I mentioned not long ago that I would like to buy a tiny house on wheels. I want to buy an acre or two to set my house on, add a porch and a shed and make it home. How do you go about this? I have no idea where I want to live. I want to be actively working on my plan, and I think my adhd is getting in the way. What goes first? Do I get the land or do I get the home and try to park it on friends land till I can buy my own, since its mobile I could move it to a more permanent home. I know I won't be doing this for a couple of years but its going to take a couple of years to get the money together. I just don't want this dream to get shelved like some others. I really am getting excited about it and can actually see this for my future. I jusst never seem to do the right thing first.
Advice on buying land or how to do this whole tiny house thing.
- Thread starter Jody
- Start date
DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
I would get the land first because you can use that as collateral for the tiny house.
katya02
Solace
Also you'll need to figure out how to manage water, sewage, practical stuff like that ... so getting land first sounds like a good idea. You'd have security as well - no chance of having to move your house on wheels at short notice.
I'm going to be looking for something similar, depending on where I end up. Maybe Alaska! Maybe northern Ontario! Maybe the Olympic Peninsula! Wherever, I want a small, energy-efficient house that ideally I'll design myself (I designed our house back in Muskoka, years ago - passive solar, energy efficient etc.). I want a wood stove, loom with a view, room for books. Unfortunately building is expensive - have to research economical ways to do it. Anyway ... I would keep an eye out for promising areas, keep an eye on the real estate market, and be ready to snap up a good piece of land when you see it. If you've kept track and know what the local market is, you'll be able to grab a good deal.
I'm going to be looking for something similar, depending on where I end up. Maybe Alaska! Maybe northern Ontario! Maybe the Olympic Peninsula! Wherever, I want a small, energy-efficient house that ideally I'll design myself (I designed our house back in Muskoka, years ago - passive solar, energy efficient etc.). I want a wood stove, loom with a view, room for books. Unfortunately building is expensive - have to research economical ways to do it. Anyway ... I would keep an eye out for promising areas, keep an eye on the real estate market, and be ready to snap up a good piece of land when you see it. If you've kept track and know what the local market is, you'll be able to grab a good deal.
Mattsmom277
Active Member
Katya - You lived in Muskoka? My baby sister lives there, I'm further north but even driving through gets me jealous and wanting to move there. I'm in northern Ontario and it sure is gorgeous. There is just something magical and tranquil about the Muskoka region. I bet you miss it!
Jody, I think it makes sense both ways, depending on your options. IF you have a reliable person with land that would let you live expense free on a section of their land, for a period of time, I would say do the tiny house first. The thought being, if you get the money in the next couple of years to finance the tiny house, you can skip the add ons (porch, big garden etc) and live simply and pretty near to free, on a friend/family members land for maybe a year or two. You could then bank even more savings, so that after a year or two, you could buy land for cash. If you don't have a reliable place to land with a tiny house first to make it practical to do this all over time, in cash without loans, then I'd do as suggested by others, and get the land first. Part of tiny house living is the desire to cut cost of living, often to allow less needed ongoing income, meaning life need not focus on such a rat race for profitable income. More simple living based on more than career etc. Hope that is making sense. I would focus on doing whichever of the two steps will be best as first plan of action, the goal being the most sensible way to ensure the soonest date to make these things happen without burden of debt etc.
Im excited for you. Can I be your first guest? I'll bring a tiny house warming present lol.
Jody, I think it makes sense both ways, depending on your options. IF you have a reliable person with land that would let you live expense free on a section of their land, for a period of time, I would say do the tiny house first. The thought being, if you get the money in the next couple of years to finance the tiny house, you can skip the add ons (porch, big garden etc) and live simply and pretty near to free, on a friend/family members land for maybe a year or two. You could then bank even more savings, so that after a year or two, you could buy land for cash. If you don't have a reliable place to land with a tiny house first to make it practical to do this all over time, in cash without loans, then I'd do as suggested by others, and get the land first. Part of tiny house living is the desire to cut cost of living, often to allow less needed ongoing income, meaning life need not focus on such a rat race for profitable income. More simple living based on more than career etc. Hope that is making sense. I would focus on doing whichever of the two steps will be best as first plan of action, the goal being the most sensible way to ensure the soonest date to make these things happen without burden of debt etc.
Im excited for you. Can I be your first guest? I'll bring a tiny house warming present lol.
katya02
Solace
I do miss Muskoka! I lived only 25 minutes from MY baby sister for a while, before we moved to the US. I was born in Sudbury; still have relatives from Sudbury to the Sault to farther northeast. And I spent a year in Moosonee. When I'm homesick for Canada, I'm homesick for northern Ontario. It's magic, pure and simple.
Mattsmom277
Active Member
I'm smack dab between the Muskokas and Sud. I have to say, for all the pet peeves of the north (I have many) I cannot fault the beautify and majestic nature of the region geographically. Although I can't wait to finally leave here (born and raised, leave and end up back here somehow), I can't imagine anywhere better for vacations and cottages and just pure escape.
DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
The reason I say land first is that I have a feeling you may not actually want one with wheels in the end. those are just way tiny. The ones that are just slightly bigger but not too much more expensive are more realistic. Have you checked online for the Katrina Cottages? Same basic thing but I think they were a bit cheaper. I think the whole packages were sold thru lowes but you may be able to just get the blueprints online.
DDD
Well-Known Member
As I mentioned before I had lighty explored the Katrina houses as a possible solution for the boys. My advice is to meet with a licensed building contractor and with the local building department where you live to get their advice on your plan. There may be zoning laws that will/would limit your options. Access to utilities should be explored as well. One other thought came to mind, you might want to visit a camper business or motor home business just to get a full range of information. You've got plenty of time and if you start a notebook keeping track of your exploration it likely will lead you to a comfortable decision when you are ready. DDD
katya02
Solace
True, it's been awhile since I lived there. Still, the natural beauty, and the familiarity of it, is balm to my soul. I swam in the French River (leeches, aaghhh) as a kid while visiting relatives, and my grandparents had a cottage on a tiny island in Fairbanks Lake north of Sudbury. I realize now just how tiny it was, but for a kid it was shangri-la. Now, when I visit my sister, I just breathe and breathe and hang out in the quietest spots on the island (different lake). If I ever get work that can be done solely via internet, I'll find myself a little spot somewhere up there and have my loom with a view (and computer with decent broadband, lol!).
Jody - about buying land. I can't tell you about the order of things. But... there are some things you need to make sure you have:
1) a water source (well, or access to "city" water)
2) mature trees - it takes too long to grow them from scratch, you can adjust what is there far easier
3) NOT flat - you want multiple elevations - and you don't want to live on the lowest one.
1) a water source (well, or access to "city" water)
2) mature trees - it takes too long to grow them from scratch, you can adjust what is there far easier
3) NOT flat - you want multiple elevations - and you don't want to live on the lowest one.
witzend
Well-Known Member
Do you have any money set aside? If you're trying to figure out plans, this is where I'd start. An acre would be an awful lot of land for a "tiny house". You do have to figure out utilities, though.
http://padtinyhouses.com/
http://padtinyhouses.com/
I loved that website thanks Witz. I don't have anything saved yet, but I thought if I could get something started with my income tax this year that would make me just that much closer. My Aunt has some land in Missourri, many acres, I am going to ask her if I might be able to locate to her property for awhile. I won't get to fully retire at 50 years old but I can work part-time and survive pretty well, if I have my own home and my own land and a decent car or truck that is paid for. I want life to get simple, and I want to be a minimalist, if I can go that far and I think I can. I need to be able to have internet though wherever I am. lol, not going to give that up.
witzend
Well-Known Member
The cost to add water/electric/sewer to a piece of land that does not already have it would be prohibitive. You'll at least need to locate somewhere near where you can tie into existing utilities. If you're interested in your aunt's property, I'd research the codes specific to her county. You'll get a better idea there.
DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
Where I live we are able to tie into city water for roughly 350 but then you have to run your own lines to your house. Like I said on another post, we live back in the woods and we ran about 900 feet of water line. We did it ourselves and I cant remember how much it cost. We did rent a trencher though. The trencher died about halfway in and we had to hire several local teen boys to help us dig it the rest of the way. Now just because we live in the country doesnt mean city water and electricity doesnt run here...lol. We just are in the county. Not the boonies 100 miles from the next grocery store. Even here you could find an acre for about 2 grand I would think somewhere. Might not be the nicest lot but would do. Thats the type of lot I would look for. Most areas if you look in the county the zoning laws are very lenient. I think an acre is quite appropriate for what you want to do. An acre isnt that big. I guess I can say that considering what I live on...lol. Wanna come be my neighbor? LOL.
I have been wanting to come to North Carolina for a couple of years. LOL. You aren't a 100 miles from the store are you? I hope you were being sarcastic????? I actually have been looking online for land in North Carolina. Do you have a lot of land? Would you live out there as a single woman with a couple of dogs. I want to be in the country but then I don't want to be that far from civilization either. Do you have wooded area or is it all open?
DammitJanet
Well-Known Member
I am about 75 miles from the ocean and I live on about 2 and a half acres of cleared land and the rest is wooded/swampland. It takes me 7 minutes to get to the interstate and 2 minutes past that is the nearest grocery store. I can go the other direction and be in a full college town with a Super Walmart and grocery stores too.
Look up Lumberton and Pembroke on google earth and you will see where I live. Actually if you want, PM me and I will give you my exact address and you can peer down to my house...lmao. Not sure when the last satellite went by but you will get an idea of what its like here. If it was in the last month you might see my dog on her chain!
Im actually sure you could get small plots of land for fairly cheap down here. My entire 8 acres is only valued at 10K. Not sure what Tony's grandma's 4 acres is valued at but it is roadside. We arent. It is probably a tad bit higher but cant be much more. Maybe the same considering its half the size.
Look up Lumberton and Pembroke on google earth and you will see where I live. Actually if you want, PM me and I will give you my exact address and you can peer down to my house...lmao. Not sure when the last satellite went by but you will get an idea of what its like here. If it was in the last month you might see my dog on her chain!
Im actually sure you could get small plots of land for fairly cheap down here. My entire 8 acres is only valued at 10K. Not sure what Tony's grandma's 4 acres is valued at but it is roadside. We arent. It is probably a tad bit higher but cant be much more. Maybe the same considering its half the size.
