How You Can Help Get Tiny Houses Legalized for US Zoning Codes: Petition

I’m glad this post caught your attention because I believe it’s really important in regards to tiny houses and the future.

Right now the United States requires homes in most areas to be 1,000 square feet or larger. We feel that this attempts to standardize bigger homes and that it forces Americans into more debt.

Larger homes lead to bigger loans, more furniture, higher taxes, and overall- more debt. I’m not saying that normal or “big” houses are bad, I’m just saying we shouldn’t be forced into them and we deserve better options.

It’s important for citizens to have access to affordable, manageable homes so that they can get ahead and flourish in our country.

In addition, with everything we have been learning about the environment, our economy, and advances in technology, now more than ever- we need a better perspective of what the “American Dream” really is.

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Help Tiny Houses Become Legal for US Zoning Codes with this Petition

In an effort to bring this petition to the desk of the President for review, I’m asking for your help and support to gather 25,000 signatures by April 27, 2012 so that the White House will review and respond.

Below is a copy of what the Petition reads:

WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Require States to Reform Zoning Codes to Allow Tiny Home Structures under 1000 square feet
The 1000+ sq foot zoning requirements currently in place in most states, were initiated by lenders/municipalities, in an attempt to force Americans to build bigger homes, thus incurring larger debt (so lenders could make more$) and municipalities could charge higher taxes.This practice limits the ability of Americans to achieve the “American Dream” of home ownership in a structure size that suits their needs.There is a growing trend to build smaller homes but it is difficult because of these restrictions. Laws requiring homes to be1000+ sq feet are unconstitutional and should be abolished. States should be required to remove these laws so that more families can live within their financial means, in a structure that suits their needs, and supports their environmentally held beliefs.

Created: Mar 28, 2012
Issues: Civil Rights and Liberties, Environment, Housing

Sign the petition right now over at the White House / Obama Administration Website. Thank you so much for your support.

Sources

www.youtube.com/embed/omX_d7MfUdw?rel=0

After you “Like” below and use the buttons to spread the word, go sign the petition and talk about it in the comments below. Thank you!

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Announcement: How to Simplify Your Wardrobe Now

I just recently got to write a guest blog for Tumbleweed Tiny Houses on How to Simplify Your Wardrobe Right Now.

I take you through a simple four-step process that I’ve used to downsize my own wardrobe.

Plus I show you a little secret that you’re probably already doing every week to find your absolute favorite clothes easily and automatically.

If you see yourself in a tiny house in the future, your wardrobe’s gotta get simplified, so I thought you’d find this article helpful.

I’ll also be talking about simplifying your life (fast!) more in depth, for the first time, over at Tumbleweed’s Miami tiny house workshop that’s being led by Derek “DEEK” Diedricksen of RelaxShacks.com, author of “Humble Homes, Simple Shacks”.

You can read my guest blog post on Tumbleweed’s site so you can get your clothing situation under control.

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Backyard Tiny House in Austin, Texas

This backyard tiny house in Austin, TX is available for you to rent.

It’s meant for vacation and is located in the heart of Austin, Texas.

The little cottage is located minutes away from cafes, bars, and food trailers.

You can even walk or use a bike to get to the convention center, a bike trail, and a lake.

Up to four people can sleep in it and it has a mini refrigerator, microwave, hot water kettle, coffee maker, and a toaster.

You can’t see it in the photos, but there’s a patio with lawn chairs you can relax in.

Downtown is a 10-15 minute walk where you can find restaurants, nightlife, cafes, shops, and food trailers.

Enjoy the photos below then visit the listing on Airbnb for this tiny house so you can see the rest of the pictures and learn about how to book a stay here if you wanted to.

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Grandfathered-in Tiny Cottage Home in Southwest Florida

In my neighborhood, there are a few grandfathered-in tiny cottages that I’ve found.

Almost all of them are guest houses to a much larger home, on the same lot.

And usually, if you keep looking, you can find that they become available for rent once in a while.

A lot of times the only way to find these are to literally walk in front of them and see that there’s a for rent sign.

So we caught this one when it became available for rent but unfortunately, they didn’t allow us to have dogs so we couldn’t move in.

But at least I got to take some pictures of it with my wide angle lens and an iPhone. Hope you enjoy.

And yup – my photos of this tiny cottage were featured on Tiny House Swoon just the other day. Go check that out!

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And yup – my photos of this tiny cottage were featured on Tiny House Swoon just the other day.

If you enjoyed this post, “Like” it and share using the buttons below and talk about it in the comments. Thanks!

Try our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter for even more!

You can also join our Small House Newsletter!

Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter! Thank you!

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Tiny House Construction Costs And Square Footage Scenarios

A few days ago I received this email about the Itty Bitty House Company’s tiny house on a trailer post.

The insanely livable tiny house is almost $300/sq/ft. In my region, that’s insanely expensive ;-). My insurance company tags my stick-built ‘big’ house at $100/sqft replacement.

And for the most part, that statement is true, wouldn’t you think? But why? There has to be a reason for that, right? Big houses, when looked at from the perspective of cost per square feet, are cheaper. But what about maintenance costs?

It turns out that square footage is relatively cheap to make more of in a home. Especially with ‘big’ houses since materials like drywall and inexpensive flooring are used.

The real big costs are in windows, appliances, heat/cooling, plumbing, and electrical wiring if you don’t know how to do those last two yourself.

A perfect example of this is seen in Tumbleweed’s lineup of tiny houses. Their XS-House, at 65-square feet, would cost you $16,000 in materials to build it yourself. But If you purchased it ready made from Tumbleweed it would cost you $38,997 because you’re paying for someone else to do ALL of the labor.

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Announcement: Store Added to Tiny House Talk

Today I published a collection of tiny house books, plans, and workshops all in one place.

It’s the Tiny House Talk Store. You’ll see I added a link to it in the menu, too.

I did this so it’s easy for you to see what’s out there all in one place.

By the end of this week I’ll also be adding more to it, so please let me know if you have any suggestions on what would be helpful.

I’m planning on adding links to other products that are helpful for people who live in small spaces.

Things like compact appliances, alternatives, and other useful gadgets.

Click on the screenshot below to go and check it out and then let me know if you have any helpful ideas.

Click on the picture above to go check out our store then leave your helpful suggestions/ideas below in the comments. Thanks!

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Tiny Round House Kick!! Wait- No Kick, Just a Round Tiny Home

Today I’m going to introduce you to Mandala Custom Homes. Specifically, their round tiny home, which is 21′ in diameter.

It’s 322 square feet inside and has just the right mix of yurt and cabin, don’t you think? The video is going to take you through a two-minute time-lapse of the construction process. From the subfloor set up to the roof sheathing, you’ll get to see it all in fast forward. It took a small group of people to go from floor to sheathed roof in approximately 8 hours.

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Round Tiny House/Cabin

Check out Mandala Custom Homes' Round Tiny House... It's a yurt-like cabin!

Spaces like these are great for a lot of different purposes. Below are some ideas on what a structure like this might be used as. [continue reading…]

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Itty Bitty House Company Designs & Builds Insanely Livable Tiny House

Recently I found out about a new tiny house builder. I ran into their video tour on YouTube. You’ll get the complete tour of the house below.

Andrew Gilcheck is the man behind Itty Bitty House Company. The tiny home you’ll see here has a relatively large porch and is completely non-toxic. On the outside, it’s all solid cedar siding, trim, and decking. The roof is metal and the windows are all full crank-out casement while the others are crank out awning style windows.

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Tiny House on Wheels by Itty Bitty House Company

Photo Courtesy of Itty Bitty House Company

The front door is fully insulated wood with a double pane fully insulated glass window. [continue reading…]

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YOUR Questions on Tiny House Trailers

Hello fellow tiny house enthusiasts! I’m looking for your questions/concerns/experiences on trailers for tiny homes.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts real quick?

Are trailers something that you even need help with? If so, let me know how I can help. You might find the ideas listed at the bottom of this post helpful. I will be using your feedback for future posts, ebooks, videos, and interview questions. Thank you so much in advance for your suggestions. I truly appreciate it because it helps me serve you better later on.

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What are your questions about tiny house trailers?

Aldo's Tiny House Living Project - Trailer with Floor Framing

Photo Courtesy of Aldo Lavaggi

This might help you get your brain going… [continue reading…]

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