There are big problems with tiny houses.
-besides the fact they are often too small.
Are they too small? That depends. There are tiny houses and there are tiny houses. Are we talking 70 square feet or 400 square feet? How well do they use space? Are we talking housing for a single person, a couple or, god forbid, a large family?
Let’s assume that the size is sufficient for the number of people living there. The big hurtle for tiny homes is zoning. Frankly, living in a tiny home is often just plain illegal.
The technical issues can be dealt with. Alternative energy can provide electric power. Water can be from any number of sources including rain catchment. Septic can be dealt with using composting toilets and clever gray water systems. Heating is climate specific and include everything from woodstoves to diesel heaters designed for RVs.
To get around zoning issues tiny homes are often built on trailers and treated like camper trailers. That can work, but many locations ban people from living in camper trailers. My own rural out in the middle of nowhere town has such a restriction. People cannot do what they want with their own land.
Personally, I’m tempted to build an “ice fishing shack.” It would be a bit more comfortable than most. When I have to pull it shore in the spring it would make a neat little stealth guest house on the lake. Rules are meant to be bent.
-Sixbears
I recall a story that Einstein was a sailor. He'd putter off in the middle of the lake in Harvard(?) and drop the sails. Said it was the only time he was left alone with his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteJust because your beloved wife cleaned your office, is that really a reason to build a tiny ice shack "Office" 6 Bears?
Chuckling.
I refuse to comment as it might implicate me.
DeleteYou can't live in a structure you own, on land you own? How is that "Live Free or Die" nonsense working out for you all?
ReplyDeleteGenerally pretty well, but like everything else there are issues.
DeleteI used to live in the Silicon Valley where homes/land were prohibitively expensive. My brother attempted to build a mother-in-law unit on his four acre property and found nothing but obstacles to doing this. Eventually, he found out that he could build a pool house with bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms and the County ordinances would allow it.
ReplyDeleteI love loopholes. I once saw a "horse barn" pretty much set up the same way.
DeleteYep, loopholes, got to know the rules so you can work around them.
DeleteWhat if you have a camper parked in your own driveway, and don't say anything to anyone? You could call it an extended vacation? The thought of badged individuals visiting my property or someone I said it was ok to stay on my property annoys me greatly. I mean what kind of person complains about such things?
ReplyDeleteDon't know the law in your town. I think the local campgrounds pushed the laws through here.
DeleteTall fences make for endless privacy behind them. If you are a social animal , then you will never have your own private Idaho.
ReplyDelete