I've lived in multiple < 200 square foot apartments in Japan and a 300 sq foot apartment in SF. I think these tiny homes would be a fun getaway. That said, something about a tiny detached house like this gives me the creeps, whereas a tiny apartment does not.
Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
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Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#22Instead of $15-$20k, just spend $8k on a singlewide trailer and redo the interior to your desire.
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#23I live in a 1,000 square foot house. It's the right size for my wife and I. We'd fit just fine with a kid as well... Having lived in smaller apartments (down to 500 square feet) I just don't see me doing it ever again:)
My girlfriend, daughter and I are quite comfortable in 700 square feet. More would obviously be nice, but neither one of us are willing to move to the parts of town necessary to make that affordable. When I was on my own I lived in a 450 sq ft apartment which I considered plenty big enough for me, and where I (god forbid) ever to find myself alone again I'd probably move back to a 400-500 sq foot apartment. Again bigger would be nice, but not nice enough to sacrifice either location or the extra money.
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#24I live in a 1,000 square foot house. It's the right size for my wife and I. We'd fit just fine with a kid as well... Having lived in smaller apartments (down to 500 square feet) I just don't see me doing it ever again:)
My fiance and I recently downsized to a 1000 sqft condo. Living small is surprisingly expensive, though. Its crowded in the condo, because all the stuff we have as hand-me-downs, like the TV and sofa, is meant for a much larger space. It costs a lot of money to get new stuff that fits in the space better.
With respect, 1000 sq.ft. (about 92m2 for those of us using sane units) for two is not "downsizing". You are suffering from space blindness.
About 75m2 (800ish sq.ft.) is comfortable for a family of three, and you can certainly get by with much less.
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#25I'm living in a 170 square foot apartment in Tokyo. This is on the small side, but not so unusual for an apartment close to the city center. In addition to the savings in rent, I also save money by not collecting possessions. The space isn't such an issue, because I fully utilize it. Having a bigger place would be nice for having people over and what not, but the majority of the time I wouldn't use the space.
Even more extreme are the capsule apartments in China:
http://www.chinahush.com/2010/04/09/young-girl-becomes-first...
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#26I've lived in multiple < 200 square foot apartments in Japan and a 300 sq foot apartment in SF. I think these tiny homes would be a fun getaway. That said, something about a tiny detached house like this gives me the creeps, whereas a tiny apartment does not.
Maybe because it reminds you too much of an outhouse or a toolshed? :-)
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
My fiance and I recently downsized to a 1000 sqft condo. Living small is surprisingly expensive, though. Its crowded in the condo, because all the stuff we have as hand-me-downs, like the TV and sofa, is meant for a much larger space. It costs a lot of money to get new stuff that fits in the space better.
With respect, 1000 sq.ft. (about 92m2 for those of us using sane units) for two is not "downsizing". You are suffering from space blindness. About 75m2 (800ish sq.ft.) is comfortable for a family of three, and you can certainly get by with much less.
Where do you live? In Belgium 90m2 apartments are considered small, even for a couple with no kids. 120 m2 is standard for newly build ones, I'm building a few between 125 and 170 although these are luxury apartments. My sister bought a 170m2 one smack dead in the center of a big city (Antwerp), as urban as it gets in Belgium. Where I live now in the Netherlands the standards are lower though, especially in Amsterdam.
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#28Why does this turn up so often here on HN? It's cute, and interesting, and perhaps a fun hack to try to do, but I've seen it several times now.
Here's one earlier version found in 30 seconds with http://searchyc.com :
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=921959
... and here are some related links:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=659799
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=651810
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
My fiance and I recently downsized to a 1000 sqft condo. Living small is surprisingly expensive, though. Its crowded in the condo, because all the stuff we have as hand-me-downs, like the TV and sofa, is meant for a much larger space. It costs a lot of money to get new stuff that fits in the space better.
With respect, 1000 sq.ft. (about 92m2 for those of us using sane units) for two is not "downsizing". You are suffering from space blindness. About 75m2 (800ish sq.ft.) is comfortable for a family of three, and you can certainly get by with much less.
Maybe it's you who suffers from space blindness. :) People can get used to a wide range of personal space availability. A friend who lives north of Dallas, TX lives with his wife in a 1500 sq.ft. house which seems tiny to them and those they know. When I was visiting recently, he was struggling with how to fit all of their stuff in the house, as quite a lot had overflowed into the garage, making it unusable for, you know, parking in.
Re: Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House
#30Has anyone here done this or is doing this? Back in 2008 when I first encountered this, I was aghast at how you'd first have to do some heavy research as to where you'd locate because the rules were so different, especially regarding what's considered "real estate" for tax purposes.
Is it still possible to find a nice piece of land in the US and just build your home there?
I'm from the Netherlands and there is no way in hell you can buy a piece of land away from everything.