"Tiny Houses" Are Homes For People Without Books
Because I love printed books and have bazillions of them, I sometimes describe my house as "a fire hazard with a bed and an oven." (It would be spacious if I didn't read.)
I try to make the book piles decorative -- like this one of two stacks piled up in a window, with a plant on top.
However, the books and printed PDFs of studies are pretty much everywhere -- including in my bed and in the "breakfast nook," which has become a cavern of books with floor-to-ceiling shelves on either side and a narrow gully between them.
Tiny houses here. Here are more on wheels. About the Tiny House Movement.
And there are tiny apartments, too -- here's a 270 square foot place in Paris with about 10 books in it.
I can't help feeling the tiny house movement is the media trying to get us excited about being serfs again
NicoleK at October 6, 2015 1:35 AM
I think you could amend "books" to "personal possessions." These "tiny houses" are basically huts, with all the permanent commitment of a hotel room. Garage? Tool storage? Closet or pantry space? Not much different than a old-fashioned travel trailer or camper.
Robert Evans at October 6, 2015 3:04 AM
... I sometimes describe my house as "a fire hazard with a bed and an oven." (It would be spacious if I didn't read.)
Add enough books, and even a great mansion becomes a tiny house! But I bet you wouldn't want it any other way.
I'd have a lot more room in my car if I cleaned out all the mystery novels in the trunk, back seat, etc. But then I'd just have to put them in the house somewhere.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at October 6, 2015 4:32 AM
I think you could amend "books" to "personal possessions." These "tiny houses" are basically huts, with all the permanent commitment of a hotel room. Garage? Tool storage? Closet or pantry space? Not much different than a old-fashioned travel trailer or camper.
Posted by: Robert Evans at October 6, 2015 3:04 AM
Yes, tiny houses have all the inconveniences of a trailer or an RV with only a fraction of their transportability
I don't understand why anyone willing to blow 40k on one of these jury rigged play houses didn't just buy a nice old Airstream trailer, and remodel it.
Isab at October 6, 2015 6:03 AM
Many of the tiny houses I've viewed on-line are actually guest rooms, studios, etc.; an addendum to their not-too-tiny houses. But, yes, NicoleK, I've had that thought as well. And in my opinion, not as efficient with resources as apartments.
That said, I Want One.
Micki at October 6, 2015 6:27 AM
My friend Sam Dunn has a remodeled Airstream for sale if anyone's looking!
Amy Alkon at October 6, 2015 7:19 AM
If my next house isn't at least a 4/2.5 with a minimum of 2400 square feet, I'm not moving. I have no desire to be a minimalist. Tiny houses are fine for the guest house or a lake cabin, but that's about it. If you're an adult with stuff; it ain't happening.
Even if we were going to buy a travel trailer (and we've been discussing it), I'd want a big-ass fifth wheel with slide-outs.
ahw at October 6, 2015 7:25 AM
"we were going to buy a travel trailer (and we've been discussing it), I'd want a big-ass fifth wheel with slide-outs."
Posted by: ahw
Be sure and factor in the cost of the 60k diesel truck, you are going to need to actually pull it down the road.
I have one of the smaller Airstreams. Finally getting to the point where I know enough about all the systems to actually manage it myself, and cope with about seventy percent of what needs to be done.
The way I see slide outs, is just one more moving part to get screwed up.
I use my trailer to facilitate comfortable travel. If maintaining and moving my trailer becomes less cost effective, and less convenient that staying in a hotel, then I would be doing that instead.
Isab at October 6, 2015 8:01 AM
A distraction from the unpleasant fact that middle income wages are losing purchasing power. We won't even talk about those who no longer have jobs.
Want less, because that's all you can have.
MarkD at October 6, 2015 8:20 AM
To MarkD: I beg to differ - somewhat. Check out Amy Dacyczyn's books sometime, even if some of the info is dated. (More below.)
I have about 3,000 books in a 400-foot (or smaller) apartment.
I realize, of course, that I could borrow most of those titles from the library. (However, rare books are treasures, IMO.) I asked at Booksleuth what to do with them in my will (which would be read decades from now, I trust) and one book dealer said I really should arrange to get rid of as many of them as possible BEFORE I die, to make things easier for my survivors. Otherwise, I should talk to any people or institutions I want to leave them to before putting them in my will - they may not be enthusiastic, after all.
About Amy D, the "Frugal Zealot":
She has 6 kids (born from 1983 to 1991) and a 100-year-old, 2,500-square-foot Maine farmhouse attached to a 4,500-square-foot barn (this doesn't include the two attics, the carriage house, and the icehouse). About her oldest son, she said:
"Alec turned 13 this fall (1996). Despite the pessimistic predictions about teenagers chafing at the yoke of frugality, he seems to have few wants. He has a science lab, a telescope, model rockets and a launching pad, an archery range, a metal detector, a like-new bike, cross-country skis, fishing gear, camping equipment, his own kitten and so on. When we asked him what he wanted for his birthday, all he could come up with was a new watch."
And, in 1994, she was able to feed her family of eight - in Maine - on $180 a month - the fact that impressed people the most. One source says that's $289.45 in 2015 dollars. Yes, they ate a lot of rice and beans - but also a lot from their garden. Plus some meat.
lenona at October 6, 2015 8:52 AM
The biggest disagreements my boyfriend and I have had are about how many books he has. Hundreds. We got an apartment with a second bedroom to hold all the books (took three days to move them all), just so I wouldn't have to feel claustrophobic surrounded by them all.
I have maybe 10 books that I keep for sentimental reasons on a tiny shelf in the bedroom (had more in school, when I needed various books as references, but sold those after graduation). For all my reading needs, I use the library. If I receive a book as a gift, I read it and then sell it to Halfprice Books.
I understand keeping lots of books if you need them for a job, but I've never understood the desire to keep dozens and dozens of fiction Penguin Paperbacks that you got for your high school English class on a shelf well into adulthood and through several moves.
sofar at October 6, 2015 9:16 AM
@Isab: We already have a flatbed F450. (It's for work. His, not mine.) As for the slide-outs: We have little kids and big dogs, so space matters. If it were just the two of us something smaller would make more sense.
ahw at October 6, 2015 10:11 AM
I've wondered about that myself. Especially when I see visualizations of the planned communities the urban planners want us to live in. Everything we might need in one block - grocery store, general store, small cafe, public transit station, and little else (good bye hobbies or outside interests) with a park and a biking/hiking trail for exercise (a bit like a hamster cage - water, food, wood shavings, and a wheel).
Conan the Grammarian at October 6, 2015 10:14 AM
About 10 years ago we had to downsize (forced early retirement plus wife's medical issues). Moving from Virginia to a much smaller house meant not taking stuff so I'm w/sofar at this point.
I use the library and buy infrequently - mostly e-books and a few that I have read many many times and just like having.
Getting rid of many many books/CDs/Vinyl was much harder for me than I thought. Getting my wife to agree that her clothes closet needed to be pruned was almost impossible. That was a bad bad time for many reasons.
Is it human nature to hoard?
Bob in Texas at October 6, 2015 10:25 AM
Well, it would help if people didn't keep saying that we don't have to cut back the birth rate because "god will provide" or because "the global population is going to go into reverse(?!) by 2050." Wishful thinking. Since I've never seen scientific proof of either one, we WILL have to make do with less space.
For a laugh, check out Don Feder's 2-minute diatribe on contraception.
"At a recent event in Belgrade, World Congress of Families official Don Feder, who will also be speaking at the Salt Lake City conference, explains that contraception leads to 'death' by 'preventing life from happening' and will ultimately cause to the 'extinction' of humanity."
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/utah-gov-speak-anti-gay-anti-contraception-groups-event
We're in danger of extinction? When we could easily reach 10 billion BEFORE 2050?
lenona at October 6, 2015 10:42 AM
I was responding to Conan, BTW.
lenona at October 6, 2015 10:43 AM
"Is it human nature to hoard?" -Bob in Texas
I doubt that it is universal... I'd guess it's a learned behavior. My grandparents are hoarders. My mom's house is starting to look like her mothers, but she downsized big-time recently so I'll cut her some slack. I have to do a pretty big purge of crap at least once a year, so I don't end up like grandma.
RE Downsizing: I know some people feel more "free" when they get rid of all of their stuff. I'm not one of them. Due to an unfortunate series of events a few years ago, we went from a big, sprawling house with lots of good storage to a significantly smaller home with hardly any storage. I hate it. And I'm not out shopping all the time, bringing home trunk-loads of crap. But you know what, I AM going to use that cupcake stand again, and I need a place to put it, DAMN IT!
ahw at October 6, 2015 10:52 AM
Isab: We already have a flatbed F450. (It's for work. His, not mine.) As for the slide-outs: We have little kids and big dogs, so space matters. If it were just the two of us something smaller would make more sense.
Posted by: ahw at October 6, 2015 10:11 AM
Great, as long as you all fit comfortably in the cab of the flat bed.
If it is truly a work truck, I suspect you will endure a lot of whining, since it is illegal in most states to ride in the trailer itself.
You can probably put the dogs there, if the slides don't take up most of the room when you are traveling, but you will need to make sure to have an integrated generator, and keep it running if it is hot.
I would also suggest going used on your big fifth wheel.
The news ones I have seen are set up like luxury hotel rooms, and the last thing I would want to be dealing with in them with all the carpet, are dogs and kids.
My trailer has a hard surface floor, and I still spend a great deal of time cleaning.
Isab at October 6, 2015 11:17 AM
I have a friend that is really into tiny houses and also storybook homes. She keeps saying she really wants to afford to get one. I keep reminding her that when she owned a 500 sqft house it was too small for her, her husband, her two cats, and their stuff. She built a 400 sqft yurt in the yard and connected it to the house with a breezeway, then two more storage sheds. She sold the house when she got laid off and started having health problems. She moved into an apartment and complains constantly about the lack of space or wishing she had room to get certain things. Then in the next breath says she could live easily in a 300 sqft tiny home.
BunnyGirl at October 6, 2015 11:17 AM
Leona,
I'm not much for "God will provide." We are learning to produce more food on less land and to better utilize the space we have (high rises, etc.), but that's on us, not God.
I just don't like the idea of living like a hamster in a cage. Those cages are always aimed at the middle class and poor.
When those urban planners start planning for the wealthy and political elites to live like hamsters, I might be more willing to go along.
As long as Al Gore is insisting I live in a shoe box while he and his environmentalism-spouting cronies live in 28,000+ square foot mansions, I'll remain defiant.
I don't know who Don Feder is. I'll check out his diatribe, but, based on whatever the "World Conference of Families" imprimatur is, I don't hold out much hope that it's going to be intelligent or particularly insightful.
Market forces are already restricting the amount of space we live in. We don't need the government to mandate our serfdom. Rents in cities are going up and smaller places are all most people can afford. Of course, that puts a strain on utilities and transportation to serve a higher population density. Crime also rises as people are shoved closer together and tempers flare.
In all, the habitrail might not be the best model for human existence.
Conan the Grammarian at October 6, 2015 11:27 AM
I would love a cute little 300sqft cottage or tee pee or fairy house... for my daughters to play in.
Yes, Isab, it has a full-sized cab. Otherwise it's a base model: vinyl seats, roll-down windows, etc. Long story, but someone offered the Hubs a deal he couldn't refuse on the 2008 F250 he was driving... and we found this five-year-old flatbed in the classifieds for EXACTLY what he'd just sold the 250 for. The old truck only had the little back seat with those clamshell doors; it sucked. This one is a rough ride, but it's spacious. The fuel costs are similar: It gets slightly more MPG because it's diesel, but gas cost slightly more... because it's diesel.
AND when we started discussing the idea of getting a (yes, used) camper several months ago, he wanted something smaller because he didn't want to have to modify anything or buy a special truck. (At the time, he was thinking his next vehicle would be another F250, but with a nicer package and the full-sized back seat.) But now, we can tow 18 tons on a gooseneck, so that opens up all kinds of fun possibilities. Hey, we could even move a tiny house! Ha! For running around on weekends as a family, though, I'll admit...we usually take my suburban. It's just nicer.
ahw at October 6, 2015 11:49 AM
"running around on weekends as a family, though, I'll admit...we usually take my suburban. It's just nicer.
Posted by: ahw at October 6, 2015 11:49 AM
A suburban will pull a decent sized regular trailer. It doesn't have the power to pull one of those big fifth wheels, and the roof obviously is a problem.... :-).
Isab at October 6, 2015 12:58 PM
Tiny homes are why God created ebooks.
I know, I know - not the same. And I haven't divested myself of 2,000 print books. I was a very late adopter who was sure I'd never, ever choose an ebook over a print book unless I was traveling or hospitalized, but the obvious advantages for those of us with middle-aged eyesight and small hands made me a convert within a month of buying an ereader.
JD at October 6, 2015 2:25 PM
Minimalist in training, here. I digitized most of my books and have two shelves with the ones that are collector's editions/research books/books I really love and want a hard copy of.
Right now I have a 740 square foot apartment with a cat and a dog, and I'm trying to decide if I can go smaller. I like not having a ton of crap, and I've discovered I've been storing a LOT of stuff that just collects dust.
For me, it IS very freeing to get rid of all this crap I'm just basically storing for no good reason.
Daghain at October 6, 2015 5:18 PM
Tiny houses are NOT for people. period.
No, for everyday living a "tiny house" is nonsense; for all the reasons others have already listed. (And, yep, NicoleK, I think you are quite right - it is a way to make us feel better about being the little people. "Look, you little people belong in little houses.")
Even as a weekend getaway, such as a cabin in the woods, or a beach house, they are too small for me. Not much room for anyone but one or two people. Why bother with the expense then? I might as well pitch a tent - it is cheaper.
For a weekend getaway, I would want more space for friends.
A cabin in the woods (one with plenty of hiking nearby) would have to have a large "big room" with a wood stove or fireplace that we could all gather in front of; even large enough to allow some folks to roll out their sleeping bags.
And, yea, to your point, Amy, where would I put all my books?
charles at October 6, 2015 8:57 PM
I, too, resisted joining the e-book world for as long as I could. I finally bought one as an easy way of taking books on public transportation - easier to read on them one-handed and they take up less room in a laptop bag than a hardback.
I have found definite advantages to them for travel and storage. The major disadvantage is that I just finished converting my home office into a library to store my book collection and e-books just don't display as well. It is, however, pretty convenient to be able to store 100+ books in the space of a trade paperback. It's less convenient to browse e-books or open them at random.
I'm trying to find a happy medium between the tactile enjoyment of paper and the convenience of electrons.
Conan the Grammarian at October 6, 2015 9:33 PM
Maybe no one will see this, but I do think there's one good reason, that hasn't been mentioned, for the media to cover the tiny house movement : A lot of people crave to live ALONE. If you're an average 20-something who wants to live in a big city, this may well be the only way to do it - so many people may jump at the chance.
More on the benefits of roommates:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2015/10/10/paying-boston-rent-solo-getting-roommate-which-scares-you-more/8F3ltUftvelolEL4RpsBlJ/story.html
Excerpt:
...(the financial benefits of roommates seem) so obvious. So why don’t more people take that deal? I reached out to Bella DePaulo, author of How We Live Now: Redefining Home and Family in the 21st Century, for some kind of explanation as to why so few people do what I did.
“There are endless reasons why people love living alone,” DePaulo says. For many people, it comes down to freedom. “You can keep the place as sloppy or spotless as you want without judgment or pressure,” she says. For others, “it’s the little things, like knowing that what you left in the refrigerator is still going to be there in the morning and that your stuff will be where you left it.” DePaulo, a project scientist at University of California, Santa Barbara, says there are even some people for whom living alone is more of an actual psychological need. It may be as simple as craving a space of their own after a childhood spent sharing a room.
Nate Rogers has another theory. A musician and a training manager at MIT, he pays $850 a month for his share of a Cambridge two-bedroom.
“People are terrible,” says Rogers, who has lived with roughly 30 roommates over the years. “Even the best housemate is going to rub you the wrong way at times — hopefully it’s just occasionally rather than constantly.” But if life is full of compromises, this is one he’s been willing to make. “For the location and the price, [my roommate’s] well worth tolerating,” he says...
(snip)
lenona at October 11, 2015 1:33 PM
Leave a comment