Kyu's Tiny House Blog

[Tiltyred]

YES it's cool! And that bathroom design, omg. Inspiring! I live in 597 square feet and need to renovate my tiny bathroom. Wish I could do something like that.

 

[kyuuei]

^ I definitely want the charm of the whimsy-looking crooked home with the lantern and all.. but inside, I'd like it to be more comfortable and modern.. The outside would deceive the inside a bit since I've never been one for 'rustic' decor, so I'll be going with more japanese-inspired designs inside, which doesn't match the outside at all.. but I'm really fine with that, and maybe if I do a sort of shrine-looking hint to it it'll match well enough. Simplicity, modern accents, natural materials, crowded with things I love, and live plants will be decoration enough for me.

I lived in 550 sq. ft. for a year's time, the biggest place I've ever taken residence in where everything inside was my own things, and I loved the space. It was just big enough for me, I didn't need more or less, it was big enough to entertain people and small enough to be easy to clean. I could deep clean my whole place in 3 hours, scrubbing every corner and piece. Try to say spring cleaning took a mere day in a 1,000+ sq. ft house!

 

[Laurie]

I'm going to show this thread to my daughter. She currently lives under the stairs in a (enlarged) pantry! We want to move to a bigger house soon and she tells me we need to find a house with a mini room for her. She loves it!

 

[kyuuei]

[MENTION=5953]Elaur[/MENTION]

Have you thought about maybe making her a small guest house outside? Humble Homes, Simple Shacks.. The guy that runs this blog here:
http://www.relaxshacks.blogspot.com/

He's got a slew of small cottages and houses that could be built for minimal money especially with recycled materials.. Even if she doesn't get a small place of her own, she may really enjoy having a tiny retreat to go to away from that bigger place

 

[stalkerstyler]

Tree houses are currently a trend that shows no sign of declining. Numerous people are looking for ways to relax outside their own homes. They are achieving this by building a large or a small tree house. This type of a house adds beauty to your home.

 

[kyuuei]

Ive been doing a lot of research regarding everything.. my plans will definitely take longer than expected.

Buying the land comes first. I'm prolonging my own home to pay for my parents house. My attempts to land an overseas job will pay off the land. A year of work at home will pay for my house.. at least a livable portion of it. My goal is to be debt free by 30.. when I say that I mean never worry about debt again.

 

[kyuuei]

The downside of delaying my house is obvious.. the upside is I can still explore many possibilities for creating the home I shopped around for here. I will have the time to find an architect to draw plans and apply for a building permit that will make my home legal. I still might build the small shed with the money I get from my bonus for re enlisting. If I can do that I certainly will.. it will be simply furnished and solar powered with a small water collection system. Id just need to make 5grand appear to complete the interior and components. Maybe ill take on a job between deployment and contract work to cover that. Even something as small as that would be lovely. It'd basically be like a hotel room.. limited cooking but functional nonetheless.

Ill write a larger post later when I have time and a computer.

 

[kyuuei]

So I think I am going to go with a tuff shed. They have a Houston based company, they have many awards for long lasting product and many people have already outfitted the structure for indoor use. Strong enough to become storage and safe enough for a home.

$5 grand for the basic structure. I'm sure with incidentals $6. That's 120 sq ft. Half of what I was looking at.. but also half the price.

Ikea loft bed and a fold out couch for a guest room. A walk in bathroom like the one I posted about. A hand crank washer and spin dryer. A portable induction cook top and a microwave oven. A coffee pot. A table top dishwasher. A small freezer fridge. Based on the design on page 1 but much more condensed and leaving some things out. I can finish the interior for $2 and I think another $2 will buy furniture, appliances plumbing and electricity.... ill still have my skylight too.. I can look at the stars as I sleep.

$10. I will have $5 for sure. The other $5 I think I have a plan for where it is coming from.

April 2013 construction starts. $10 grand and ill have all the comforts of a modern house. No debt. Tiny utility bills. Its going to be amazing. I can do this.

 

[spirilis]

I am excited for you!

 

[kyuuei]

I am excited for you!

ty kindly! I'm rather excited myself.. lots of information gathering and coin shuffling around.and shopping online is something ive become rather fond of lately.

 

[kyuuei]

http://www.yestertec.com/articles/amazing-workstation-sale?cat=The_Press_Room&id=1

My inspiration for my kitchen. Its lovely takes up little space and functions. Perfect. Ill simply build it instead of buying it to save money. Ikea parts and smart shopping for appliances.

http://annikaschmidt.com/ifurniture.html

Really really awesome furniture idea for a reading nook.

http://www.bravespacedesign.com/product_tetrad_flat.php

A bookshelf that holds way more in significantly less space. Great inspiration and it pays homage to the nerd in me.

http://matroshkafurniture.com/home/index.html

Inspiration for squishing everything together

http://naturemill.com/howItWorks.html

Just thought it was cool

 

[Eilonwy]

Saw these and thought of you. The last one is way too expensive, but has neat ideas.

http://www.geekosystem.com/tiny-apartment-secrets/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/28/gary-changs-sliding-wall_n_554993.html

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/this-could-be-big-abc-news/exclusive-first-video-life-edited-swiss-army-apartment-190608050.html

 

[kyuuei]

[MENTION=8244]Eilonwy[/MENTION] Inspiration is everywhere.. I hope I get a cool story written about me <15k for a fully functioning house is my goal.

http://www.geappliances.com/products/introductions/advantium/

Probably the coolest oven Ever! It's pricey--the price of an actual full-sized oven... @_@ I don't like things at full price. But its compact, and a work horse, and it fits within a tiny house's specs. So I'll keep shopping around for more models like this one with more reasonable prices or maybe even a refurbished model on sale. The more I look at these inspirations, the more I think <200 sq. ft will work. The energy savings would be awesome and it replaces a microwave, microwave oven, and traditional oven. I'm getting a portable cook-top, and I figure if I really need another one it will still be cheaper to buy two than it would be to try installing a pre-set up set of two.

Alright. Rough estimates.

$4,599 - Tuff Shed 10x12 Basic set-up, unpainted
$500 - Foundation of some sort, probably concrete
$300 - Skylights and vent
$1,000 - Materials for sheet rock, building the bathroom walls and door, paint, sealing the house stuff, plumbing, and electrical stuff
$500 - Materials for the floors and bathroom
$3500 - Appliances (toilet, showerhead, sinks, oven, cooktop, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, coffee maker, A/C and heating units)
$3500 - Furniture (closet, storage, cabinets for kitchen, couch, loft bed, dining table, chairs)

Total: $13,899 to begin living in my home. Some of the things I know I gave too much money towards.. Many furniture items I will get on clearance/craigslist for cheaper. Appliances are right on the money it seems. I'm hoping savings in the budget will go towards making the house self-sufficient with a water-catching-and-purification system and a combination solar/wind electrical system for both daily electricity and back up power. I don't know if I'll afford both of those up-front, but if I have to push the house to costing $15,000 to get them I'm okay with that. My house CANNOT cost more than $15,000, otherwise it just makes more sense to buy a trailer and live in that.. and I want something crazy like a 120 sq ft home lol.

IT IS CRAZY. But I can start construction on it in April with my bonus check, and after that a bit of money towards it every month will have it built and liveable by 3 months, and complete in a year.

My closet will be a section of wall with some mounted stuff on it for storage, and a curtain to hide it during the day. My bathroom a small corner of the house that will double as a laundry room. My kitchen an L-shaped package of cheap cabinetry dressed up with some glass doors and small, efficient appliances. My dining room table will double as a work station. I'll have some storage cabinetry and a bookshelf area next to the front doorway, and a fold out couch and loft bed against the wall where we can watch TV and chill and sleep without issues. My house will sleep 3 that way.. or if I want a bigger bed just keep the couch folded out.

.. This is going to work. I think. I think it will work. Either way, that's the rough budget. Smart shopping and lots of research will help a ton. I think I will build the outside and go, "...Am I really going to try to fit all of this stuff in there?"

 

[kyuuei]

http://www.jetsongreen.com/2010/03/downsizing-with-ikea-modular-dwelling.html

Proof that my idea will work. The article doesnt say dimensions, but it DOES look awfully close to my shed's size. They said bedroom, living room, and kitchen are within it. I can easily replace bedroom with bathroom and call it a day.

That price tag shows that Im pretty spot on when it comes to my estimations on cost. With buying many things craigslist-style on top of that, I think that I was pretty on the money with my estimates.

 

[spirilis]

I dunno if this relates to that, but on the 4th my wife and I went to Ikea and they had a mockup 500-something square foot "home" concept on the top floor fully furnished. That was kinda neat. Small, but livable.

 

[kyuuei]

I dunno if this relates to that, but on the 4th my wife and I went to Ikea and they had a mockup 500-something square foot "home" concept on the top floor fully furnished. That was kinda neat. Small, but livable.

Our Ikea has a similar set up.. they have a 270 sq foot, 300something, and a 500 something. I go there a lot when I want to stop by for cheap, good food. I thinks its a Luby's I can actually stomach. They used to have a 164 sq. foot one.. I liked that one a lot. I think Ikea and the army is what pushed me into the Tiny house movement in the first place.

 

[Laurie]

Oh I'm glad this thread popped up. It's so exciting! A friend of mine just moved and mentioned that they have so little because they've moved so many times (around the world, three countries) and it made me feel so bogged down by my stuff! I'm getting rid of about 50% of our stuff.

My daughter in the teeny tiny little room hardly has to clean and my other daughters are always making messes in their nice larger rooms. It's an interesting thing to see.

We recently started recycling again (after the city changed the rules and drop offs) and I'm really wanting to compost. That composter looks awesome!

 

[kyuuei]

http://www.factoryexpodirect.com/micro.asp

This trailer home, one of the original prospects for my house, is $21,900 and is called a 'micro' home at 506 sq. ft. Haha! I found it funny.

Im starting to inquire at some shed-building companies for prices on more custom set-ups... I want 127 sq. ft exactly if I can get it. 27 is my lucky number Im a bit superstitious about it.

I drew the rough outlines for the house floor plans on my wall today. I look at it every night before I go to bed. I also started an official blogspot blog that I'll start using to post mentions, appliances and inspirations I used on projects, exact prices and statistics, timelines and of course plenty of pictures for non typc-members.

Craigslist is going to be my best friend during the building of all of this.

How I am getting rid of T-shirts:

I have a TON of t-shirts. a TON OF THEM. I can't help it. I love nerdy t-shirts, I love t-shirts from events I have been to, and I especially am a fan of t-shirts from work. The army is a t-shirt machine. So what to do with them all since I can't wear them all all of the time?

1. I'm going to make a quilt out of my nerdy t-shirts. They'll be on clear display, comfy and cozy, and I'll get to see them everyday.
2. Im going to start a project trying to re-create that book-seat with the fan t-shirts. Brands I like, bands, miscellaneous t-shirts.. A comfy cozy floor-based seat for when the kids stop by or for reading at a different angle, and I can flip to any page I want.
3. I'm going to use some of the heavier duty ones to make shopping bags. Sew up the bottom side and cut some sleeves off and reinforce them and its a reusable shopping bag that actually has logos and stuff on it that I like!
4. A couple of cotton t-shirts will make some attractive and easily washed indoor mats. I find that sleeping on the floor, having a mat for your feet before you get into bed is a comforting quality. Jeans on one side and t-shirts on the other.
5. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/03/pillow_chair_from_t-shirts_and.html Bean bag chair that's comfy and made out of t-shirts? Yes plz.

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2011/01/creative-ways-to-reuse-old-t-shirts.html

That site has some pretty cool ideas.

Plenty of projects to keep me busy while minimizing and repurposing stuff I can't seem to let go on my own. I'll just pick out my favorite 10 t-shirts and keep them clean and visible. Any new t-shirts I gain I'll turn into one of those projects, or replace it and use the old one for a project.

Oh I'm glad this thread popped up. It's so exciting! A friend of mine just moved and mentioned that they have so little because they've moved so many times (around the world, three countries) and it made me feel so bogged down by my stuff! I'm getting rid of about 50% of our stuff.

My daughter in the teeny tiny little room hardly has to clean and my other daughters are always making messes in their nice larger rooms. It's an interesting thing to see.

We recently started recycling again (after the city changed the rules and drop offs) and I'm really wanting to compost. That composter looks awesome!

Haha! I feel bogged down right now just having so much stuff in my 6x6 room. I keep looking around and going, "I can get rid of so much still.." even all the accomplishments I made in the minimalist challenge aren't enough for me yet! and I had such a tiny room when I grew up... I always seemed neater than my sisters and brother in comparison.. but I simply didn't own as much! When I got moved into the bigger room.. I started having a messy room until I noticed it was driving me crazy.

Good luck on getting rid of 50% of your stuff You only need a locking-lid trash can, some holes drilled into it, and a stand to start composting on the cheap side of things.. but that composter would provide year-round composting since its electrical, and it doesnt seem to drain too much electricity in the process. And I dont think you have to turn it the same way you have to turn the trash can.

 

[Beorn]

This is very inspiring Kyu. I'm very happy for you.

I thought of this thread when I came across the blog of a really neat pig farmer in Vermont. He keeps 200 pigs grass fed on a ten acre lot (though i think he may have expanded) with a very creative rotational grazing system and some dairy, beat, and pumpkin supplements. There are also sheep, chickens, and geese as companions for the pigs.

He lives with his family of five in a 270 sqft tiny stone cottage he built in two months for $7,000.

You can read more about it here:
http://sugarmtnfarm.com/home/cottage/

If I ever get a farm something like this might be more appealing than even a 100 yo farm house. Sure it's small but it's monthly cost is low and it can be heated with only .75 cord of wood per winter. In NY you would only need a little over an acre of decent timber to sustain that year in and out. Plus the small size means less house maintenance and more time for farm chores/work.

Here is what it looks like:

Originally he was going to have grass on the roof, but I don't think he's done it yet.

If I'm ever in Vermont again I'm going to have to try one of his products at one of the many restaurants they supply.

 

[kyuuei]

This is very inspiring Kyu. I'm very happy for you.

I thought of this thread when I came across the blog of a really neat pig farmer in Vermont. He keeps 200 pigs grass fed on a ten acre lot (though i think he may have expanded) with a very creative rotational grazing system and some dairy, beat, and pumpkin supplements. There are also sheep, chickens, and geese as companions for the pigs.

We're going to start out with just goats and chickens.. Mostly chickens, the goats are more going to be for milk and companionship for the chickens to keep vermin away. We have about an acre and a half set aside for farming and gardening, and our garden is going to be the majority of that. I think I would love to have pigs, but I don't know if I could be the one to cut them up :c I like piggies too much. Id have to sell them if I raised them.

He lives with his family of five in a 270 sqft tiny stone cottage he built in two months for $7,000.

Its beautiful! Im going to take some time to read more about it for sure. Thanks for posting this! Mine will cost twice that amount.. but mostly because I'm unsure of building things like foundations and structures, so I'm hiring help on those parts.

If I ever get a farm something like this might be more appealing than even a 100 yo farm house. Sure it's small but it's monthly cost is low and it can be heated with only .75 cord of wood per winter. In NY you would only need a little over an acre of decent timber to sustain that year in and out. Plus the small size means less house maintenance and more time for farm chores/work.

This is how my house will be. 127 sq. ft. means a small wood-burning stove will last me more than a winters worth of heat. Solar and wind combination energy systems with a back up battery plugged into the grid would mean that I could potentially sell unused energy but I would have enough energy year round to be essentially off the grid. A water catchment system plugged into the grid means Id only use the water from the city that I needed. I suspect my costs for the set-up fees will equate to about a regular electricity bill for 4-5 years, after which itll have all paid itself off and my house will be able to run itself.

Are you interested in tiny living, or sustainability, both? An old farm house is really inspiring though..