Tiny House Hunters - General Discussion

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

So looked at the link for the storybook cottage.  Good grief, I had no idea I was living in a tiny house all this time.  Mine was 900 square feet and I was there for 34 years..  Who knew I'd start a trend.....

I loved that home but the staircase was a bit odd. I think small homes like that are very doable for many and still have a small footprint.

[Kathcart]

North Carolina divorced mom with 2 teenagers ... uh-huh, yeah, right. That teeny little crackerbox at the RV Park that y'all bought probably started driving you absolutely nuts fifteen minutes after the camera crew packed up and drove away. Two kids, two dogs, numerous musical instruments, no place to sit and eat, no way to get away from each other ... did I mention two TEENAGERS? Come on, man!!!

[debraran]

Funny article on tiny homes, made me chuckle at times:

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2016/04/05/an-open-letter-to-tiny-house-hunters/comment-page-5/

[topanga]

On 2/17/2017 at 9:19 PM, debraran said:

Funny article on tiny homes, made me chuckle at times:

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2016/04/05/an-open-letter-to-tiny-house-hunters/comment-page-5/

Great article. And oh, so true. 

I watched an episode this week--it might've been a repeat--about a couple with a small infant that bought a tiny home. 

The wife had three requests: 1) a bathtub  2) a toilet that's not a composting toilet and 3) a sink that's bigger than her hand. And guess which house they got? The house with a composting toilet, no bathtub, and a tiny sink--one that holds a single coffee mug, as the article said. 

And they were so happy that the baby's play yard/bassinet fit in the corner of the house. But don't they understand that the baby won't be that size forever? Are they planning to live in this house for a short period of time? 

[debraran]

I can only imagine, most don't.  THN homes used to be on Tiny House Listings a lot, but they stopped the "search" feature so it's harder to check. You had about 6 one time I looked, one hadn't been shown yet on TV, so they could only show the outside.

I'm sure some of the reasons are true but many say, work issues, not being able to find land, changed mind about going back to school, having baby, health issues, etc.

One couple, had a car port put in for the husband to work, she wanted specific things for the kids and that was for sale in less than a year. Another, had a child in a loft (I get so nervous watching young children in lofts) with a sink and that one was on youtube for sale a few months ago.

I think the producers will try to find better applicants after a while. Wanting it for a few years is one thing, never living in it or renting  it for money, is owners right, but it doesn't do much to push the movement that they are livable solutions.

The ones without closets I know are going to vacant soon, even a minimalist needs a closet! ; )

Edited February 23, 2017 by debraran

[debraran]

Saw a new THH with an older (gasp) woman who was looking to downsize her 3 family for 110.000 with land.  Didn't like all the selections, but refreshing to see someone older who didn't want loft bedroom. I know it's already picked, but I wonder why they show so many "no way" homes. She didn't like a lot of wood, they all had a lot of exposed wood. There are so many smaller homes now that are very diverse in how they are made.  The only other complaint is you don't have to drum into our heads over and over, the "problem". If they daughter said you must have 400 shoes once, she said it a hundred times. lol

She ended up spending more but made her selection cute and I liked her. Hope this is a trend. ; )

[AnnaRose]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

Saw a new THH with an older (gasp) woman who was looking to downsize her 3 family for 110.000 with land.  Didn't like all the selections, but refreshing to see someone older who didn't want loft bedroom. I know it's already picked, but I wonder why they show so many "no way" homes. She didn't like a lot of wood, they all had a lot of exposed wood. There are so many smaller homes now that are very diverse in how they are made.  The only other complaint is you don't have to drum into our heads over and over, the "problem". If they daughter said you must have 400 shoes once, she said it a hundred times. lol

She ended up spending more but made her selection cute and I liked her. Hope this is a trend. ; )

I missed this episode because I hate the tiny homes they tend to feature - that you have to park somewhere and that are ridiculous in so many ways.  Was the home this woman chose an actual small home with a foundation?  Did she choose something a little more reasonably sized?  Since it doesn't have a loft, I'm thinking it must have been a little bigger.

[psychoticstate]

4 hours ago, AnnaRose said:

I missed this episode because I hate the tiny homes they tend to feature - that you have to park somewhere and that are ridiculous in so many ways.  Was the home this woman chose an actual small home with a foundation?  Did she choose something a little more reasonably sized?  Since it doesn't have a loft, I'm thinking it must have been a little bigger.

@AnnaRose, she ended up choosing a foundation home with land that was right around her desired square footage.  It did have a loft area in the living room but they indicated that would be a great space for her grandkids to sleep in, or to use for storage. 

I knew while watching the episode she would choose that property . . . mainly because she stressed how she wanted light and bright and no wood and that place was nothing but darkness and wood.  I know how you think, Tiny House Hunters!  One thing she did that disappointed me was to hang a curtain in front of her closet.  I guess she didn't like the paneled "built in" door.  I would have left that, as it least it wasn't so obvious as the curtain.  But to each her own. 

I'm glad at least the storage issue was addressed in every property she viewed.  So many times prospective buyers never seem to comment on where they are going to put their clothes, their shoes, their jackets, their books, etc.  They are too busy exclaiming how "cute" everything is or how "spacious" this 200 square feet is. 

A major pet peeve for me - - I wish the Hunters would stop saying "It's huge!" or "It's so big!" or "It's too big" when looking at something over 200 square feet.  300 square feet or 400 square feet is not huge and it's not too big.  Please replace that with "It's larger than I was looking for" or something like that.

There was another episode on Monday night with a couple that ended up purchasing an old Airstream.  I thought the Airstream was cool and figured that would be their selection since it was listed for EXACTLY their budget ($18,000).   Maybe the show should mix it up and say their budget is $20k or $25k?  Anyhow, could they not bargain the price down since it definitely needed some reno?  Or maybe that was the bargained down price?   And did that place have a closet? I can't recall.

[biakbiak]

I thought the brown house that she choose was freaking hideous and than she painted it and it was even uglier!

[debraran]

Yes, the house wasn't pretty, but if she likes it, that's all that matters. I liked the big closet, and having land, didn't have the "where to park it" problem and I love the foundation homes.

I didn't like the Airstream but they did have a tight budget, they were young and actually seemed serious about paying down loans, etc. He also said that he did some research and found they had better resale value than tiny homes on wheels. (smart guy) As they said, if they go over budget, it just adds, not minus's.

RV parks are an option also when tiny homes on wheels have issues many times.

I doubt this will be a trend but I actually enjoyed these 2, just the harping on shoes in the first one, was a bit over the top but other than that, they seemed normal. I just wish they would show 3 that actually could be the one, sometimes it's so obvious.

Edited April 7, 2017 by debraran

[biakbiak]

12 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes, the house wasn't pretty, but if she likes it, that's all that matters. I liked the big closet, and having land, didn't have the "where to park it" problem and I love the foundation homes

Except both her other "options" were so much better that the decision was obvious, ridiculous and pqinful.

[Mu Shu]

I caught a repeat of a couple in SC I think, buying a catamaran in the 300k range.  It was glaringly obvious that not only did they not plan to live on it,  nor did they want it for family trips, nor for the wife's friends to "lay out" on.  No, these carpetbaggers wanted it to charter.  Big fail tiny house hunters.  Not only are you over the quarter million mark price wise, you can't even get people who can convincingly pretend it will be even a part time residence.   

[debraran]

Watching military couple with baby on the way and a 120lb dog. That first unworkable house on wheels (400 sq ft)I know I've seen in another tiny home show, I remember the musical instruments and kids area. The second home was smaller (250 sq) and unsafe for a baby and no closets (not a surprise for tiny home watchers) . The last one, an 5th wheel RV, his wife really hated RV's. The fact the walls moved out might seem cool to some, for me, I can only think, "What if that feature breaks?" It closes off storage and drawers. I didn't like it at all, seen nicer RV's but everyone's taste is different. It was very brown and dated but you can update it.

Of course since she HATED the RV the most, they took it. lol 43,000, at least RV parks are available, tiny house might not be able to stay. It also was the only safer option for baby, although they better secure the outside door in baby's room or he will find a way in a year or so to get out.

Edited April 12, 2017 by debraran

[psychoticstate]

It was absolutely clear they would go with the RV since the wife oversold the "hatred" so much and especially when her friend and realtor jumped on the RV wagon.  Definitely too brown for me. 

I also thought it was hilarious how when looking at the first option, which was also big, the wife was so confident she could tow it.  NO PROBLEM!  And yet when looking at the RV, she was all concerned that she couldn't do it.  Yet another giveaway on their choice. 

Maybe I just didn't like the couple that much.

I did like the San Diego couple that was into medieval stuff and with the baby. (Must have been the night for babies.)   They made a good choice, even if it was over their budget.  Interesting that the two loft spaces were on the same side, with a wall/divider separating them.   Their baby was so stinking cute. 

[debraran]

I liked them too and I loved that door ; ) Baby was really, really cute. They were a more likable couple and seemed to go to the beat of their own drummer but sensible.  And they mentioned railings! Was that a first? We don't want our kid taking a head dive. lol  Surprised the lack of TV space but it's all in the set up. It seems like it will work until their baby gets a few years older.

I hope to see more cottage-like foundation homes, I know some people who renovated beach cottages for year round and made them work for them.

[Bastet]

16 hours ago, debraran said:

The fact the walls moved out might seem cool to some, for me, I can only think, "What if that feature breaks?"

RV slide-outs - at least those with which I'm familiar, and I have to think this would be a universal feature given the potential for being stranded otherwise, should a slide get stuck in the out position - have a manual override so you can crank them in/out should you experience an electrical or mechanical problem you can't resolve on-site.

I think slide-outs are the greatest thing to happen to RVs; the motorhome my parents have now is a little bit longer, taller, and wider than the one I grew up with, but what makes it feel so much roomier is having the slides - and they only have two (living room and bedroom). 

[biakbiak]

Yeah my parents RV has a king sized bed thanks to the slide outs. 

[izabella]

Do these tiny house hunters with small babies and children consider things like the piles of daily laundry that needs to be done?  Some of the RV's have washers, but most of these tiny houses have nothing, barely even a sink.  Then pile on two dogs and yeah, that tiny house is going to need excellent ventilation and pray no one gets sick.

[debraran]

A lot depends on how they get the water/plumbing etc. At a park, you can hook up but other tiny home dwellers will say they have to be very careful with the shower, etc. because you only have so much hot water. (that's why a tub always seems hard)

I've heard one mom say doing laundry in combo washer/dryer was hard, the dryer part (for her) didn't work well and the clothes took forever to dry and used more electricity. Too many plugs in outlets caused overload if you aren't careful (fire in one home) Some things are common sense but it's not always in abundance. For some true minimalists it's not a big deal, for others, just wanting a doll house for less money, it's a wake-up call.  One couple put in a fan for the cat litter, not too bad in a home but in a very small home, every smell seems more potent. Ventilation if a very important thing.

[Nysha]

My best friend and I were watching Tiny House Hunter repeats yesterday and she, the owner of 8 cats, brought up the cat box problem. It would be hard to find floor space in a tiny house to put a cat box and neither of us thought about the smell of one. Smells are another issue when the bathroom is just off the kitchen, too. 

[debraran]

Yes, I heard a realtor actually say once, "There isn't a fan in here (re bathroom) but you can put one in. It was off kitchen. ; )

One couple that left their tiny home said they realized with dog/cat and cooking potent things like garlic, certain spices etc. there was no escape. All the ceiling fans in the world don't help. If you don't like the smell of something, and you're in a loft  with no walls, it's everywhere. You don't think about that, even getting breakfast is "noisy" in a loft, when if you had a room with a door, it helps a lot. Some people do ask for that and it can be workable.

[psychoticstate]

Regarding the two Tiny episodes last night . . . 

I loved the first couple from Seattle.  They were the ones whose home was destroyed in a fire a year earlier and they lost basically everything but their two cats.  He wanted a more adventurous, mobile home; she wanted a foundation home.  I have to say that I really had no idea what direction they would go with their choices, which was a nice change.  They chose what I would have chosen, the cute little Craftsman bungalow.   I like the idea of a houseboat (choice #1) but that place was tiny.  And while it was new construction, I had to wonder what the architect was thinking having the front door (with paned cut outs no less!) lead directly INTO the bathroom.  So you could bring someone over with you and walk right in on your partner sitting on the toilet.  No thanks.  Given that the girlfriend mentioned the rocking, clearly the water wasn't super calm.  But YAY!  A foundation home! 

The second couple, from California, I just didn't get into as much.  Maybe because I was doing other things.  But their first option, a storage pod, was ridiculous. The "sleeping" loft was a joke.  The opening for the fire stairs basically jacks up the possibility of putting anything but a twin sized mattress up there. And I cannot imagine trying to climb down that thing in the dark, in the middle of the night, if you needed to use the bathroom.   The one they chose was good, I guess, but the teeny tiny closet would be a deal breaker for me. 

[debraran]

I also loved the Craftsman home, I get excited to see foundation homes, real little homes that are cute, legal and have plumbing.

I liked the one they picked the most too but I've seen so many cuter craftsman type homes, with slightly better layouts, I wish they showed them more...sometimes 3 is not enough for the show, since one is usually horrible. ; )  The backyard was so pretty!

I do not think the end price was worth it though. Almost 400.000? Maybe I just need to see that area real estate to understand it better.

Edited April 19, 2017 by debraran

[izabella]

I love seeing the small foundation homes, too. They're so much more realistic and livable than the faddish tiny boxes.  Not only are they more likely to want to live there for a longer time, they are also far more likely to be able to sell a home like that.  Especially that Craftsman which had such a wonderful back yard!  I loved how it felt like a private sanctuary.

[debraran]

Sometimes I look at Small House Swoon or Small House Bliss, but just foundation homes. I've known a few people who downsized to a 2 bedroom cottage and they have so many cute ones, some with 2 floors that have more room in built ins than larger homes. The average seems to be 700 sq feet, some larger, some smaller.

This looks like the one the couple bought. https://smallhousebliss.com/2016/05/29/compact-craftsman-bungalow-in-seattle/

Said asking price was 315,000

[psychoticstate]

Did anyone watch last night's Tiny episodes? 

I love Charleston so I appreciated the scenes there.  I liked the home seeker, as well as her girlfriend.  Both seemed very intelligent and "in the know" about what the homeowner wanted.  I thought she would go with option #2, the retro camper, until the third option came up at exactly her $25,000 budget.  Imagine that!   Loved the rescue dog and that she was all about making sure he would be comfy too.

A note to the show - - if you want to surprise people with the "choice," you might want to change up the proposed budget. 

The family moving from CT to MI?  Ugh.  The husband drove me crazy with his constant reminders of moving from a 2,200 square foot house and the prospects were "so small" and how on earth would they fit their furniture and where is the storage because they would need it to store all the belongings from said 2,200 square foot house.  Just STFU already.  Maybe you should have thought to go bigger than 500-600 sq ft with two kids?  

Honestly, I don't get people.  It was at least a foundation home but I cannot begin to imagine the torment of having two little boys stuck in a 500 sq ft house during Michigan's six months of winter.  No, thank you. 

I did think the last house they looked at was very well done and super cute but utterly and completely impractical given it was basically a studio.  Why even waste our time showing us that because the couple would have to be freaking loons to choose it.  Not just for lack of privacy (them in the Murphy bed in the living room and the two boys in the loft over the living room) but also for safety (those boys were still fairly small and could easily fall from that loft) and sensibilities (where on earth would their clothing go?)  

Does Tiny House Hunters ever do update episodes?  I'd be interested in seeing how long some of these folks really live in their tiny homes (or if they actually lived in them at all.) 

[Nysha]

16 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

Does Tiny House Hunters ever do update episodes?  I'd be interested in seeing how long some of these folks really live in their tiny homes (or if they actually lived in them at all.) 

 

I would love to see a season of update episodes. My hunch is that very few of these people stay in their tiny houses, especially the ones with children because they're just not practical. 

[laredhead]

I quit watching the Tiny House series, but I caught the last couple of minutes of the reveal on last night's episode with the family with 2 children.  They were playing underfoot in the small kitchen and all I could think of was a disaster waiting to happen.  I don't know why they made that life choice, but from that scene alone, it looked not very well thought out.  Where do you go to get away from the noise and the toys.  I'm sure those toys don't stay neatly stored as was shown in the reveal.  Now I remember why I stopped watching the show.

[psychoticstate]

1 hour ago, laredhead said:

I quit watching the Tiny House series, but I caught the last couple of minutes of the reveal on last night's episode with the family with 2 children.  They were playing underfoot in the small kitchen and all I could think of was a disaster waiting to happen.  I don't know why they made that life choice, but from that scene alone, it looked not very well thought out.  Where do you go to get away from the noise and the toys.  I'm sure those toys don't stay neatly stored as was shown in the reveal.  Now I remember why I stopped watching the show.

Exactly.  Just wait until the Michigan winter keeps those kids inside for an extended period of time.

The couple were initially from Michigan and returned because the husband is going to be traveling or some something with regard to his country music radio/DJ job?  I don't know.  Guess it really doesn't matter but they elected to return to Michigan to be close to family since he's going to be gone part of the time.   

I get that.  I'm not sure if their budget ($90k) made it difficult (no idea about Michigan real estate) or the fact that they absolutely wanted to be lakefront (which they did not get.)  

Sorry, guys, but if it's lakefront, I would absolutely give that up in order to have more space.  The bedrooms were (wait for it) TINY.  I noticed they didn't show the master after they moved in.  They did mention on the "tour" that their bed (a queen) would NEVER fit in that space and joked about putting bunk beds in there.  Also, the kids' bedroom (with bunk beds, natch) had the electrical panel in it, which didn't seem like the best plan unless they could figure out a way to lock it. 

The kitchen also wasn't huge and the husband did make a point, again on the initial "tour", to say that the wife would be going to the store on the daily for food since there was no pantry or any space to store food.  Again, good luck with that in the winter. 

[debraran]

Re Michigan home, something didn't seem right. They left out something. Were they selling the other home? I live in CT and it the homes are expensive in many areas and if sold, they would be able to afford more in Michigan. I remember when Melissa Gilbert from Little House moved there with her husband, they didn't spend much on a cute victorian home.  I wish they wouldn't show such awful houses just for effect...any google of homes in that area show better. I saw 3 in Grand Rapids that were 70-110,000, 3 bedrooms, basement in one, garage....didn't mention lake but still.

I was slightly offended...I have that ceiling fan still in my dining room, lol. Hey, I'm on a small budget and upgrades aren't always in the picture. ; )

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Nysha said:

I would love to see a season of update episodes. My hunch is that very few of these people stay in their tiny houses, especially the ones with children because they're just not practical. 

I've never seen a show, just printed updates, the one with the couple that bought the burned out property in Calif. is online.

I found this funny article about tiny shows and he worried, an update would find too many "murder/suicides" Funny but not funny http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2016/04/05/an-open-letter-to-tiny-house-hunters/

I admit, months ago, I was bored and Tiny House Big Living had an update show on Amazon Prime for about 2.00 and i bought it. Not your everyday couples but interesting to see updates and what people did later.

[Kathcart]

11 hours ago, psychoticstate said:

Did anyone watch last night's Tiny episodes? ... I liked the home seeker, as well as her girlfriend.  Both seemed very intelligent and "in the know" about what the homeowner wanted. ...  Loved the rescue dog and that she was all about making sure he would be comfy too.

I liked them, too, and I actually had a moment there where I thought how odd it was that I liked the home seekers! Most of the time they annoy the daylights out of me with their demands for full-size refrigerators and washer-dryers. I saw one one time with a woman who complained because she was going to have to bend over to retrieve her clothes from her built-in tiny washer/dryer. Sheesh. So refreshing to have an ep with the nice Charleston women.

The CT/Michigan couple ... hmmmm... I agree something seemed off. The woman was a personal chef and needed a big kitchen. Dude just wanted rocks (??) inside and out, to be on the water, and to have a fireplace. Why in the world did they think they needed a "tiny" house? Methinks they wanted a tiny bit of TV exposure.

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Kathcart said:

 

The CT/Michigan couple ... hmmmm... I agree something seemed off. The woman was a personal chef and needed a big kitchen. Dude just wanted rocks (??) inside and out, to be on the water, and to have a fireplace. Why in the world did they think they needed a "tiny" house? Methinks they wanted a tiny bit of TV exposure.

I also caught they both grew up there, they might be spending more time at parents than home and maybe they needed babysitters. I met grandparents the other day who came from the Midwest to buy a small home in CT to help their kids with childcare and cut travel expenses. Maybe they did the opposite. Sounds like they want to save any money from CT for a home that might come later.

Really liked the "real' Charleston couple too, and I really liked her partners big house also (love older homes) Hope THH keeps having more people that seem smart and sensible, they had a couple this season, it can give the smaller home option a boost instead of being a joke to many

Edited April 26, 2017 by debraran

[Kathcart]

"Cozy in Colorado" episode on late last night? Holy mother of pearl. Mr. and Mrs. Vocal Fry search for a tiny house. It was un-listenable! I have never heard such vocal fry from a man before. I had to put it on mute.

[auntjess]

25 minutes ago, Kathcart said:

I had to put it on mute.

You could turn on closed captioning too.

[debraran]

Re Colorado couple, having 200,000 budget for tiny house/land is more than most have to start with. I'm assuming they don't want any more children but wanting more land and less house isn't a bad idea. I have seen many blogs from homesteaders on yurts, many not really practical long term.  It was always temporary for families because of space and cold weather.

I personally didn't like the second home at all. Seemed really cramped and so much wood. That rail could not keep a cat from rolling off, forget a small child...it was way too low! : o

Third home was worse...haven't seen a show that (to me) all 3 were bad options. There was room to move around in the third , as the realtor said, because there weren't any clothes, furniture or toys there.

I love how they say, "this decision is really hard"...with the music playing, like everyone gets only 3 choices in life, (thankfully only on TV)  but I hope it works for them and their cute daughter is close to some other children to play with.

 

The Traveling Musicians I enjoyed more, I liked the one they picked the best.

Edited May 3, 2017 by debraran

[psychoticstate]

In real life, who the hell buys a yurt?  As the vocally fried woman said, it's basically a circus tent.  A really small circus tent. 

There is zero privacy in that thing since it's one big room, with no loft or anything.  The husband and wife were so proud of their composting toilet which was behind a curtain?  So your toilet is basically in the same room with your temporary kitchen, living room and bedroom?  Lovely.  And now they are building a second yurt to house a kitchen and bath?  Since it appears it won't be attached to the first yurt, that will be really convenient when those Colorado winters kick in. 

Honestly, these people seem like idiots to me.  $200k is a decent budget.  They didn't squawk about being able to drive all over the nation like 90% of the Tiny Hunters so why couldn't they find a smaller foundation home?  

[Kohola3]

7 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

They didn't squawk about being able to drive all over the nation like 90% of the Tiny Hunters so why couldn't they find a smaller foundation home?

Because then they wouldn't be "teevee stars".

[debraran]

20 minutes ago, psychoticstate said:

Honestly, these people seem like idiots to me.  $200k is a decent budget.  They didn't squawk about being able to drive all over the nation like 90% of the Tiny Hunters so why couldn't they find a smaller foundation home?  

They had a decent small home, 1200 square feet and they bought 39 acres they said? They wanted to plant a small vegetable garden one day...what is all the land for? Maybe they have plans they didn't mention but I'm wondering how much is upstairs so to speak. I followed a blog with a couple and 3 kids that moved to Idaho to homestead....I think they almost split up having to stay in a bigger yurt 3 years as the home was being built. They had an outhouse which made more sense but in the cold winters, it was very hard as you would imagine. They didn't mention laundry but this family went to town in the winter to do it, had a bicycle washing machine (I kid you not) for the summer/spring. The lack of privacy and smells being all over will be a wakeup call one day, but all power to them. I just feel for the daughter and their sanity in the winter.

[SmithW6079]

Two minutes in, and I realized the Houston musicians were idiots. They wanted a house on wheels so they could travel without paying for hotel rooms; did they not realize they'd need to pay for space at an RV park? And of course, they had instruments they needed to store in a tiny house. Plus, how is an open loft to the rest of the house a "private" space?

Having said that, I did like the end, with the husband explaining how did they did the build,  and the floor was gorgeous. I call bullshit that they're "renting" space on a friend's property, though. I'm sure they're squatting. 

***

Oh my gOD, the Colorado couple was so annOYING. I couldn't tell without watCHING whether it was the wife or the husband talKING. I think his voice was higher than hers. 

The real estate agent/builder was a hottie, though. 

They bought the YURT? I think that could be cool for a single person, but a family? With no electricity and running water? I liked the third cottage the best.

Edited May 4, 2017 by SmithW6079

[debraran]

5 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

Two minutes in, and I realized the Houston musicians were idiots. They wanted a house on wheels so they could travel without paying for hotel rooms; did they not realize they'd need to pay for space at an RV park? And of course, they had instruments they needed to store in a tiny house. Plus, how is an open loft to the rest of the house a "private" space?

 

I think squatting is what most tiny house owners do that travel or pray no one sees them parking illegally. I've read stories of couples who abandoned their tiny home to an apartment again because of the lack of places to stay, I learned that RV parks have regulations that many tiny homes don't adhere too which is why some have the "RV" certified in the plans. Another guy learned even if it was his property, if it was the only dwelling, you can get into trouble with zoning.

Yea, the "private space" confused me, I need doors, walls and quiet to say private. ; )

[laredhead]

I recently watched one of those shows about building off the grid housing, and one of the couples was moving from a yurt into a house with a foundation because they said the yurt was very cold in the winter, even with insulation.  When I think of living in a yurt, I think of the term "glamping" which describes a step up from basic camping on a cot, bare ground, and an open fire.  

[debraran]

I tried to watch 2 new TH shows last night. New York Fashionista Goes Tiny, I found the voices/people so annoying, I fell asleep before I saw what she picked, all choices, bus, RV, etc. seemed horrible for a store.

Downsizing in Sanford, placed in Florida was better. The first home didn't have much head room upstairs but bright and sunny.

Marina home was pretty, but her "OCD" cleaning comments made me laugh. I knew someone like that, it can be consuming, I hope they exaggerated it a bit.  The third home was "blah", it's probably for travel/highway regulations, but the lack of head space in a loft sometimes is silly, you should be able to at least sit comfortably without stooping, some look like literal crawl spaces in homes. Others have a peak and seem more spacious, maybe not "legal" or they lose space downstairs.

She got the best choice with the floating bungalow. In a storm?? But other than that, very pretty.

[cuppasun]

On 5/3/2017 at 8:19 PM, SmithW6079 said:

They bought the YURT? I think that could be cool for a single person, but a family? With no electricity and running water? I liked the third cottage the best.

 

On 5/4/2017 at 7:54 AM, laredhead said:

I recently watched one of those shows about building off the grid housing, and one of the couples was moving from a yurt into a house with a foundation because they said the yurt was very cold in the winter, even with insulation.  When I think of living in a yurt, I think of the term "glamping" which describes a step up from basic camping on a cot, bare ground, and an open fire.  

To be fair, yurts can be pretty elaborate, depending on what's added to the basic elements. What surprised me was that they didn't choose a larger one, maybe 300 (or even 400) sq ft, so they could organize it better, with walls, insulation, etc. Seems a better use of space than building a second one. I've seen some pretty incredible yurt builds that were frankly beautiful and comfortable, and they don't have to lack any amenities if you want them. As for insulation/winter, traditional yurts are technically designed for that kind of climate, so if they're done properly they should be comfortable--but it really depends on the choices for the build (and the company that makes them; there are several).

Although I had a few occasions to live somewhat rustically when I was a very young adult, I've learned a lot about more extreme off-grid living over the last few years (not for myself! can't do that stuff anymore, too old and creaky...) because my older daughter and her husband & two kids have lived off-grid for some time. They started out in a tipi--which kind of shocked me when they told me--that I think was a bit bigger than the yurt from this ep in floor sq footage; the tipi was made by a company, but they cut the poles themselves. They heated and cooked over a central open fire--and they did live in it into early winter (in WA state). Then they moved into a total off-grid cabin on property they purchased: no electricity, no water (not even a well--they had to hand carry in their water), outhouse...that was for four years. They recently bought a neighboring property with a bigger cabin that has running water & electricity, though still off-grid (well & solar), and omg, indoor bathroom--lap of luxury! They kind of amaze me, and I'm really impressed, though I would have hated the winters up there. My younger daughter lived in a bare-bones, pretty rustic tiny house in the same area for a while too, on the property of some folks she did nanny work for. Oh, to be young and resilient!

[psychoticstate]

On 5/9/2017 at 2:56 AM, debraran said:

I tried to watch 2 new TH shows last night. New York Fashionista Goes Tiny, I found the voices/people so annoying, I fell asleep before I saw what she picked, all choices, bus, RV, etc. seemed horrible for a store.

Downsizing in Sanford, placed in Florida was better. The first home didn't have much head room upstairs but bright and sunny.

Marina home was pretty, but her "OCD" cleaning comments made me laugh. I knew someone like that, it can be consuming, I hope they exaggerated it a bit.  The third home was "blah", it's probably for travel/highway regulations, but the lack of head space in a loft sometimes is silly, you should be able to at least sit comfortably without stooping, some look like literal crawl spaces in homes. Others have a peak and seem more spacious, maybe not "legal" or they lose space downstairs.

She got the best choice with the floating bungalow. In a storm?? But other than that, very pretty.

The New York fashionista and her friend had horrific vocal fry.  She ended up picking the Airstream. The "after" pics and follow up actually showed a cute mobile pop up store.  I would hate the "bathroom" with a passion and it would make me crazy to have to take down the "store" and make the space "home" each night and then do it in reverse each day but to each her own.  I did wonder exactly how that Airstream worked (electricity and water wise) when she was parked on a street corner. 

I liked that the Chicago-to-Florida transplant took the houseboat.  I thought the houseboat was super cute - quite possibly my favorite houseboat I've seen on the tiny shows.  I didn't quite understand why she took the range out and put one burner in when she specifically said she wanted full sized appliances.  Maybe she should have said she really wanted a full sized fridge and a washer and dryer. I also wouldn't have taken the porch out to put the treadmill in because I thought the porch made it look homey but tomato-tomahto. 

[debraran]

5 hours ago, psychoticstate said:

The New York fashionista and her friend had horrific vocal fry.  She ended up picking the Airstream. The "after" pics and follow up actually showed a cute mobile pop up store.  I would hate the "bathroom" with a passion and it would make me crazy to have to take down the "store" and make the space "home" each night and then do it in reverse each day but to each her own.  I did wonder exactly how that Airstream worked (electricity and water wise) when she was parked on a street corner. 

I liked that the Chicago-to-Florida transplant took the houseboat.  I thought the houseboat was super cute - quite possibly my favorite houseboat I've seen on the tiny shows.  I didn't quite understand why she took the range out and put one burner in when she specifically said she wanted full sized appliances.  Maybe she should have said she really wanted a full sized fridge and a washer and dryer. I also wouldn't have taken the porch out to put the treadmill in because I thought the porch made it look homey but tomato-tomahto. 

I agree, porch made it super cute. This one was 43,000 if Im not mistaken and cute too, but it sold recently.

http://yachtboatforsale.com/boats/custom-16-x-32-floating-cottage/

 

I wonder how that store is doing...THN had a store show, couple broke up soon after so I don't know how it succeeded but they did most online and had samples in THOW store. Without electricity, it would be hard to do things or WIFI.

I also think going potty in a box would be off putting and unsanitary but to each his/her own. I doubt she lives in a place without a real bathroom or running water full time. She seemed too into makeup and looking good to have to fuss that much but I might be wrong, people are adaptable.

Edited May 10, 2017 by debraran

[SmithW6079]

Good lord but the Brooklyn fashionista and her friend were annoying. Is that what all young women sound like these days?

I think bus adaptations are cool, but this one had no bathroom other than a toilet. That's a deal breaker. I also wondered how legal her pop-up store was. I just can't see her maneuvering a vehicle and trailer on the crowded Brooklyn streets.

[ciaoformeow]

On 5/10/2017 at 9:56 AM, psychoticstate said:

The New York fashionista and her friend had horrific vocal fry.  She ended up picking the Airstream. The "after" pics and follow up actually showed a cute mobile pop up store.  I would hate the "bathroom" with a passion and it would make me crazy to have to take down the "store" and make the space "home" each night and then do it in reverse each day but to each her own.  I did wonder exactly how that Airstream worked (electricity and water wise) when she was parked on a street corner. 

 

2

There also wasn't a shower in it. The end of the show she didn't mention the shower situation at all, so my guess is that she's not really living in it. 

[psychoticstate]

35 minutes ago, lilsadone said:

There also wasn't a shower in it. The end of the show she didn't mention the shower situation at all, so my guess is that she's not really living in it. 

That's what I thought too, by the end.  She's using it for her store but not actually living in it. 

[debraran]

I just watched the show with the beer/bike enthusiast and thought he did a great job with his home, much better than the originals they showed him. I felt like his friend, a composting toilet isn't attractive option when friends come over to eat/drink, but all in all, he has a nice home. I like the mini loft over the goose neck, more head room and storage underneath.

Amazing what you can learn if you are inclined that way and I like how he used reclaimed materials to save money.