Why We Decided to Build a Tiny House Part 2
After a bit more investigation, we recognized that there were some other major advantages to building a tiny house that we hadn't previously considered. For one, a tiny house on wheels can go with you. We figured if we built the house first, acquiring the land later wouldn't be such a big deal because we would already have a place to live. While the house would be movable it would also be permanent, meaning we would always have a place to live. Knowing we would have a home of our own felt like forward progress, even if we weren't making any headway on buying property.
A second advantage to tiny houses on wheels is that because they are mounted on a trailer, and not attached to the land, they are generally exempt from building codes. Of course, this is a bit of a grey area and lately some municipalities have been passing additional laws to restrict tiny houses.
The counties surrounding us, where I checked, all had minimum square foot requirements for new dwellings. For example, the county where we finally ended up purchasing land requires a minimum house size of 800 sqft. What I have heard is that counties enact these sorts of restrictions because larger houses increase property values more which in turn means larger tax receipts for the county.
Financially, one thing that made a lot of sense to us was that once the tiny house was built, if we lived in it for just two years we would have saved enough on rent and utilities that the house would be paid for. After that second year, the house would then become a positive financial asset, meaning no matter what we did with the house it would be a win financially.
We are planning to build a more normal sized house now and once it's complete we have plenty of options for the tiny house. We can sell it, rent it out, or use it as guest house. If we ever buy a lake lot or a bug out property we can instantly transform it into a useable and comfortable place with the addition of the tiny house.
![lake](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/http://www.canadianrenegade.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/lake.jpg)
There were even some other considerations we made that were centered around our specific situation and not just a plus for tiny houses. For example we hoped that during the construction of the tiny house that the price of land might correct. The price of oil was dropping which usually means that real estate in the province of Alberta, where we live, would also drop.
Things didn't quite pan out the way we wanted though. The Canadian dollar dropped so much that food commodities like wheat, canola, and beef increased in Canadian dollars. This, in turn, meant another good year for farmers and another round of rising land prices. At the same time, many of the materials we needed for the tiny house also went up in price because of the weak Canadian dollar. Talk about bad luck!
That covers the main considerations and advantages that convinced us to give tiny house living a try. In hindsight, it may not have been the best financial decision we could have made. Perhaps, moving back in with our parents would have been a better option, although there were non-financial draw backs if we had gone that route. But, living in a tiny house also hasn't been a disaster either.
One of the big pros that I hadn't factored into our decision to build the tiny house has been the building experience I gained by doing all of the work myself. I basically learned how to build a house! I had to learn about framing, electrical, plumbing, finishing work, and more. Now that we are getting ready to tackle a larger house I have skills and experience needed to accomplish that goal with confidence!
This is awesome! Sad to hear you had some difficulties, but you just went through it and finished the project! Looks great! I tend to hoard stuff & my boyfriend is more minimalistic, but I am getting there:)
I think both Aimee and I have hoarding tendencies also 😁
Well done @canadianrenegade great to see someone walking the walk and pushing their comfort zone. I am now following you and hope to stay in touch.
Comfort zone? What's that? LoL
Thanks for following and feel free to ask questions or start a conversation.
This is so fun!!
Living in it, sure! Building it, not so much LoL
Haha! I think there may be some types that are easier to build then others:) I’m definitely not trying to build one haha
It’s crazy how some localities are against tiny homes. The way they deny folks the efficiencies that come from tiny home living. I am not surprised it’s because of tax revenue.
My wife and I had toyed with having a tiny home when we finally get a homestead. We decided we just wouldn’t be able to do it with a few hundred square feet. We have settled on a cabin of around 900 square feet. We will incorporate space saving ideas we picked up from researching tiny homes, though.
900 sqft is a comfortable size for a home. I think it is big enough to have some space but also not excessive. The next home we are building is 896 sqft by the plans but we will be adding a small addition to the side as a mechanical/boot room.
You are right about some of the space saving ideas form tiny houses being useful in larger homes.
Yeah, my wife has been knitting for years and just took up quilting, so we need the “craft” room - lol. I really like the idea of tucking storage under stairs, etc. We figure if the kids ever bless us with grandkids there would be loft space for them. Definitely want as small a kitchen as possible.
Looks beautiful and cozy inside. I love all the wood!
We really enjoy the wood too. Sometimes I notice new shapes or patterns in the wood on the ceiling or walls even though we have been living in the tiny house for almost 2 years now!
Excellent work with the house, great post too. Are you planning long term off grid living - From a Steward of Gondor and Steward of Terramater, i wish you all the best and good luck with your endeavours.
Thanks! Yes we are planning on being off grid long term.
The great thing about that IS the wheels, but that also makes them easier to steal. So I've heard, anyways.
I have heard that as well. You can hide a GPS on the house so you can track it down if you have to.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again, very inspiring... so are there four of you tucked into yr tiny house> seems cozy to say the least!
Yeah, there is a mama and a papa and two baby renegades in this tiny house!
That's pretty hardcore, and a lot of fun and stress both at the same time I imagine!
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up! :)
I love that minimalistic and modular thought process on building your house, you get a comfortable place to live without the hustles of paying exorbitant rent rates giving one an opportunity to save for an even bigger house.
Great post, keep em coming!
Yeah, it's not too bad to live in and is comfortable even in the coldest weather.
Thanks a bunch for the resteem!
Love the idea of mibility, then being able to put down roots in the perfect spot without the hassles of building a more solid home
It is an interesting concept. In a lot of ways it is similar to how my Great Great Grand Parents built their homestead. They moved out to the land and they spent their first winter living in a sod house. After a few years they had a more conventional house built, but they started with very little and worked their way up.
You just gave me another idea for a blog post!