The Not So Big House...or tiny houses on trailers...how about 70 Sq. ft?

[Paschale]

Heard this on NPR today.  A little extreme, if you ask me. 

Check it out....

However, I think some of these houses could be fun for a small retreat in the back 40.

This guy really enjoys designing small houses, and some of them look pretty cool.

[sprucebunny]

Those are neat. I ran into them a couple of months ago.

Living in a small space is not so bad as long as it doesn't rain for 2 weeks at once. When we first got married we lived on a 36 foot boat for 3 and a half years. 36 may sound big but the living space is only about 8X18 at the biggest and the floor is not that wide. We lived on it for a winter in Maine that turned out to be the coldest winter in 50 years    The next winter we went to Florida ;D

[beenthere]

Now they look like an over-sized coffin to me. No thanks. 

[Frickman]

Our local newspaper ran a story about these houses awhile back, about how they were being used for replacement housing in the gulf. They look like they would be alot of fun for kids in the back yard, or as a hunting and fishing cabin. I can't see myself living in one full-time though.

[crtreedude]

I would - no doubt. Come on guys - even WE could clean this!

If you think about it - put the TV over on the otherside - and you can watch it from the bed. For that matter, what is more fun than eating in bed? (and not permitted by the way!)

Never saw the sense in all those rooms, everything in one place. Yep.

Of course, here in paradise - you just put up a very large porch and life is good!

[Don P]

Yup, around here nothing says welcome to paradise like a new washer on the porch  ;D.

We built this house on weekends while we lived out of an 8x12 shed. I rigged the bed to concrete filled counterweights in the studbays that pulleyed the bed up off the "dining room" in the morning. It had all we had to have, but I ain't moving back.

[sawguy21]

That looks what the hippies build on 51 Inernational pickups

[metalspinner]

That looks like it would make a nice vacation camper.  When parked on the driveway the rest of the year it would be good for the mother-in-law visit.   You could even tow her away in the middle of the night if she pushes you to far! :D

[woodbowl]

I bought a book about 20 years ago called "rolling homes". Some are made from school buses pick up trucks and some from scratch. Hippies, doctors and all sorts of folks have designed their cozy little home made get-a-way/home. All of the work is neat and clean, but made out of some of the most unusual items you could imagine. I'll see if I can russel it up.

[KiwiCharlie]

Hey Paschale,
It seems we have something else in common!!  We should meet up some day, Im sure we'd get on well! 
Ive been looking at smaller scale living for a while now, and while yes, some of the tumbleweed sizes are a bit small, I really do like the idea of small(er) space living.  There are some great articles on it, easily googled.
Cheers
Charlie.

[caryr]

The play house I'm building for the girls is bigger than many of those houses and it's about the size of our smallest bedroom! I do understand the desire/attraction for smaller structures and some day I would like to have a small cabin down by the pond as a private get away, but in the mean time I must admit I enjoy the lodge we live in.

Cary

[rebocardo]

They are probably pretty handy living by yourself or if you have green space to walk around in when things get cramped. I imagine heating and cooling costs are pretty low.

I have always wanted to build one, though I would make certain the bathroom was separated by two doors from the living space and had a fan. Nothing is worse then a motorhome with a poorly designed and laid out bathroom.

[iain]

I like them lots, just right for the bottom of the garden



iain

[pigman]

When the wife and I get some money we are going to upgrade to one of those big houses. 8)

[maple flats]

My wife and I have drawn plans for our new home to be built in our woods. Apparently it will be a mansion because we actually have a bedroom, a kitchen/dining/livingroom seperated by islands and even a bath large enough to have both a washer and drier without stacking them. The overall size is presently planned for 24x30, 1 story with full basement, walk in entries on both levels and we don't yet have any hills, we'll need to build our own. This new one is to replace the one we've lived in for over 30 years which was 1300 sf til '93 when we added 484sf. We thought we were going small, guess not by some standards.

[Bill]

Back in '75 a good friend of mine bought 5 acres in the Poconoes ( 2500' +/- 500' so it seems like mtns to the folks from Phila or NYC ) for hunting/fishing/camping. About then we also saw an article in maybe Popular Mechanics ( or such ) about tiny getaways.

Well we conjured up this 8'X8' shack - er cabin . We then came into a thick piece of U shaped steel that we made look like a woodstove for heat. A little tight when more than two tried to stay but it was dry and if you kept feeding it wood ( did I mention the stove wasn't airtight and we ran out of steel - finished off the front by placing firebricks up against the steel and the gaps provided the stove's air and let us button her up after loading her with wood ) it was warm enough. Just reading this over I 'm kinda surprised we didn't burn ourselves up - though I not surprised that around a year later the local HS kids broke in and set about to drinking and fire building. You know they torched the place - down to the ground.

Twas good while it lasted . . .

[highpockets]

Some folks have it going on.

[pigman]

A big houseboat. 8)

[Bill]

Heck now there's  a family ready for the next hurricane. Take 'er over to the boat ramp, hook her up, and drive off into the sunset - the heck with them ole class V windy things ruining your day  ;D  .