Tiny House the Movie

Started by John Raabe, July 07, 2014, 12:44:58 AM

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John Raabe

This is a well done documentary film about a young couple with no construction experience who build a tiny house (under 100sf) that fits on a tow ready truck trailer.
It takes them a year and over $26,000 but they have built a unique and total custom home of their own construction. There are interviews with several people involved in the tiny house movement. Some of these people you may recognize as posters to this forum.

I found this movie on Netflix but you can find it through links on their website: ://tiny-themovie.com/. Here are photos of the project that provide a good overview: http://www.viralnova.com/tiny-house/



The CountryPlans site and forum are about owner-built small houses. Small might be the popular 20x30 design with a footprint of 600 sf - that's palatial by Tiny house standards. I have always felt that Tiny House projects were more like a building a boat or a custom RV - a place where you can live for short bursts, but not the kind of place where people will build a permanent habitation and expect to shelter generations. You don't have to build a 3000sf suburban McMansion to do that. A space of 600 to 1400sf will do it nicely and provide a real home.

What do you think of Tiny Houses? Why are they so popular in the media right now?
None of us are as smart as all of us.

hpinson

#1
I suspect it is the "idea of it" more so than the reality.  The appeal seems to be a simplified lifestyle - low initial cost, presumably no mortgage, or perhaps a very small loan, storage for intentionally fewer possessions, mobility should the need arise, less regulation, building code avoidance/ or even evasion.  It all seems rather trendy right now. But you are right - living in one is like living in a 5th wheel trailer or on a boat, and I think it takes a special person to put up with that for any great length of time.  Maybe better for 1 than 2?

I have an acquaintance who has just built one and is moving in right now with her husband - the building and zoning approval process was not so simple as she imagined and it took a lot for the city to even allow it.  I hope it goes well for them.  They do own their bit of land outright and have their own roof overhead, with no mortgage.  A lot to be said for that.

I see some of the mobile home manufacturers are getting into this:

http://parkmodels.com/



rick91351

No thanks we have been living in this fifthwheel camper for over a year and a half.  About a year of that has been as we have been building the house.  Ity is a lot easier now with a washer and dryer and real showers and bath tubs.  I have found I can do it better than Ellen.  However I would never do it if there was not a rainbow on the horizon.....

Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

rich2Vermont

I looked into tiny houses when I was researching for what we wanted to build. I liked the idea of such boat-like compactness, but had no need for something built to be towed. My cousin's 15 year old daughter has been building one of these for the past year or so. She's a smart kid and yearns to be totally independent, I think. I also think she sees it as an investment in the future -- saving a ton on money on college housing, for example. Her house really doesn't feel that small, though it's far from complete. They're dried in, but no insulation or much interior started.

For me, I kind of like staying in one place to see the scenery change with time and the seasons, rather than changing the scenery entirely.

Ernest T. Bass

I'm always drawn to the principles and ideals that the tiny house people have, but ironically I'm always shocked at how much they actually do cost to build (at least in the well-publicized stories..). Our 1200sf cordwood home cost that much, including the subbed-out foundation. Granted it's a bit like apples and oranges, but with some scavenging I can't see spending more than a couple grand on a conventional 100sf building..

Our family's homestead adventure blog; sharing the goodness and fun!


Adam Roby

The $26,000 price tag seems extremely steep for something that is the size of a very small garden shed, that must include the land. 
Most of these (I believe) are built on a trailer frame not so much for transportation, rather to bypass the local building codes.  If you have a foundation, you usually first need a septic tank, well, electrical... etc etc etc... being on a trailer frame you are considered movable and therefore are bound to the camper laws, where you can use tanks for all of the above and be off grid, etc. 

I would consider it... but my wife and 4 year old, not to mention the 18 month old Lab would probably feel quite cramped in there.  :)

John Raabe

At the end of the movie there is a scene where they tow their new tiny house out to a remote site and when the camera lifts off we have this wonderful expansive open country shot. But we know they aren't ready to live there for any real time. There is no infrastructure - no water, no septic (how long til the moss toilet fills up?), no grid power (for long-term habitation they will need a storage bank of batteries, more solar panels and probably a generator).

So putting in the services needed to support a life in the Tiny House will involve building a pump house/generator shed/tool shed that might be as big or bigger than the house itself. So, you're right back into building something in or on the ground that will be called an "improvement" by the county assessor.
None of us are as smart as all of us.

hpinson

I just finished watching this on Netflix, and enjoyed it.  Very inspirational, even if light on details.  My wife and I agreed that such a small home is probably good for a single person who intentionally keeps their possessions to a minimum.  The difference between these tiny homes and a 5th wheel is the quality of the build.

It gets difficult with kids, dogs, workshops, businesses, enterprises and hobbies.  My wife pointed out how important personal private space is too.  My personal gripe is the loft beds - just can't stand the idea of climbing up and down a ladder, and changing sheets in such a cramped space - hot too. 

That Jay Schafer choses to live in something a little bigger is telling.

hpinson

#8
Adam - I'm guessing the 26K is for the Tiny House, and that the land is separate.  No idea what the raw land cost him, but in central Colorado, land is not particularly cheap.  Gotta take the cost of the tools into account too, besides the materials.

I also noticed that from beginning to end, the truck got upgraded.  It takes a lot to tow that weight.


pocono_couple

It looks like not much has happened on this thread in recent months..   my wife and I  actually just watched the documentary  last week.. enjoyed it a lot.  Of course,  the points that have been made here are completely valid -  I think that a lot of folks who end up with tiny houses  end up living on  lots that have existing homes..  that is the case with us.    http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=13525.0

our tiny house is located in my brother-in-law's house..   we ran a 30 amp service from his panel,  and there is a  bathroom/shower  on the farm that we use  85% of the time.     With that in mind, we did not put a bathroom in the house - just have a porti-potti for late night needs..      our house is on a slab - no trailer - the pitch of the roof is  12 over 9   - rather steep - but that gives us a lot of room in the loft.    the trade off is that , even if we wanted to,  we could never trailer our house anywhere, even if it was on wheels..   

our purpose was to use the house a night or two a week , but we actually ended up living there full time from july through thanksgiving.    We will be back there a lot once the new year arrives..    we have enjoyed it a lot.. the cat  has adjusted very well, but we certainly won't be entertaining any friends - have to wait till the summer so we can use the picnic table outside!   

Rich.. thanks so much for the link to those outhouse plans.. what a neat  plan..   depending on how long we end up using this tiny house,  I was thinking about building something like that  and installing a compost toilet - with a bit of heat for the cold months! 

As far as the cost is concerned,  I understand why the square foot cost for a tiny house may be more than a larger sized house, but I agree that some of the prices quoted are outrageous..    We spent around 10 k  for our house..  8x16  footprint  plus a loft that is about 72 square feet..   so  200 gross sq feet..     it will pay for itself in three to four years simply in reduced commuting costs!   

jt