The Miniature Earth

Layout (updated)

I've been meaning to do this for some time but finding the time has been difficult. Here, I have the layout updated to show the outter wall thickness of 2x4's. I've been thinking of the differences between building with or without the porch. I have thought it would be nice to have a porch to sit on and relax, but also thought the additional interior space would be nice too. So far, I'm leaning toward the one without a porch. Outside sitting space is still possible with an awning, folding chairs/tables or maybe something else is possible.

Something to Think About

Not sure where this quote originated from but I thought it was pretty good.

"The scale of your homes should be derived from the real needs of your daily lives, not from vanity, insecurity, or a need for public display. Home should be the setting of your life, not the measure of it."

So, are you living with what your life needs or are you showing off?

~Dan

Homeless America!

I was recently reading an article about tiny houses and whether it was considered sane or not. In this one article I read, it said that when the Unabomber was in court, his lawyers used the size of his dwelling, a 10 x 12 foot structure, as part of his defense for mental instability. They tried to state that because of the size of his "house", he was not in his right mind. Back then, they looked at a tiny house as being something for the insane. Now, although it is a bit akward to see someone chosing to live in a small (under 1000sq ft) or tiny (under 500sq ft) house, it is now coming out to be a bit more sane than people realize.
Look at the housing market now. There are people who lived in large homes that they could barely afford and now lost them due to the alternative mortgages prevelant at the time adjusting and inflating to higher interest rates. I read this other article yesterday about families in Massachusetts are going homeless at a very high rate because of this mortgage crisis. By Massachusetts state law, they are required to find shelters for families who look for it. Because of the latest increase of homeless in the state, they are now moving into hotels. Depending on how many people seek shelters, this may be a large burden on those living in the state and the possibility of taxes raising to offset the cost.
Seeing this situation, I'm sure it's happening to different degrees all over the country. I wonder about the option of having small communities of smaller homes, even if it's temporary housing to help others get past this current situation. Having a tiny house could be built fairly cheap and have only bare neccessities to live. On the Tiny House Blog, There was a post about a non-profit group in Atlanta building shelters for the areas homeless people called the Mad Housers. This little shelters are nothing more than a single room with a bed and a place to put ones things.
I think this is a pretty good alternative and low cost to the tax payers, uses little materials so there's less waste in the building process. I'm sure places this small isn't going to do much for families but still, being able to provide a low cost alternative may help more people than anyone realizes. Some of these homeless people chose to stay homeless, others have little to no choice. But for those who are looking to fix these problems in their lives, having a place to stay could benefit them. Having a place where they have an address to put on resumes, a place to call "home" if even for a short time until they get back on their feet is important to them. There should be more groups out there seeking to help people like this who really want it.
I did have this idea once about 3 years ago. I thoght it would be nice to help others out to get back on their feet or just to provide a place for them to stay. Of course, there would have to be rules such has no drinking, no drugs and other rules that could allow for a safe environment for everyone else in the same situation.

I hope for a better future for those familes that are trying to survive in these troubled times.

~Dan

Tiny house future

Well, it seems my project might be delayed even longer than expected. Turns out that I'm going to be going through a career change by way of promotion and advancement. Looks like there's a chance that I could stay living where I'm at now and not have to move which will be very nice.

Just a quick post for now!
~Dan

Habitat for Humanity Restore.

I just wanted to take a moment to talk about Restore. This is an organization associated with Habitat for Humanity. I recently discovered information about this as I was looking into volunteering house building with HFH. Restore stocks building materials that were donated for use with Habitat for Humanity and also to sell to the public for lower prices. The money spent at a Restore goes to supporting a local Habitat for Humanity as they build in the areas. If you're working on a project at home and you are on a tight budget, consider looking for a Restore near you. You could find something that could be useful in your future projects. Here's an example of what they may have: cabinets, lighting and plumbing fixtures, hardware, roofing, carpet, tools, trim, doors, lumber, flooring, and windows.
If you have something yourself that you want to donate, much of what they do accept must be in good, usable and clean condition.

So, get some good materials for lower cost and help support HFH and their mission to provide homes to those who need it.
More more information, go to the HFH website.
~Dan

Layout

Well, here's what my planed layout looks like. Right now, the only (good) trailers I'm able to find are 16' long flatbeds, and most of them have a 2' dove tail too. The layouts in the picture above is what I'm looking at doing for my project. Slightly modified, but still similar in layout and design of the original Epu shown on the Tumbleweed Tiny Houses website.