Tiny Homes? (1 Viewer)

[Politician Spock]

I can understand wanting a tiny house in a densely populated area. Heck, from what I've seen of the show, some of the tiny houses remind me of hotel rooms I've had in Manhattan.

Maybe I haven't watched it enough, but what I saw was everything was on wheels, the buyers wanted it to be mobile, and when they show the owners in their new home, the home isn't anywhere near other buildings. It seems to me the RV industry already has that market well covered, and again these people on the show are just wanting something custom built. 

 

[Chadstroma]

Watching one of these shows with my wife this afternoon. This family had a 125 square foot tiny home built for there daughter and son to live in? I believe they all live in California and the parents were planning on parking the house on a section of their property. The total cost for this home...........  $120k? 

I don't get this. You could buy a very nice motor home for $120k. Or only spend $60k and park it in the same place. I don't understand the draw to these small houses that you can drag down the road. It seems to me that it would be akin to a small earthquake each time you move one. 

How does a 125 sqft house cost $120K to build? California is crazy expensive to buy but that is not because of the building materials. Sounds like they got taken for a ride by the builder. 

 

[the moops]

So what do they do about the following?

Sewer, water, electric and internet/television?

Sewer - composting toilet

Water - large water tank and large gray water tank

Electricity - solar coupled with deep cell batteries

Internet - use phone as mobile hotspot

Television - what's this?

 

[bigbottom]

Watching one of these shows with my wife this afternoon. This family had a 125 square foot tiny home built for there daughter and son to live in? I believe they all live in California and the parents were planning on parking the house on a section of their property. The total cost for this home...........  $120k? 

I don't get this. You could buy a very nice motor home for $120k. Or only spend $60k and park it in the same place. I don't understand the draw to these small houses that you can drag down the road. It seems to me that it would be akin to a small earthquake each time you move one. 

You were watching Tiny Luxury. Tiny homes can be had for much cheaper if you're not having them built custom and forgo the high end wood and appointments - like the salt block wall in the episode you reference. 

 

[KCitons]

You were watching Tiny Luxury. Tiny homes can be had for much cheaper if you're not having them built custom and forgo the high end wood and appointments - like the salt block wall in the episode you reference. 

Yeah, that was the show. Still, not a smart investment. Salt block wall or not. 

 

[bigbottom]

Yeah, that was the show. Still, not a smart investment. Salt block wall or not. 

California parents were overpaying for their two hippie kids.  Clearly wasn't an investment decision.

 

[bigbottom]

Honestly, I've been mulling over the idea of building a tiny house, or more accurately, having one built.  A good friend is a contractor that does projects like these, and I'd loan him my son as free labor so he could learn some carpentry and electrical.  We'd put it on some property we have out at a lake to give the kids a place to hang out and to provide some additional beds for family/friend get-togethers.  Just have to make the numbers work because no way would I spend the sums that they spend on the Tiny Luxury show.  The biggest obstacle is getting a quote to run water/sewer lines and tapping into our septic system, because no way am I dealing with a composting toilet.  I set the odds of this idea coming to fruition at about 10 to 1.

 

[KCitons]

Honestly, I've been mulling over the idea of building a tiny house, or more accurately, having one built.  A good friend is a contractor that does projects like these, and I'd loan him my son as free labor so he could learn some carpentry and electrical.  We'd put it on some property we have out at a lake to give the kids a place to hang out and to provide some additional beds for family/friend get-togethers.  Just have to make the numbers work because no way would I spend the sums that they spend on the Tiny Luxury show.  The biggest obstacle is getting a quote to run water/sewer lines and tapping into our septic system, because no way am I dealing with a composting toilet.  I set the odds of this idea coming to fruition at about 10 to 1.

When you say tiny, just how tiny?

 

[NutterButter]

Honestly, I've been mulling over the idea of building a tiny house, or more accurately, having one built.  A good friend is a contractor that does projects like these, and I'd loan him my son as free labor so he could learn some carpentry and electrical.  We'd put it on some property we have out at a lake to give the kids a place to hang out and to provide some additional beds for family/friend get-togethers.  Just have to make the numbers work because no way would I spend the sums that they spend on the Tiny Luxury show.  The biggest obstacle is getting a quote to run water/sewer lines and tapping into our septic system, because no way am I dealing with a composting toilet.  I set the odds of this idea coming to fruition at about 10 to 1.

Why not just buy a travel trailer for less money?   The town allows just having a piece of property with just a tiny home/rv on it?

 

[bigbottom]

When you say tiny, just how tiny?

Something like this, which is 9' wide by 25' long.

http://8de26dc2812894803039-34e654a3253aa4a4f71299b0b48c5880.r92.cf1.rackcdn.com/Ana White Tiny House Free Plans Quartz with Bathroom Framing.pdf

 

[bigbottom]

Why not just buy a travel trailer for less money?   The town allows just having a piece of property with just a tiny home/rv on it?

Travel trailer is definitely a possibility (and probably more likely, which is why the tiny home is at 10-1 odds).  The downside is you can't really customize a travel trailer nearly as much, and I don't think they provide the height that you get with a tiny home (allowing you to sit up on a second floor loft).

 

[NutterButter]

Travel trailer is definitely a possibility (and probably more likely, which is why the tiny home is at 10-1 odds).  The downside is you can't really customize a travel trailer nearly as much, and I don't think they provide the height that you get with a tiny home (allowing you to sit up on a second floor loft).

Yeah, the only reason I see to go the tiny home route is the endless customizations that can be made.   

 

[KCitons]

Travel trailer is definitely a possibility (and probably more likely, which is why the tiny home is at 10-1 odds).  The downside is you can't really customize a travel trailer nearly as much, and I don't think they provide the height that you get with a tiny home (allowing you to sit up on a second floor loft).

the front end of some 5th wheel trailers are similar. You could also build a large deck to park the RV under for a little protection from the weather. Step out the door from the RV to a partially covered patio, follow the steps to the top for a nice deck overlooking the lake. 

 

[NutterButter]

Travel trailer is definitely a possibility (and probably more likely, which is why the tiny home is at 10-1 odds).  The downside is you can't really customize a travel trailer nearly as much, and I don't think they provide the height that you get with a tiny home (allowing you to sit up on a second floor loft).

Are you sure that your town allows this arraignment?   I know that a lot don't but that may not include one's in rural areas.   One of my retirement ideas was to find a nice piece of land where I could just live on in an rv and then go down south during the winter months leaving the lot empty.   

 

[bigbottom]

Are you sure that your town allows this arraignment?   I know that a lot don't but that may not include one's in rural areas.   One of my retirement ideas was to find a nice piece of land where I could just live on in an rv and then go down south during the winter months leaving the lot empty.   

Oh yes. One of the benefits of having property in rural BFE, Texas.  In addition to property being super cheap, you can pretty much do whatever you want on it. My closest neighbor has three homes on his property (two are completely ramshackle) and a guy down the road has a permanently parked RV on his property next to a huge home.