I saw a great story yesterday about a family who rebuilt their life after losing both their home and business to the recession, by building a tiny home.
Tiny Homes have been growing in popularity over the last couple years, as more people decide to downsize their lifestyle in order to stay ahead during these troubling financial times. By downsizing, in this case to a 168-sq. ft. home, many families are finding financial stability and security thanks to the Tiny Home Movement.
By avoiding high rental costs, excessive mortgage payments and soaring energy bills, Tiny Home owners are saving huge amounts of money and redefining what it means to live frugally.
The advantages of building a Tiny House don’t stop at just saving money. In fact, a growing number of these home owners are building their homes on wheels. This gives them to option to literally pull up and move at a moment’s notice. And the small-scale of these homes allows you to easily power almost everything you would need with off grid energy technology.
In my opinion, Tiny Homes are a great bug out option for both Off Griders and Preppers.
Hats off to that young man for already being financially and environmentally responsible, I can see he will go far. His can-do attitude makes me want to start getting on with building my tiny-home.
I have to second that!! He shows real initiative. The idea of a tiny home, to me, is a GREAT idea. It has the advantages of mobility and the costs are affordable.
I love these little tiny homes. Back 50 years ago the average house had about half the square footage of today’s homes and people did just fine. I could totally see living in one of these out in the middle of the forest somewhere.
And Bravo to the 16 year old in the video. It’s good to see that not all kids are complete morons.
Next you know the lame Obama admin, will call them 5150 and they will find a way to kick and or ban these tiny homes. I wouldnt mind living in one because i been feeling like a gypsy for the last three years traveling up and down communist california
Wow they really pack a lot into a small place. just goes to show how little we actually need and how bad peoples spending habits have become. Bet these people have far less stress.
I love the idea of these things, however, they are meant to be minimal. I don’t know about you, but with all my food storage and “prepping” things, I wouldn’t have much room in them. Also, when you think about the cost of these, people that have been doing this themselves (buy the materials and buid DIY type), you still spend somewhere between $10k – $50k depending on the model. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather use that money and put it to use somewhere else, like buy some land and building something there. You could easily convert this garage, http://www.menards.com/main/project-center/garages/24×28-cape-cod-style-garage/p-1491397.htm. I would look at doing something with this first instead of going about doing something with a TinyHouse. IMO though… :) Happy Prepping!
I like the idea of tiny homes can be built for a lit less than 10k. I have plans for a 12×16 “barn style” shed (with a loft area). I just talked with Home Depot, and to frame/roof/floor, etc will cost approx $2,500. then, if ur smart, check out Craigslist for the rest: windows, sink, drywall, etc. Scavenge batteries and solar AND wind/water turbines. Sure, you could spend 10k or more, but in a survival situation, that oak floor at $2.45 sq ft will just look stupid. If your broke like me, give yourself a 5 year plan. You can still buy land in Northern California for $5,000 an acre. No kidding. I just did it, and it was not considered unusual… just rare, and you GOTTA LOOK. Consider forclosures and auctions and property away from towns (which u would want anyway). I just purchased A FORCLOSURE for $6,700. One acre of land, backs to a year round creek. YUP.
My Mom bought 5 acres of woodland. We built a house and everything on it. We started out with no electric or running water. 6 weeks without electric and 2 years without running water. There is nothing like living in the woods and smelling the fresh air in the morning and watching the deer cross the driveway as you sip coffee and think about what you will be doing that day. I miss it so much! I ended up getting married and I live in Georgia. Way too close to town and I am itching for the woods and solitude. I used to live in a 16 x 16 cabin in the Missouri woods and behind my mothers house. Sometimes I really miss that place. Even though it was unfinished and had no insulation/ heating or cooling. There was something about the quiet and the alone that made me feel peaceful and calm. Living in a small house is the way to go. I was never happier then when I lived in that tiny cabin all to myself. You do find peace and it is very soothing.
Tiny homes are a great way to have a bugout location ready to go. I’m sure everyone would like to have a full size house at their location, but cost can certainly get in the way. Having a place to stay that only cost a few thousand sounds like a solid plan!
This is a heck better than homelessness! These sort of mini-cabins would be great for students. Give them some land with a plumbing and electrical hook-up and they’re all set.
I manage a trailer park with electrical, water and sewage hookups. I rented to someone with a tiny home built onto a running truck. Worked fine for him.
What I like about this website is that it bring all people together liberals and conservatives. I think taking back our right to build sustainable homes and living off grid is a common ground we all can agree on. I think what was done to those people out in the L.A. desert was appalling!
I for one do not think it is wise to depend too much on our cities utilities for too much of anything. I think if we can do for ourselves we should be given more support from our city leaders. Some cities/counties support living off the grid others don’t we have got to make it a must. We are saving resources and tax dollars it just makes sense.
But ok enough of that! What I wanted to let you guys know about if you don’t already is shipping container homes check them out they cost 1000.00 raw can sustain 50,000 pound of pressure each. They are rust resistant nearly impenetrable by hurricane, fire etc. They are cheaper when you buy more they can be put together like legos stacked! Let the imaginations run wild..
Tricked out ready made for delivery for your foundation all the bells and whistles counter tops etc. 10,000 dollars. In addition foundation cost can be cut in half cause they only need the simplest form of anchoring small sunken concrete pylons.
“Tiny houses” for survival or self-sufficient living are a delusion.
No room to store supplies. No room to store tools. No room to prepare food or do other necessary work.
And the prices being asked for these “tiny houses” are simply absurd. If you really want to “live simply” buy a $2000 shed from Home Depot and spend a weekend or two assembling it and adding insulation. Or just move to a small town in the Midwest where there are 2 or 3 bedroom homes selling for $20,000 that would provide the room to store cheaply-purchased bulk foods and with kitchens large enough to prepare food from a garden for storage.
I tend to agree with you simply because of the space limitations. I like to can and I have food storage that simply would NOT fit into a tiny house. I have two kids who wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if I forced them into this lifesytle. I would consider it for myself, but I definitely like your idea of moving to a small town in the midwest and buying an inexpensive home. I also like the idea that my home would be “attached” to the ground!
I’ve been living relatively independent of the system in a RV for 15 years, no real difference between that and a tiny home, and I love the idea of being minimalist and also the idea of tiny homes.
BUT
Living like that is very close to the “bugging out and going solo” SHTF option, you cannot really store much in the way of supplies. Sure we had a large RV and stored about 3 months of food, water etc, OK for local disasters etc but not much for a real national/global event.
We still live in the RV but it’s parked on our land (25 acres) and I’m converting two 20′ containers into living quarters, a third holds tools, and we may get a 4th for food. Plus I’m building a shed for blacksmithing and general metal work.
The next task will be look into growing food.
We still have the option of bugging out in the RV or the 4×4, but both would be a trouble magnet in times of strife. Really I’d rather stay put with facilities to live long term out of sight and out of mind.
So, bottom line I don’t think a TH is all that appropriate for SHTF unless it’s parked on some decent land with other sheds/buildings that can be used for storage of the 1000 things you need. In that case sure, it’s a comfortable place for 1-2 people to live. But bugging out with a stick built “trailer” that weighs 2 tons or whatever and that is really not designed for frequent travel is not on IMO. If you want to do that get an RV or something that’s designed to travel.
Just don’t try and live in one in Florida over 60 counties here will not approve and will take legal action if you house is not built to their code and a minimum of 640 sq. ft. even for one person. They also make it mandatory for certain “approved” windows, ac, appliances and more. Florida is a communist state like Cali. and you will comply or else. But this would be great as an “office or accessory structure” to park you camper next to it. You supposedly own the land but have to beg for permits and a CO to live on your land.
BHideaway in Alaska…$80,000.00, A perfect place for long summers (excellent growing season) and easy to live off the land year long.
25 Acres plus 8-12 acres of reclaimable/survey-able river flood plain acreage (river changed direction since 1917 U.S.G.S. survey) , half bluff and half river frontage,with 1/2 mile of Susitna River frontage, bluff views of Mt. Denali (McKinley and Mt. Susitna), accessible by road up to about 1/2 mile from property line and of course river access. About 100 miles from Anchorage, Alaska.[61*49’43.97″N – 150*08’03.27″W] All species of wild salmon, Bald Eagles, fox, moose, black and brown bears, with large spruce and cottonwood trees. This is an exceptional spot for a charter sport fishing lodge and/or an eco-turism kayaking, boating, hiking, camping spot. A real hideaway for anyone to disappear for a few months or have a summer high income business. Owner finance possible with 1/2 down,and with payments for (2) two years …..firm.
The price of this lot may raise by spring because of delvelopements in the area that are happening quite fast.
Contact: Bud Nelson (510) 224-1131 in California and Brenda Anacleto (907) 745-5573 in Alaska.uild a tiny cabin on this property with the million board ft. of natural trees on lot.
Well, I live in nevada county ca. and looked into the tiny house on wheels about 3 years ago after i got red tagged…the county was very hard on me to start permitting starting with purk and mantel…just to shut them up i paid 300.00 dollars for the permit…never used it because i don’t have $10,000.00 to put in a septic…i live off the grid and have been for 20+ years moving often..finally i got a loan when i was on ssi and feeling guilty from moving often not giving my son a stable foundation i pulled the loan and told him to fine property he wanted..my son found off grid property..6 acres ..this story is too long but i have it now and after being red tag i can’t believe how many rules this county has…it is not legal in this county to build a yurt..the tinny house like you show here,a trailer that is not wheel chair accessible…this is my first time buying bare land and had no idea all the rules this county has….looking for a grant… now that i know i just can’t do what i want to on my property ..i have about 20day left to come into compliance and i have looked at all angles..i am 64 on SS have only 79,000.00 left to pay on bank loan and as long as no disaster happens i am making it on $550.00 per month..i am disable and a senior…can they kick me off my land???take my land from me???or fine me if i don’t come into compliance???the tinny house or a yurt will not work in this county..have any good suggestions on how to beat the county’s rules..need help …can’t sleep at night with worry.
I’ve always thought that a cheap travel trailer would be the ultimate bug out shelter. I think this is still true as long as you live in a fairly warm climate. But since most of these trailers are not built for cold climates they have their limitations. A tiny home can be insulated for cold climates and that is a definite advantage.