Tiny Homes <Thread # One>

Thousands of people are "going tiny", and the reasons are varied - to live off the grid, to live cheaply, to save the planet, to be debt free, just to mention a few.

Some are on wheels, some are on foundations. Building codes vary.

This thread will try to show as many ideas as possible, from second homes, to urban homesteading, guest homes, elderly facilities, granny flats, and primary residences.

Could you live in one of these???

Shana's 103 SqFt Dream Tiny House - Living Debt Free In A $50k Micro Tiny Home

Shana is an incredibly impressive woman. She moved into a tiny house to get out of debt. Her tiny home cost 50K to build. She was teaching and she got a second job as well and started putting everything she made toward her debt. She sold her car to help and started taking the bus and walking.

As of now, her credit cards, student loans and tiny home are all paid off and she is 100% debt free. Her tiny home has offered her freedom that nothing else could and she is beyond grateful.

Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses did a beautiful job working with her to give her everything she requested and she is incredibly happy living with her 2 dogs in Durango, CO.

Man Living in a 10'x10' Tiny House & Homesteading in the City
Rob Greenfield's latest sustainable living project is to live in a DIY 100 ft² tiny house for two years while foraging and growing 100% of his own food in an urban area.
In addition to living in his tiny home, he's figuring out how to create his own cooking fuel using a biodigester, he's growing his own toilet paper, and he even makes his own sea salt.

He built the tiny house in the backyard of someone who was looking to live more sustainably. In exchange for a place to build the home, he created a rainwater collection system, an extensive garden on the front lawn, a bio digester and composting system, and more.

Obviously, we can't all live like Rob is doing in this video (although it does look like a healthy, simple, and rewarding lifestyle), but we can get inspired to make positive changes in our own lives. Maybe start composting or eating more fresh food, creating less garbage, riding our bikes more, etc. That's what we're inspired to do after working on this video with him

Living In A Tiny House To Live Simply, Save Money & Pursue Career Ambitions

Bailey and Evan decided that tiny living was going to add to their lives. Evan is their resident researcher, so he dove in and they decided to purchase a used tiny home. They found a used Tumbleweed Tiny Home for a great price, financed the portion they didn't have and found an amazing place to park it in a tiny home community in Durango, CO.

They are both aspiring musicians and their tiny home gives them the ability to take home wherever their careers take them, which feels like the ultimate freedom to them. Wish them luck on their journey!

The Most Cleverly Designed DIY Tiny House ~ ELEVATOR BED

She Left California To Live In A Texas Tiny House Village - Fulfilling Her Childhood Dream

Tyshae had the dream to live tiny for a very long time. For many of us, we know what we want to do as children, but the world changes our perspective and we give up on the dream. For Tyshae, this was not happening. After leaving California she moved into this awesome Texas tiny home village and lives in one of the best tiny homes I have ever seen.

Tiny House Designed To Be Elderly / Disability / Mobility Friendly

Growing older is a gift. Unfortunately that gift also comes with it’s own burdens, often meaning a lack of mobility and thus a loss of independence. This spectacular tiny house design has helped to give mobility and independence back to one very special lady though, through some very clever small space design to create an elderly, disability and mobility friendly tiny house on wheels.

This tiny house has many elderly / disability friendly features which helps to make this tiny home a very liveable space. These features include design aspects such as ramps, reinforced walls for secure hand rails, and an accessibility toilet and shower. Care was taken to ensure there are zero trip hazards in the home and the dimensions of the home were even designed around the ability to use a wheelchair in the tiny house if need be.

For those who have disabilities or mobility issues, one of the best things about a tiny house on wheels is that you can design it to your specific needs. In this case, Merle has a home where she is warm and comfortable, but most importantly, a house which has given her back her independence and dramatically increased her quality of life.

This one’s a real heart-warming tiny house story. If only we could all be as fortunate as Merle in our ‘more mature’ years. I hope you enjoy it!

Jay Shafer's Stunning $5,000 Tiny House

Jay Shafer is a man who many know as the Godfather of the modern tiny house movement. It was 20 years ago now that he build his original tiny house on wheels and that moment has since inspired thousands of people all over the world (me included) to construct their own tiny homes.

His new tiny house design is aimed at taking things back to the absolute basics and simplicity in all aspects. That means a home which is simple and pleasant to live in, simple to build and also simple to afford. This new tiny house design costs a remarkably low sum of US $5000!

Adults take note! 13 year old builds a Tiny House for only $1500!

Meet Luke Thill, who at an early age started working on his very own tiny house- one a mere 5' by 10', but with a sleep loft, transforming dining table, and even a small kitchenette. At age thirteen, using money from summer lawn-mowing jobs, and bartering (electrical wiring help in exchange for cleaning out a garage in one case), Iowa's Thill completed his tiny house- one that he calls the practice precursor to a future "real" tiny house he plans on designing and eventually living in.

Shabby Garage Turned into Beautiful Granny Flat | ADU Home Tour

Becca has a long, successful career making other people's homes look absolutely beautiful. She's now decided to apply those skills to her own backyard, designing a stunning 370 sq. ft ADU.

There are a variety of reasons that homeowners build ADUs on their property: investment is one of them. This is the primary reason that Becca and Anthony Ayon of Portland, Oregon decided to build their ADU.

At Maxable, we believe one of the best ways for interested homeowners to learn about the process of building ADUs is to learn from other homeowners just like them! Here is Becca and Anthony’s story about converting their garage into an ADU of their dreams.

The Beginnings: Deciding to Invest in an ADU

Becca and Anthony bought the main house knowing that it was a fixer-upper, but they were ready for the challenge. Becca is a commercial interior designer and has designed office spaces that have ranged from 5,000 to 100,000 square feet. Their main house was her first residential design project.

We moved to Portland partially because we were excited about the progressive zoning laws allowing ADUs and tiny houses. We had been considering downsizing into a small home for a few years, and love the simplicity and financial freedom it could bring, so our plan is to move into the ADU and rent the main house for passive income.

A Maxable Note to Readers: California passed a statewide law allowing for ADUs on lots zoned for single-family dwellings. However, the laws do vary from Portland’s laws. Check out ADU Regulations Portal to learn about specifics for your city!

Becca and Anthony’s goal is to be able to pay off their property over the next 15 years. This will allow them to be mortgage-free and have the ability to scale back on their full-time jobs.

It would have been nearly impossible to realize this goal if we were unable to build an ADU and move into it. Most of what we make on rental income will go towards paying the mortgage with the goal in mind of minimizing the amount we pay out-of-pocket to achieve our 15-year goal.