270 Square Foot Tiny Home Designed After a 1920’s Bungalow

Admin1 Tiny House May 15, 2017

Look at the interior of this thing! Actually, it looks so spacious its hard to believe its a tiny home. We received this from Tim Davidson himself, who is a member of our Cools Stuff page, and here we are sharing it with you guys!

Meet Tiffany! She was recently purchased by Tim & Sam from Adam at A New Beginning Tiny Homes!

Tiffany is a custom Tiny home that is 270 square feet and is designed after a 1920’s bungalow style home. Tiffany is 25 feet long and 13’6’’ tall making, her legal to tow and place wherever they would like. Her light blue from the exterior is splashed on the inside of her craftsman style layout.

Tiffany is NOAH certified which means that she has been inspected at five critical building processes and meets international builder codes throughout her build time. She is equipped with a 10.3 cubic square foot fridge and a 20’’ propane stove, and a large white farmer style sink. The lighting is all LED product that help accent the colorful stained glass wall sconces to match the custom stained glass windows throughout the home; the lighting also helps save on energy costs.

As for the living room, the custom bench has two matching foot stools that make it easy to cuddle up for a good Netflix binge. Those same foot stools are the seats for the folding leaf kitchen table that is the same butcher block used throughout Tiffany. Laundry is a simple task with the single-unit combination washer/dryer. The bathroom’s hidden pocket-door features stained glass to match the rest of Tiffany’s accents. In the bathroom, you will find a custom removeable bathtub and rain-fall style shower head, wrapped in tumbled subway marble tile, and a compost toilet.

There are two sleeping areas in Tiffany. The first is a twin sized lofted bed above the kitchen that can also be used as storage. The second is the master loft, which holds a queen-sized bed in front of a custom headboard that has built-in cabinets for extra storage, and usb plugs for charging smart phones. Tiffany is smart as well! She has a Lutron Caseta system incorporated throughout the home. This gives Tim and Sam the ability to control Amazon Alexa, dim the lighting or put it on a timer, adjust the AC, access to the Nest smoke detector, as well as the Nest cameras. This can all be done from their phones,e anywhere in the world with internet connection.

Sam and Tim and just moved into Tiffany and left their cluttered homes behind, sold a large portion of their possessions and are going Tiny. They will be documenting the entire process of living tiny with a minimalistic mindset at their newly launched website. You can also follow them on their Facebook. or their Instagram.

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4 of the Best Places to Live on a Houseboat

Kimberly Smith Houseboats April 25, 2017

Houseboat living has become more popular than ever. People from all walks of life are choosing to sell everything, quit their careers and live a more free style type of life. The houseboat living idea is a romantic fantasy, but there are challenges you must overcome. Heating is one of those challenges depending upon where you choose to live. Food can also be a challenge. Where do you dock? Where is the nearest grocery store and home store? What if you begin to have mechanical problems? Just how much do you know about fixing a boat? And most importantly, are you in a location where these necessities are close by and available.

Here are a few of the best places to live on a houseboat where you can locate all of your needs more easily:

1.Stoney Lake – Ontario, Canada

Stoney Lake is located in Peterborough County, just a couple hours from Toronto. If you are a nature lover and you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Stoney Lake is the place for you. Their houseboat community is thriving and you will be surrounded by houseboat veterans who can help you out when needed. And yes, the most important part, is the glorious scenery you will be privy to daily.

2. Lake Austin – Austin, Texas

Besides a thriving music and arts community, Austin Texas has Lake Austin, which is a great community of houseboats; families living on the water. There is quite the variety here of those who live on the water. Some houseboats are docked while other homes are moored into the water. The main difference is, instead of a lawn to tend to, you are surrounded by the beautiful aquatic scenery of Lake Austin.

3. Scarborough Bluffs – Ontario, Canada

Scarborough Bluffs houseboat community is located in a breathtakingly beautiful area of Ontario. The floating neighborhoods are a hidden jewel of the Toronto area. This community thrives just as one that is on the land, combined with the beautiful scenery every day. This floating community has access to electricity, air-conditioning, and WiFi, all of life’s modern conveniences.

4. The Great Lakes, Michigan

Michigan is one of America’s most beautiful states, and one of our pics for places for houseboat living. They call them snowbirds, people that live in certain areas of the country during certain seasons. The snowbirds in the Michigan area run to the Lake Huron vicinity for beautiful scenery and the summertime floating homes. Most houseboats in this area are modern and come complete with all the luxuries of living on land. Some live here year-round, while others use this area as a summertime paradise.

Photo: treehugger Source: Escape Here

For a gallery of houseboat designs and more info, click here.

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Three Ways to Heat Your Tiny House

Kimberly Smith Tiny House April 25, 2017

Tiny house living has become all the rage these days and for many good reasons. It helps people to live in a more minimalist style and it forces you to get rid of things you don’t need. You also stop buying things you don’t need because you don’t really have the room for clutter. However if built correctly, you don’t have to miss out on any of the modern conveniences.

One great question a lot of people have is, what is the best way to heat a tiny home? There are several ways to make sure that your winters are cozy and warm, but here are three of the best ways to heat your tiny house when winter comes around.

1. A Wood Burning Stove

Wood is one way to heat a tiny home that is actually pretty economical. You just need to be sure to have enough wood stored up for the winter. because you don’t want to run out during an unexpected storm. There are various styles of wood burning stoves to suit your home’s style but they all work pretty much the same way. You use kindling, small pieces of wood and paper to start the fire or some have an electric starter, and then start loading in the bigger logs.

2. Electric Heaters

Electric heaters used to be quite expensive to run, but now they make heaters that will save you money in the long run. You simply set the temperature to whatever is comfortable for your family and the heater will turn off until the room drops below that pre-set temperature.

3. A Toe Kick Heater

A Toe Kick heater is designed to fit into spaces where other heaters would not, often made in a small rectangular shape. Wherever a small appliance would fit, under a cabinet, in a corner on the counter, or the Toe Kicker can be recessed into the walls and floorboards. You may need more than one to heat the complete home, but two or three should do the job well.

photo: The Tiny House Blog. Source: Three Ways to Heat a Tiny House

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What Does it Cost to Live On a Houseboat Year-Round

Kimberly Smith Houseboats April 25, 2017

The idea of living on a houseboat year-round sounds like being on a permanent vacation, but if you’ve never done it, there will be things that will come up that can be quite costly. But is it necessarily expensive to live year-round on a houseboat. Let’s explore what it takes to live this dream and approximately how much it costs.

You must take into consideration whether or not you want to remain docked in one place or if you are the type that will want to move regularly and take your home with you. This decision will determine some of your costs; docking fees, being one of them. Your upfront costs are determined by your decision to pay full price for your houseboat or apply for a monthly mortgage. There are ups and downs to both choices; with the first you need a lot of cash in the beginning of building your dream,  and for the latter, you will need to make sure that you can make enough money each month to cover mortgage and other expenses.

Research shows that you can buy a pre-owned Catalina, 40 ft. houseboat for about $150,000 depending upon the condition of the houseboat. A mortgage depending upon credit ratings, would be anywhere from $800-$1000 a month. Most people who make this decision are freelancers, consultants, sales people, artists, those who cannot guarantee exactly what their monthly income could be, so you must be comfortable with the amount of your monthly income. Also, other expenses, repairs, food, heat, all must be taken into consideration.

Marina fees can cost up to $1000 and more, plus the “live on board” fees, which can cost up to $250 or more each month. Overall, you are looking at a cost of $2500-$3000 per month to live year-round on a houseboat. For some who come from big cities where it costs easily $3000-$4000 a month with rent, utilities, and other expenses to live, this may be a bargain, so boat life is worth it for those who are used to those prices. For those already living in rural or in country areas, this may be an expensive choice. But it doesn’t mean that the choice cannot be made. For many, the serene atmosphere and beautiful scenery, are worth the extra costs.

Photo: damngeeky via Pinterest. Source: What it Costs to Live on a Houseboat Year-Round. And a few more for ideas:

For another gallery of houseboat designs and more info, click here.

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Metal Building Full Home with Epic Pool and a Stable Went Up for Sale

Admin1 Metal Buildings April 13, 2017

So we’ve featured a few metal building homes, but recently one of them popped up on our radar when it was shared and then commented on by Jared Groce, who’s the agent selling this house. Yes, it came up for sale, and there are new photos of it.

It’s sitting on 12 acres out in Texas, according to Groce and Messy Oak Properties. And funny enough, they refer to all the sites including ours that have talked about the property:

“This is truly a one of a kind property, that is well known on the internet. In fact, do a search for the term “Metal building full home with epic pool and a stable” and see for yourself just how popular this property is!”

And here’s a bit more from the seller:

“Have you ever wanted a home that was so unique and so spectacular that it was featured on ads, commercials, and TV shows? Here is your chance! This metal home with attached barn, work shop and garage is so low maintenance, and so well insulated, that you will be able to spend your time enjoying your property instead of maintaining it.

“This 3 bedroom 3 bath custom metal home, sometimes referred to as a barndomenium, sits on 12 acres with a custom pool and a second home, near Tom Bean in Grayson County, TX.

“The home is featured by Mueller Metal on their ads and commercials, and Bob Phillips with Texas Country Reporter have filmed here. It is registered with the Texas Film Commission as a remote film location.”

There’s more information on their website for those interested in buying this house (the asking price is $699,000), or you can call listing agent Jared Groce at (940) 390-0081 for a showing or for further information.

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How about this tiny “lean-to” shed as a tiny house, or guest house?

Lovella Bargas Sheds April 6, 2017

These little sheds, which, when we look at them, we’re also considering using them as cabins, backyard cottages, guest houses, and even perhaps tiny homes, is called the “Lean To” and it’s by Social Sheds, who we’ve featured here a couple times before, because they have a range of small sheds in various types.

From the builder about this particular design:

“Lean-To sheds have the versatility to fit into tight spaces while remaining a great looking shed in its own right! The single direction sloped roof lends itself to narrow spaces such as your side yard while shedding water away from the house. The height and roof slope can be easily altered, as needed, to fit below eaves of your home or even mobile home awnings.”

Check out the gallery of photos below (all images on our site are expandable, even the featured image at the top).

Find more from Quality Sheds and Garages, and other unusual dwellling builders we’ve indexed in our Home Designers and Builders Directory. You can search the company’s name and look builders near your area. And to see more unusual dwellings,click here.

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Create a Garden that Can Move with You

Kimberly Smith Home and Garden March 30, 2017

A mobile garden is something that sounds like an impossible task, and one that would be painstaking, but if you plant your garden in a way that it can be mobile, it won’t cost you too much trouble to take it with you. This is perfect for renters and those who live lives of traveling.

Here is a way you can plant a garden that is mobile:

Of course, the largest garden wouldn’t be a good idea, but you can create a smaller mobile garden that can follow you wherever you choose to live.

Plants in Pots

The easiest way to create a traveling garden is to plant in pots. You need to make sure that these plants are the right kinds that are able to thrive in pots. Yucca and Bergenia, Japanese Pieris and Arborvitae,which has great health benefits. There are many more plants that thrive all year in pots. A florist or nursery will be able to assist you with finding plants that will suit your needs.

Planting in the ground

If you’d rather plant in the ground but still looking to create a mobile garden, you can plant your pot and plant and put it into a raised bed. A raised bed is lifted slightly above ground and surrounded by stone or wood. You see this type of planting on office parking lots because they need to be mobile in case the business moves and want to take the plants with them to the new location. You can do the same moving from home to home.

Plants that Thrive  in Water

The English Ivy and the Philodendron, and Chinese Evergreen are just three common water plants. Certainly if a plant can thrive in water, you can simply move them easily to a new home or new outdoor location. Again, be sure you consult your florist or nursery sales person about which plant will thrive year-round in water. Some water plants, like other plants have seasons in which they may need to be potted or re-potted.

Garden art is becoming truly popular and no matter what kind of mobile garden you choose, you can decorate the area with garden sculptures and all sorts of other garden art, and of course those items are simple to move.

Photo: Inspirations Deco

Source: Plant a Garden that Can Move with You

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6 Hacks on Making Room for a New Baby in a Tiny House

Kimberly Smith Tiny House March 30, 2017

Since tiny house living is all the rage now, many people considering downsizing have a few questions to ask. One main consideration is, “what will we do if we have a baby and we didn’t plan for it?” It’s pretty serious when your living in a tiny house, and all of a sudden you find out that you have another family member on the way. Most tiny homes are meticulously designed for the couple or family, as they are, in the present moment. But we can’t always dictate what the future may bring.

1. Create Hidden Storage

Find places under your bed, under the sofa, under the kitchen sink, in an empty kitchen cabinet, to place baby items, toys, and clothing.

2. Instead of Having a TV Stand, Replace it with a Full Dresser

Why?, The best thing about a tiny house is that it makes you creative and a TV stand has one purpose, to hold the TV. A dresser, on the other hand, can hold a TV, books, CDs and plenty of baby items; from the pacifier and toys to the baby’s wardrobe, shoes and all.  A bassinet can even fit on top.

3. Have a Fold-down Changing Table or Crib Installed

Usually there is space, a wall that may not be being used in a tiny home. Get an experienced carpenter to design and make a fold-down table or even a fold-down crib where you can pull the sides and lock them for safety. Simply tell the carpenter/designer what your needs are.

4. Cribs

You can always start off with a mini-crib. There are many on the market today. You simply move it into a corner when it’s not in use. You can also get a combination crib and dressing table built on the side. This way, you have one piece of furniture doing two jobs.

5. Turn a Walk-in Closet into a Nursery

Have a small walk in closet?, move your clothing, coats, shoes into a dresser and place a mini-crib into that space. You can remove any doors to the closet or simply leave them open at all times. Paint it a nice pastel color so that the area does stand out, and another plus is that you won’t need to walk very far to see if your baby is okay.

6. Think in a Vertical Way

Instead of tables, and a bunch of new items that have to sit on the floor. Keep your floor space clear. Hang baby clothes on the wall, buy those vertical hanging baskets where fruit and veggies usually go and fill them with baby items, toys, diapers, etc. Place an extra rod in a closet with only one rod, and now you’ve created a whole new area for hanging clothing.

photo: Modern Karibou

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Building homes out of discarded materials is what Earthship is doing all over the world

Admin1 Unusual Dwellings March 20, 2017

Earthship Biotecture Tennessee is launching a Kickstarter, and they sent us this update on what they’re up to! so we’re sharing it with you guys …

Earthships use discarded materials like used tires and plastic bottles, solar/wind electricity, rainwater catchment and filtration, passive solar/thermal mass design, and contained natural sewage treatment to achieve a home that is entirely independent and free from monthly bills.
Earthships address every aspect of comfort and sustainability in one ingenious design that reflects over 40 years of work by architect Michael Reynolds and his crew.

After attending the Earthship Academy in Taos, NM, Marcus Sisk has been working on a Simple Survival Model Earthship in Gallatin, TN, about 40 minutes outside of Nashville. It is the first of its kind in Middle Tennessee.

Once complete, it will serve as a destination for architects, engineers, state officials, and the general public to observe and learn valuable concepts & techniques.

With rapid development happening in the Nashville area, we need to incorporate ways of providing new housing that are affordable and environmentally sustainable. In our changing climate, acting fast is crucial. We cannot wait for government or corporations to address these issues.

After years of personally investing in Earthship TN’s financing and labor, Marcus Sisk is launching a Kickstarter campaign to finish the project. The $15,000 goal will provide for materials and labor, and prizes include an overnight stay for two, education workshops, consultations and more!

For more info, visit the Kickstarter campaign, Biotecture of TN website, Facebook or Instagram @supreme.green. To learn more about Earthship Biotecture’s Headquarters in Taos, NM, visit Earthship’s website.

Earthships can be built for anywhere from $15,000 to $1,500,000 or more and can range from 100sq ft to 10,000sq ft or more! They provide all of the amenities of a modern home but with out the monthly expenses of conventional utilities.

Here’s a link to their Kickstarter campaign. We’ve also added them to our builders and designers directory.

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5 Reasons Why Life is Better on a Houseboat

Kimberly Smith Uncategorized March 20, 2017

Many people are seeking a new way of living. The traditional home on a specific plot of land, just isn’t doing the job of satisfying many homeowners. This is one reason why houseboat living has become popular these days. There was a time when houseboat living was a far-off dream in Europe or somewhere exotic. Now, people are living in houseboats all over the U.S. and Canada, and those who are transitioning to houseboat living are from every walk of life. From retired professors to freelance artists and writers, many people are yearning for the freedom of living on a boat,

There are many ways to live on a houseboat. Some dwellers choose to be docked at all times and pay for docking fees, and others enjoy the choice of riding up and down the nearest river and docking whenever they choose. Many areas, have certain docking spaces for those who like to take a ride once in a while. Docking rules vary from place to place. Sometimes you can dock for 24 hours, other docking spaces allow you to dock for months at a time.

1. The Incredible Views

It’s not difficult to find incredible views. All you need to do is look around you. Most rivers and lakes are surrounded by the purest of nature. Living on a houseboat, you get to see that beauty all the time.

2. You Get to be the Captain

This may not be a thrill for everyone, but it is a huge thrill for some. You get to be the captain of your own boat and your own life. Of course, you need to do your studies before embarking on this kind of life move, but once you learn the ropes, donning that captain’s hat can be quite a surreal trip.

3.  You Can Always Move

Living on a houseboat makes it easier to change environments if you don’t like the one you’re in. You can change neighbors much easier by just riding a couple miles down the river to the next docking station. You don’t feel so stuck and restricted as you do when you own a home or sign a lease.

4. No Yard Work

Some people like yard work and gardening, most people do not. You won’t have that worry living on a houseboat. If you love plants, you can still own house plants depending upon the climate and where you place them, but that is really no different than living in a house. What you won’t need to do, is mow the lawn.

5. Life is Always Changing and Exciting

Life is never dull on a houseboat. When you take a small cruise, you get a great change of scenery, and as the climate changes you get a front row seat. You can be on the move for months, stopping here and there for your food and house needs, and meeting new people. And if you remain docked most of the time, the neighbors around you will change much more often than if you were living in a house in the city.

Source: Here are 5 great reasons why photo credit: 14 Reasons Why Life is Better on a Houseboat

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