For under $200,000 you could be a part of a new homeowner movement. Communities of small houses are popping up as new developments in progressive neighborhoods.
Spinet Street Cottages in the lovely town of Asheville, North Carolina was dreamed up and created by Ron & Laurie Czecholinski. Each house (700-1000 square feet) and lot has an option for building a smaller studio apartment (200-500 square feet) for rental opportunity or creative space.
If you are a tiny-house enthusiast in North Carolina I highly recommend you hook up with this project. They will be giving a presentation at Firestorm Cafe in Asheville this Sunday, Dec 5th at 4pm.
The Cottage Company in Seattle, Washington
Wild Coast Cottages is another small house development project on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They have 3 available homes for sale and 12 homes are due to be move-in ready just after the new year.
One may think it absurd to pay more to own an appropriately-sized home when you could buy a bigger home outside of town for much cheaper. But these small footprint villages are appealing to me and, I think, the many who would prefer quality over quantity. Now, what can we do about those darned minimum size standards…
I wrote about Paul’s bicycle camper in this post about Pedal-Powered Tiny Homes, and he’s just written me to share his latest project: another shelter for Burning
Man, though this time, not just for himself, but for he and his wife.
Heat and wind are the primary elements that any shelter erected in Black Rock City has to withstand. This 12×12 pyramid has been tested for almost two months, and so far so good.
Adapted from the hexayurt design, using quality insulative foam board and tape, Paul has created a lightweight, sturdy and cool temporary shelter for about $300.
Watch the YouTube video for a tour and more pictures on his website.
While it was raining this weekend in San Diego I was being crafty. This is my first official solo foray into canning. After only two tries, this tropical fruit goo turned into actual jelly. Tasty too!
I neglected to share with you the peaches and avocados that appeared in our backyard several months ago (we ate them instead)… So here is what’s been producing in the front yard.
And the tiny citrus tree is blooming and smelling beautifully. (Photos taken by me this morning, after the rains.)
Some readers may remember this project has a special place in my heart. It’s a bike-packing solar-powered travel documentary where Mandy and Ryan are searching for a sustainable community to call home. They would like to raise $25,000 to finish the film! Here’s the trailer. Please consider making a donation. Even if you give $1 your name will be in the film credits.
Letting a little outside in… this building immediately caught my attention and I later learned it may include a combination of bamboo, adobe, wattle and daub, and thatch construction.
Panya Project in northern Thailand is 10 acres of permaculture and natural building experimentation. The eco-community began in 2004 by a group of Americans. Its DIY-savvy residents come and go, learning skills and then moving on. Jenny Pickerill of the Green Building Blog, during her visit in July, adds this great insight:
Panya has put into practice the belief that walls and houses can isolate us from nature and each other and that if we re-design them we can better integrate nature into our daily lives.
This one reminds me of a Tumbleweed Tiny House.
Photo credit: Green Building Blog. Panya Project Flickr photos here.
Jay and Steve at Tumbleweed Tiny House Company have generously invited us to join the Tiny House Workshops Feb 5 & 6 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I’m stoked not only because it will be my first time in Santa Fe, but also because it will be the beginning of our two-year traveling adventure! The first part of which will be touring the Western US while towing our tiny trailer, weighing just 1120 pounds.
Yes, I had mentioned it previously, but if you’re new to this blog you may have missed it. We’re embarking on a dream — to be full-time travelers — and I can’t wait. Thank you for following along and I hope to share much more as we go.
