Who would actually live in a Tiny Home?

[TylerW]

The last thing I want at this point in life is a house with stairs....

Not sure how your knees are doing, but I picked an interesting time in my life to move into a house where, including the basement, has three full flights of stairs.

 

[Climber]

What? That is just silly. You can fit a full size fridge and full size range in most of these designs and a really well stocked spice rack doesn't take up much space at all, especially if you use a wall mounted rack that keeps its footprint in height not base.

Limited Cabinet space means you have to be very selective in your Pots, Pans, and cooking glass inventory though.

Both of those kitchen would take up 1/3 > kitchen < 1/2 of a 200 sq ft tiny home.

This is what I picture for a generous kitchen:

 

[bikeama]

The last thing I want at this point in life is a house with stairs....

Not sure how your knees are doing, but I picked an interesting time in my life to move into a house where, including the basement, has three full flights of stairs.

This.

My daughter has a two-story in Texas. We spent several months there last year helping with a new grandchild. Knees were sore before the trip. Now have a knee replacement scheduled.

 

[Johndicezx9]

The knees are fine, I'm mostly lazy and cheap...

I just think as I approach my 60's it isn't the best plan to put more obstacles in the way. I'm also pretty sick of the throw rugs in the house I trip or surf on....

 

[DucatiHoney]

Tiny homes (by the way, I think the code says anything under 400 s.f. is "tiny") can be great for people with "fewer options". We're building developments as temporary housing for the otherwise unsheltered. They get a studio space that includes a kitchen with a separate bath. We're doing this in less than 250 s.f.

They're good for people who want to simplify, cut costs, enjoy communal living, that type of thing.

 

[bpw]

Found some pictures of the old boat, this was home for 5 years. It had everything we needed enough storage go fully off grid for 3+ months at a time.

It helps when you can have this for a backyard

 

[Climber]

Found some pictures of the old boat, this was home for 5 years. It had everything we needed enough storage go fully off grid for 3+ months at a time.

Sail boats are another thing entirely, you have a changing environment when you're topside and that's most waking hours.

When I was in my 30's I planned on retiring to a sail boat in the Caribbean.

 

[bpw]

Sail boats are another thing entirely, you have a changing environment when you're topside and that's most waking hours.

When I was in my 30's I planned on retiring to a sail boat in the Caribbean.

The mobility certainly makes things nicer. Being topside all the time wasn't so much of an option when we where in the cold places. We spent a long, dark, but cozy winter on the boat when we where in the south and it never really bothered us.

The biggest factor with all these things is whether you are doing it voluntarily or because you have too.

 

[Climber]

The mobility certainly makes things nicer. Being topside all the time wasn't so much of an option when we where in the cold places. We spent a long, dark, but cozy winter on the boat when we where in the south and it never really bothered us.

The biggest factor with all these things is whether you are doing it voluntarily or because you have too.

Doesn't hurt that the boat is like being on a giant water bed, especially if you're really into your partner.

 

[berth]

The last thing I want at this point in life is a house with stairs....

When we went house hunting, a single floor house was a fundamental requirement. Finding a new build single story is very challenging, especially in OC. (Which is one reason we're not in OC any more.) In OC many of the new builds are 3 story townhomes. 1200sq feet and 3 stories. All the joys of small house living 3 times over.

I lived in a < 500sq ft studio. Kitchen, bathroom, and...uh.."room". (Extra props for the dark stained cabinets, the dark wood paneling on one wall, and the traffic cone orange formica counter tops! ) While the appliances were green, at least the carpet wasn't.

Extra bonus: it has a 2 car garage . It was also 3 blocks from the beach. Not that I went to the beach. Lived there 7 years and probably went to the beach 3 times. Enjoyed the salt air and rust it brings with it though!

I had a wall unit on one wall, a room length closet on the other, a desk crammed in the other 2 corners, and a futon bed in the middle. I didn't even have cable. I read a lot.

I, essentially, never ate there. I was always eating out.

As a single person it was honestly pretty perfect.

The original builder was a contractor doing lots of work in the area, so he built the complex for his crews. Bunch of bachelor construction workers.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

I live in a 650sq foot condo with my partner a dog and a cat. I'd prefer to have a second bedroom, but otherwise it works out fine. I could do a home of this size is it had a yard and a garage.

 

[Mike95060]

I own this book. Lots of fun daydreams inside.

https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Homes-Move-Wheels-Water/dp/0936070625

 

[KooLaid]

I have a 35' toy hauler with most all options except for slide outs. It's not bad and it's nice to have the garage but I wish my bedroom was bigger so it's easier to get dressed around that bed.

 

[two wheel tramp]

I spent a decade in a tiny top floor flat that was like 600 sq ft on a good day. I had no garage so moto stuff piled up. Once the landlord came upstairs and I had like five tires stacked in the living room that I had bought the day before.

I have 2000+ sq ft now. I don't think I could tolerate a tiny house of 200 sq ft.

 

[lizard]

On second thoughts, I would love a pied a terre tiny house in mexico, japan, costa rica, or portugal.

 

[Eldritch]

Both of those kitchen would take up 1/3 > kitchen < 1/2 of a 200 sq ft tiny home.

This is what I picture for a generous kitchen:

Sure, but Tiny Homes can be a lot bigger than 200'. I reckon the smaller you get, the more sacrifices you would have to make, right?

 

[lizard]

Is it cheating to build a 3-story tiny house?

This sweet bastard is 624 SF:

 

[buellistic]

[QUOTEit cheating to build a 3-story tiny house?

[url]https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/08/tiny-tower-isa-architecture-residential-philadelphia-pennsylvania-usa[/url]

MG][/QUOTE]
Not if you're property is only 16 ft wide..

 

[Eldritch]

Is it cheating to build a 3-story tiny house?

This sweet bastard is 624 SF:

So technically at over 600', it is a Small House, not part of Tiny House which is typically considered at around 400' or smaller, but that guy is doing weird stuff just to do it. Look how much livable space you lose from those stairs. The small footprint I guess makes it work in SF (I'm assuming that looks like SF), but I also have to assume he did CRAZY stuff with steel beams to get a building that height to pass seismic with a base that small. At that rate and cost, I would probably put the stairs on the outside above the first floor.

 

[lizard]

So technically at over 600', it is a Small House, not part of Tiny House which is typically considered at around 400' or smaller, but that guy is doing weird stuff just to do it. Look how much livable space you lose from those stairs. The small footprint I guess makes it work in SF (I'm assuming that looks like SF), but I also have to assume he did CRAZY stuff with steel beams to get a building that height to pass seismic with a base that small. At that rate and cost, I would probably put the stairs on the outside above the first floor.

Its located in Japan. More info if interested:

http://www.takahashimaki.com/wt.html