Tiny Houses with a BIG Problem

Not all things in the tiny house community is tiny. Sometimes problems are very large. Here is a great example of what happens when things go wrong. Very wrong, in a big way...

Picture Property of Washington City Paper 

D.C.’s tiny houses are the architectural equivalent of that perfect couple you used to envy on Facebook: ultraphotogenic, cultured (they hosted a series of one-act plays last month), and so much quirkier and more interesting than anything going on in your bloated apartment. But now the status has flipped: The tiny houses are divorcing.

click here for the rest of the story

Read this too (this was in the comment section of the article):

Elaine Walker • 5 months ago

I'm the owner of the fourth house mentioned in your article "a fourth house briefly sat on the lot in 2013, but the owner was rarely around and eventually moved the trailer," and it's my tiny house that you've chosen to feature as the photo for your article, the white one with red trim. Pera's house is to the left with the uneven siding and Austin's house is to the right with the charred siding. Levy's house is not shown.

I felt betrayed in my experience at Boneyard Studios, too. When my parents needed some help, I moved from California to Florida to be with them. I offered the folks at Boneyard the use of my house to help promote the tiny house movement while I was unable to live in it. They agreed, and while Pera was building her house, her builder often stayed in my house. Once he moved on to other projects, the folks at Boneyard asked me to move my house off the lot, saying that is was "a bit too small to be useful" to them and they wanted to use the land for something else. I was very surprised and disappointed, as I had thought my house was a permanent part of the tiny community and I had hoped to retire there. I hadn't paid anything for land rental, but neither had Pera's builder paid me for staying in the house. I offered to start contributing to the common expenses but my offer wasn't accepted. Getting the house off the lot was difficult, as their hot tub had to be moved, along with debris that had been piled up by Pera and her builder behind and under my tiny house. In addition, Austin and Pera wanted my house moved only during a weekday and only when they could be present. It was a complicated, expensive, unpleasant endeavor. Had I known my house would only be welcome there for a few months, I wouldn't have brought it there at all. Yet, it's often used as the feature image for articles about Boneyard Studios.

My tiny house is now in an RV park in Florida where it is well loved and cared for by a friend living in it at no charge from me (just paying the RV park owner lot his rent), to help others see that tiny living is possible.

I wish Pera, Austin, and Levy success and happier tiny times. Living tiny, to me, is about more than reducing consumption and use of resources. It's about living in harmony with the planet and each other. Small mindedness is not compatible. It will take big, generous, wise hearts to turn the tide of greed and selfishness that have become so prevalent in America, toward living with a spirit of self-reliance, cooperation, and using only what we need. For inspiration, I'd like to share with you the "My Own Tiny Home, the Tiny House Song".http://tinyhousesong.com/

Tiny House Homestead Podcast #21

" If people only read about the butterflies and rainbows of Tiny House living (like we did, before we started our build), they will not have enough information to make an educated decision about whether or not building a tiny house on wheels is a good idea or not."   -- Casey Friday

Come along and let's discuss some of the problems of tiny houses. Not everything tiny is ideal. Welcome to Tiny House Homestead.

Check out this episode!

Read why John decided to give up on living in a tiny house here:

https://gungy.livejournal.com/124355.html

I believe that people start with the best of intentions, but communal living has proven time and time again not to work. There are lots of folks in the world, but not one of them is exactly like us. This means we will encounter conflict and those who have not-so-good intentions. Boneyard Studios, a tiny house community in Washington DC, is a great example of a slowly imploding communal living arrangement. Read the cautionary tail of Boneyard Studios here:

http://boneyardstudios.org/2015/03/20/what-happened-with-boneyard-studios/

Casey Friday and his wife had their tiny house stolen. Read why they have decided to abandon their dream of a tiny house and move on to new dreams: 

https://caseyfriday.com/2014/12/end-of-an-era-our-tiny-house-was-stolen/

Book Review How To Decorate The Tiny House

Anyone who has ever lived in a small space knows that in addition to the difficulty of just fitting all of your possessions into a small space, decorating it can be just as tough. Color and pattern has a large impact on not just how the room appears, but how we feel about the space we live in. Clutter can lead to a feeling of anxiety and discontentment, while certain colors can bring out emotions like anger and sadness. Andrew Odom of  Tiny R(e)volution, a site dedicated to those who wish to live the tiny lifestyle, has released an ebook entitled How to Decorate A Tiny House. The book is packed with tips and tricks for comfortably living in a dwelling of small space. Storage, furniture, and even what colors to paint and decorate with are covered in this handy 48 page ebook. Right now the book is on sale for $2 and will then list at $4.95. I purchased it at the sale price, but I would purchase it at the regular price too as it did have some valuable information. Even if you just live in a small house or apartment, the instruction into putting it all together is worth more. If you are someone who does or is planning to move into a very small space, I highly recommend you read this book. The sale price on this book is good from November 5 until November 8, or until the 100 copies they allotted sell out.

Do you have any tips or tricks for decorating a small space you would care to share with others? Feel free to share them in the comments. Happy decorating!

200 Things Challenge - What is Your Relationship with Things

Within the Tiny House movement is the 100 Thing Challenge. It didn't start in the Tiny House community, but many within it decided it made sense and paid if forward by sharing it with others. It quickly took on a life of its own simply because the size of a Tiny House forces one to reevaluate all their possessions, to determine what is most important, and what is superfluous. Eventually the challenge was increased to 200 Things, but the intent is the same: Choose what you own carefully and don't bring anything in without taking something out. 

Certain types of possessions take priority over others. These are items that can do double-duty, be used in more than one way, take precedence over items such as purely decorative ones. A library of books can be stored in one e-book. Laptops replace desktops. No longer is there a walk in closet full of clothes, but a wisely chosen wardrobe of key pieces that can be mixed and matched. There are countless other ways to eliminate unneeded belongings.  Lina, over at her blog This is The Little Life, recently looked back over her 200 Thing Challenge and wrote about her experience:  

"I’ve found that My 200 Things Challenge has made me a better minimalist. I am less attached to my possessions, but more pleased with the things with which I surround myself. I am more likely to loan something out. I am less worried about wearing something out because there’s a new excitement about acquiring something new. I am more likely to decorate with fresh flowers or fall squash. I only wear clothing that I feel comfortable in. I own few possessions that I don’t use on a daily, weekly, or at least monthly basis. I don’t have to shuffle things around as much to get to the other things I need. I no longer own things that frustrate me because they are broken because I have repaired, replaced, or purged them. I am more particular about what I allow into my home, which means I no longer take something just because it was free. I am more likely to consider whether or not I really need something before I acquire it. I am more likely to get rid of something I’m waffling about. But most importantly, I give less attention to my stuff and more attention to my experiences."

Lina offers workshops in Portland for those who are interested in how to go about participating in the challenge, but most can undertake it on their own. Here are some things to think about if you want to downsize: 

• What is the most important thing you own?

• What clothing must you have vs what is just hanging in a closet or stuffed in drawers?

• If you don't love it, leave it.

• What can you fit into technology (Books, photos, documents, etc.)

• How will you store all your items?

• Can items fill more than one role?

• How big is the footprint of the item? 

Living in a tiny house and living the Tiny House lifestyle comfortably requires thought and consideration. It is most certainly and adjustment, but I have yet to hear of anyone who was disappointed by their choice. If you are considering downsizing, you can begin preparing long before you move. 

What is one item you would never part with, even if you lived in a tiny house? 

The Tiny House Movement and Merits of Downsizing

A great article on why folks are downsizing and the tiny house movement is growing. I thought you may enjoy this article By Tom Howser

People are talking about the tiny house movement. What is it? Is it small houses that are being moved down the street to tiny lots? Is it a political movement? This movement is all about a segment of society that states that people are downsizing the space or spaces that they live in.

If you haven't heard of it, the tiny house movement is a growing trend and not just a fad. It's been featured on network television all over the world. What makes the tiny movement so big, and what determines what a small home is? The average house in America is just less than 3,000 square feet in size. Tiny houses are built with the focus on smaller simplified living so they average around 400 to 500 square feet at the most. Some small houses are very tiny, at around 65 square feet.

But Why the Movement toward Downsizing Houses?

This movement is all about efficiency, saving natural resources, and saving the environment. People who have been concerned about these factors in society have been very concerned at the amount of natural resources (and accompanying waste) that's generated every time a standard size home is built.

And if you include all the resources that go into maintaining older standard size houses, a good argument can be made that the old adage of "Bigger is better" is not better anymore. For example: If a tiny home of about 200 square feet is built in remote areas away from sprawling cities, the house leaves virtually no impact or carbon footprint on the natural environment around it. And in many areas small houses are using solar panels for their energy source.

Smaller Homes Are Economically Friendly Too

When you consider many automobiles today cost over $50,000, it's easy to see the economic value in getting involved in the tiny house movement. Small homes or houses can cost as little as $37,000 if you buy a pre-fabricated or pre-built one. If you build it yourself you'll save a lot more.

A lot of people think that buying a tiny home means living in a cardboard box or something like that. Not so. Because the cost of a tiny house is so low, builders can focus on higher quality building materials that are more energy-efficient and last longer than materials used in traditional home building.

The small house movement is also providing an affordable means of home ownership to people whose homes were destroyed during hurricanes in the southeastern U.S. in the past ten years. Some people whose houses were completely demolished could not afford to rebuild, or they did not have sufficient insurance coverage to rebuild the home they had before. So tiny homes provide a comfortable and safe life for them.

Downsizing to Simple Housing Is the Answer for Some

There are some people who have not been affected by natural disasters or financial meltdowns. They simply want to join the movement because for a lot of people in today's hectic society, simplicity is king. Many people in society during the last few decades have found themsOptionselves working long work weeks and getting little time off, only to spend that time constantly maintaining a large house that they hardly ever spent any time in. Although small homes will always be just that, the tiny house movement is growing into something big.

Tom Howser writes about small houses as well as reducing one's carbon footprint and living a sustainable lifestyle.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Howser

Bummer in the Boonies

This morning I woke up to my usual routine of making  a list of all I need to remember to accomplish today. I am a teacher and if I don't follow this routine I get caught up in all the action of the 6th grade and forget to do many things. I added buying Halloween treats to my list this morning and it hit me: In the boonies there will be no trick-or-treaters. How sad is that? In my neighborhood right now I have a ton of trick-or-treaters knocking on my door for their annual batch of sweets and treats. In the boonies my land is too far out and other houses too spread out to have little super heros, Dora's, Princesses, and ghosts running up the drive in excitement of just what sugar-laden surprise might await them.

This is the first time I have considered some of the sad parts are living in the boonies. I will miss decorated houses for the holidays. I am sure folks out in the boonies decorate, but our houses are too far apart and on the streets that surround my property there are only 3 other houses, each about a quarter mile apart. The block parties to popular here in the suburbs will be no more. This is the bittersweet part of living in the middle of nowhere.

I do have some tiny LED Christmas lights that are battery operated to use in decorating my tiny house around Yule and I am sure I will find small trinkets to continue to decorate for the holidays, but being as isolated as I am these will most likely only be seen by me. I guess I will just have to shift to putting together a special treats package for my granddaughter and getting it to her via the mail a few days before major holidays. Thank goodness for Skype.


Do you think you would miss these suburban and urban traditions? Would you continue to decorate your home for different holidays if you were most likely the only one to see the decorations?

Living Day to Day in a Tiny Home RowdyKittens Style

www.MotherEarthNews.com

An article has been published in the June/July 2013 copy of Mother Earth News which covers an interview with Tammy and Logan Strobel about their experiences living in their tiny home. It is a good peek into the challenges and triumphs of living in a tiny house.

www.RowdyKittens.com

 To read the article, click on the Mother Earth tree logo to the left. You can also read the RowdyKitten blog by clicking on the RowsdyKittens tiny house logo to the right. When you visit their site, be sure watch their slideshow for some great pics of their place. Enjoy!

Kitchen Spices, Tiny House Style

In my pantry I have many, many spices. I have spent a good deal of money acquiring all the different spices that allow me to be a diverse and creative cook and parting with them would be a sad affair indeed. However, living in a tiny house does not have to mean Goulash, soups, or stews every night for dinner. However storing large jars of spices just will not be practical. I do not want to sacrifice the spice variety or the precious storage space so I searched for the perfect compromise. After poking around on Pinterest and the web, I think I found a clever and practical solution. I will continue to cook great and tasty meals in the cozy comfort of my hand-built paradise.