I've been considering downsizing for a while now. I currently have far more space than I need, renting a two-bedroom apartment. It's hard to come by a one-bedroom with washer/dryer hookups, which is how I came to be in my current space. But I have far more room than I'm using.
And then last Halloween came the Onion Creek flood. A dear friend of mine already was living in a tiny house that was, quite unfortunately, smack in the middle of the flooded area. His home filled more than halfway with muddy water, and many of his possessions were ruined.
I noticed, as we were sifting through the mess, trying to salvage what we could, that all the things he cared most about were gifts and mementos from people he loved. I was struck by the realization that things are just that: things. He only wanted to keep those things that reminded him of those he cared about, or the few that were useful. Everything else went into the garbage.
It really got me to thinking. My life is so full of junk I don't need. My closets overflow with clutter, my cabinets burst with it. I have so many things I've never even used.
Why am I keeping all that stuff? It's not doing me any good, and it's costing me rent money to house it.
So downsizing the unnecessary crap out of my life will be easy and quite rewarding. I will be left with the things that matter: useful things, and things that remind me of those I love. No superfluous junk. No piles of stuff to someday throw away.
For a long time I was thinking only of building a tiny house with a foundation, something in the neighborhood of 400 sq ft. But while browsing tiny house floorplans today I came across some really spacious, versatile floorplans for trailered tiny homes, some of which are 300 sq ft, give or take. I feel, with that much space, I wouldn't have to sacrifice anything really dear to me in terms of amenities.
Four Lights is a great company, and I like their plans so much more than many I have seen. I'd still want a few modifications, but overall I think there's lots of good stuff to work with there.
A quick list of my requirements:
- Washer/dryer. I can't stress enough how much I want to be able to do laundry in my own home. No compromises.
- Full-size fridge. I've had experience with a dorm fridge. Nope.
- Stairs to a loft. No ladders. I'm clumsy and lightly broken.
- Lots of storage. I think this can be easily accomplished by being creative. There are tons of ways to hide small storage.
- A place to put a cat box. My kitties are so dear to me. Anyplace I live, they will live too.
Some amenities I would like but are not necessary:
- Dishwasher. I don't see this much, but I think it might be possible.
- Bathtub. Not required to be huge.
- Wood-burning stove. I like ambiance.
Considerations:
- Cooling. I live in Texas. Heating a tiny home seems easy. Cooling it will take more thought.
- Lighting. I would love to light my home with color-changing LEDs. I want to be able to switch any room to purple, or blue, or red. This should actually be fairly easy.
- Weight. There is no point to building a trailered home if it weighs too much to be towed.
- Sustainability. The balance between longevity and sustainability can be tough to strike. While I'd love to make my home from reused materials, I also want it to last for decades.
I have learned that, currently, Austin zoning does not allow people to live in homes on wheels on residential lots. While I understand why this was originally enacted, it may be outdated. Consideration for trailered tiny homes has already been brought before City Council, who will be considering it, along with CodeNEXT in the upcoming years. I will keep my ear to the ground about how that plays out.
I'll also be investigating local groups and meetups for tiny house enthusiasts, as well as DIYers.
More to come?
No comments:
Post a Comment