OT: Tiny homes/Home design/Sustainable living

[Mzilliox]

I took a 2 week intensive natural building course and learned how to work with cob and straw bale. very empowering. We will be using these skills to build our outdoor kitchen and pizza/bread oven in the future. I especially find straw bale building intriguing. lots of good there.

[john903]

We love our small house... but not to put a damper on peoples dreams there are lots of hidden cost, county codes, and of course well we don't have it but we can order it for ya. Oh and "well that isn't how it's done."
Lets not forget the cost of a approved septic system ($12,000) well, pump, controllers, and piping.($8,000) The other big expense it dirt work don't under estimate how much dirt work there is even for slab on grade, wow. On using cool things like straw bale construction. Well it sounds cool and can be great and all but. It takes lots of human power(volunteers/friends) because it is very labor intensive and our weather window in the Pac Nor west is short.

All in all we have 3 acres and two 12'X24' hay sheds. We converted one shed into a pump house using straw bale construction and the other half is open storage and garden shed. The other shed is our house yes just under 300sq ft including a mud room or entry way for jackets and boots. We used regular 2'x6" walls for this one and this place is supper insulated and we propane stove for heat.

The shop is next and it will be substantially bigger and will include a full bathroom, work out room and laundry. My wife's side will be a wood shop and my side is my bike shop. This will be slab on grade 2x6 walls and super insulated and a heat pump.

Cost wise we will be at about $119,000 at 3% at 30 years and plan on paying off at 15. Most all of the work has been done by us because we have more time than money so it works for us. So I am just saying if anyone tries this build your own tiny house its cheap approach make sure you look at everything then have fun.

Have a great day.

[gomango]

I would love to see a pic or two.

Sounds like a very well considered plan.

Originally Posted by john903

We love our small house... but not to put a damper on peoples dreams there are lots of hidden cost, county codes, and of course well we don't have it but we can order it for ya. Oh and "well that isn't how it's done."
Lets not forget the cost of a approved septic system ($12,000) well, pump, controllers, and piping.($8,000) The other big expense it dirt work don't under estimate how much dirt work there is even for slab on grade, wow. On using cool things like straw bale construction. Well it sounds cool and can be great and all but. It takes lots of human power(volunteers/friends) because it is very labor intensive and our weather window in the Pac Nor west is short.

All in all we have 3 acres and two 12'X24' hay sheds. We converted one shed into a pump house using straw bale construction and the other half is open storage and garden shed. The other shed is our house yes just under 300sq ft including a mud room or entry way for jackets and boots. We used regular 2'x6" walls for this one and this place is supper insulated and we propane stove for heat.

The shop is next and it will be substantially bigger and will include a full bathroom, work out room and laundry. My wife's side will be a wood shop and my side is my bike shop. This will be slab on grade 2x6 walls and super insulated and a heat pump.

Cost wise we will be at about $119,000 at 3% at 30 years and plan on paying off at 15. Most all of the work has been done by us because we have more time than money so it works for us. So I am just saying if anyone tries this build your own tiny house its cheap approach make sure you look at everything then have fun.

Have a great day.

[guido]

https://padtinyhouses.com/books-plans/

[William]

"The ground is in constant movement here. Dune dwellers call it “liquid earth” and they have built and rebuilt their homes on the sand in expectation that change is the only certainty. “The hardy people who built dwellings out here almost surfed on the dunes,” explains current dune dweller and artist Romolo.

Romolo's shack was built on the remains of Eugene O’Neill’s structure by Jeanne “Frenchie” Chanel, who came to the area with fellow Broadway showgirl Bette Davis. After inheriting the shack from Frenchie, Romolo and his father were forced to rebuild in the 1970s when shifting sands buried the original structure. Romolo is a sculptor and like so many other artists, finds inspiration in this refuge.

They are 19 worn-down and well-aged shacks that sit at the edge of the continent. They’re surrounded by sand- Thoreau described the area as barren and desolate-, but the dune shacks that spot Cape Cod’s Peaked Hill Historic District have inspired artists for nearly a century.

Eugene O’Neill was one of the earlier settlers back in 1916. Jack Kerouac created part of On The Road here in 1950. The artists and writers inspired by these unimposing shelters include Tennessee Williams, Norman Mailer, e.e. cummings, Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko and John Dos Passos.

Sitting at the edge of the continent, the shacks are only a few miles from where the Pilgrims first landed in 1620 and its continued to be an area for self-reliant types. The area has never been populated by more than a few fisherman, artists and for several decades after 1882, by members of the US Lifesaving Service (the dwellers of the original shacks).

I'll just let Romolo paint the picture for you....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_LMftrUGE






William

[froze]

If for some reason I wanted to live in a tiny house the first thing that doesn't come to my mind is a converted container, I would rather live in a same square foot trailer or RV, or build a similar size log cabin. I'm sorry, but a container just looks freaking ugly.

[William]

Originally Posted by froze

If for some reason I wanted to live in a tiny house the first thing that doesn't come to my mind is a converted container, I would rather live in a same square foot trailer or RV, or build a similar size log cabin. I'm sorry, but a container just looks freaking ugly.

You might like something like this better...

Winter Wonderland (the only thing I don't care for in this design is the dining table layout, otherwise very nice)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_LtDKSiW8

Similar design with a better table layout imo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDNiPx3-XOk

I really like what Nelson Tiny Houses are creating. Keep in mind the gentleman giving the tour is 6' 5" tall.







William

[William]

A few shots from the Nelson T-home vid...

[cash05458]

as cool as these tiny and cool places sound...simply buy a mobile home...if you can live with the white trash label you are far better off...I bought mine for 20 grand 15 years ago and live on the shores of lake Champlain and on an island...and I can of course move it when i need...and I have space, plenty of space for my needs...and oh yeah, I have a half acre to play on...all for 280 a month for lot fee...

[stephenmarklay]

I am thinking along these lines for the future. Maybe about 20 years from now.

[froze]

Originally Posted by William

You might like something like this better...

Winter Wonderland (the only thing I don't care for in this design is the dining table layout, otherwise very nice)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_LtDKSiW8

Similar design with a better table layout imo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDNiPx3-XOk

I really like what Nelson Tiny Houses are creating. Keep in mind the gentleman giving the tour is 6' 5" tall.


William

I don't mind those so much, the first one I liked better only because I didn't like the aluminum stuff they put below the wood shakes in the second one. But I still would prefer a log cabin look. The price of the Nelson house wasn't too bad either, I saw some on TV a while back that were 3 times that much for about the same size! Crap for that kind of money (the 3 times as much ones) I could get an nice full luxury used RV and just park it on a piece of land!

[Macadamia]

Originally Posted by froze

If for some reason I wanted to live in a tiny house the first thing that doesn't come to my mind is a converted container, I would rather live in a same square foot trailer or RV, or build a similar size log cabin. I'm sorry, but a container just looks freaking ugly.

Sure do, also I'd like my house to be 3g and wifi permeable

[merckx]

I have lived in one of these for a few days at a time after I have annoyed the Mrs. beyond repair.

[froze]

Originally Posted by Macadamia

Sure do, also I'd like my house to be 3g and wifi permeable

mine too, plus that stuff doesn't take any space and thus it wouldn't crowd us out.

[William]

Originally Posted by froze

I don't mind those so much, the first one I liked better only because I didn't like the aluminum stuff they put below the wood shakes in the second one. But I still would prefer a log cabin look. The price of the Nelson house wasn't too bad either, I saw some on TV a while back that were 3 times that much for about the same size! Crap for that kind of money (the 3 times as much ones) I could get an nice full luxury used RV and just park it on a piece of land!

Like bikes, there are many different flavors that appeal to each of us in different ways. The main reason I watch these videos is to see the different design concepts people come up with that balance aesthetics, function, and sustainability in a smaller space.







William