# Tiny Homes



## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

Has anyone else looked into the concept? I'm just finishing up graduate school in the next year, and I'm finding tiny homes to be an attractive permanent living option for after I graduate. They could also serve as a pretty sweet bugout location. 

Costs are low from direct costs like mortgages, etc to others like bills to heat or cool. It would also allow a massive redirection of funds into preps and debt payment.


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## medudeman259 (Mar 5, 2013)

i read about a 16 year old (maybe 18 or 20 even) building a small home on a trailer so he wouldn't have a mortgage, built it like a small 2 story house, first floor being kitchen, living space and the second level a bedroom like area spanning just under half the size of the first floor
personally i like that idea but i personally like the idea of building my own but thats just me


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

You will quickly outgrow a tiny house especially if you're storing your preps in it. My suggestion would be find a place you can add on to if the smaller homes interest you. If you can't put an addition on the house you will eventually have to sell it to buy a bigger house. If you're thinking of this as a starter home with the expectation of having to buy or build a bigger place later than you should be ok with a smaller home.

-Infidel


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## Mesozoic Survivalist (Mar 24, 2013)

pharmer14 said:


> Has anyone else looked into the concept? I'm just finishing up graduate school in the next year, and I'm finding tiny homes to be an attractive permanent living option for after I graduate. They could also serve as a pretty sweet bugout location.
> 
> Costs are low from direct costs like mortgages, etc to others like bills to heat or cool. It would also allow a massive redirection of funds into preps and debt payment.


This is something I've given quite a lot of browsing time to and efforts in to figuring out how to make it work. It's certainly a worthwhile project. What kind of links have you encountered so far?


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Tiny Texas Houses | Building the Future with the Past

Here is a link to a place that I stopped by and took a look at these cool little creations. I think as a single guy and with a minimalist lifestyle, it would be great.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

This is a little OT for you, but when I got married, settled down so to speak, and decided we could afford a home we did what many do; visited the bank. We filled out aps to get "pre qualified" and all that. We were told we had the proper down payment, credit and income to support a $150,000 mortgage (1993). I kept showing my wife properties that were under a $100k and she kept looking at one's that were $200k. She knew she could work her dad for a little extra down payment - but to me that would be a debt to her father and I also wanted to live below our means. We ended up with an $89k condo and a monthly payment well below our abilities = savings.

The one time I didn't do this is when we found a new subdivision that was going like hot patatos. We ordered up the big one, the biggest, and paid all the money. Fortunately we sold it in 2004 and make $120k in two years tax free.



pharmer14 said:


> Has anyone else looked into the concept? I'm just finishing up graduate school in the next year, and I'm finding tiny homes to be an attractive permanent living option for after I graduate. They could also serve as a pretty sweet bugout location.
> 
> Costs are low from direct costs like mortgages, etc to others like bills to heat or cool. It would also allow a massive redirection of funds into preps and debt payment.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

I wouldn't mind a tiny house as long as it had a huge basement for my toys.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Back on topic, I think the idea of a "home" out of one of those 8-20 or 8/24 storage containers is an awesome gig, but they companies doing that professionally are killing it by demanding so much - I guess they can't make a hole bunch without the huge mark up. Still a reasonable amount of "home work" and you can turn a $2500 container into a nice house - and even bury it


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

Ripon said:


> Back on topic, I think the idea of a "home" out of one of those 8-20 or 8/24 storage containers is an awesome gig, but they companies doing that professionally are killing it by demanding so much - I guess they can't make a hole bunch without the huge mark up. Still a reasonable amount of "home work" and you can turn a $2500 container into a nice house - and even bury it


Yeah my model would be to build a tiny home on the surface out of traditional building suplies, and then invest in the bunker/basement. To me, as a single guy, it's perfect. If you put it in the right place, you can then go purchase a more traditional home and use the tiny home with a bunker as a BOL.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

My wife and I live in a 960 sq ft (24ft X 40ft)home, 3 bedroom 1&1/2 bath, and it's not big enough. Small homes may look do-able when they are empty, but put some basic furniture in there and you run out of room quick.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

You ever been to ikea? You can do a lot in a little space. Its cheap(ly) built but it works.



rice paddy daddy said:


> My wife and I live in a 960 sq ft (24ft X 40ft)home, 3 bedroom 1&1/2 bath, and it's not big enough. Small homes may look do-able when they are empty, but put some basic furniture in there and you run out of room quick.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Tiny homes are built with most furnishings built in. They are the ultimate in minimal living. My home is just over 1460 sq ft with three bedrooms and two baths. Once completed the garage and shop will almost double the area. We have plenty of room with three of us living here and a spare room for friends or family when they come to visit. Still, it was a big change from the 2700 sq ft that we moved from.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

You don't need much to live on. A small piece of land or low cost destroyed home etc.. is more than enough for a trailer, off grid electric and some heating. You can do something up for less than a months wages.


I envy you guys in the states who have access to all year above freezing weather... something like that a piece of land and trailer is enough to live on. No park needed.

municipal bylaws aside. Big homes have big costs.. another option is a boat but they cost way more to upkeep than some peice of land.

Its all about where you are getting your money from. You can survive on next to no income, aside from tax costs if you set yourself up for it.

Lots of people have the maxim bigger is better the more money the more spending the more success in life. 

Its all what you want in life. You don't even need the trailer, people like creature comforts though.

If SHTF and you are living the same way you would in a bugout not much adaption required.

Society expects more from people for respect though, imo. Personally I don't see it that way, but I think that is the way most people tied into mainstream society see it.

That is in part what divides us from the third world.


Mobile home is the lowest cost option for stuff, you can find a used one for sometimes less than $2000, some of them in drivable shape. they have fridge, stove, and other items, bed, etc.. all the basic things you need.

Anyone who has been a student in a dorm, you are basically living out of a mobile sized thing anyway, not much adaption required.

If you do get married have a family ect you then have something for camping or bug out...

none the less.. I was on a toss up between a cheap place and an RV.. so 4 years ago I got the cheap place for under $10,000, which I've now paid off more or less, this year I've picked up a trailer (although I paid way more for what it is than I could have, I could have got a winnibago for $1000 less ($2500 it would have been around the same cost after gas to bring it to my place, etc..) none the less the trailer was in town, so now I'll be reinforcing the trailer... which will hopefully be movable in an emergency with a little work as it will probably be sitting stationary for some time. .. none the less now I'm going to turn my cheap house into a greenhouse, and animal house, root cellar and emergency bomb shelter/well area. My garage will probably continue being used more or less in that capacity but can be converted into a stable, animal area and the shed can be used as a coop area. Meanwhile I'm hopefully going to be good with turning the trailer into a bedroom area with a bathroom and kitchenette area really close by. It should keep me busy for a couple more years.. I do want to get an RV but that will have to wait... as I chose a trailer over an RV because it was in town. 


Its all about support for your job.


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

Our first house was a former summer boat house on a lake, once owned by a family that owned a small plantation. The house was only 1000 square feet inside, but it sat right on the water's edge, and we fell in love with it - a little cabin in the woods. It was framed out of rough sawn pecky cypress, which was incredibly sturdy framing. We were students then, and it was all the house we needed at first. It had been owned by an older couple as a weekend place, and it was in rough shape. Never buy a house owned by old people -- they cannot keep up with the maintenance. I basically had to strip the house to the studs and joists - completely rewired it, new plumbing, new septic, new HVAC. I put Canadian white pine tongue and groove planking, mounted horizontally, on all the walls after I ripped the dark old cheap wood paneling down - the place looked like a Swiss chalet inside - the white knotty pine was gorgeous. I rebuilt the entire staircase with #1 grade heart pine treads and risers to match the walls. It took me three years to finish it all, nights and weekends. I wore myself completely out.... 

Later on, I built a very large storage shed on flat ground above the house by myself, although my wife helped me out a little when I needed a third hand. It was 20' x 40' - made of T-111 plywood siding, and 2''x6" walls. I even shingled the roof myself. I stick built the entire structure, and I had the time of my life building it. I parked all my toys and equipment in it, so we could use the house as a house, and the shed was basically an enclosed garage/workshop.

I liked living in a small house, but we quickly outgrew it once we both started our careers. Sometimes I kinda miss the simplicity of that little lake-house cabin in the woods.

When I finally sold it, I doubled my money on the house, so it launched us forward in our homeowner's equity quest. Living in a small house is really a much simpler life.


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## JPARIZ (Feb 25, 2013)

When I came home after Vietnam I bought a pickup & travel trailer & lived in it. In northern CA I stayed on the beach & state park campgrounds for quite some time. Loved every minute of it. Since I didn't have a mortgage or rent to pay it didn't take long before I had more than enough for a decent down payment on a house.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

Yeah I don't know if anyone else has thought of this, but when I started prepping, I found myself realizing just how much crap we collect that doesn't serve much of a purpose. I could easily be living the same lifestyle as I am now in a home of under 200 square feet. It actually makes me glad that I'm renting my current home and not a homeowner yet. 90% of my home would go unused if I didn't have roommates. 

Preps could easily be stored in an underground bunker either added to the basement/foundation or elsewhere on the property, which would wipe out the initial cost difference, but think of the bills... you can heat 100 square feet exclusively with a small wood stove. Installing a tankless water heater would save tons of space. You could use a gas range to cut back electricity demands. I'd be willing to bet that most tiny homes could be powered exclusively with renewable resources like wind and solar if it was done right.


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## Rigged for Quiet (Mar 3, 2013)

If choosing a tiny home my suggestion is find an RV that has mechanical problems. It comes complete with a 12V/propane kitchen, lighting system, fridge, AC, and heat. Heck, it even has a plumbing system, bathroom, shower, and water pump. Strip it of it's systems and rig a solar/wind system to a battery bank and...Voila!

RV suppliers even sell 12V blenders, coffee makers, etc. Add an inverter and you have the best of all worlds.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Building codes. Many area required minimum square feet. Even here in the country it must be 1260 .
So you better check where you plan to build one


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

We've been in the same house for almost 30 years. Raised two kids here. 750 square feet. Don't need anything bigger. 
That's the difference between want and need.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

StarPD45 said:


> We've been in the same house for almost 30 years. Raised two kids here. 750 square feet. Don't need anything bigger.
> That's the difference between want and need.


Good for you! I also look at it as a way to flip my financial situation next year. My program carries significan debt. It's more debt than many people take on in a mortgage. Going tiny will help it all come out in the wash at the end of the day.


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

pharmer14 said:


> Good for you! I also look at it as a way to flip my financial situation next year. My program carries significan debt. It's more debt than many people take on in a mortgage. Going tiny will help it all come out in the wash at the end of the day.


My grandmother (RIP) used to tell me "The choices you make when you are young are the decisions you must live with when you get older." Sounds to me like you are making a good decision, by sacrificing some comfort and space now in order to get out of debt and move forward without having a bank to deal with your whole life.... Good luck with your plans!


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The "Tiny Homes" are 8' x 15' (120 sq. ft.) have a kitchen, bath, laundry, living area and sleeping loft. They run about $25000 for a completed "Tiny Home" but you can buy them in kit form for less, have then mounted on a trailer chassis or put them on a foundation.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

Meangreen said:


> Tiny Texas Houses | Building the Future with the Past
> 
> Here is a link to a place that I stopped by and took a look at these cool little creations. I think as a single guy and with a minimalist lifestyle, it would be great.


great link MG! Thanks for posting it. Really good detail too.
The last time I went to SE Asia I saw how little people had to live on and soon realized I had way too much stuff and I live to pay for stuff so I became a minimalist of sorts. Even my storage for my business includes stuff I don't use that I have probably paid for many times over in storage fees. Now if I can't make money with it, I don't buy it. And I am still reducing the clutter. My problem is I don't throw nothing away. I weld, therefore, I am.

punch


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## longrider (Mar 25, 2013)

Pharmer14, if you go tiny or at least small, you can always build on. Do the some of the finish work yourself, and save more. I think you're right to go smaller and get out from under your school debt. I have friends that live in a morton building. I have other friends that live above their horse stable where they do training. Until they get better established, they are doing well in their cozy home.
I think we think too much of "keeping up with the Jones' " , rather than what we need. I have a 1200 sq ft home and it's more than I need, but the extra bedroom gives me food storage area. Good luck with your choice.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

longrider said:


> Pharmer14, if you go tiny or at least small, you can always build on. Do the some of the finish work yourself, and save more. I think you're right to go smaller and get out from under your school debt. I have friends that live in a morton building. I have other friends that live above their horse stable where they do training. Until they get better established, they are doing well in their cozy home.
> I think we think too much of "keeping up with the Jones' " , rather than what we need. I have a 1200 sq ft home and it's more than I need, but the extra bedroom gives me food storage area. Good luck with your choice.


Thanks for the support! I've still got a bit over a year to simmer on the options. I will be a bit of a nomad for the next 13 months or so, and have no idea where I'll end up at the end.

I will definitely continue to research it though and try to keep my options open.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

punch said:


> great link MG! Thanks for posting it. Really good detail too.
> The last time I went to SE Asia I saw how little people had to live on and soon realized I had way too much stuff and I live to pay for stuff so I became a minimalist of sorts. Even my storage for my business includes stuff I don't use that I have probably paid for many times over in storage fees. Now if I can't make money with it, I don't buy it. And I am still reducing the clutter. My problem is I don't throw nothing away. I weld, therefore, I am.
> 
> punch


I'm doing the same thing and I'm really reducing the clutter and not buying "stuff." I think it's out of boredom and maybe a self reward impulse to buy myself something.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

Im well pleased alone in 957 sq feet. 2 bedroom. but i find if i had a second person in my home like a husband, Id need more room- like 1500 sq ft.


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## pharmer14 (Oct 27, 2012)

shotlady said:


> Im well pleased alone in 957 sq feet. 2 bedroom. but i find if i had a second person in my home like a husband, Id need more room- like 1500 sq ft.


hahaha.... less is more... I live in a massive house with 2 roommates. They both have significant others within driving distance, so I am alone most of the time. This house is WAY bigger than what I need at this point in my life. A smaller home would be much easier to manage, and allow me to shift my priorities and prep more.


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