A tiny home : dream vs. reality
Some days you wake up in your tiny home thinking about how you have conquered the world. Other days you wake up and think....well crap.
This morning I am going to cut you a thick piece of freedom point perspective. Not sure how it will taste, but it is something to chew on.
We can read all over social media, or even see on the news, tiny houses are gaining in popularity. Our house may not actually be a tiny house, but it is right around 500 sq. We moved from a 2200 sq. ft. home with a very large garage into our tiny home with a shed. We didn't originally plan for this size or style of house. When we first moved to our property we saw incredible potential. We had plans of grandure and building a large rammed earth inground home. We knew it would be alot of work and would take some time, and we would need a place to live while building. Our house was birthed out of necessity.
First thing, we needed to design a shed. We needed enough room to put a bed and a few other things. That shed needed electricity. It also needed a place for our food. You know, we could put a refridgerator in there....I bet you can see how this is going. So we designed the smallest possible structure that ended up having all of the amenities of a modern house.
The house that love built, that is what we call it, is a complete house in a small package. It has 100 amp breaker service. Running water with on demand water heater. A complete kitchen area and a wood stove for heat. I used 2x6x12' studs for the exterior walls. This gave us something called pony walls in our loft. We managed to build as much as we could with what we had at the time. We built with efficiency regarding lumber use and location. Lets not forget to mention all of this is designed around our california king sized bed. 🙃
For people, there is plenty of space to sit or lay down. Not too much room for anything else. We see alot of shows about tiny houses that never seem to give a negative perspective. I am not saying bashing. I am talking about balance. If we only saw the good in everything our decisions would be skewed.
THE GOOD
-Efficient
-Easy to clean
-Uses less power
-Helps us stay simplified
-Don't often lose things inside
-Cozy, cottagey
-Builds relationships, you have to work everything out..isn't enough space to be grumpy
-A cool idea
-Counter mainstream
-Built with our own hands
-This list is very long, I'm sure you get the picture
THE NOT SO GOOD
-Not much walking, get out of bed and everything is within reach
-during a long rainy spell, there is no where to go, a couple days is ok but a week.....
-Floor space is limited, where you yoga is where people walk in and out...and after the chores are done you might end up with mysterious flecks of something in your beard..ok maybe this is the main reason for the blog 🙃
-when morning comes the whole house is awake
-naps are nearly impossible, unless you are alone
-when you finish doing muddy/rainy chores, the only place to take you wet clothes off is in front of the door/ kitchen area. So you work around wet boots while cooking.
-I'm sure this list could go on also.
The situatiin just is, and it always becomes what we make it. As I was typing this I was really hoping you would see the humor in it. Having a tiny house is great. It may not be our long term ideal living space, but while we are here we are trying to really take in the experience. That is how any of us grow. So no matter what type of house you have, or style you live in, remember to take each little thing that happens and enjoy the experience!
Living in a confined space takes a bit of adaptation.
I lived on a ship for four years. Very different to say the least.
Not sure I could live on a ship. Tight spaces and moving. I bet it felt crowded!
Getting started is hard! I can completely relate, our first month on the farm was spent in a tent.
But in homesteading we must have the long term goals in mind, and document these memories for when we are living in earned comfort ;p
Oh yeah, we are taking tons of pictures and really enjoying it. I do look forward to a potential time that I can walk to my bedroom and close the door.
Very interesting perspective on homesteading, like usual!
Thanks to @ecoinstant, this post was resteemed and highlighted in today's edition of The Daily Sneak.
Thank you for your efforts to create quality content.
Yes! Thank you! I love this, and it makes me want to be better each day. I hope this perspective might encourage others!
Great blog, thanks for a great perspective.
Hey thanks! It never hurts to take a look from a different direction...and admit when it doesn't feel great.
Lol I love this! I’ve often watched the shows on living in a tiny house... I just soo don’t know if I could do it! But I think about how much easier it must make your every day life! Not much to clean up.. lol thank you for this read ! It was great! Enjoy your house that built love!! 💙
Oh yeah, mechanically it is much easier. It is the emotional stuff the gets you sometimes.
I can only imagine! I’m sure u get in ur own head a lot! 😳
Yep, in my head and under my wifes feet. Haha
Great perspective.
Thank you! It just rolls out. Life is good. Everyday it is something. Either spiritual, inspirational, or hypothetical haha.
Thanks for sharing this perspective. I'd love to see more posts on the not-so-glamorous side of living in tiny homes. I don't that people would see this as "bashing" the movement. Honestly, this is one of the few tiny home posts that have caught my eye in awhile, so please - tell it like it is!
Haha I am glad you enjoyed it. Life is good, and I speak to what I know. The idea of tiny homes is great and resourceful. In america, in other places as well, property is so expensive. We are all also being taxed into the ground. This gives us a chance to not struggle as much. Some places even require a minimum square footage for a newly built house....over regulation and theft masquerading as taxes... 🙃
Excellent point about regulations surrounding housing. Some are there to keep people safe and in sound dwellings, while other regulations prevent people from exploring new ways of living - like in tiny homes.
Also living in a tiny house I can definitely relate to most of the points you outlined.
A plus would be spending less money on heating, electricity etc. Buying less cause you just don't have room.
I would ad a challenge of having guests over. There isn't much room, although we have made it work. I think some people are just reluctant to visit.
It has gotten worse with the babies since they take up room and we recently added a crib which makes it impossible to use a large enough table for 4-5 people.
Sweet, congratulations the baby! Yeah, I didn't even think about the hosting part, probably because we do it so little. "Hey guys come on in, you want some coffee, here have a seat on my bed" haha
Thanks for sharing the real world side of things. I know this will help me in determining how large my house should be. The yoga space is a big one for me! Maybe I will need a yoga shed next to the main shed :P
Yes! Maybe outbuildings are the key for tiny home living. My other tip would be to build out not up. Lofts are pretty sweet, but it is a constant juggle for heating and cooling. Shoot, that is another tip, air exchange rate. Just opening the door to go do chores can change your whole house temperature.
Those are good tips, thank you! I definitely appreciate a buffer space for reducing drafts :)
Homesteading in a tiny home gives you a whole new perspective on things. The experience is worth it. We do what we have to so we can make it to the next stage in the dream. When we first moved in we had no doors or windows! We live in the south so no big deal, but the wild animals loved it!
Oh my! That is very little house on the prairie! I can't imagine. I was really nervous about the mountain lions, so we didn't sleep in the hiuse until it was all closed it.