TINY HOUSE THOUGHTS

All the well thought out questions have little bearing on items such as RV's, power boats, high dollar sports cars and yes, the Tiny Houses. You buy one because you want one and have a specific purpose in mind.

I saw a 40+ ft. fifth wheel selling for over $200,000.00. That kind of money could and often is put to other uses, some of which even return a profit.

Nobody needs to justify their desire for an object, no matter how crazy it seems to others. The world of Fine Art thrives on such desires. :) :)

SidecarFlip wrote:

bdpreece wrote:
The tiny house craze seems to be driven by the need for new or unique TV shows more than anything else. HGTV seems to really have a lot on tiny homes. Although tiny homes are probably better designed for year around living they are not really designed to be road worthy for more than short distances in most cases. I suspect the mojor draw is, parking them on city lots without having to meet building codes or having to pay property taxes.

Which is why most zoned communities are enacting ordinances against them.

For what one costs, one could buy a new truck camper loaded, that is, if a person wants limited storage in a moveable home...

I don't know where you live, but "Exclusionary Zoning" is illegal in Michigan (MCL 125.273).

Papa Steve wrote:
Some of the questions I'd like to have answered on all these Tiny House shows are:

1. Where are they going to put the house once it's built?
2. How heavy is the final product?
3. What are they going to do for utilities?
4. How are they going to move it?

I've only seen a few times where they say they have land ready. I did see 1 final weight. It was a 27 foot tiny house that weighed 16,000 pounds. Don't know how they were going to move it. My previous 27 foot travel trailer weighed 7,000 pounds.

Looked at 30+ foot tiny house built on a gooseneck trailer last year at the Birmingham RV show. It weighed 23000 lbs and talking with the dealer he of course said any dually truck could tow it. Had to educate him on that response. The unit was beatiful and had a $80000 price tag on it.

All four of those questions are easily answered by tiny homes are basically mini mobile homes on wheels just as a mobile home is and hooked up just the same way to utilities.

I have lived in several mobile homes,bought two new..The difference between a tiny home and a travel trailer/fifth wheel is huge.

As an example,Nashua homes out of Boise Idaho builds tiny houses for Teton homes that state:

Designed for colder climates and heavy snow loads, the homes have R-40, R21 and R33 insulation, high efficiency furnaces and Low E dual pane windows. Other amenities include Whirlpool Energy Star appliances, fiber cement siding, Corten corrugated steel roofing, rough cedar siding accents, hardwood cabinets, sleeping lofts and barn style bath and bedroom doors that slide along runners.

Tiny homes are popular around here with lot rent running $200 a month in a mobile home/RV park.Or you could set in at a park on the Clearwater river with river frontage for about the same price or you could buy your own lot in a community on the main Clearwater river.

There not for everyone but they are better suited for full time living than an RV of any sort.

Some of the questions I'd like to have answered on all these Tiny House shows are:

1. Where are they going to put the house once it's built?
2. How heavy is the final product?
3. What are they going to do for utilities?
4. How are they going to move it?

I've only seen a few times where they say they have land ready. I did see 1 final weight. It was a 27 foot tiny house that weighed 16,000 pounds. Don't know how they were going to move it. My previous 27 foot travel trailer weighed 7,000 pounds.

I see the tiny houses as a possible solution for those with limited funds, would like a home, and are able to live in a small box. Younger folks seem more interested from my reading.

There is a retired designer in BC that is living full time in a tiny house he designed and built. He likes it and stated that he was banking money on a small pension. He is leasing the land for a pittance, has the cooperation of local Govt. officials, and has thought through many of the systems needed to run the house comfortably. I'm sorry, memory fails as to his name.

2 things I don't like about tiny houses is 1. most of the narrow stairs have no railing on the open side which is a disaster waiting to happen if you lose your balance and 2. the bedrooms in the loft without a decent size sky lite is just a fire trap when a fire breaks out, there is no emergency exit. At least RV's have fire exits when away from the exit door. Tiny houses are not built to code as far as fire egress and safety are concerned. I certainly would not want to be in the loft if there was a fire below and all you have is the toxic smoke that rises to the loft without a proper means to escape. I am sure when enough people start becoming french fries then proper building codes will be required for these tiny dwellings.

Tiny homes have a more homey feel, which seems like the allure for people. They are heavier, but they are normally decked out with residential grade compliments. Also tiny homes are designed and built for people to live in them year round. You'll often get things like better insulation, more durable construction, residential grade roofs, etc. They are great for those who don't have to move often like those who are stationed around the country for months at a time. Consultants, traveling nurses, and disaster response personnel comes to mind.

On the other hand, RVs are designed to be highly mobile. Setup and take down time is very minimal. You'll never have to worry about finding a spot for your RV. Materials are a lot lighter weight and the shape is more aerodynamic. But all of that mobility comes at a cost. They aren't very customizable. The materials and construction aren't as durable. Maintenance can be greater as well. A metal roof on a tiny house needs very little maintenance and will probably outlast the box under it. A RV can easily be destroyed by skipping a few years of maintenance on the roof. To keep the weight down you often get the minimums like in insulation, structure, and weatherproofing.

I don't have a desire to have a tiny house, but I can see how they can be beneficial to their owners.

almost all the comments I agree with... the TAX thing.
I'm loving people screwing the GOVT out of $$ they can't seem to manage, particularly in highly tax areas...
The govt has overstepped what their purpose is ( too many services are provided from tax $$ ) and this in my mind is a correction by the people that the system has stopped listening to.
That the tiny house trend pushes these are 365 road worthy is the greatest laugh of all.

VR
-Repo

Interesting thread. The "tiny house" thing is still a thing? I thought it faded out last year.

If it works for you, great! If not, then do something else.