Tiny Houses (Tiny Homesteads)

[ohio jones]

i’m not sure where the tiny house people are wrt gov regs

It all depends on whether they are site-built, factory-assembled modular units, or factory-built manufactured homes. Any of these can be small (<1000 SF) or tiny (<400 SF), but each category has its own set of building code regulations. At least those are generally uniform within each state, and not wildly different from one state to another; zoning requirements are all over the map.

[temporal1]

i’m not sure where the tiny house people are wrt gov regs

It all depends on whether they are site-built, factory-assembled modular units, or factory-built manufactured homes. Any of these can be small (<1000 SF) or tiny (<400 SF), but each category has its own set of building code regulations. At least those are generally uniform within each state, and not wildly different from one state to another; zoning requirements are all over the map.

i used to nurse a dream of creating a small house, or tiny house, community.
i was originally inspired by the KATRINA COTTAGES:

Katrina Cottage Housing
https://katrinacottagehousing.org/

A dignified alternative to the FEMA trailer.
Safe and affordable homes designed to be more than shelter, Katrina Cottages build communities.

This site is hosted with help from this BlueHost review and provides links to designers and manufacturers who provide plans, kits, modular construction, and/or stick-built construction of Katrina Cottages.

i imagined .. a small subdivision, possibly with shared carports or garages in the rear, common space to gather, inside+out, storage units, basically to add enough space to prevent clutter at each unit. one of the main problems with small homes is storage.

my husband and i even visited with the local zoning guy with Katrina plans, he was not enthusiastic. everything is about bigger+fancier. the idea of homes under 2000 sq ft is not welcome. definitely in my county. we owned some older lots that could have been developed. with all city utilities.

my husband became ill, we did not pursue. my husband died, the bank failures happened, i lost the lots because i couldn’t pay taxes, altho they had been owned without mortgage for many years. i believe those lots are still undeveloped. the taxes are ‘way lower than they were when they were in our names!

it’s our small story of “losing the farm” to taxes. a terrible waste. for what good? we all lost, including the county.
(to note: if there had been a mortgage, the bank would have paid taxes, then i would have paid the bank.)
stranger than fiction.

[barnhart]

Maybe I'm too old to understand the concept, but it seems a little like a vanity project to me. I guess it fits with the propensity toward disposable things that keeps moving into more areas of life. Disposable things are so expensive in the long term.

I build furniture and it pains me too see the money people waste on poor furniture. The most expensive chair is the one in the garbage, all it's costs are realized and cannot be amortized by further use. My parents have the chairs my grandparents bought when they set up house 75 years ago and they still have another 75 years in them.

My grandparents visited the house in Germany left behind by my ancestor in the early 1700's when he emigrated to America. Not only is it still standing, the family name is carved over the front door and a distant cousin still lives there. That is cost effective housing, these disposable mini barn houses are just too expensive no matter how little they cost.

/end rant.

[Ken]

Maybe I'm too old to understand the concept, but it seems a little like a vanity project to me. I guess it fits with the propensity toward disposable things that keeps moving into more areas of life. Disposable things are so expensive in the long term.

I build furniture and it pains me too see the money people waste on poor furniture. The most expensive chair is the one in the garbage, all it's costs are realized and cannot be amortized by further use. My parents have the chairs my grandparents bought when they set up house 75 years ago and they still have another 75 years in them.

My grandparents visited the house in Germany left behind by my ancestor in the early 1700's when he emigrated to America. Not only is it still standing, the family name is carved over the front door and a distant cousin still lives there. That is cost effective housing, these disposable mini barn houses are just too expensive no matter how little they cost.

/end rant.

They are basically limited in size to the footprint of a commercial trailer frame that can be hauled on the highway with a regular full size pickup without special wide load permits, semi tractors, and such. That way they can essentially be built anywhere and then moved anywhere without a lot of permits and fuss other than whatever permissions are required for the location in which they will be sited.

I do get the appeal if one was single and somewhat mobile and looking to really downsize and simplify one's life. But it wouldn't be a functional life for a family of 5 like we have. I expect people do it with kids, but it's like living on a boat or converted school bus. There are a LOT of compromises.

I have a brother who lives on a boat in Alaska. It works for him because he is single. But it might also be why he is still single

[temporal1]

Maybe I'm too old to understand the concept, but it seems a little like a vanity project to me. I guess it fits with the propensity toward disposable things that keeps moving into more areas of life. Disposable things are so expensive in the long term.

I build furniture and it pains me too see the money people waste on poor furniture. The most expensive chair is the one in the garbage, all it's costs are realized and cannot be amortized by further use. My parents have the chairs my grandparents bought when they set up house 75 years ago and they still have another 75 years in them.

My grandparents visited the house in Germany left behind by my ancestor in the early 1700's when he emigrated to America. Not only is it still standing, the family name is carved over the front door and a distant cousin still lives there. That is cost effective housing, these disposable mini barn houses are just too expensive no matter how little they cost.

/end rant.

interesting take. i never thot of it that way, not for myself, anyway.
in some of these, vanity is involved, no doubt. in some, i’ve wondered, how it’s odd that some seem to want to pile in as many high end features as possible, in a tiny space. maybe that’s what you’re thinking about?

however, most seem to be authentically trying to find affordable housing in a very unaffordable world.

i was esp interested in the FEMA Katrina Cottages, because the emphasis was on quality construction that would hold up to very bad weather. i was impressed with their building specs.

i’m interested in the dawdy house concept, i.e., i’d love to think i could manage affordable final years while leaving something of use and value to my family. win-win.

i don’t see much or any difference in what i’m looking for and what you’re describing.
not that i believe everyone is looking at things from my view or yours!

recently, i’ve wondered if this type of construction might become something the Amish might venture into.
in my area, some contractors hire Amish, they commute in for work.

the key is having land/zoning. that’s why we thought of small communities/neighborhoods where some spaces could be shared.
most can do with less space, if they have adequate storage, for seasonal items, tools, parking, etc.

[gcdonner]

Kerry Tarnow / “THE TRUTH About Tesla's $15,000 Tiny House For Sustainable Living / 9min


i have no idea how credible Kerry Tarnow is, but, i would anticipate there is no actual “$10,000” ultra-nifty prefab tiny home. Interesting video.

how i wish there were some fabulous inexpensive practical options - - that would be acceptable to local building codes.

finding a location that permits smaller building footprints is a major stumbling block.

Here in Tennessee, tiny houses are the latest fad. I know of at least 3 that were installed in the last year within 10 miles of me. No building permits required for under 10,000sq ft. If you own your land, you can do what you want with it...

[RZehr]

Here in Tennessee, tiny houses are the latest fad. I know of at least 3 that were installed in the last year within 10 miles of me. No building permits required for under 10,000sq ft. If you own your land, you can do what you want with it...

Do you know if people are actually living in them full time or not?

[temporal1]

Here in Tennessee, tiny houses are the latest fad. I know of at least 3 that were installed in the last year within 10 miles of me. No building permits required for under 10,000sq ft. If you own your land, you can do what you want with it...

Do you know if people are actually living in them full time or not?

pictures?

[gcdonner]

Here in Tennessee, tiny houses are the latest fad. I know of at least 3 that were installed in the last year within 10 miles of me. No building permits required for under 10,000sq ft. If you own your land, you can do what you want with it...

Do you know if people are actually living in them full time or not?

Yes, they live in them year round mostly, though I suspect some may just be weekenders. I will get some pictures to post. These are log cabin style, except for one which is actually a camper with a total surround to include a porch. BTW, that one is for sale right now...

[Josh]

Kerry Tarnow / “THE TRUTH About Tesla's $15,000 Tiny House For Sustainable Living / 9min


i have no idea how credible Kerry Tarnow is, but, i would anticipate there is no actual “$10,000” ultra-nifty prefab tiny home. Interesting video.

how i wish there were some fabulous inexpensive practical options - - that would be acceptable to local building codes.

finding a location that permits smaller building footprints is a major stumbling block.

Where I live, you can build absolutely anything you want regardless of size. If you want to live in a mini barn you can.

$10,000 doesn’t buy much of a mini barn or even a carport these days.