The Small House Book by Jay Shafer – My Review

on September 22, 2010

The Small House Book by Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Houses is a fun read.

I got it more than 3 years ago when I first heard about tiny houses, how they’re built on trailers, composting, permits, and things like that.

The book starts with an introduction on how the author lives in a house that’s just 90 square feet.

It’s so crazy to think, but he designed the house to meet all of his simple needs and it’s given him the opportunity to pursue other things in his life.

Photo credit: Tumbleweed Houses

The book transitions into some of Jay’s interesting philosophy on simple living. It all started in an Aistream for him, and you guessed it, he eventually built his own tiny house on a trailer.

He then covers utilities, water, heating, cooking, toilets, electricity, and building codes. You’ll enjoy large colorful pictures throughout the entire book.

Later in the book Jay covers the reasons for simplifying along with some of his design principles and current issues that we face in regards to housing and communities.

After that is the fun part for many of us–where he explains how to build a house on a trailer. He’ll cover the foundation, framing, bracing, preventing condensation, and what tools are needed.

The Small House Book by Jay Shafer Then you’ll see step by step instructions on how he has built them. The book covers so much more including a review of all of Tumbleweed’s designs–which you will love to look at (great pictures).

I recommend this book to anyone who is new to building, is curious about constructing a house on a trailer, is interested in Jay’s life, and enjoys colorful photos of tiny houses.

It costs $29.99 and has 197 pages. Order and/or learn more about the the Small House Book right here. Link opens up to Tumbleweed Houses.

Click here to place your order

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!