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800 Sq. Ft. Solar Home For Sale


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This is Jacqueline Mallegni’s 800 sq. ft. solar home for sale in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

The contemporary adobe home sits on 10 acres of wide-open New Mexican landscape with views from custom-made windows of the Cerro Pedernal, Jemez and Sangre de Christo mountain ranges. But this tiny home isn’t only beautiful – it runs on passive solar exposure making it eco-friendly and off-the-grid.

Two water catchment cisterns, as well as a 1,200-gallon cistern, pump the open-floor-plan house with water. Step through the colonial dutch doors to see a propane stove, hot water heater, mini-refrigerator and even a tub. WiFi access and a wood burning stove combine new technology with the old and provide all the luxury of the 21st century with the peace of mind that accompanies self-sufficiency.

Best of all? If you’re interested you can buy it! The asking price is $187,000. (Sold)

800 Sq. Ft. Solar Home

800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 01

Related: 613 Sq. Ft. Small House in the Woods of Sweden

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Related: Family of 5 Living in 850 Sq. Ft. Small House!

800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 04 800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 05 800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 06

Related: 1020 Sq. Ft. Small House with a Garage

800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 07 800 Sq. Ft. Solar Artist Retreat For Sale 08

Learn more: http://new-mexico-artists-retreat.blogspot.com/

Related: The Accidental Small Houser’s Transition into a Small Home

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 34 comments… add one }
  • Deadrock
    February 5, 2016, 11:52 am

    Debated whether to make my comment, then saw those that came in from Facebook, so I guess I’ll toss in my $0.02.

    Read the flattering build up, then saw the pictures. Oy. Vey.

    • Matt
      February 5, 2016, 12:02 pm

      Lol I agree

  • Janp
    February 5, 2016, 1:01 pm

    Me too!

  • Terry
    February 5, 2016, 1:09 pm

    I do grow weary of people who make negative comments regarding the homes shown on this site. My mother always said if you have nothing nice to say, keep your mouth shut. That applies to keyboards as well. Remember this is someone’s home and they are offering to share it. Put the shoe on the other foot. How would you like to be assaulted with negative comments about your home?
    As the owner/artist says “Ideal for the right person who is longing for solitude, tranquility and wide open spaces.”
    This is home is well built, set in a splendid setting and caters to the owner’s tastes and lifestyle. It is an artist’s retreat.
    As for the outhouse, it is an out building for “The solar array and mechanical shed are located 150 feet from the house.”
    And from the website, you see a rather luxurious bath IN the house.
    Thank you Jacqueline and good luck with the sale of your home and acreage.

    • Deadrock
      February 5, 2016, 1:37 pm

      Of course, then there are those people who forget that anyone who posts anything on the ‘net is basically inviting any comments that anyone wants to make. It’s the internet, for heaven’s sake, not a church social. Delicate snowflakes that can’t take even mild criticism need not apply. It’s not like anyone made a death threat, for crying out loud. They offered an opinion, to which they are entitled, and offered it on a forum that invites said opinions. I, for one, am tired of people who feel they need to defend the home owners who took the risk of negative feedback when they asked someone to advertise their hoped-for real estate transaction for free.

      Does it ever occur to the defenders that a plethora of unflattering comments might be very useful in determining why it’s taking so long to rent/sell their property?

      • chivaswolf
        February 6, 2016, 10:40 am

        While risk of negative comments is a fact, why would any decent human EXPECT negativity – just because it’s basically confidential (hidden, secret) when posted on the internet. When we started the ‘Net’ it was with Bulletin Boards and everyone was known and helpful. Many ideas grew into successful companies by sharing. Send critiques quietly through email and don’t bully by posting on forums and blogs.

        • Alex
          February 6, 2016, 10:55 am

          Agreed, let’s be encouraging, respectful, helpful, otherwise I’ll just hit the delete button!

  • Trish
    February 5, 2016, 1:40 pm

    I love the outside of this house, but not the inside. Again, this is all a matter of personal preference and shouldn’t be used to bash the owner.
    I’m sure that if you posted a house on this site you wouldn’t get all positive remarks either. Be thankful that people want to sure their tiny homes with you and inspire you to build one in the future.

    • Deadrock
      February 5, 2016, 1:49 pm

      I agree completely, Trish. And I don’t believe anyone here has bashed the owner – just expressed a (mild) opinion on the home/decor/price. “Boy, that is one fugly house!” is a lot different than “Who was the idiot who decided THAT looked good?!” Not once have I ever heard anyone on this site say anything personal about the home owners – just offered their take on the home itself. Which is the raison d’etre of this site, right?

  • Sgmaps
    February 5, 2016, 2:06 pm

    I agree with Deadrock completely, and while I totally understand that each home, tiny or not, is lived in as to the owner’s needs/wants-HOWEVER-having said the above, unless a large part of the ‘value’ of this offering is tied up in the land, the unfinished appearance of the interior is going to take someone with like tastes to purchase it. The first thing that struck me about the interior was that it looked like they had simply nailed green drywall onto the studs & did not attempt any additional finishing, (mudding & taping, basic paint job). The exterior is good, the interior not so much imho.

  • alice h
    February 5, 2016, 2:59 pm

    Seems nice enough to me, though I’m fond of rustic styles. Whether or not the price is a good one would depend on local real estate values. Being an adobe house there are a lot of things you could do to finish the interior to your own tastes. If I ever manage to get my place built and send in photos I’m not going to be overly sensitive about what other people might think about it as long as it works for me. Constructive comments about safety or good ideas for improvement would be welcomed. Simply saying it’s awful because of a difference in aesthetic tastes would be ignored (or maybe snickered at). Comments about value, well, depends on what the opinion is based on. Anybody who’s seriously considering buying or building should first educate themselves about local values before comparing. $50,000 in some areas could yield a nice acreage, with or without house yet be barely enough for a down payment on the same thing elsewhere.

  • Canyon Man
    February 5, 2016, 4:49 pm

    I think one has to look at this house as a work in progress. If, I repeat if it is well built, it does look like some adobes in the wall, then in Northern New Mexico would be considered a fair if not good price. If all it needs is some paint to finish it off then that is one thing.
    On the other hand if it is like a New Mexico house I bought years ago, that after a supposed thorough inspection by a professional and we closed, the new plumbing was 50 years old and was used pipe when done, the new rewire was also 50 years old with used wiring and fixtures, not up to code, this could be way overpriced. Abiquiu is considered a highly desired area. Not my cup of tea but the land reflects the high price.

  • JB Fitzpatrick
    February 5, 2016, 9:32 pm

    Price is high… View not that great. No outdoor living space from what I can see(?) So, love the house.. What’s the closest city? Road?? Would love more info, ironically, still interested. Thanks.

  • Juli
    February 5, 2016, 10:15 pm

    Rustic? Yes, to me. Overpriced? Yes, again, my opinion. The outside looked appealing enough for me to be curious about the interior. I was anticipating a “Southwest Adobe-inspired” vibe. Instead what I saw reminded me of rustic hippie communes of my youth. And trust me, none of them cost anywhere near the asking price of this place, even when taking inflation into account. So sad.

  • J Pace
    February 6, 2016, 9:44 am

    I love this house, but then I love the area where it’s located, too. It clearly states on the owners blog that the house has concrete floors and exposed adobe interior walls. With some paint, a little work to divide the interior space, and one’s own furnishings, this could be a cozy, beautiful place for someone who appreciates beauty and solitude. Much of the listing price, I think, is tied to location, location, location—10 acres of land and a house—53 miles from beautiful Santa Fe, NM and near Ghost Ranch, an area frequented and loved by artist Georgia O’ Keefe.

  • Mike
    February 6, 2016, 10:09 am

    I like the expression and the space. Were it me, I’d put some color on it. I always imagined New Mexico as a colorful place. Then again, maybe bucking the trend by not doing what everyone else is doing might be a little refreshing….

  • Deadrock
    February 6, 2016, 12:18 pm

    Ok, the first 3 comments made on this posting:

    1. ummm .no
    2. For as crude as it is, I find it way over priced. It does have possibilities, though. Is that an out house I spy?
    3. Oy. Vey.
    That last one was mine. The next two comments of 2 words each were basically “I agree!”

    Based on those mild statements/honest opinions, the next person to comment created a crapstorm. That, in my opinion, is because this one angry person thought that what had been said so far was all just too, too mean and unnecessarily negative. This is ridiculous. Loved looking, loved commenting on both the likes and the nots, loved trading views and laughs with some of the people here, but this is not a place that welcomes all points of view. I’m off to unsubscribe.

    • Sgmaps
      February 6, 2016, 1:45 pm

      Please do not unsubscribe-I enjoy reading your comments which I find thoughtful & in no way disrespectful. I found it unfinished appearing & not to my tastes which is what I attempted to convey. It is not a property that I personally would be interested in purchasing. Each to their own.

    • Eric
      February 6, 2016, 2:26 pm

      No Deadrock… don’t unsubscribe, or if you have, re-subscribe. Your comments I have found to be generally very insightful and helpful. Oy Vey?

      Pleeeeease, come back.

    • Deadrock
      February 6, 2016, 3:16 pm

      Thanks, guys. I appreciate your kindness! I DID already unsubscribe, but apparently it takes time to “kick in” (or Alex has to manually do something), since I still got notification of your replies to my comment.

      I’d love to keep participating, but when the blog owner himself seems to make it clear that he agrees with the people who blast any “naysayers” – and shows no sign that he supports someone’s right to voice a less than flattering opinion – I figure my difference with this point of view signals that it’s time to move on.

      All you guys I’ve gotten “familiar” with and whose comments I’ve enjoyed – wishing you well and keep dreaming those big ol’ tiny dreams! Perhaps I’ll see y’all in Asheville one day! 🙂

      • Alex
        February 6, 2016, 5:32 pm

        Hey Deadrock, please don’t take what I said personally because I didn’t mean it that way. As far as I can remember, your comments have been great, valuable, and offer constructive criticism which I encourage as long as it’s respectful. The comment I made earlier was made with the intention to express that if anyone is disrespectful, mean, etc. that I will simply hit delete. If your comment was like that, I would’ve deleted it! Anyway, you’re obviously free to go and never come back, but I hope you won’t because you’re always welcome here (WITH your opinions) 🙂

    • Alex
      February 6, 2016, 5:29 pm

      Sorry Deadrock. I didn’t mean that personally to you. When I’m in the back end/dashboard of Tiny House Talk the comments come up differently so when I responded to chivaswolf I thought he/she was referring to something more negative. Constructive criticism is normal and encouraged. I didn’t mean to offend you and really didn’t even mean that personally to you. I think your comments bring value here and again I’m really sorry how that sounded towards you.

      • Deadrock
        February 6, 2016, 6:56 pm

        Alex, you explained the matter beautifully. Thank you.

        If anyone is paying attention, some regular visitors here may have noticed that I am reluctant to pull punches or suffer fools gladly. I also feel the need to defend the unfairly maligned. And…I rarely run from an argument. This can create virtual dust devils of controversy whenever I show up, and I can understand why a blog owner would be glad to see the back of me, even if in between the slugfests I do my best to find useful links and info to share, offer my take on the pros and cons with (I hope) a sense of humor, and try to add something thoughtful to the whole small and tiny house movement we’re all agreed is pretty darned interesting.

        So since I am still getting stuff in my inbox telling me I continue to be connected to THT, perhaps my unsubscribe didn’t take after all? If you wish to roundfile my resignation, Alex, I’m happy to jump back on your very fun bandwagon…but no promises that the occasional verbal fisticuffs might not still occur!

        • MareM
          February 6, 2016, 10:16 pm

          So glad you’re staying, Deadrock. I would miss your comments a lot!

          This house was not my cup of tea, either, but I can’t imagine that the owner would weep over my opinion!

        • Alex
          February 7, 2016, 12:09 am

          Thanks for the response, Deadrock! I’m glad the unsubscribe did not work! LOL. Hope to keep seeing you around 😀

        • Deadrock
          February 7, 2016, 4:45 am

          Muchas merci, MareM! I thought of you when (unsuccessfully, as it turns out) hitting the unsubscribe button. Oh noes, methought, she’ll miss out on my incredibly insightful and useful updates on life in Asheville! (11 weeks and 3 days and counting.)

          Alex, looking forward to more fugly houses to trash! Cracking my knuckles and limbering up my fingers in gleeful anticipation. Okay, okay, put down the bottle of Valium, just kidding….

  • Eric
    February 6, 2016, 2:49 pm

    Well, after all that, I decided to go have a look at the owners page. Clicked on the for sale link and what do I find? A house for RENT on a 1 YEAR lease. Not for sale. Had a look around the whole site (not a lot of it thank goodness) and nowhere does it say it is for sale. Now I suppose it is possible it had been deleted… but, well this is what it says:

    Learn how to live off-grid in beautiful northern New Mexico. Available April 1, 2016. One year lease.

    and further down:

    Rent: $700/month plus utilities (water, propane, wifi, firewood). First, last, deposit of $2100 required to move in. The house will be rented furnished unless other arrangements made. Specific instructions about the do’s and don’ts of living off-grid will be included in the rental/lease agreement along with how to maintain the solar system and backup batteries.

    So it leaves me wondering whether is was ever for sale… and someone may have got their wires crossed somehow. Ah well, we are all human aren’t we. Except maybe politicians… ; )

    • Alex
      February 6, 2016, 6:47 pm

      Hey Eric thanks for pointing that out! Maybe she decided to keep it and rent instead or maybe we somehow got confused with another story somehow?! So yeah, I guess it’s for rent NOT for sale lol! My apologies everyone.

  • February 7, 2016, 7:10 am

    I think constructive criticism is great but needs to be stated respectfully. I can’t help wondering how many people out there have “Perfectly Imperfect” tiny or small homes but don’t share because they have no desire to see their home or a certain aspect of their home raked over the coals.

    My husband and I remodeled our tiny kitchen and managed to put two ovens, double bowl farm sink, two fridges, dishwasher and create storage where there was none.

    We love it and have thought about sharing it but have no desire to open ourselves up to the potential firestorm of negative comments.

    I designed it and we did most of the work so to have it torn apart in a less than constructive way would feel very personal.

  • Gabrielle Charest
    February 17, 2016, 4:39 am

    After reading about the property, I unfortunately glanced at the comments.

    Here’s what I have to say. Northern New Mexico is just gorgeous with its near-turquoise sky and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Were I to buy this home I would want to be sure that all of its systems were in good working order and that the structure itself was sound. I am rarely put off by someone else’s color or design preferences. I can already envision my own ideas in this space.

    Thank you for providing homes/properties for us to dream on.

  • CSB
    December 22, 2017, 3:54 pm

    Well here’s my two cents. Being an artist, this is a wonderful spot! You all don’t seem to get that ar-ti’sts are more than a bit ecclectic. and this is exactly that AND IT IS A STUDIO! I’d love it! I’d be right at home in no time! Needs a horse pen and barn/shed, tho! The price is high, but nothing in NM is very cheap anymore. If you don’t like it, why bother with a comment. This is a totally open floor plan and the possibilities are limitless.

    • Deadrock
      December 22, 2017, 4:14 pm

      Why bother with a comment? Because a blog that is full of people completely agreeing, all the time, with exactly the same opinion, and exactly the same tastes, and exactly the same preferences, would be boring as hell to read. These homes are being showcased for the whole purpose of giving people a chance to comment on them, both pro and con, and dismissing people who feel compelled to offer a thumbs down (as long as it’s not abusively stated, and they can articulate their reasons why), have every right to do so. Personally, I want to hear from everyone who has something useful to say.

      • Deadrock
        December 22, 2017, 4:16 pm

        Whoops, meant to say: “and…people who feel compelled to offer a thumbs down…” without the “dismissing” part. Just dismiss the dismissing and the sentence makes a lot more sense!

  • Shan
    October 10, 2019, 4:25 pm

    I love Abiquiu and would jump at the chance to have an artistic home like this in the same area where Georgia Okeefe lived and painted. It is one of the most beautiful areas of the country I have ever visited.

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