If you’ve been following the very slow progress I’ve been not making on my Tiny Free House you’ll be happy to know we’re preparing to move it from the family farm to our home near Sacramento. Having it on my side yard, and not over an hour away, will make getting the house finished much easier.
My next steps are to clear away some scrubby little trees that are in the way and level the ground where my pallet house will sit. I also need to replace the coupler on the trailer because it’s broken, as wells as finish closing the exterior of the house in with scrap plywood. I may also add some temporary bracing to the house to ensure it doesn’t fly apart on the road. We’ll be taking farm roads most of the way, with one little hop onto highway 99 to cross the Sacramento River, but I suspect we’ll be able to keep it at sub-freeway speeds the whole way without trouble.
Below is a rough sketch I did to see what it will look like on my side yard, between my house and my neighbor’s house. At about 13-feet tall it’s actually taller than my flat roofed 1970′s home. If you’re surprised that a tiny house blogger and designer still lives in a bigger house be sure to read this article about me and tiny houses in the New York Times. To learn more about why I blog about tiny houses, read this recent interview with Tammy at RowdyKittens.
Update: Plans have changed and the farm did not have to sold-off completely. While only 2 acres remain, but it’s still the perfect place to leave the Tiny Free House.
I like the idea about a smaller house and the economic and ecological benefits. However, you might find “economy of scale” to be your friend.
In your 80 sq. ft. house you did not have a washing machine. That means you have to have a nearby source that can provide this service. Regardless, going out to do clothes is not fun and it can be a down right negative. Time spent doing laundry at home could be more productive. While the clothes are washing you can do other things. If you have to “drive” to the laundry mat and do clothes, you are being as productive as you can be in that situation, but not as productive as you could be. Sure you can hang your clothes on a line, we did when I was a kid, but not that much fun in the winter or when it was raining. A washing machine is a must have.
Small house, less storage. Good to a point. I know going to the market everyday is so European, but in the middle of a storm, do you want to have to travel to the market or go everyday anyway? If your “refer”(Navy slang) only holds a quart of milk, maybe you should just give up dairy. And just when you think you are going to go to town and do it all, aren’t you spending a whole day doing everything you could in less time if you stayed home.
Basically, 400-600 sq. ft. would probably be a better option. Go to any house with a 450 sq.ft. garage and redraw the plan. A small kitchen, with storage for a week, a full sized refer. A washing machine. Believe me, after 80 sq. ft. 400 sq. ft. will feel like a McMansion.
Hi Mike,
I agree with you completely. There is no one size fits all and a lot really depends on lifestyle, number of occupants, how they use the space, and location. I think the main benefit of tiny houses is that they remind us that less is more sustainable, costs less, and can empower us. It’s our choices that often place the most load on us.
Thanks!
-Michael
Assuming one already has suitable land, the thing that is most needed today is a turn-key solar and and/or self-sustaining house of about 800 sq feet–simple, efficient, built–completely. There is such a wild of packages and notions out there that require such diverse expertise to pull off, the whole thing is maddening. Why can’t someone streamline a house, prefab it in a “factory”, bring it to your (foundation) site and build the thing???? Tweaked for different climates. In so many instances the actual price of an alternative house is unknown. If such a thing exists already, please let me know. I think this is one thing that is retarding alternative housing in this country. The market is full but it is a jaded wilderness: too many choices often end up being no choice at all.