Anyone heard of "Tiny Houses"???

Mattsmom277

Active Member
S/O and I are seriously considering getting one of these. Well, actually, building it ourselves by ordering the plan book. It would be a great tool for camping initially, however in 6 years, easy child will gone and S/O and I will bouncing round from military base to military base all by ourselves. We would then live in it full time. We can pay next to nothing to rent a plot on a base. Talk about cheap living! Plus, we could just hook it up and drive away when he has holidays, and take off to visit the kids or just explore.

If you take time to browse the pictures etc, these are brilliantly crafted. We love the thought of taking time to build ourselves, to add touches that would make it more homey for ourselves.

Not to mention I'd feel like a munchkin. I love it!!! :) :) These are the cutest houses I've seen. I love the idea of scaling back on owning "Stuff" too. S/O and I talk alot about simpler living once the kids are both gone on their own.

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
 

WhymeMom?

No real answers to life..
Would cause you to seriously get rid of anything unneccesary........ cute, but not for us, husband is 6'3'' and would be seriously challenged by ceilings........ would you get a mini cooper to go with it?
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
I think we are the point of wanting to get rid of things are unnecessary. Also, with flat screen t.v.'s, laptops, etc, there is no longer great cause for large furniture like t.v. stands, desks, etc. We also discussed ensuring we have a very large shed for outdoor storage. We could then store out of season clothing, decorations for holidays, tools, etc.
In building it ourselves, we can also adapt certain things should we decide to. There are variations in the books to incorporate full size refridgerators etc. We would also probably take out the desk and instead build in functional bookcases.
I would LOVE a mini cooper! I once spent 7 weeks travelling through England, Wales and Ireland in the cutest ever little red mini cooper and loved it LMAO.
S/O and I have discussed and would buy him a big guy truck, which we would need for hauling it around when needed. But we would also get me a small car (not quite as small as a smart car or mini lol) which we would both use for day to day use.
I really am very into the idea of the tiny house. The great thing too is if you wanted, you could adapt it to have a sliding glass door set that if you wanted, you could build a stationary "great room", then simply have the glass doors open and if built right, you could have an expanded living space when at home, yet move the tiny house for camping/travelling. I know a family who does this with an RV. They live here in Canada and travel with the RV, but in Florida they have a property that has nothing but a full size "great room" complete with full size kitchen. Their RV simply attaches when they are in Florida and allows larger living.
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
These are very popular in the NW. A lot of people up in Idaho were starting to go this route and the Seattle area.
They have ones that are on trailers as well which is kind of cool!
i receive Natural Home and they have had a lot of stories on these.
They just stopped publishing a very cool magazine called Cottage Living that I used to get and this was basically all they had stories on.
They showcased homes that used as little space as possible.
They especially loved the 1000ft or less spaces!
You might be able to archive some of the back stories.

They have some really beautiful ones with lofts and wrap around porches. Built in storage that is utilized for other things as well. Fold away table beds etc.
I think it is a great idea if one can adapt.
Because they are so small you can use beautiful wood and have really incredible finishing touches if you wanted!
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
RFLMAO @ Star

My S/O and I were discussing the "close living space" and we are so ridiculous that we want the kids to move out so we can build one NOW!!!

After 5 years together, we never get annoyed sharing space. We don't tend to do anything in opposite rooms. If he's in the living room so am I. If I go to bed with a book, he'll come in there and watch a d.v.d. If I'm cooking or cleaning in the kitchen, he's either helping or sitting at the table and we talk away while I'm busy. We socialize as a couple, rarely apart (by choice, we prefer doing stuff together). We get stupid lonely being apart just while he works. We keep wishing for the lottery. Not for wealth, just to be able to not work so we can be together doing stuff all the time and not be apart.

These tiny houses are SOOOOO us.

I WANT ONE .... NOW!!! Dang kids gotta hurry up and grow up ;)
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
Mattsmom...husband and I are like you and your husband.



Sometimes.


Other times? We can't stand to hear the other one blink. One of those houses would be good for one of us...I can picture it as my escape/reading room. But for both? I'm with Star....it's a divorce in a box. Besides...my husband is 6'5"....he just wouldn't fit. ;)

If I were to get one, I think it would be a good thing to park in the back yard and use as a rental for one of the kids as they transition out of the house or even as a guest cottage. But to live in?? Nuh uh. Not going to happen. If you can do it? More power to you sister! LOL
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think they are adorable too but I also thought the Katrina Cottages were adorable. I want to downsize out of my doublewide so bad it is pathetic. I have way too much room. I needed the room when I got it but now I just rattle around.

I showed these to everyone else here and they all had the same reaction as Star and Mustang...Way too small. Of course, we are a family of giants. None of us could fit in one of these places and even let a breath out. Everyone of us but me tops 6 feet. All of us but Cory is over 250! LOL. We would have killed each other in a matter of days.

Now I think it would be a great play house for the grand kids!
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
ROFLMAO Too funny!

They would make a great guest cottage for sure.
The model we looked at has a bit of a different layout so the main part of the house has vaulted ceilings, the bathroom however is only 6'3". But S/O is only 5'11 and I'm 5'3 so that's all good.
We plan to have a big shed or garage to store out of season clothes, seasonal decorations, tools, out of season bedding and curtains and things. That way the house won't be cluttered with stuff that over time, we really will need. The great part for us, is if it is just TOO small for us to handle, we'll cope for year or two, and all the money we save in rent will be a decent size downpayment for a house, and we could use the tiny house as a trailer for camping, a guesthouse or whatever. I could see if we ended up buying a regular house because we can't cope that I'd end up taking over the tiny house as a private library/reading room/office/painting space. I'd love it during the day when S/O is at work and I'm all lonely. A small little space just for me.

But ... I'm betting for some reason that he and I will enjoy living in a tiny house haha. We're both pretty excited at building it. I like the idea of when you're building and its so cost effective, the earlier comment about spending more on details and things. Moldings, nicer windows, good quality furniture etc.

I WANT MY TUMBLEWEED HOUSE!!!!!!!!!

PS. I should mention, right now we have over 1200 square feet. So basically the whole house would fit in our living room and add a loft on top HAHA. Too freaking funny. difficult child is begging me to build him one while he's at University to live rent free. If he wasn't 6'2" it would be perfect for a student
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I think that house would fit in any of my bedrooms! At least the Teeny ones. I know my master bedroom and bath is twice the size!!
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Have any of you considered -

Farting :sick:
Snoring:mad:
B.O :sick:
Men Socks:sick:
Farting:sick:
Dog Farts:whiteflag:
Smelly feet:sick:
Where do you go to get away from one another?:faint:

Seriously?
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
B.O.?? We can shower
Farts ... well even in this house, we're always together, so yeah, farts are where we are, big or small ;)
Dirty socks, I'll kill him (They'd be HIS socks) and have him chuck them into the washing machine right off lol
Smelly feet, we can grab a shower
Dog farts ... not going to have a dog!

See :) Thought of it all ;)

ctmom, i'm going to check out your link shortly!
 

lmf64

New Member
Three years ago my parents retired and went to living in their fifth wheel full time. I didn't check the link on the tiny houses, but imagine they are about the same size. Well, after living in the fifth wheel for a couple of years they decided they didn't need a house anymore, so put it on the market and after much work (painting and such) on my part the closing is in two weeks. We're doing the downsizing thing now, which is cool after going through a fire a year ago and losing everything since I'm grabbing everything I haven't replaced yet that mom is going to put on a rummage sale and get nothing for. But, my dad is starting to have regrets. I think it's more that they don't have a home base anymore than anything. When they first began living in the fifth wheel I gave them 3 months before they killed each other. Being in those small a quarters would drive me nuts.
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
This is 2 wheels and a hitch.....it's like a shed on wheels. with a toilet. :tongue: It's FEMA! Okay I'm done. I'm sorry Mel- really really. If you can do it - ya'll go for it. To me it would be like permanent camping. Crud - I did it again. Sorry. Ticking a lock. (Mentally thinking-throwing away the key)
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
ROFLMAO!!! Too funny!!!

They ARE super small. I'll grant you nay sayers that ;)

We plan to spend at least one 4 year posting living in one. If we hate it, we'll at least have saved a wack of money to buy a nice house at the following posting!

And if I want to kill him after a while, I just remember what it was like when I visited the Penitentiary for Women here in Ontario when i was stupidly contemplating taking a position there as a guard. LOL

I feel like singing the song "TINY BUBBLES!!!"
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
If you want to kill him after a while - you'll know EXACTLY what it's going to be like - because the rooms will be the same size...as your prison cell

BLAST...I did it A....GAIN. :tongue:
 
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