I did an earlier post where I listed five reasons for wanting to live a simpler life.
Then I told you how to clean out your closet.
What I didn’t do, however, was focus on why I believed owning less is beneficial for you.
I probably should have done that first, since owning less is one of the steps towards a simpler life.
Here are my reasons, based on my own experience:
1. Better control over finances.
Things cost money. Less things means less money spent and more in your wallet. Having less things also means it costs less to maintain your stuff. Have you ever noticed that the more things you have, the more things you need to buy to store them in (whether it be a box, a storage unit, or a house)? Then you need to pay for any repairs, cleaning [supplies], replacements, and so forth. Things drain wallets and put you in debt. Do you really want to acquire something that you will be paying off for the next ten years or incur more credit card debt?
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Last week I talked about how to draw a tiny house floor plan. (A big thank-you to the many people who have contributed ideas and techniques in the comments!)
Most designs start with a floor plan — but the vertical dimension is what brings the floor plan to life.
Take, for example, the McG Loft, by Humble Homes (pictured at right). Like many other tiny houses, its floor plan is very simple. It’s the carefully thought-out vertical dimension—the stair, the height of the loft—that sets it apart.
Knowing how high things are:
To get started, it may help to familiarize yourself with a few standard heights in houses:
- The most common ceiling height is 8′-0”. A ceiling 7′-0” or lower will begin to feel quite low.
- Standard doors are 6′-8” high.
- Standard kitchen counters are 3′ high.
- Headroom over a stair should be 6′-8″ or more.
There are many more ways to find information about heights and dimensions. For human dimensions, some information is available online or in books on architecture and space planning.
Of course, if you’re designing a tiny house for yourself, then you are the best source of dimensions. Grab a measuring tape and possibly a helper and you can figure out all sorts of things, like your most comfortable table height, your maximum vertical reach, your eye level, and more.
See below to learn how to draw elevations, cross-section, and 3D models of your potential tiny house:
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Support the Project Ventura Kickstarter:
Girls High School Engineering Class tackles ecological literacy by rebuilding a vintage trailer with off-grid flair!
These girls are inspired by the Tiny House Movement and are poised to make a big difference in their community.
But they need your help.
Texas has more TINY going on than one might think, considering it’s the state known for the slogan, “Everything is Bigger…”.
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My friend Niall over at Humble Homes has released another set of tiny house plans.
This one is called the Turtle House. It’s a little home on wheels with:
- Downstairs bedroom/desk
- Two large floor to ceiling closets
- Upstairs sleeping/storage loft
- Full service kitchenette
- Bathroom with full sized shower
Turtle Tiny House Plans: Humble Homes
This home is 230 square feet so it’s a little larger than many that are out there. It’s 7’8″ by 24′.
This is perfect if you’re a couple considering going tiny or someone who just needs a little more space.
Our friend Karen Batchelor of Living Large with Less helped design this home with Niall of Humble Homes with the goal of creating a tiny house solution for baby boomers.
Turtle Tiny House Photos
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I was excited when a friend shared a video with me about snowboarder Mike Basich’s tiny house in the Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe. She posted the link with the question “But is it a tiny house?”
Absolutely.
Basich was able to get 40 acres land, considered unbuildable by most, for a fraction of the typical price for the acreage. It is three miles from the nearest road and only accessible by snowmobile or other such vehicle. The 228 square foot house has a loft bed and an outdoor bathroom. Does this sound familiar to any of us?
Watch the WSJ Video on this Tiny Cabin in the Mountains
Click or scroll below to watch the video and read more of my thoughts on Baisch’s tiny house in the mountains.
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One of my favorite things about doing email is the interesting tiny house ideas that come in while reading and replying to messages. Today I received the following email from a reader:
Have you done anything with Habitat on Tiny Homes. I have worked with people at church that are trying to get back on there feet and are single. They would love to own a home but would have no need for a full house. A tiny home subdivision on a bus route seems to me a viable idea. Big cities needing low income workers that want the respectability of owning a home.
Let me know if you have any input on this idea.
This got me thinking. What about a tiny house subdivision somewhere that is within a bus route for single people? Maybe small patches of tiny home communities can spring up within current communities. In a separate area from the rest of the homes there.
Tiny House Community Solution: Subdivisions?
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Most of the time we talk about tiny houses as our only home.
But have you ever considered owning multiple tiny homes, if you could?
After reading Laura’s post on tiny house living in the city versus the country, it really got me thinking about this.
Instead of one large house or condo, you’d have two- or maybe even more- small spaces in different locations.
For example, someone might decide they want to have a home in town and another out in the country with no neighbors.
Multiple Tiny House Ownership?
What are your thoughts on multiple tiny house ownership? Would you do it? I’ll leave you with my thoughts below:
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When you have a tiny house on a trailer you have to prevent the tires from moving after you park it.
You also must properly level it so you don’t end up sleeping on a slant.
These X-Chock Tire Locking Chocks work perfectly for trailers with two axles.
The chocks are adjustable and they lock the trailer tires securely to prevent movement and tilting.
You can even add a padlock to it to prevent your tiny house from being towed away. See what I mean below:
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In my post about Tiny Versus Small houses I spoke a little about our tiny house in the country and our small house in the city.
This got me thinking about the other divide among tiny house builders and dwellers.
It seems as though many tiny house people are split down the middle when it comes to wanting to live in the city or in the country and there are pros and cons to both.
So where to build a tiny house… in the city or in the country?
Our tiny house in the country. Photo by Laura M. LaVoie
Read on to learn more about city versus country tiny house living.
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