6 ms·

Do-It-Yourself Downsizing: How To Build A Tiny House

65 points by stretchwithme 16y ago

stcredzero 16y ago
Not quite as small, but cozier and more conventional. Shelter Kit: http://www.shelter-kit.com/ http://www.shelter-kit.com/ 415 sq ft Lofthouses start at $17k
enjo 16y ago
I live in a 1,000 square foot house. It's the right size for my wife and I. We'd fit just fine with a kid as well... Having lived in smaller apartments (down to 500 square feet) I just don't see me doing it ever again:)
- psadauskas 16y ago
  My fiance and I recently downsized to a 1000 sqft condo. Living small is surprisingly expensive, though. Its crowded in the condo, because all the stuff we have as hand-me-downs, like the TV and sofa, is meant for a much larger space. It costs a lot of money to get new stuff that fits in the space better.
  - kksm19820117 16y ago
    Wow. I am in India and real estate prices are obscene.I am doing reasonably well but am going to struggle to afford a 850 sq ft apartment. I was looking at a 1000 sq ft spot as something of a 'giant space'. :)
  - rue 16y ago
    With respect, 1000 sq.ft. (about 92m2 for those of us using sane units) for two is not "downsizing". You are suffering from space blindness. About 75m2 (800ish sq.ft.) is comfortable for a family of three, and you can certainly get by with much less.
    - roel_v 16y ago
      Where do you live? In Belgium 90m2 apartments are considered small, even for a couple with no kids. 120 m2 is standard for newly build ones, I'm building a few between 125 and 170 although these are luxury apartments. My sister bought a 170m2 one smack dead in the center of a big city (Antwerp), as urban as it gets in Belgium. Where I live now in the Netherlands the standards are lower though, especially in Amsterdam.
      - rue 16y ago
        The topic was "downsizing" :) My somewhat educated guess is that recent and current construction have been a bit smaller than Belgium. The law says new apartment buildings, for example, have to have an average apartment size of 75m2 but I would say that in the city here 100-120m2 is pretty standard for a family of four. Mind, even 120m2 (~1300 sq.ft.) is quite small by U.S. "middle class" standards.
        roel_v 16y ago
        Well yeah, unless I'm misunderstanding, you were saying that 92m2 is not downsizing (at least not downsizing enough). So I said that 92m2 is at the bottom of 'normal' size apartments. I guess you can argue that 92m2 to be below average means that the average is too high, but it would seem that everyone else thinks that it's normal.
        rue 16y ago
        Yes. 90m2 is huge considering actual needs of two people. Half that is still comfortable. A third is livable. It may be a big shift down from what someone had before, and may even seem normal-sized by current standards but that is only because of disproportionate expectations. It can only be seen as true "downsizing" when your scale is way too big to begin with. Consider how the Mini is a "small" car - while being about twice the size of the original mini. Mind, it is still a good move.
        16y ago
- dagw 16y ago
  My girlfriend, daughter and I are quite comfortable in 700 square feet. More would obviously be nice, but neither one of us are willing to move to the parts of town necessary to make that affordable. When I was on my own I lived in a 450 sq ft apartment which I considered plenty big enough for me, and where I (god forbid) ever to find myself alone again I'd probably move back to a 400-500 sq foot apartment. Again bigger would be nice, but not nice enough to sacrifice either location or the extra money.
- pasbesoin 16y ago
  I've thought that a component that might contribute to greater comfort in a small, shared home is soundproofing. I seek myself and I think other people seek a certain amount of separation -- I mean the ability to be by yourself, at times. For a bit in additional materials and/or better construction, the ability to go into a room, shut the door, and be unaware of what others in the house are doing, would be quite valuable.
Pyrodogg 16y ago
As habitual pack rat I'm fascinated by these tiny houses. I think it would be great to simply live in a smaller space. Then there isn't any room for clutter to accumulate.
- aarongough 16y ago
  It would probably be a better solution to change your habits... I used to be a bit of a hoarder, then I set myself a rule: "If I haven't used something in 6 months, it needs to be thrown out or given away." My apartment is pretty minimalist now...
mikecane 16y ago
Has anyone here done this or is doing this? Back in 2008 when I first encountered this, I was aghast at how you'd first have to do some heavy research as to where you'd locate because the rules were so different, especially regarding what's considered "real estate" for tax purposes.
- bittersweet 16y ago
  Is it still possible to find a nice piece of land in the US and just build your home there? I'm from the Netherlands and there is no way in hell you can buy a piece of land away from everything.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
    Yes, there is lots of land available. The problem (I think) the OP was referring to is that most areas have building codes that regulate what kind of structure you can build. Go far enough outside the cities and there are still many places in the US that don't have building codes, though. So you can go and build your very own neon green & pink hobbit hole with a tree for a doorway and no one can say anything :-)
  - sammyo 16y ago
    There are huge areas away from the main coastal population centers, this is a really big continent. But you might have to live without easy connection to the grid, drill your own well, handle you own electricity generation, deal with some long distance wifi connectivity. But there are folks with their nearest neighbor several km away.
  - starkfist 16y ago
    Where I grew up I would say building your own home is almost as popular as buying one. But I wouldn't say the land is "nice." You can even do this in places close to Silicon Valley, such as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Although, there can be a lot of restrictions on the land use due to environmental and other zoning regulations.
    - 16y ago
pwim 16y ago
I'm living in a 170 square foot apartment in Tokyo. This is on the small side, but not so unusual for an apartment close to the city center. In addition to the savings in rent, I also save money by not collecting possessions. The space isn't such an issue, because I fully utilize it. Having a bigger place would be nice for having people over and what not, but the majority of the time I wouldn't use the space.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  that's very cool. Does it have any cool space saving features you can show us?
  - pwim 16y ago
    I don't have any furniture. I sit on the floor, and sleep on a Futon (Japanese-style http://www.yumetai.co.jp/img/goods/L/24623s1.jpg http://www.yumetai.co.jp/img/goods/L/24623s1.jpg), which I can fold up and put away during the day. Besides that, I just try and not collect possessions. If I don't use something, I give or throw it away. I avoid buying stuff that will take up space unless I regularly use it.
- ciupicri 16y ago
  Out of curiosity, do you have a bathtub or just a shower?
  - pwim 16y ago
    It's Japan - so having a bath is an important feature, which I do. In fact, I think it would be pretty rare to find a place with just a shower. It's kind of a bath shower/combo, as is typical of Japanese homes and looks something like this: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/27/30/the-japanese-hot-bath.jpg http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/27/30/t... In here, the bath is covered as Japanese usually share the same bath water amongst the family (you wash in the shower before getting in - it's more about relaxation than cleaning). That being said, I never use my bath.
mhd 16y ago
I always thought those houses quite fascinating. This, plus some storage space would allow you to go not-quite-Walden. OTOH, minimalism isn't exactly about square-footage. A slightly bigger house, with a bit more "whitespace" would probably be more comfortabl -- imagine a small traditional Japanese house, or one of those buildings based on upcycled shipping containers... Also, for ecological reasons, this would still be a waste of space, as you're only using two dimensions and probably need some space around the building. A typical apartment building would be better. This is quite good if you've got a lot more land, but only a little space to build upon (forest, hills, etc.). If I remember correctly, even the founder of the company selling those houses only partially lives in one of them. He's got a bigger, traditional house next to it.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  yeah, I think the website says he has several small houses on his property. I guess all his guests get their "own room" :-) One thing I like about it is how easy it is to completely clean the house from top to bottom. But no place washer and dryer. I think it would be cool to have one as a retreat.
- frossie 16y ago
  Regarding "whitespace" - I personally find head room to be a lot more psychologically meaningful that square footage (in other words, I'd rather live in a 1,000 sf house with 9ft ceilings than a 2,000 sf house with 7 foot ceilings, although the analogy breaks down eventually). And the advantage of head room is that you can't fill it with junk :-) I wonder whether "digital packratting" (collecting e-books, scanning everything to Evernote, collecting gaming "trophies") can replace the hoarding need that is so important to many people, but without the downside of being burried in clutter.
  - mhd 16y ago
    Well, at least it's harder to fill ceiling with junk. Tall shelves and loft beds certainly help... I do agree with you, I'm really looking for something with larger ceilings once I have to get my own apartment again. Even if it's just in the middle of the room (i.e. under the roof). But there has to be some degree of horizontal space, too for that to work. 6x6x10 would be a bit weird. I think clutter is some kind of vicious circle. Once you start, it's hard to stop. And starting is pretty easy if you're not really vigilant -- things like long work hours, kids and long commutes quickly start your hoard. And if your life doesn't work out the way it does, you're prone to nostalgia and memorabilia. Smaller accommodations make it harder to start that. But there's small, and there's tiny...
starkfist 16y ago
This would be fun as a weekend house up in Vermont, but I have no idea where I could put it.
Jake541 16y ago
@twobraids on Twitter lives in a minimalist self-built yurt. It's been a while and I am on an iPad, but he has a website detailing the build. I did research on these tiny houses a couple years back and they have a nice variety of builds. Some of the ones with sleeping lofts were very interesting.
- HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
  I would love to build a yurt at the foot of the hill I live on. I've been thinking that since my kid wants a tree house and the location I want is near some downed trees, we can "compromise" and he can help me build a house out of trees :-)
starkfist 16y ago
I've lived in multiple < 200 square foot apartments in Japan and a 300 sq foot apartment in SF. I think these tiny homes would be a fun getaway. That said, something about a tiny detached house like this gives me the creeps, whereas a tiny apartment does not.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  Maybe because it reminds you too much of an outhouse or a toolshed? :-)
  - whyenot 16y ago
    or Ted Kaczynski?
ck2 16y ago
Instead of $15-$20k, just spend $8k on a singlewide trailer and redo the interior to your desire.
RiderOfGiraffes 16y ago
Why does this turn up so often here on HN? It's cute, and interesting, and perhaps a fun hack to try to do, but I've seen it several times now. Here's one earlier version found in 30 seconds with http://searchyc.com http://searchyc.com : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=921959 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=921959 ... and here are some related links: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=659799 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=659799 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=651810 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=651810 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1298314 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1298314 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1377012 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1377012
- dabent 16y ago
  To me, the most interesting "hack" here is how the Tumbleweed house company has hacked its way onto Oprah, NPR and the top result for "tiny house" on Google. I wish my startup could do that. They've done a remarkable job with PR and are effectively the Apple Computer of trailer homes.
- ekanes 16y ago
  I'm guessing that people post it as a physical hack. Hack in the sense that they're doing more with less than "should" be possible. Add that it's mildly counter-culture and environmentally friendly, and people vote it up.

65 points by stretchwithme 16y ago

Not quite as small, but cozier and more conventional. Shelter Kit: http://www.shelter-kit.com/ http://www.shelter-kit.com/ 415 sq ft Lofthouses start at $17k

enjo 16y ago

I live in a 1,000 square foot house. It's the right size for my wife and I. We'd fit just fine with a kid as well... Having lived in smaller apartments (down to 500 square feet) I just don't see me doing it ever again:)

psadauskas 16y ago
My fiance and I recently downsized to a 1000 sqft condo. Living small is surprisingly expensive, though. Its crowded in the condo, because all the stuff we have as hand-me-downs, like the TV and sofa, is meant for a much larger space. It costs a lot of money to get new stuff that fits in the space better.
- kksm19820117 16y ago
  Wow. I am in India and real estate prices are obscene.I am doing reasonably well but am going to struggle to afford a 850 sq ft apartment. I was looking at a 1000 sq ft spot as something of a 'giant space'. :)
- rue 16y ago
  With respect, 1000 sq.ft. (about 92m2 for those of us using sane units) for two is not "downsizing". You are suffering from space blindness. About 75m2 (800ish sq.ft.) is comfortable for a family of three, and you can certainly get by with much less.
  - roel_v 16y ago
    Where do you live? In Belgium 90m2 apartments are considered small, even for a couple with no kids. 120 m2 is standard for newly build ones, I'm building a few between 125 and 170 although these are luxury apartments. My sister bought a 170m2 one smack dead in the center of a big city (Antwerp), as urban as it gets in Belgium. Where I live now in the Netherlands the standards are lower though, especially in Amsterdam.
    - rue 16y ago
      The topic was "downsizing" :) My somewhat educated guess is that recent and current construction have been a bit smaller than Belgium. The law says new apartment buildings, for example, have to have an average apartment size of 75m2 but I would say that in the city here 100-120m2 is pretty standard for a family of four. Mind, even 120m2 (~1300 sq.ft.) is quite small by U.S. "middle class" standards.
      - roel_v 16y ago
        Well yeah, unless I'm misunderstanding, you were saying that 92m2 is not downsizing (at least not downsizing enough). So I said that 92m2 is at the bottom of 'normal' size apartments. I guess you can argue that 92m2 to be below average means that the average is too high, but it would seem that everyone else thinks that it's normal.
        rue 16y ago
        Yes. 90m2 is huge considering actual needs of two people. Half that is still comfortable. A third is livable. It may be a big shift down from what someone had before, and may even seem normal-sized by current standards but that is only because of disproportionate expectations. It can only be seen as true "downsizing" when your scale is way too big to begin with. Consider how the Mini is a "small" car - while being about twice the size of the original mini. Mind, it is still a good move.
        16y ago
dagw 16y ago
My girlfriend, daughter and I are quite comfortable in 700 square feet. More would obviously be nice, but neither one of us are willing to move to the parts of town necessary to make that affordable. When I was on my own I lived in a 450 sq ft apartment which I considered plenty big enough for me, and where I (god forbid) ever to find myself alone again I'd probably move back to a 400-500 sq foot apartment. Again bigger would be nice, but not nice enough to sacrifice either location or the extra money.
pasbesoin 16y ago
I've thought that a component that might contribute to greater comfort in a small, shared home is soundproofing. I seek myself and I think other people seek a certain amount of separation -- I mean the ability to be by yourself, at times. For a bit in additional materials and/or better construction, the ability to go into a room, shut the door, and be unaware of what others in the house are doing, would be quite valuable.

Pyrodogg 16y ago

As habitual pack rat I'm fascinated by these tiny houses. I think it would be great to simply live in a smaller space. Then there isn't any room for clutter to accumulate.

aarongough 16y ago
It would probably be a better solution to change your habits... I used to be a bit of a hoarder, then I set myself a rule: "If I haven't used something in 6 months, it needs to be thrown out or given away." My apartment is pretty minimalist now...

mikecane 16y ago

Has anyone here done this or is doing this? Back in 2008 when I first encountered this, I was aghast at how you'd first have to do some heavy research as to where you'd locate because the rules were so different, especially regarding what's considered "real estate" for tax purposes.

bittersweet 16y ago
Is it still possible to find a nice piece of land in the US and just build your home there? I'm from the Netherlands and there is no way in hell you can buy a piece of land away from everything.
- HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
  Yes, there is lots of land available. The problem (I think) the OP was referring to is that most areas have building codes that regulate what kind of structure you can build. Go far enough outside the cities and there are still many places in the US that don't have building codes, though. So you can go and build your very own neon green & pink hobbit hole with a tree for a doorway and no one can say anything :-)
- sammyo 16y ago
  There are huge areas away from the main coastal population centers, this is a really big continent. But you might have to live without easy connection to the grid, drill your own well, handle you own electricity generation, deal with some long distance wifi connectivity. But there are folks with their nearest neighbor several km away.
- starkfist 16y ago
  Where I grew up I would say building your own home is almost as popular as buying one. But I wouldn't say the land is "nice." You can even do this in places close to Silicon Valley, such as the Santa Cruz Mountains. Although, there can be a lot of restrictions on the land use due to environmental and other zoning regulations.
  - 16y ago

pwim 16y ago

I'm living in a 170 square foot apartment in Tokyo. This is on the small side, but not so unusual for an apartment close to the city center. In addition to the savings in rent, I also save money by not collecting possessions. The space isn't such an issue, because I fully utilize it. Having a bigger place would be nice for having people over and what not, but the majority of the time I wouldn't use the space.

stretchwithme 16y ago
that's very cool. Does it have any cool space saving features you can show us?
- pwim 16y ago
  I don't have any furniture. I sit on the floor, and sleep on a Futon (Japanese-style http://www.yumetai.co.jp/img/goods/L/24623s1.jpg http://www.yumetai.co.jp/img/goods/L/24623s1.jpg), which I can fold up and put away during the day. Besides that, I just try and not collect possessions. If I don't use something, I give or throw it away. I avoid buying stuff that will take up space unless I regularly use it.
ciupicri 16y ago
Out of curiosity, do you have a bathtub or just a shower?
- pwim 16y ago
  It's Japan - so having a bath is an important feature, which I do. In fact, I think it would be pretty rare to find a place with just a shower. It's kind of a bath shower/combo, as is typical of Japanese homes and looks something like this: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/27/30/the-japanese-hot-bath.jpg http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/16/27/30/t... In here, the bath is covered as Japanese usually share the same bath water amongst the family (you wash in the shower before getting in - it's more about relaxation than cleaning). That being said, I never use my bath.

mhd 16y ago

I always thought those houses quite fascinating. This, plus some storage space would allow you to go not-quite-Walden. OTOH, minimalism isn't exactly about square-footage. A slightly bigger house, with a bit more "whitespace" would probably be more comfortabl -- imagine a small traditional Japanese house, or one of those buildings based on upcycled shipping containers... Also, for ecological reasons, this would still be a waste of space, as you're only using two dimensions and probably need some space around the building. A typical apartment building would be better. This is quite good if you've got a lot more land, but only a little space to build upon (forest, hills, etc.). If I remember correctly, even the founder of the company selling those houses only partially lives in one of them. He's got a bigger, traditional house next to it.

stretchwithme 16y ago
yeah, I think the website says he has several small houses on his property. I guess all his guests get their "own room" :-) One thing I like about it is how easy it is to completely clean the house from top to bottom. But no place washer and dryer. I think it would be cool to have one as a retreat.
frossie 16y ago
Regarding "whitespace" - I personally find head room to be a lot more psychologically meaningful that square footage (in other words, I'd rather live in a 1,000 sf house with 9ft ceilings than a 2,000 sf house with 7 foot ceilings, although the analogy breaks down eventually). And the advantage of head room is that you can't fill it with junk :-) I wonder whether "digital packratting" (collecting e-books, scanning everything to Evernote, collecting gaming "trophies") can replace the hoarding need that is so important to many people, but without the downside of being burried in clutter.
- mhd 16y ago
  Well, at least it's harder to fill ceiling with junk. Tall shelves and loft beds certainly help... I do agree with you, I'm really looking for something with larger ceilings once I have to get my own apartment again. Even if it's just in the middle of the room (i.e. under the roof). But there has to be some degree of horizontal space, too for that to work. 6x6x10 would be a bit weird. I think clutter is some kind of vicious circle. Once you start, it's hard to stop. And starting is pretty easy if you're not really vigilant -- things like long work hours, kids and long commutes quickly start your hoard. And if your life doesn't work out the way it does, you're prone to nostalgia and memorabilia. Smaller accommodations make it harder to start that. But there's small, and there's tiny...

starkfist 16y ago

This would be fun as a weekend house up in Vermont, but I have no idea where I could put it.

Jake541 16y ago

@twobraids on Twitter lives in a minimalist self-built yurt. It's been a while and I am on an iPad, but he has a website detailing the build. I did research on these tiny houses a couple years back and they have a nice variety of builds. Some of the ones with sleeping lofts were very interesting.

HeyLaughingBoy 16y ago
I would love to build a yurt at the foot of the hill I live on. I've been thinking that since my kid wants a tree house and the location I want is near some downed trees, we can "compromise" and he can help me build a house out of trees :-)

starkfist 16y ago

I've lived in multiple < 200 square foot apartments in Japan and a 300 sq foot apartment in SF. I think these tiny homes would be a fun getaway. That said, something about a tiny detached house like this gives me the creeps, whereas a tiny apartment does not.

stretchwithme 16y ago
Maybe because it reminds you too much of an outhouse or a toolshed? :-)
- whyenot 16y ago
  or Ted Kaczynski?

ck2 16y ago

Instead of $15-$20k, just spend $8k on a singlewide trailer and redo the interior to your desire.

RiderOfGiraffes 16y ago

Why does this turn up so often here on HN? It's cute, and interesting, and perhaps a fun hack to try to do, but I've seen it several times now. Here's one earlier version found in 30 seconds with http://searchyc.com http://searchyc.com : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=921959 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=921959 ... and here are some related links: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=659799 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=659799 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=651810 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=651810 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1298314 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1298314 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1377012 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1377012

dabent 16y ago
To me, the most interesting "hack" here is how the Tumbleweed house company has hacked its way onto Oprah, NPR and the top result for "tiny house" on Google. I wish my startup could do that. They've done a remarkable job with PR and are effectively the Apple Computer of trailer homes.
ekanes 16y ago
I'm guessing that people post it as a physical hack. Hack in the sense that they're doing more with less than "should" be possible. Add that it's mildly counter-culture and environmentally friendly, and people vote it up.