Tiny Homes

[Dee]

They've been becoming a seriously popular thing in certain places in the world, particularly here in Portland, OR where we even have a hotel consisting of those tiny houses. They're even considering building tiny homes for the homeless here and charging rent somewhere between $250-300 depending on a few circumstances. There are also apartments, or rather "micro-apartments", that have about 300 sqft to work with. Problem is, the rent is more expensive than my one-bedroom not too far from where they're located, $150+ actually, which is one of the issues these tiny homes and tiny apartments are still facing. Since they're not a normality, and they're high in demand depending on where you are, the prices can be outrageous. NYC for example?

What do you guys think about the emerging trend of tiny homes and tiny apartments. Do you think they'll catch on and become a thing of expectation or are we just a culture who needs our space, who needs a 3-floored home with 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, and a four car garage. Do you think this space is even necessary as our population continues to grow, or do you think we can benefit from downsizing, especially in an economy that's still recovering? Would you even consider living in one of these?

 

[Mike]

If you saw the size of my apartment for the amount I pay per month, you'd almost die It's a price worth paying for the location.

As for the actual size of houses, they're quite small in Britain as a whole anyway, we don't have as much space as a lot of the countries around us.

 

[Dee]

If you saw the size of my apartment for the amount I pay per month, you'd almost die It's a price worth paying for the location.

As for the actual size of houses, they're quite small in Britain as a whole anyway, we don't have as much space as a lot of the countries around us.

You're right about that. American's like to have their space, and they won't settle for less. I don't understand why this is the case, the whole "bigger is better" and "we want more!" ideologies. I can understand not wanting to live directly next to your neighbor, so having space between neighbors for privacy isn't so insane. However, I've always wondered why we feel we need to have more space in our homes than we actually use/need. Sure, it's a sign of wealth when you can afford to build a home with 10,000 sqft, but is it necessary? I don't think so.

 

[Dee]

Thats a cute home. Iam slowly seeing a trickle of these so called (pod) style apts . They are usually single family style. They are stacked above each other, creating a life like honeycomb. There is an ever demanding need to occupy more open space than ever before. Thus the need for micro homes such as the image there. Soon, in the not too distant future, we shall be living on floating dwellings high in the sky. As every inch of precious land is covered

You know what I'd love to do? Have enough money to buy 1-2 insulated ISO shipping containers, weld them together, throw in a set of stairs so that I could go up and down and have separate rooms, and create a nice home like that with just a small amount of space. Even a half acre of land would be wonderful to live on, but that requires money I don't have. I would do that in a heartbeat if I could!

 

[Dee]

Exactly. Something like this would be wonderful and big enough for me that I could still live comfortably. I don't need a massive home as I am just one person and two kitties, but we have plenty of room here in the apartment. I just don't want to be renting my entire life.

 

[Jazzy]

This reminded me of the Japanese Coffin Apartments:

Tokyo is dense. Packed. And crowded. If you don't have much money and want to live in places like Shibuya, you could live in a box. Literally.

There's a communal toilet and bath for the residents, who sleep in tiny coffin-like rooms.

What's more, the bedrooms are stacked on top of each other. "They look more like lockers," wrote one commenter on a popular Japanese website.

The show interviewed a 24 year-old man who lives in one of these cramped share houses. "It might be as big as two tatami mats," said the man, who hopes to start his own business.
Tatami mats, traditionally used to measure room sizes, are about 1.6 square meters. Small rooms are either 4.5 or 6 tatami mats.

The show also interviewed a 19 year-old named Chisato, who dreams of becoming an actress. Her box is only 1.5 tatami mats, measuring 2.44 meters across.

See pics here

Could any of you live in one of these?

 

[DrLeftover]

By square footage of living space, and even storage space, my RV is larger than either my college dorm room or my first apartment.

so...

No.

 

[Dee]

This reminded me of the Japanese Coffin Apartments:

Tokyo is dense. Packed. And crowded. If you don't have much money and want to live in places like Shibuya, you could live in a box. Literally.

There's a communal toilet and bath for the residents, who sleep in tiny coffin-like rooms.

What's more, the bedrooms are stacked on top of each other. "They look more like lockers," wrote one commenter on a popular Japanese website.

The show interviewed a 24 year-old man who lives in one of these cramped share houses. "It might be as big as two tatami mats," said the man, who hopes to start his own business.
Tatami mats, traditionally used to measure room sizes, are about 1.6 square meters. Small rooms are either 4.5 or 6 tatami mats.

The show also interviewed a 19 year-old named Chisato, who dreams of becoming an actress. Her box is only 1.5 tatami mats, measuring 2.44 meters across.

See pics here

Could any of you live in one of these?

I think this is pushing it, but it's almost necessary there because of how many people live on such a small island. Maybe if I never lived at home, yeah, but this is too much (or too little? Lol)

 

[Dee]

Those look like washing machines puked on top of one another. How big are those things anyway? Can you stand upright in them?

 

[DrLeftover]

Most people see a parking space and promptly back up into it; Tim McCormick sees one and thinks, “I could live here.”

Who would willingly choose to live in something with the footprint of a parking space (8x10x16 feet)? Millions already do, argues McCormick, a communications consultant: bedrooms, dorm rooms, motel rooms, hostels, mobile homes and the like. “I myself live comfortably in a converted one-car garage of 200 square feet,” he says, “which allows me to live inexpensively near downtown in super-expensive Palo Alto.”

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/how-small-is-too-small/

 

[DrLeftover]

Britain's narrowest house up for sale

5 Sept

A house thought to be Britain's narrowest has been put up for sale for more than £200,000.

The two-bedroom terraced house, in Harringay, north London, is believed to have been built on a driveway between two other homes.

Measuring just 83 inches in width, the property boasts a reception room, kitchen and bathroom, as well as a roof terrace to provide outside space.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Britains_narrowest_house_up_for_sale

 

[Dee]

Britain's narrowest house up for sale

5 Sept

A house thought to be Britain's narrowest has been put up for sale for more than £200,000.

The two-bedroom terraced house, in Harringay, north London, is believed to have been built on a driveway between two other homes.

Measuring just 83 inches in width, the property boasts a reception room, kitchen and bathroom, as well as a roof terrace to provide outside space.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Britains_narrowest_house_up_for_sale

I wish they had pictures of it on the inside. I'd like to see what home like that looks like. xD