A Tumbleweed Tiny House |
The point is tiny houses are starting to fascinate me. I know I couldn’t go the tiniest of the tiny. I am a bit claustrophobic, so that would drive me mad. This is what I mean by tiniest of the tiny: 99 sq. feet! But I could do something like this: 356 sq. feet. If I was married and had a few children, then I’d have to consider something larger, like 884 sq. feet.
So what is appealing about this? First, the cost. I could build the 356 sq. feet model for approximately $80,000 excluding the price for a lot and property taxes. If I had a family and needed to go for the 884 sq. feet model, the cost would be around $125,000 excluding the price for a lot and property taxes. Last time I checked, the average listing price for a home in DC was $806,887!! Small lots in DC go for anywhere between 10k and 100k depending on the size and location (according to Trulia). So I think it would be safe to say that I would actually be saving a lot of money by building my own tiny home. If I decide not to live in DC, then the price will drop even more.
Second, I like the look of these homes! They are so adorable! I have two requirements in a home: must have a covered porch (preferably wrap-around, but I can live without that) and must have room outdoors for a garden. These homes satisfy that and do it in such a simple way.
Third, tiny homes are eco-friendly. They use less space, they use less materials, and they do so creatively.
I’m still on the fence about living in a tiny house, but I can definitely see their appeal. I’ve been following an interesting blog that is recording the process of building a tiny house community in DC. Check it out here: Boneyard Studios.