Put motor on trailer with tiny house and you’ve got a motor home…add an outboard motor too and you’ve got a mini-cruise ship. 
Mobile home and tiny house- both seem risky in high winds. My impression is that a tiny house is even smaller than a mobile home, and may utilize lofting. Cabin fever potential. Not for retirement!
I know a retiree by us who purposely bought a tiny one bedroom home so he didn’t have to take in visiting relatives…he told them to stay at the Holiday Inn up the street. The retiree was outside doing stuff all day like playing golf, fishing, going to dances…he only crashed inside house in evening. His patio and swimming pool area outside was larger than his house.
My aunt has a two bedroom house. When we visit her, we stay at the hotel down the street. Her house is immaculate and in the garage, she has equipment to commercially pack and can her seafood that she and her guests catch on her board on the river or ocean. Her house is small but not “tiny.”
Houzz just featured a tiny house. 200 sq. feet for 42K.
That seems pretty expensive to me for such a small house that actually sits on a trailer. Thoughts?
"01-04-2015 at 1:01 pm
we've had daughter's drama kids (60+) over a few times for "carb dinners" and it was fun!
A carb dinner for drama kids!!! Wow! I’ve done carb dinners for athletes, but never would have dreamed of it for my drama kids. That idea kind of scares me."
a reply from post #60 -
we had a “carb dinner” because my daughter doesnt do sports and won’t ever have the chance to do “carb dinners”. it’s kinda a joke of course, but a fabulous evening for all. Even got some thank you notes from the last one!
Another small house on wheels hitting the internet today: http://www.boredpanda.com/tiny-house-giant-journey-mobile-home-jenna-guillaume/
I once spent a few days with my then-boyfriend in a tiny vacation cottage in Kihei, Maui. Almost immediately, I thought, “I could live comfortably like this forever,” and I still think so. It was so perfect for two. I don’t know how many square feet they are, but I’d guess low 300s, with a little porch out front for two. You mainly live outside.
Hanna, I think I mentioned in this thread that I would be happy to share a small condo with Mr B - in HI When people are not cooped up indoors all the time, it is so much easier for them to coexist in a small space. The “spaceship phenomenon” does not affect them.
Just out of college living in Tokyo I shared an apartment that was probably <200 sq feet. It was so cute. Our “tub” shower was like 2 feet. The kitchen was essentially one unit with one burner, a small waist high fridge. No oven. It was not great for two women who had boyfriends however as our beds in the loft area were approx. 1 foot apart from each other.
I could do it if I were living alone. I could not do it with my DH. I need quiet space and he needs big tv sports.
Tiny houses are great – if they’re somewhere where you can be outdoors much of the time – and for the young (you do need to be spry enough to go up and down that sleeping loft latter) – and the childless. The very fact of this thread shows how many people are attracted to the idea. The very fact they’re unusual shows just how impractical they are for the majority of people.
Personally, I would rather have an Air Stream.
Did anyone catch this hilarious bit?
http://curbed.com/archives/2015/02/24/portlandia-tiny-house-skit-season-five.php
I watched the show and wasn’t impressed. Despite them trying their hardest to convince me that tiny houses are not a fad, I still believe they are a fad. I mean really, it’s like living in a slightly nicer trailer…
The houses they showed looked very claustrophobic to me. I could see something that size working out for a few weeks or months, but for a long term solution? I think it would wear on you not having any real space. Perhaps I feel this way because I was raised in the desert southwest (we like our space!), and not in the densely populated northeast. I also realize that tiny homes are efficient and cost effective, but IMO, not everything in life needs to be efficient and cost effective! There are some things in life worth paying more for and enjoying, and I believe a home is one of those things.
Tiny home? No thanks!
I like houses and enjoy most shows about them. There are underlying reasons for people to choose them, finances often the number one. It blows my mind to see how a family with two young children chose this. Their logic- being able to take their house with them while on temp assignments for his profession and currently being a student.
I do not see it working for two people who are retired at often home. I like being able to go to different areas. The noise factor also. I like having stocks of a variety of foods to be able to make instant meal choices without needing to shop. And room for leftovers. My wardrobe would fit. No stairs for me anymore. Use the public library so limited book storage works- but need space for all the checked out books.
I think it makes a difference not only how much time you spend outdoors, but how much change and travel are part of your life. If you’re living in a little trailer, but constantly moving it to new places, I think the lack of variety inside the home would be less of a problem.
It’s also SO different for me in an age of digital books, satellite TV, and internet. You don’t need to carry a physical library with you any more in order to have access to the whole world.
I think that uber-functionality aspect of tiny homes is what turns me off to them to be honest though. Yes, they’re super practical, inexpensive, environmentally friendly, yada, yada… But how sustainable is that super-efficient type of living, in the long term, from a personal satisfaction point of view?
And what about aesthetics?? Personally, I’d go with something like a [modern/contemporary prefab home](http://www.homedesignfind.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/bluesky7.jpg) over a tiny home any day.
My H’s company is doing work on the west coast and folks in the company use an apartment in San Francisco that’s 600 sq.ft. when they are out there on work. I’ve gone out with H a number of times and I have to say that I didn’t mind the small space. It’s one large room with a small kitchen/bath and several closets. We separated the bed from the rest of the room with a large bookcase divider. I think one thing that makes a difference and keeps one from feeling closed in (and least that’s the case for me) is that this apartment has a small balcony and also a huge picture window with an amazing view of the city.
This morning NPR’s Tom Ashbrook did a show on this topic. This is it. http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/03/04/tiny-houses-micro-apartments
It wasn’t a tiny house but when we lived in Southern California the three of us lived in an 900sqft house very comfortably. It also had a huge deck and we ate most of our meals out there. I could happily live with my husband in a house as small as 800sqft but less than that? No, I’m afraid not.
600 SF is 3 times as large as a 200 SF place- both need bed, kitchen and bath facilities. Huge difference in room to move around, stretch arms without hitting walls et al.
I think I would be very comfortable in a “tiny house” type living situation if I lived by myself. Sharing the same amount of space with my 6’5" husband and his size-14 shoes, on the other hand, would be awful. What’s “cozy” for one, becomes “cramped” when sharing it with someone that takes up a lot of room.