We Are Torn Between Travel or Small House

Finding A Small House

We need to make a decision. We have one more month in the small condo we rent for the winter. On May 1st we move back onto our RV (ie: tiny home).

The problem this year is that we can’t make up our minds if we want to find a very small house to rent here or travel around our second favorite location.

We are ready to settle in one location for a year or so. Something a little more permanent than our RV and an RV park. We love traveling and love being able to pick up and go anytime we want. The downfall is that we are both still working (from our home, wherever that happens to be); with that comes some unique challenges at some locations. We need a break from the “unknowns” for a bit…

Option One

We really like it in the small town where we spend the winter months. We’ve made some friends here, it is beautiful but also a very popular location for summer vacationers – meaning it gets Very Busy during June, July and August. We know we can handle that for a few months. The problem is that it is difficult to find rental property and we have the added problem of having three dogs in our family.

We have considered buying a house but there are some concerns: housing is expensive around here, and we aren’t sure that we want to spend countless years here.

The last house we bought ended up being a disaster – money pit. We had a very difficult time selling it and lost a ton of money on it.

Let’s say we are very wary about buying a house right now.

Option two

We are thinking it might be a good idea to travel around the area that is our second choice. Spend the summer checking out the towns and surrounding areas to see if it would be a good fit for us. The intent would be to find a place that we like and a place to rent for a few years.

We’ve been to parts of the area before and really like it.

Housing costs are slightly better than option one, and there is more opportunity to rent.

The slight drawback is that it is on an island (although the island is very large, has a city at one end and quite a number of towns throughout) but is is accessible only by a two plus hour ferry ride.

In the end, the decision may be made for us within the next month or so if we are unable to find a suitable house.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/we-are-torn-between-travel-or-small-house/ Joanne

Tiny House Movement Meets Television

Tiny Houses On TV

It can be said that the tiny house movement has gone mainstream – it has hit the TV screens.

What started quietly, without much fanfare, has now grown and interest is spreading. Today you can find three programs relating to tiny living spaces on HGTV and FYI. And there are more that are planned.

Tiny House Nation

John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin are the hosts of Tiny House Nation on FYI. They travel the country looking for unique and interesting tiny houses to showcase.

These renovation specialists not only show off the homes they discover, they also help people with the design and construction of their very small places.

Although the true definition of size of a tiny house varies from place to place, this program considers a place tiny as long as it is no more than 500 square feet.

There may be a size restriction to be showcased on their show, but there is no dollar amount limitation. The program has shown homes from budgetary to pricey. The show’s hosts are looking for creativity.

For example, some episodes have introduced a micro apartment in New York City, a tiny home caboose in Montana, and a tiny mobile home for RVing.

HGTV has the latest two programs. One features people looking to purchase a tiny home; the other is related to building tiny houses.

Tiny House Hunters

Each episode of Tiny House Hunters follows buyers who are looking to downsize to a place that is no more than 600 square feet. Realtors show each buyer three different tiny structures. The buyer must decide which one will be purchased.

Tiny House Builders

The other new program is Tiny House Builders hosted by Derek Diedricksen.

He uses salvaged materials to make tiny masterpiece houses. He chooses locations that are not only stunning, but can also be treacherous.

Diedricksen surveys the area and crafts the structure to be a good fit for the people that will live in it as well as the location.

Tiny houses were on the radar and people were showing an interest in the movement long before these shows appeared although they were more of documentaries than actual TV shows. Now that they are becoming accepted as a better way of living, we are starting to see more about them.

The movement actually started gaining momentum shortly after Jay Shafer built his first tiny house on wheels under the Tumbleweed company name somewhere around 1999. It has since evolved to tiny houses on permanent foundations, treehouses, floating homes, RVs, and any other small house imaginable.

If you are intrigued by the tiny house movement, you should check out the television programs. They’ll give you a visual idea of what others are doing and what can be done with tiny structures.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/tiny-house-movement-meets-television/ Joanne

Tiny Home Builders

Building Tiny Structures To Call Home

There was a time when it was very difficult to locate a builder who had heard of a tiny house, much less having built one.

These days there are experienced tiny home builders in most areas of the Americas and abroad. The tiny house movement has gained a stronghold and is rapidly going forward.

Jay Shafer and Tumbleweed is the father of these builders. When searching for a builder there are things that need to be taken into consideration.

Here are a few:

Reputation – Normally, you would search for builders who have been in business for years. This may not be possible with tiny homes because the industry is not very old. Many builders are fairly new and as it becomes more and more popular with people that want to simplify their lives, we are finding new builders all over the country. There are even some architectural firms taking advantage of the popularity and adding very small home designs to customers.

Regardless of whether you choose to go with a tried and true company, or a new one, it is important that you do the research to make sure that you get what you want at the best price.

Flexibility – Are the builders open to customization? Is it possible to add a loft? Can you add an area for added storage? Maybe you would like a front porch or a back deck. Will the company work with you so you get the design layout you want?

Trust – Some tiny houses are built in one location and delivered to another. If you choose this option, you may not be able to go and oversee the building of your home. This is where their reputation is very important.

You must feel comfortable and trust that you are getting what you ordered, and that it is the best quality that you’ve paid for. If possible, ask for picture and/or video updates so you will be able to monitor some of the construction process.

Responsiveness – How does the builder react to questions, customization, and change requests? Going with the comfort and trust level again, your builder should respond in a timely manner to any question or concern you have.

Warranty – Ask about warranties and what is available. The structural integrity of any structure is very important – ask what is covered and for how long.

Go Green – If environmental issues are important, there are builders that use salvaged material. In fact, many small houses have been built using recycled materials. It saves on time, cost, as well as being environmentally friendly.

Sound and Noise Control – You may want to discuss with your builder about insulation – what to use, safety, temperature changes, and sound and noise control.

Storage – Storage is an important consideration. You’ll need to be as creative as possible. Discuss options with your builder and see where you can squeeze storage areas in your home. Combining storage and furniture is another option to be considered.

Built In Furniture – Because of the small living space, built in furniture is a good solution to decorating. You’ll need to discuss with your builder if he would build in furniture or if it is something you would have to do after the structure is completed?

There are many things to keep in mind when you build any size of home. Each house and each person has their own ideas and needs in mind. These are things that should be decided upon before finalizing the building plans and designs.

That is usually the hardest part – coming up with a plan that you know you will be happy with long-term. It’s best to take your time with the plans.

Some places where you can start: http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/companies/ and http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/plans-and-designs/

Once all the research, studying, discussions with tiny home builders, and planning and designing is done, all that is left is the build your and enjoy your new, improved lifestyle.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/tiny-home-builders/ Joanne

Magazine Issue #27

#27 Tiny House Magazine Issue

The latest issue of tiny house magazine has been published and ready for browsing. As always, there are lots of pictures, information, articles, and inspiration.

I love to sit down, relax and browse through these magazines. I always get great ideas from them.

Remember, they are not available in stores. When you buy the issues, you get them immediately for your reading pleasure on your iPad, Android or as a PDF.

This issue is 80 pages long.

Enjoy looking at the tiny house pictures , articles, and more…

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/magazine-issue-27/ Joanne

A Small Army For A Very Small Home

Building Your House

Building any type of home can be stressful as well as exciting.

Building a small place is much less so. There is less work, it takes less time, and most importantly, it doesn’t cost as much.

Cost is always an issue no matter the size of the structure. There are land cost, building cost, interior cost, cost of any new furnishings, and so on to consider. There are always costs, and unfortunately usually some unexpected expenses too.

The cost to build may be one reason you have decided to simplify your life by building and moving into a very small house. Cost of living is usually another big reason.

A home you build yourself can easily be a custom made just for you and your lifestyle.

You’ll find some things are a little more than expected; such as the price of a few things that will need to be customized for size. Overall, when you total everything up, you will see that is is considerably lower than you would pay for a larger home.

There are ways to keep the costs low. Here are some suggestions:

If you are building a place on wheels, the trailer is very important. It doesn’t have to be new but it does need to be one that is specifically made for this type of house. A regular utility trailer is not suitable this type of building.

Labor cost can be one of the major expenses with any building. Your best option is to plan on doing as much of the work yourself as possible. Ask family and friends to help, especially anyone you know that has a specialty in a specific field – like an electrician or a plumber.

Using salvaged items will not only keep costs down; it will add uniqueness to your place and will be helping the environment. Websites like Craigslist are a great source for recycled things. Recycle stores are another great source, and if you don’t object to foraging at your local dump, you may find some treasures there too.

You could talk with building contractors in your area to see if they will allow you to use some of their discards. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to be in the right spot at the right time and score appliances and fixtures.

Think about your appliances and which ones you could buy new and which ones could be used.

When building your tiny home, the decisions are your. It is you that needs to be comfortable with whatever you decide on.

The main point is to research, talk with experts and people that are living in one, and visit tiny structures if you have the opportunity. Get as much insight as possible so that you avoid mistakes that others have made.

Once you’ve thoroughly thought through it all you can begin to seriously plan, design, and build a very small home that is best suited to your lifestyle.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/a-small-army-for-a-very-small-home/ Joanne

Life in a Small Tall House

House Design and Size is Relative

Say tiny house and those two words create different images to different people. Some think under 100 sq. ft. is tiny, others think of a house on wheels, others think of a small house with a loft, and for a number of others something around 500 sq. ft is tiny. There really is no one definition that fits. Each person has their own idea, their own thoughts, and their own description of how small is tiny.

With that in mind, it is not surprising that a 870 sq. ft., 2 ½ story house, built on the side of an embankment in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada is considered small by the people that built it.

I consider 870 sq. ft. to be small, not tiny.

There are many unique features to this home. The first is that it is not only a home but also an office. The owner operates a reading clinic on the first floor.

The second level of the house is the main living area with a kitchen and bathroom with a shower. The open concept living room has a high ceiling with two levels of windows. It gives the feel of floor to ceiling windows with an enormous amount of light flowing in.

The third level features the bedroom and another bathroom with a modern, roll top tub. The owner also included a large closet area opposite the bathroom. This is not something you would normally find in a small house.

There are two entrances to the home. The entrance at the front is for the office. When looking from the driveway, you would see a rock wall leading to the front door.

The residential entrance is at the back and enters into small mud room off the kitchen.

870 sq. ft. may not be considered small to some tiny house dwellers, but when you consider the square footage contains a home and an office/reading clinic, then the living space can be considered to be small.

Our situation is similar. Both of us work from home. Between the two of us, we have four computers – two desktops and two laptops. These are necessities to us; the computers are our livelihood. Our living quarters are very small. It’s all a matter of planning to make it work.

Living and working in the same tiny structure could be almost anyone’s dream. Angie Campbell is living that dream in a large way in a tiny structure.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/life-in-a-small-tall-house/ Joanne

Small House Variations

Creative Small Home Ideas

What is a tiny house by definition? In the strictest sense tiny means diminutive or very small, and house is a dwelling place for human beings.

That means a tiny house is any small dwelling, whether it is on a permanent foundation, built on wheels, hanging from a tree, a tree house, on water….you get the idea.

This opens the door for house designs we may not even imagine.

Today, we’ll concentrate of some small houses built on water – houseboats.

Two-Story Houseboat

In 2012 Mike Auderer moved from a four story Victorian home to a 550 sq. ft. two story houseboat. He designed and built the boat and dubbed her “Sweet Pea”.

The main floor consists of a bathroom, a large closet, a kitchen, and a living room. This floor makes up 350 sq. ft. and has a ceiling height of 7’8”. Tall enough so that you will never get claustrophobic.

The second floor consist of a 200 sq. ft. bedroom. The ceiling is sloped ranging from 7’ to 6’.

He incorporated some modern conveniences, including dishwasher, washer/dryer, Wi-Fi, and flat screen TV.

One of the most alluring aspects of this tiny house is the views. The living room and bedroom both have doors that open onto decks with views of both water and mountain. In my opinion, a view like that is the best of both worlds.

Floating House

Another floating tiny house was designed and built by Roy Schreyer. Dianne’s Rose is 17’ long x 8’ wide with an interior height of 6’8.5”.

Because of its size, it can be pulled by a trailer allowing him to take it almost anywhere. And because of its draft, it can be anchored in almost any spot.

It is built in the fashion of a one room cabin. There is a galley kitchen on one side and a commode on the other.

The bench seating makes into a bed.

A portable table is used for the eating surface.

The windows that surround the entire cabin gives a roomy feeling and great views day and night.

On the bow there is a small space where he really enjoys the outdoors.

In total, it’s 136 sq. ft. on the water that gives him the option to move whenever and wherever he wants. It’s all for the purpose of enjoying life to the fullest.

This one is very simple and not really to my liking but it would be perfect for someone looking for simplicity – the very basics. For me it might be okay for a few days but not for living in full-time.

Small homes come in different ideas and mean different things to people. As you think about what a house means to you, you should be as creative as you like. Think about all the possibilities for living.

Source 1

Source 2

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/small-house-variations/ Joanne

Small Home Construction

Women Designing And Building A Small Home

Building things – maybe that’s something you did when you were a kid? Most kids give a try building something at one time or another. Some people go on to creating and building things throughout their life; others give it up.

Fast forward to today. More and more men and women are choosing to build houses.

Here Are Some House Plans and Designs to Start With.

Without any real carpentry skills, building houses may not seem to be realistic. Maybe you don’t think you can, but the dream is still alive.

The truth is that just about anyone can. There is lots of help and education available.

And it is so much less expensive and satisfying when you do it yourself.

I believe that anyone has the ability to help themselves. Many years ago, in the dark ages, it was thought that women couldn’t help themselves.

It was believed they were the weaker sex and needed to be cared for.

That is far so from the truth. These days, women are more self-sufficient than ever before.

This includes building homes.

Enter Hammerstone School of Trumansburg, NY. It is their mission to empower women. They want to accomplish this by giving women the skills “to use their minds and bodies for creative and useful ends”. The school would ultimately like to increase the number of women in the various trades.

One of the skills they offer is carpentry for women from beginning with basic skills and continue to more in-depth classes.

In 2013 a group of thirteen women from Hammerstone School built a tiny house on wheels. These women began with an old travel trailer and used the skills learned to build the home.

While the focus is on women, there are also co-ed classes relating to the small farmer and homesteader – this class is called Carpentry for Farmsteaders.

In addition, there are one on one tutorials available. These sessions can be scheduled at any time and for any length of time, dependent upon the student and instructors schedule.

There are so many possibilities for anyone to learn to design and build a home. Some women prefer to learn from women and network with other women. This school is the perfect solution if that is your preference.

If you are female and you’re itching to build something, why not build something that is a huge benefit to yourself or someone you know? A tiny home is something that is practical, useful, and does good for your life?

Source

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/small-home-construction/ Joanne

Happiness Is

A Personal Story

A Life Of Struggle Gone Good

I don’t normally share personal stories, but I’m feeling grateful for our life today so I thought I would share a little. This is a personal story that brought us from a life that was not so good to a life that is great.

Yesterday I realized just how different our life is now than it was a few years ago and for many, many years before that. For some reason, the difference really sunk in.

Even though I’m not in the best of health, which was the reason for all the changes we made, I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

Thinking back, I now know how unhappy we were living with all the stress and worry, and how those feelings affected our life and relationships.

Some of the negatives that are no longer part of our life:

I can’t remember any job that I enjoyed. They were not what I wanted to be doing. I did the work, but I did not enjoy the time spent at the office. I didn’t like the office politics or gossip. I merely went to work, did my job and went home to more work.

Like so many other people, we struggled every single day with everything that needed to be done and no time to do everything. It was a strain. We were both stressed all the time because of work demands. We fought often – about big things, and little things. Many times, things that should not have caused an issue – it was the stress.

We had constant financial worries. There was never enough to go around. We struggled to find funds to give our kids some of the extras that we wanted to give them – extra curricular activities, equipment, etc. Sometimes we had to juggle the money around just to get through the month. It was a never ending battle.

Add to that all the little stresses that occur over time, throughout everyone’s life and I think we were overloaded with it.

Does this sound familiar?

Our life today is very different.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I got diagnosed with a serious medical issue. That was the catalyst for change.

Unfortunately it was a medical issue that forced us to take a serious look at how we were living our lives.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late to make some positive changes.

We both continue to work, but we work from home. We have jobs that we enjoy and want to do.

“He” is a contract employee for the company that he worked for before we made changes to our life. As he is an expert in his field, the company didn’t want to let him go. They offered him a contract position that he could do from home. We were very lucky that this was offered to him however we were prepared for him to find something else if necessary.

His job before was 10+ hours each day (including commute time) and was extremely stressful.

His job today – he works 7-8 hours. His commute is from the bedroom to his laptop in our living room.

He works from 6am to 2pm and the rest of the day is his to do as he pleases.

After I left the job I hated, I took the opportunity to really dive into something I had always had an interest in but never had the time to really get to know. I spent a few years learning online marketing and got really good at it.

Today, I have my own business. I work from home helping businesses get their websites on the first page of Google.

I love my work and I’m happy to get up in the morning to get to work.

2+ years ago we moved to a warmer climate. Every afternoon we go for a long walk with our dogs. We all look forward to the outing. We are surrounded by beautiful mountain views, we live near a lake with a gorgeous walkway. Our walk consists of exercise, and a meet and greet with many of our walking regulars.

One of the best decisions we made was to downsize. At this time, we choose to live in our motorhome during the warmest six months of the year. We travel and enjoy the beauty of our country. During the colder months, we rent a very small one bedroom condo. As a result, our living expenses are minimal in comparison to what they used to be.

At the same time, we are looking for a small house to rent in one of the locations that we have come to love. We are in no rush. That is the beauty of how we are living our life right now, we don’t have to rush into any decisions. We want to make sure it is the right decision for us and exactly what we want. No more mistakes…

During the past few years of our new and improved life, we have let go of most of the stress that plagued our previous life.

The best part is we have been able to rid ourselves of the debt load that was always a concern. Over all those years, despite all attempts for improvement, the debts seemed to always increase and never decrease.

When we downsized, we were able to finally put money against those debts and they slowly whittled away to almost nothing. We are actually able to put some money aside for our future.

We had no idea how much the stress and debts were negatively affecting our lives until we made the changes.

These days we don’t have much stress and worry, we are in a better place financially than we have ever been, and things are finally looking up.

We are happy; a happiness that had eluded us for most of our life.

If you haven’t already, why not “Like” us on Facebook.

It’s as easy as clicking the Affordable Housing link in the sidebar at the top right.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/happiness-is/ Joanne

Making The Most Of Your Life

Leading A Meaningful Life

I came across the following quote today and thought it perfect. I truly believe that we are better off living a happy and content life, a life without stress or worry. That is the only way to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years that count.

~ Abraham Lincoln

Bottom line – this boils down to Life Is Short and we should make the most of it.

Why shouldn’t we make the most of our short life?

Why do most people (including myself) not realize this until it is too late (or in my case, almost too late)?

Most people spend years and years “just” surviving. Living with all kinds of worry and stress. Not living the best life they could.

In my small way, I hope to remind people that they shouldn’t wait until it is too late.

Our solution was to downsize. When we did that, within a relatively short time, our life got so much better.

I’m not saying that is the solution for everyone. It is what worked for us. Now I like to spread the word about why and how we did it…and the fact that it worked for us, and many other people.

My Story

My hope is that you will find your solution.

The most important message is not to wait until it is too late. No one needs (or should) live a mediocre life when there are options. Sometimes it’ll require sacrifices, but isn’t it better to sacrifice a little to gain much more?

Your Life, Your Happiness, And Your Health.

http://affordablehousingdesigns.com/the-latest/making-the-most-of-your-life/ Joanne