Tiny House Hunters - General Discussion

[proserpina65]

I've seen the Florida couple with the two kids in the shipping container a few times.  I still don't get it.  No way are they living in that full time.  No way.  There is zero storage, no kitchen and the two kids are sharing a bed above the parents?  Yeah right.  The siblings aren't going to want to share their space for long - - and it's one thing to share a bedroom with each having a twin bed but to put both of them in the same bunk?  No.  Where do these nitwits hang out when it's raining outside?  The only place to sit is on the bed or maybe in the shower.   That bathroom has zero privacy which, again, is ridiculous.  It's not like the kids are tiny.  I would have to unfriend these fools if they were my friends and expected me to come over and hang out in some container.  I don't think so.

 

There are some previous posts in this thread talking about how this particular episode is faker than fake.  Dad owns or works for the company which turns shipping containers into tiny houses, and the unit they parked in the yard of the house they were allegedly selling is the equivalent of the sales model in a development.  They weren't living in that unit but apparently were still living in their real house.

[Kohola3]

Who in their right mind would WANT to spend the night as a visitor in one of those things.  You'd have to leave a suitcase outside and stand in a corner since these things have zero seating.  And don't even get me started on using one of those bathrooms.

 

I bet dollars to donuts no one lasts in one of those things for more than a year.

[Mittengirl]

I wouldn't even want to spend an afternoon in one these tiny houses, let alone spend the night. As soon as I have to pee, my visit is over. Or well before that, depending on how far I have to go to get to the nearest restroom with actual doors and a flush toilet and sink with running water.

If I am being completely honest, I am not sure I would want to eat food cooked in a house without a bathroom door.

[Mu Shu]

I'm sure the Florida couple was using that box as a model home to sell hurricane shelters. Though I can't recall any recent bad storms in the Cocoa area, so I don't get why they were so het up about hurricanes. The closest area to have a notable hurricane in the past three decades was Stuart, which is at least 150 miles south. In any event, flooding is a bigger danger than wind, and that thing did not appear to be elevated.

[proserpina65]

I'm sure the Florida couple was using that box as a model home to sell hurricane shelters. Though I can't recall any recent bad storms in the Cocoa area, so I don't get why they were so het up about hurricanes. The closest area to have a notable hurricane in the past three decades was Stuart, which is at least 150 miles south. In any event, flooding is a bigger danger than wind, and that thing did not appear to be elevated.

Yeah, that thing is more like a hurricane deathtrap.

[Sun-Bun]

I don't watch very many of these shows since I think the "Tiny House" movement is so hopelessly faddish and ridiculous, but perhaps the stupidest one I ever watched was this young woman who was moving from outside of Nashville((I watched simply because I'm a Nashville native))to some other city father up North for a job switch and she ended up choosing one of the smaller houses she looked at. And where did she park this tiny home?

IN A FRIGGIN TRAILER PARK.

Good lord...I'd respect these weirdos so much more if they simply lived in trailers or Winnebago's. It's certainly be a much smarter and lest costly option than simply paying all that dough for what's basically a 3 Little Pigs-style house on wheels.

[Showthyme]

The more recent episodes appear to have more realistic buyers and therefore, seem more reasonable in their approach to Tiny Houses. These buyers are focused on their budget and do not have a long laundry list of things. For example, a gay couple found a tiny house in San Francisco that seem to fit their realistic needs in a market where housing costs are outrageous. Good for them.

[proserpina65]

The more recent episodes appear to have more realistic buyers and therefore, seem more reasonable in their approach to Tiny Houses. These buyers are focused on their budget and do not have a long laundry list of things. For example, a gay couple found a tiny house in San Francisco that seem to fit their realistic needs in a market where housing costs are outrageous. Good for them.

I'd enjoy this show a lot more if they focused on people like this.

[izabella]

I agree - I love watching the shows where the buyers really are looking for a home to live in that is smaller and less expensive.  But the operative words are "home to live in" and not "dollhouse on wheels to park in parents' driveway."

 

Show empty nesters who want to downsize so they don't have to keep working until they're 70, singles or couples just starting out who want to minimize their living costs because they have student loans to pay off, or families who realize maintaining a big, expensive house means less time and money for all of them AND show them looking at real houses with foundations, sewer, plumbing and electricity or small apartments they can turn into cozy homes. 

 

HHI often shows us tiny apartments, sometimes super-tiny.  I never laugh at those people like I do the ones who want an uninsulated box on wheels in the States.

[Homily]

It wasn't on Tiny Houses but on HHI but there was an episode the other day like that.  An American couple were looking for a holiday home in France (forget which area offhand but on the coast and a very expensive part of France) anyway they chose a very small studio apartment, something like 300 sq feet but it was loaded with charm and located exactly where they wanted to be and also came in under budget.  It was neat to see what they could do with such a small space and it made sense that this was what they could afford given the area they were in.  To me they were much more real "tiny house" hunters than the ones buying garden sheds with beds in the ceiling!

Edited February 23, 2016 by Homily

[WildPlum]

I watch a few of the shows because I like some of the storage ideas and because I can see building a small vacation cabin (small = 300-500 sf with a lot of outdoor space). I've lived in some small spaces before - temporarily - like an RV and a sailboat.  The thing about some of the tiny homes as compared to the same size RV is that the interiors of the tiny homes tend to be much less plastic (literally).

 

Some of the tiny homes I have seen on these shows are cheaper than a new RV as well. On the other hand, when you have a tiny home with drywall, tile and a big sliding window, it is not meant to be hauled around the country frequently and you will get damage from doing so. RVs are designed to be portable first.

[Mu Shu]

I lived on a 55 foot sailboat with two cabins, 2 heads, and tons of storage. Of course, I didn't have a TV, computer, clothes or other suches. Truthfully, it was my favorite place to live. We spent a lot of time out, and it never felt cramped when we were there. Oh for the simple days of the nineties. As small a space as the boat was, there was separation and private areas as the cabins and heads were fore and aft. These tiny houses don't have that separation. Also, the aft cabin you could stand in, and the fire cabin was lofted about three feet with plenty of head room. Man I loved that boat.

[chessiegal]

I lived on a 55 foot sailboat with two cabins, 2 heads, and tons of storage. Of course, I didn't have a TV, computer, clothes or other suches. Truthfully, it was my favorite place to live. We spent a lot of time out, and it never felt cramped when we were there. Oh for the simple days of the nineties. As small a space as the boat was, there was separation and private areas as the cabins and heads were fore and aft. These tiny houses don't have that separation. Also, the aft cabin you could stand in, and the fire cabin was lofted about three feet with plenty of head room. Man I loved that boat.

Major envy - that's a good sized boat. I can understand your love, and not a problem to living there. We have a 32' sailboat meant for weekend cruising, and we have stayed on it for a week at a time for choice and our house had no electricity when our marina did. Great thing is you can take your boat and go elsewhere. Do you follow "Distant Shores II"? They have a 49 Southerly out of Toronto and have a show on AWE, sailing around the world. Much more adventurous than I am.

I lived on a 55 foot sailboat with two cabins, 2 heads, and tons of storage. Of course, I didn't have a TV, computer, clothes or other suches. Truthfully, it was my favorite place to live. We spent a lot of time out, and it never felt cramped when we were there. Oh for the simple days of the nineties. As small a space as the boat was, there was separation and private areas as the cabins and heads were fore and aft. These tiny houses don't have that separation. Also, the aft cabin you could stand in, and the fire cabin was lofted about three feet with plenty of head room. Man I loved that boat.

Major envy - that's a good sized boat. I can understand your love, and not a problem to living there. We have a 32' sailboat meant for weekend cruising, and we have stayed on it for a week at a time for choice and our house had no electricity when our marina did. Great thing is you can take your boat and go elsewhere. Do you follow "Distant Shores II"? They have a 49 Southerly out of Toronto and have a show on AWE, sailing around the world. Much more adventurous than I am.

[NYGirl]

Oh.my.God.  I'd love to see the look on my face as I watch these idiots looking at these houses.  I definitely have a confused and perplexed look going on.  

 

Tonight was a divorced grandmother wondering why the kitchen counters were not granite.  She just looked at one that had NO BATHROOM!!  You heard me...NO BATHROOM.  Oh for $5000 more they can put one out the back door or take away the space she was going to use for when her toddler grandson visits.  She can't even get on the bed as it's raised like a bunk bed with drawers and storage underneath.

 

How can one that's 650 sq feet be "a little too large"?  Somebody tell me please.

[laredhead]

A friend of mine who is an architect watched his first episode of Tiny House Hunters tonight and this was the one he saw.  He just posted his total puzzlement of the show's participants on his Facebook page.  He's shocked at the comments of the THH's, so I told him about this forum.  He will fit right in with us.  OK, I'm off to watch tonight's episode that I recorded.

[OpieTaylor]

In my neighborhood someone has recently put a tiny house in their backyard. It's the kind that looks a lot like a tall shipping container. I have no idea how many people are living in it, or maybe it's a guest house. I guess they might be a good idea for an aging parent to live in. There are also a couple of motor homes in our neighborhood that perpetually have extension cords running from a house out to the street where they're parked - another version of tiny house living. 

[biakbiak]

The woman kept insisting that she wanted o travel with it which means she is going to need a huge truck, and everyone who insist they want to travel with it would be better off just getting an RV.

[Minivanessa]

Oh, I have found my people.

 

Last night I watched this episode, which is S03:E02, "Dreams of Downsizing." HGTV's episode description is:

 

Dreaming of living near a mountain resort, Kristen and Joe are searching for a place in the Denver, Colorado area. With a budget of $150,000 they are looking for a tiny home close to skiing and hiking. They are ready to downsize to live in this very popular area. But will they be able to sacrifice some modern conveniences for the location of their dreams?

 

So, they looked at three places, and bought the third one. None of the places they visited appeared to be anywhere near Denver. The third one, which they bought, was an under-300 square foot "ski chalet" (cheaply built, fugly old) condo in Fraser, Colorado. IIRC they bought for around $50,000. 

 

They were a really cute couple and seemed markedly less whacko than some of the tiny house hunters I've seen. They seemed smart, and comfortable living a minimalist life, which I totally admire.

 

But. Before anybody starts shopping for a $50,000 tiny condo "in the Denver, Colorado area," look up Fraser, Colorado.

 

Fraser is up in the mountains, beyond the Winter Park ski area, and  - assuming clear driving conditions - a couple of hours' drive from Denver. By that criterion, half the state is "in the Denver area." If the wife works in Denver, she's got a grueling commute on her plate, and a really difficult long trek in the winter. The first time the "Fraser, CO" graphic popped up on the screen, I thought, this is gonna be hijinks.

 

Because, here's the deal with Fraser's climate:

 

Fraser, with an annual mean temperature of 32.5 °F (0.3 °C) (or 34.8 °F (1.6 °C) based on another station in town) is the coldest incorporated town in the lower 48 states. It also has the shortest growing season with an average of only 4 to 7 days (depending on which weather station data is used) and can and does get frost year-round, totalling over 300 nights under 32 °F (0 °C), rivalled only by Barrow, Alaska among currently inhabited localities in the United States. The total of 79 nights under 0 °F (−17.8 °C) is also among the highest in the contiguous 48 states, but the 72 days with highs not topping freezing is exceeded by substantial areas of North Dakota, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Both Fraser and International Falls, Minnesota have claimed the title “Icebox of the Nation”, which has caused conflict between the two towns over the years.

 

Of course, the producers managed to shoot that episode without tripping over piles of unmelted snow, so I give them kudos for good scheduling and direction at the shoot. I loved how the Realtor gestured to the outdoor storage shed attached to the condo and said, "you can put your bikes in there." Yeah, and leave them there a lot. Also, in that climate, if either of them gets cabin fever inside, it's not like they can just go out and sit on the porch for awhile. Unless they're wrapped in a polar-quality sleeping bag.

 

Maybe that couple is well-suited for life in Fraser, and they're certainly close to skiing. And I tip my hat to them for finding property to own for under $50K, which wouldn't buy you much in the actual Denver area these days. If they can live in that place full time for even a year, they'll probably get ahead financially. And later they can keep it for a mountain getaway. One of the couple, can't remember which, mentioned "noise" in passing when they were "looking" at the condo. And that's no lie. If the other condos are rented out short-term during ski season, the renters could be rowdy. As in, squeezing six people into a place meant for two, and partying hearty as they enjoy their long weekend away from home. 

 

I really liked that the husband wanted a bedroom he could stand up in. My back and neck start to twinge at the thought of those pancake-height "sleeping lofts." 

 

But, bottom line about the HGTV spin: it's not "in the Denver area," and Fraser is not a "mountain resort." It's not far from Winter Park, which is a ski area, if not a "resort" like Vail.

 

On a related subject, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who wonders just how big-ass a truck it would take to haul one of those cute tiny houses on wheels. Either you buy one - and there goes your self-righteous "environmentally conscious" cred - or you hire one, which is less expensive, assuming you won't want to move it around much. 

 

 

[laredhead]

A recent HH Where Are They Now featured a woman who had moved a tiny house from its original site to another place "just down the road" and it cost her several thousand dollars for that move.  One or two moves and you have wiped out any savings you were planning to have by living tiny and mobile.  RV's and campers are made to be mobile with cabinets that fasten securely and other features that keep things safe while moving.  Moving a tiny house seems much more complicated and expensive.  I still don't get the appeal unless they are a weekend get away or something tucked into a large back yard to be used as a guest house.

[NYGirl]

I don't know why but I get irrationally angry at the people buying these tiny homes.  I get so nervous for them having absolutely no storage, having to sleep in a loft with the ceiling inches from your nose, having to shower in those tiny showers if there is one, or having to go outside to go to the bathroom.  

[roseslg]

When I see that Tiny House hunters is on, I want to shake my fist to the sky.  I tuned in last night hoping for some original HH and got pissed when it was the Tiny version.   

[StatisticalOutlier]

The woman kept insisting that she wanted o travel with it which means she is going to need a huge truck, and everyone who insist they want to travel with it would be better off just getting an RV.

 

The nice thing about that one is that we got a glimpse of RV park living, with that crappy trailer and spread of junk right outside her window.  And that lovely spot is costing her an extra $700/month plus gas during an Edmonton winter.

 

It was just so annoying that she kept bitching about her neighbors, but the whole idea behind being on wheels is that you can move!  So move!  Only there's probably going to be someone else just like that neighbor wherever you go.

 

So, they looked at three places, and bought the third one. None of the places they visited appeared to be anywhere near Denver. The third one, which they bought, was an under-300 square foot "ski chalet" (cheaply built, fugly old) condo in Fraser, Colorado. IIRC they bought for around $50,000. 

....

Of course, the producers managed to shoot that episode without tripping over piles of unmelted snow, so I give them kudos for good scheduling and direction at the shoot. I loved how the Realtor gestured to the outdoor storage shed attached to the condo and said, "you can put your bikes in there." Yeah, and leave them there a lot.

 

The leaves were changing, so they were there at the very end of summer, and right before the snow starts flying.  Good timing indeed. 

 

At least there was a place for their bikes (and the biking there in the summer is really good).  Tiny homes seems to attract the outdoorsy types, and there's never enough storage in those things for regular stuff, much less sporting equipment.

 

And I think that "condo" used to be a motel room.  Fraser's kind of a crappy little town, although I have a soft spot for it because I found a dollar bill in a washing machine when I was scoping out the laundromat.  But if I had to be in Denver with any frequency, I wouldn't pick Fraser as a home base.  They keep Berthoud Pass plowed, because people are going skiing at Winter Park, but it's still very slow going.  And traffic out of Denver on Thursdays and Fridays is heinous year-round.

 

 

I don't know why but I get irrationally angry at the people buying these tiny homes.  I get so nervous for them having absolutely no storage, having to sleep in a loft with the ceiling inches from your nose, having to shower in those tiny showers if there is one, or having to go outside to go to the bathroom.  

 

Like you, I get angry, but unlike you, I don't think it's irrational.  I also don't get nervous for them because they're idiots and get what they deserve.

[izabella]

Those Fraser temperatures sound like my worst nightmare.  They showed baseboard heating in the condo.  Would that be sufficient for that kind of weather?

 

We visited friends in Aurora last year and took a day drive in the mountains past the Estes Park area  There were a few spots where i saw collections of tiny houses scattered near each other.  It seemed like they were rentals for seasonal tourists.  I can see how renting one of those for a week of hiking would be great.  I can't see wanting to live in winter weather like that all the time in one of those homes. 

 

I thought the condo buyers should have asked a LOT of questions about insulation, thermal windows, and heating costs.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I lived in two different places in Telluride, Colorado (ski town in the mountains) during the winter.  One of them had baseboard heat, and it was sufficient.  And all the condos and motel rooms I've stayed in there also had baseboard heat, now that I think about it. 

 

The other place I lived in was newer and had in-floor heating.  That was sooooooooooooooooooo nice. 

 

I also noticed that the "ski chalet" couple had a bed that was against the wall on two sides.  That would be a total deal-breaker for me. You have to be on the bed in order to make it, and it's surprisingly hard to do and have it look halfway decent.

[Minivanessa]

I wrote at length yesterday about the couple who bought the fugly little "condo" in Fraser. StatisticalOutlier made some great points in reply. Including that it looked like the place had started life as a motel. 

 

Later, it occurred to me that the episode could have been total hijinks. I wonder if that couple really intended to live there full time, or if this was their way of getting to be on TV while acquiring a place in the mountains. They appeared very genuine in their outdoor scenes - hiking, biking, paddling - and I'm sure they wanted a place away from the city to enjoy such activities, and skiing in season.

 

But I was surprised when, in the "after" scene, they'd (allegedly) moved in but hadn't figured out how to improve the kitchen with any kind of real stove. They just added a big toaster oven, and hadn't even added another hot plate, so they still only had one "burner" to cook on. 

 

I don't know. Maybe they really are that minimalist. Or maybe they saw no need to do much about the kitchen since they won't be living there all the time. If the wife's job is in the Denver area - and in the opening scenes they gave that impression - Fraser's just not a viable location for their home base.

 

They were a nice couple. I'm not sure if it was refreshing or disappointing that they didn't bring the crazy like others we've seen on this show.

[auntjess]

 

The woman kept insisting that she wanted o travel with it which means she is going to need a huge truck, and everyone who insist they want to travel with it would be better off just getting an RV.

Exactly!  And with the one she bought, didn't they say you had to rent/hire a big truck to move, not tow it yourself? 

OK, I'm shallow and judgemental, but her daughter, who was along to ground her, was a professional cheerleader?  I did love it, in the rehash, where they did say of that one, "but it doesn't have a bathroom."

(If any of you missed that Tiny House World one in Australia, do watch out for it.  Young couple, living with her parents, wanted a place of their own they could move around.  Bought one sans bathroom, parked it in her parents backyard.)

I'd love to spend the year following her story.  She plans to drive the continent, starting with Oregon, but if you have to have it moved by a big rig, you'd need to travel ahead to know where you're going to park it.

Yet another "you wonder what goes through their minds."

Edited March 16, 2016 by auntjess

[StatisticalOutlier]

They were a nice couple. I'm not sure if it was refreshing or disappointing that they didn't bring the crazy like others we've seen on this show.

 

True, they didn't bring the crazy, but I agree with you that they may have brought the fake.  Since they didn't show a place for the woman to work from home, and they did for the guy, I'm thinking she is working in Denver, and this is just a weekend place.  Now, $50,000 for a weekend place isn't bad, even for a crummy one.  Especially in season, it's expensive to stay up there.  But $200/month HOA for water and trash?  That seems kind of high. 

 

I don't cook, really at all.  But even if you're making spaghetti with sauce from a jar, you need two burners.  I can't imagine getting by with just one burner in anything but a weekend place, and even that might be sketchy.

 

But really, the only thing annoying about this being a weekend place is that it's not the story that's presented.  I wish House Hunters would learn that.

[aguabella]

I'm sure the Florida couple was using that box as a model home to sell hurricane shelters. Though I can't recall any recent bad storms in the Cocoa area, so I don't get why they were so het up about hurricanes. The closest area to have a notable hurricane in the past three decades was Stuart, which is at least 150 miles south. In any event, flooding is a bigger danger than wind, and that thing did not appear to be elevated.

 

It's definitely a model home but I don't remember him using the hurricane angle when I checked out his marketing info.  You might suggest that to him on his biz' FB page. 

 

When he mentioned during the episode that they'd just move it to higher ground before a storm, I remember thinking, "Sure, b/c you'll have no trouble renting the necessary moving equipment and/or finding a moving co to help you out when a storm's approaching."  Well, everything for a price, right?

 

The producers certainly jumped on the hurricane angle.  They know we've all heard about FL's issues in recent years so it's a natural.  150 miles - no worries!

Edited March 16, 2016 by aguabella

[suebee12]

I live in Florida and I laughed when they said they would "just" move when a storm is coming. The question is, where to move! When Charley came through, it was supposed to come directly through Sarasota. When I left work, it was. By the time I got home 20 minutes later, it had turned and roared into Charlotte Harbor, across the middle of the state and into the Orlando area. Where did everyone from here run to before the storm? Orlando! You never know what a storm is going to do so making a choice where to go is a crapshoot! Also the road congestion to leave is a huge problem. I guess if you are stuck in traffic and the storm hits, you could run back and get into your storage container! What fun!

[Mu Shu]

Andrew was forecast for the Dade-Broward county line. I was told to leave by the Hollywood police, and ended up at my boyfriends Mothers house in Kendall. That didn't work so well. The house was sturdy and took little damage, but it was hell getting out of. The place looked like a bomb went off, and the street signs were gone. Took a week to get back home, which only saw category one winds.

I don't think Florida has had a major hurricane since Wilma in 2005. I vividly recall the exhaustion we all experienced from the 2004-2005 season. 2005 was so active we ran out of names and started using the Greek alphabet. Still didn't make me want to live in a tin can. No Ac during the Florida summer is tough. Living In a 100 Square foot tin can with no Ac and three other people is the fifth circle of hell.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Mu Shu

[SmithW6079]

I don't know why but I get irrationally angry at the people buying these tiny homes.  I get so nervous for them having absolutely no storage, having to sleep in a loft with the ceiling inches from your nose, having to shower in those tiny showers if there is one, or having to go outside to go to the bathroom.  

I get angry at them too, but it's not so much that I get nervous for them for the issues you mention, it's that they're stupid. They're poseurs grasping at the current fad of living "tiny" without any real concept of minimalism. When you say you still need X and Y and Z in your tiny house, you're not getting it.

 

I get the most frustrated when they're looking at mobile homes/trailers (although I think that's more Tiny House Nation than Tiny House Hunters [and technically, there should be a hyphen in between "Tiny" and "House" unless they mean actual little people looking at houses]). 

[DownTheShore]

If you need a tub, you're not ready for tiny living.

If you need a dishwasher, you're not ready for tiny living.

If you have more than one pet, you're not ready for tiny living.

If you need a king-size bed, you're not ready for tiny living.

If you think that most of your usual guests are going to want to use a composting toilet, you're not ready for tiny living.

If you think you're going to evade local zoning and building ordinances (or neighbors will ignore your squatting) , you're not ready for tiny living.

If you think that the nails used in your house aren't going to loosen up after a few hundred miles on the road, you're not ready for tiny living.

[biakbiak]

I actually think a dishwasher makes sense in a tiny house because there is such limited counterspace doing dishes would take up most of the space and it's a place to put dirtydishes when you are still cooking.

[CherryAmes]

We were in a tiny flat in London for a few months once upon a time and I agree about the dishwasher, I literally had no where to put the dishes after I washed them in the tiny sink.  It's no fun washing, drying and putting away each dish or utensils one at a time!

[Tony]

I finally caught an episode of this show and burst out laughing at the husband/wife touring a 2-room box of a "house" with no working washroom and just a covered latrine smack in the kitchen within arm's reach of the stove. Seriously?

[CherryAmes]

I could sympathize if the places were all that their budgets allowed but almost always that's not the case.  They either want to get on TV or else they're in love with the idea of a tiny house just because it's the latest craze.

[NYGirl]

Omg I just can't with these people. I'm so mad that I'm stuck now with the tiny morons to put me to sleep. They annoy me so much I can't doze off.

Tonight I was confused with the youth pastor with the vocal fry wife because they ended up spending $175000 for a horse farm but live in the tiny home. Huh?

Then we have the downsizing idiots with 2 dogs who want room for a king size bed and 2 bathrooms. Oh. And a working fireplace too. So they ended up not really downsizing with a 600 sf log cabin.

[auntieminem]

Ugh the family off 6 and their search for a tiny house.  I hope your kids put you in a nursing home when you are old.  Since you little consideration for their privacy they should have none for you.  Who the heck wants to live in an RV.? I can be kind of ok for the single people down sizing but the families no, just no. 

Edited March 22, 2016 by auntieminem

[biakbiak]

I lost count of how many times the Doula/Navy couple implied they had loud sex while looking for a tiny house with their four growing children.

[KLovestoShop]

I just don't get why people with a passel of kids want to live in a tiny house. And if they're constantly moving, unless they are home schooled, where do they enroll the kids? And even if they're home schooled, how do they find other kids to learn socialization? And I'm sorry, if you're loud sex screamers, a tiny house isn't what they should be buying. Finally, I really can't stand women like her who put the color streaks in their hair. It's just plain unattractive, IMHO.

[NYGirl]

The last one I watched was this one and halfway through I gave up and actually got out of bed to shut it off. I can't believe that idiot purple/blue hair discussing sex life on HOUSE HUNTERS !?

[Twiz44]

I haven't finished watching the "Mr. and Mrs. Loud Sex and their three children" episode but I again found myself yelling at the TV, "You all are effing crazy!"  Five people in a tiny house.  Geez!  When I saw the episode with the Florida couple with the kids in the shipping container I got curious and looked to see what was available in my neck of the woods.  Below is a link listing all the restrictions/requirements for the minimum house size in Pinellas county, Florida,  but the first paragraph is what caught my eye:

 

Required space in dwelling unit. Every dwelling unit shall contain at least 150 square feet of floor space for the first occupant thereof and at least 100 additional square feet of floor area per additional occupant. The floor area shall be calculated on the basis of the total area of all habitable rooms.

 

 

http://americantinyhouseassociation.org/minimum-house-size-in-pinellas-county-fl/

[Kohola3]

I just don't get why people with a passel of kids want to live in a tiny house.

 

I predict a glaring headline like: "Teen Girl Slays Entire Family After Being Forced to Live in Box with Parents and Three Younger Brothers".

 

What a crock - no teen age girl in her right mind would want to live in a  cubbyhole near the ceiling of a travel trailer.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Kohola3

[StatisticalOutlier]

What a crock - no teen age girl in her right mind would want to live in a cubbyhole near the ceiling of a travel trailer.

 

I loved the shot of her reading her phone in her cell, all hunched over with her head touching the ceiling.  And her brother in the top bunk "playing" while propped on one arm so he can lean at a 45-degree angle to fit in there.  The dad said one of the changes they made was making private bunks for the three boys.  The bottom "bunk" is a trundle bed! 

 

But I can't believe that FINALLY someone did the smart thing and bought a fifth-wheel trailer, but it's a FAMILY OF SIX.  I'm not sure I'll ever get over the look on the guy's face when his wife said turning on the air conditioner helps.  Ewww.

 

There's a subculture of families who live in RVs full time and actually do travel, and they home school.  But the people on this episode are following around military assignments, so they can be in regular school.

 

I thought it was odd that they said they're living in different places all over the Monterey peninsula, though.  I assume they're getting kicked out of everywhere because their kids get sick of playing board games and go marauding in the trailer park. 

 

Actually, California has some onerous laws when it comes to landlord-tenant situations, and it's not unheard of to have 30-day stay limits to keep the residents under some sort of threshold, after which they get tenant rights and become impossible to evict.  Packing up a trailer like that for travel is a bit of a PITA, and not something I'd want to do every 30 days if I were trying to live a normal life.  Especially if it's just to move across town.

 

Oh, and that $56,000 budget--that doesn't include the massive truck they have to have to move that thing.  That's one of the knocks on having a big fifth-wheel--your daily driver is a massive dually.  Which I noticed wasn't shown.

Edited March 22, 2016 by StatisticalOutlier

[Grneyedldy]

I predict a glaring headline like: "Teen Girl Slays Entire Family After Being Forced to Live in Box with Parents and Three Younger Brothers".

 

What a crock - no teen age girl in her right mind would want to live in a  cubbyhole near the ceiling of a travel trailer.

Right? You forgot to add....and banging her head on the ceiling while her parents have loud raucous sex. Yep, I don't foresee too many problems in the future for those kids.

[izabella]

I appreciate that the couple had practical concerns, like privacy.  I always wonder how any couples manage to even get into their teeny loft beds, much less manage to have sex in them, but yeah, four kids and you want to have sex in a tiny trailer?  Lol.

 

I'm convinced the families that buy these tiny homes are 1) HGTV-fiction and the real story is something entirely different, like it might be a vacation place rather than full time living, or 2) having significant financial issues and need to retrench.

I thought it was odd that they said they're living in different places all over the Monterey peninsula, though.  I assume they're getting kicked out of everywhere because their kids get sick of playing board games and go marauding in the trailer park.

 

Yeah, that comment about parking all over Monterey gave me some Grapes of Wrath Joad family vibes.

[auntjess]

The first one they looked at had an actual tiny room for the daughter, but they said the place was too big, and everyone would be off doing their own thing.

I do like the post that suggested the kids be sure and put the folks in a nursing home when the time time comes.
Hope they find a tiny one.

And I've said it before, but I so want to see someone from the little people shows on Tiny House Hunters.
 

[MaKaM]

Noisy-sex family was definitely a classic. I read it as her kink was letting people know about their sex life so she made sure to mention it at every moment. Wonder how much they had to bribe those kids to have them act all excited about living in that camper. Very strange especially if he is military (was he?) because they get a housing allowance but maybe they were taking that and putting it toward college funds so that is why they went tiny.

 

The other one they showed recently was a couple on the East coast. She thought that 200 sqft was good as long as it had room for her, the husband, the two dogs, the king sized bed, the full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and a place where she could go off by herself. In 200 sqft. They looked at the little trailer house and were shocked that it didn't have two bathrooms. The houseboat did have two bathrooms and wasn't too bad, but seriously, they had two dogs. Clearly they weren't going with that one. They picked the cabin in the woods (that was brand new and suspiciously for sale) that gave her a 3 hour daily commute and I figured he was thrilled with the location so he had some time away from her.

[auntjess]

 

Noisy-sex family was definitely a classic.

I think it's pretty funny that they'll be known as that from now on.

Bet all the friends and co-worker snicker and make cracks a lot.

[Matt K]

So I saw an older this week where it was a college grad who built one of these with her dad.  It was really the first one of these where the premise made sense.  She moved back home after college and this was a project for her and her dad as a place of her own on their land and then maybe later she could move it elsewhere.  I actually loved the "spiral stairs" she came up with, I kind of wish I had a place to put them in my own house. 

 

For a single person these could be okay (assuming there's a bathroom of some sort) but I always wonder where they're getting the power/water/sewer hook up from, especially if they're rolling these out to some random piece of land.