.
I called about a "lot/land loan" just this week.
The APR is ridiculous, even for a young couple with a 750+ credit score and 100k+ gross/yr.
Think 7.2% for the best qualified, so even a $50k lot (remember land in OK is CHEEEAAAAP compared to most of the country) = a $600/month payment for a 10yr loan, or almost $900/month for a 5 year loan.
Our current mortgage is $800/month, nothing down, on a 1200sq ft house on 1/3 acre.
Buying land doesn't make much sense unless you're buying a big parcel.
poopshovel wrote:Taiden wrote: I've been thinking about this quite a bit. I'd rather a tiny house than a dorm room, to be honest. Living in a dorm room isn't so bad. If we were allowed hot plates I'd have no issue cooking for myself in here. Hide it away in an urban area and you probably wouldn't miss having a larger home, except for family gatherings.Wisdom: Beg, borrow, steal enough to make the downpayment on a small 3-bedroom foreclosure. Get two roomates to pay the 'rent' (your mortgage, plus enough to pay utilities - though as far as they know, it's 'split' three ways.) Live rent free till you graduate, sell house, profit.
This man speaks the truth. If I had it figured out, I would have had my dad go in with me (cosign) on buying a house and then rent it out, me living in one room. My roommates and I are paying $1700 combined a month for a E36 M3ty 4 bedroom apartment (all utilities included). I bet we could get a decent house for less than that on the mortgage payment. Alas, it is senior year and too late for that now.
I lived in a 35 foot RV for five weeks (5 of us total). I would love to minimize. My family, not so much.
celebrating20.blogspot.com
That is the record of our trip to Alaska.
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