I haven’t posted a write up on this yet because I havn’t found enough answers to form a solid opinion but it looks like some communities in California might be totally open to this kind of addition to an existing property. Other communities have made it really had to add these types of spaces and I suspect my next suggestion is exactly the reason why

You see if homeowners could add an in-law unit to their backyard for grandma then why couldn’t they also add one and then rent it out?

By the same token why couldn’t a home owner built a tiny house on a trailer, pull it into their backyard, take the wheels off, place it on a foundation, and get it permitted as an inlaw unit?

I’m certain the issue for most communities is they don’t want to see an explosion of apartments in people’s backyards. But other communities seem to be more open and make it easier.

So here’s the real suggestion… and I’ll continue to do some digging too… find some nearby communities and counties that don’t make it nearly impossible to add ADUs. Research the legal stuff and then begin looking for people who might like the idea of a little backyard house side rental income. Build a tiny house cheap and then move in.

This might at first sound like a long shot but I suspect that you might find a lot of people interested in the possibility. The logistics might be a little tough, but for someone determined and clever an inexpensive tiny house might actually have some real hope even in cost and zoning prohibitive California.

Here are some links on the subject I’ve found:

http://www.abag.ca.gov/planning/housingneeds/secondunits.html

http://www.housingpolicy.org/toolbox/strategy/policies/diverse_housing_types.html?tierid=42

http://www.transcoalition.org/ia/acssdwel/03.html

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/01-02/bill/asm/ab_1851-1900/ab_1866_bill_20020929_chaptered.html

However, I adore every aspect of the Micro Compact Home outside Moma which fits my lifetstyle better ie: no cooking and lots of modern touch: I work from home on the net. I’d rather have a home like a Tumbleweed or a Tiny Texas, but hate the thought of sacrificing that much of my space to a kitchen or even one folksy touch.

My largest issue is living in California (which could be rephrased as ‘feeling trapped in the Gay Ghetto’ based on my experiences elsewhere in the USA, sadly) where land is at a premium + pesky neighborhood codes. I’m still hoping to be able to park in a friend’s back yard someday, like that one woman in the Tumbleweed video. Also, as someone not quite 5′ tall, MANY of these are perfect for me! As soon as I can get the 20 extra bucks I am sending away for all the Tumbleweed plans- and one last thing? I love the weehouse concept, but here in hardcore urban areas, those wide open glass walls are just not even an option as far as safety.

Thanks so much for listening, I certainly do get lonely in my passions!

Which leads me to then speculate on the true value of tiny house design and tiny houses in general… which I’m beginning to believe is really how well they illustrate how little or much we need. They help us see our homes through different eyes and help us question what we need and want. At least that’s what it does for me.

My current home, which I’m essentially stuck in, feels like a nice size, maybe a little bigger than we need, but I know for certain its more than I want to take care of, and it takes a lot more of my time than I expected. Exploring tiny living is helping me design my true dream home, one Julia, Katie and I would be happy in for many years.