If the small house was attached to a 12 car garage..... no problem.
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Could You Live in a Tiny House?
- Thread starter neo 7
- Start date
Maybe we should call this thread "Short Scale Houses."
I lived on a 26 foot sailboat for 11 days. Talk about cabin fever.
My father in law did that in Marina Del Ray in the late 70's and early 80's and said it was GREAT. He did it for years. He never got more action than he did then. He even told me that he had a 3 some with Redd Foxx's women on the boat - He was with the girls while Redd was doing coke right in the marina.
I think it was bigger. He had 2 900HP Volvo engines on it and even in 1980, it took $1400 to fill up.
With that much HP it sounds like a twin engine power yacht in the 50 to 60 foot range which could easily give you 500 to 800 square feet of living space. I would not consider that roughing it. No wonder why he got all the chicks.
Could I exist in one that small? Yeah, probably. Live in one? Don't think so; even for a prison cell, the minimum legal space/person is bigger than that (180 SF, IIRC). But I might be willing to give it a try, if it had at least a 4 car garage... 
Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,855
- 15,666
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
Every year for at least the last 10 years I've vacationed in "deluxe cabins" operated by Oregon State Parks. They have a living room slash kitchen slash dining area, bedroom, and bathroom. I'm guessing it might be 350 square feet.
Each time I leave there I can't help but think how much simpler it would be to live like that instead of in a 1500 sq ft house in the city with yard etc. I think I could do it.
Each time I leave there I can't help but think how much simpler it would be to live like that instead of in a 1500 sq ft house in the city with yard etc. I think I could do it.
I think it would be fun to have a tiny house for weekend getaways to the forest, but I couldn't live that way for very long, unless I had to. It's just too cramped for daily living.
I notice that a lot of the people that are promoting tiny house living are younger. I wouldn't imagine that the lifestyle would work out for most older people. As you age, you lose your mobility, and doing things like climbing ladders to get in bed become challenging. That being said, a lot of people get used to the idea of having a very low cost of living, and refrain from establishing careers and financial security. What will these people do when they need to change their way of life?
I notice that a lot of the people that are promoting tiny house living are younger. I wouldn't imagine that the lifestyle would work out for most older people. As you age, you lose your mobility, and doing things like climbing ladders to get in bed become challenging. That being said, a lot of people get used to the idea of having a very low cost of living, and refrain from establishing careers and financial security. What will these people do when they need to change their way of life?
we call them "ice fishing shacks" for 6 months of the year up here. 
You all are spoiled.
In my main room of my abode, I have a:
double sink, with cabinets beneath
small wall cabinet
microwave oven
4 burner stove and oven
refridgerator
26" TV
entertainment center (homebuilt, only big enough for a DVD player)
acoustic B100 bass amp
upright bass
2 electric basses
2 electric guitars
acoustic guitar
mandolin
music keyboard
large tool chest
3 tool boxes (power tools)
30 storage boxes
8 foot workbench
drill press
mini lathe
pair JBL speakers, 3 way, 2 10"
srereo preamp and amp, CD player
clothes dresser
bed
kitchen table
computer desktop (hanging off of the kitchen table)
27" monitor
rackmont cabinet with synths and mixers and 2 computers
2 big chairs
hundreds of DVD's and CD's
Bathroom and shower is separate - I'm not that much of an efficiency nut
Also have woods out back with deer in the early morning
and squirrels, birds, bugs, etc.
Only complaint - I don't have a milling machine
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In my main room of my abode, I have a:
double sink, with cabinets beneath
small wall cabinet
microwave oven
4 burner stove and oven
refridgerator
26" TV
entertainment center (homebuilt, only big enough for a DVD player)
acoustic B100 bass amp
upright bass
2 electric basses
2 electric guitars
acoustic guitar
mandolin
music keyboard
large tool chest
3 tool boxes (power tools)
30 storage boxes
8 foot workbench
drill press
mini lathe
pair JBL speakers, 3 way, 2 10"
srereo preamp and amp, CD player
clothes dresser
bed
kitchen table
computer desktop (hanging off of the kitchen table)
27" monitor
rackmont cabinet with synths and mixers and 2 computers
2 big chairs
hundreds of DVD's and CD's
Bathroom and shower is separate - I'm not that much of an efficiency nut
Also have woods out back with deer in the early morning
and squirrels, birds, bugs, etc.
Only complaint - I don't have a milling machine
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6jase5
Mammogram is down but I'm working manually
My shower is 5' x 7'....so that's a big fat no way from me. An 800 sqft single room w/bath A frame in the mountains is for a short time, same with a tent for maybe a week....but to live....not a chance.
That's the square footage of my house, but this really has me wondering how small I'd be willing to go with no basement of which my house has.
Offhand and guessing........even though I live alone I can't imagine living in anything less than half the size of my house. But I would really have to walk into a variety of small/tiny houses to get a better idea. Obviously it would mean getting rid of a lot of stuff, but that's something that I'm all for doing.
An after thought. Down sizing everything has been in the back of my mind lately because of seeing what my parents are going through. Dad's 90, mom's soon to be 87, they both have health issues and they still live in a 1,400 square foot house. They know they can't keep up with the upkeep of everything but they have very mixed emotions about leaving. I'm 61 and know very well that one day I'm going to have trouble going up and down basement stairs to the point of it not being safe....like with my dad. So at some point in the future I know it's going to make perfect sense to downsize everything considerably.
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Alkali Ike
Gold Supporting Member
- Jan 1, 2011
- 2,855
- 15,666
- Disclosures
- I never actually learned to play very well
@MJ5150 Is there an existing thread with details on how you did this? I’m at a point where I’m kind of unhappy in a regular large-ish house (1545 sq ft). I think I could do it in 1/3rd that space, or a little less.
I think I want a stick built tiny house, not a prefab. But I’m open-minded.
I've made a few comments in the 100 thing challenge thread, but not a specific thread itself.
It took us a few years to make it happen, but that was mostly on me not being committed to it until early 2016.
Once the wife and I got on the same page, we started moving toward that goal and it went quick.
In May of 2017 we went from an 1,800 square foot home down to 340. We moved into a 42' fifth wheel toy hauler, and use the toy hauler section as an office and storage. We chose this option so we can be mobile and move about as needed. We haven't had to move it yet, but it's a nice feeling to know we can if necessary.
Along the way I successfully eliminated my attachment to things. Quite the opposite now, I find great joy and satisfaction in trying to live with as few things as I possibly can. Every few months we do a purge of our possessions. It's fewer and fewer things each time, which I think is a good thing as it indicates to me the wife and I are living with the least amount of things we can.
We adjusted nicely to the 340 square feet we have now. Since we moved in there have been friends who have offered to let us house sit for them, but we decline. We like our tiny home and prefer it.
Two years ago when we went to South Texas to assist as volunteers with disaster relief from Hurricane Harvey, we were in 250 square feet for four months. When we got back home, it felt like we moved into a mansion.
It's a decision we don't regret. I'd recommend it to others so long as you have the right motivation.
-Mike
One of my brothers lives in a typical sized trailer but with an added on room. The add on is on the side, rectangular shape which is his living room on one end and his bed is on the other. The original portion of the trailer is his eating area, kitchen, full sized bath room and a small storage/laundry room. I believe he said it's about 560 square feet. I love it! You have enough room for what you have to have and nothing else and you don't feel cramped in there. I've imagined myself living in his place and I know I could do it. Of course I'd have to get rid of a lot of things in my 1,000 square foot home but its stuff that one day I know I'm going to have to part with and want to part with.
I think that's about the smallest I could go and feel comfortable in.
I think that's about the smallest I could go and feel comfortable in.
I'm out, and not just for the stuff. Having a "place" or piece of land that your house is on is important to me. I could live in a much smaller house but don't like the idea of trying to find a place to park your house for the water and utilities. To each his own though.
I've determined through trial and error that I could, if necessary, live in 40 foot marine container. I actually did that in Afghanistan. That's about 306 sq. ft. My basement man-cave is a relatively luxurious 600 sq ft. We had a small lakefront cottage that was about 900 sq ft plus 120 sq ft bunkie - that would be the minimum for the three of us in our family. Mind you, we had a couple hundred feet of waterfront and several acres to get out and about on.
No way could I live in a truly tiny house. Unless, of course, I was sent to the Big House.
No way could I live in a truly tiny house. Unless, of course, I was sent to the Big House.
