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| This is the house I live in now and I will be working on my tiny house in the driveway. I love this little house but I guess it's time to turn the page! All for the better I say! |
Friday, February 10, 2012
Things Happen for a Reason
Yesterday, my landlord calls me to inform me that they are selling some of their rental properties and my house is one of the lucky ones! Great...so it looks like I could have as little as two months left in this house. The plan was to gradually work on the house and pack up things to prepare for the move by summer so it would not be so overwhelming. While that is what could still happen I don't know how fast they will sell this little house. I really have mixed feelings about this. On one hand this new turn of events will force me to work as hard as possible to make sure I am completing this project in a timely manner. But on the other hand I want to have some room for error or some unseen setback. But I have to think that things happen for a reason in their own time and place.
What if they would have called me three months ago and told me they were selling. I could have had to find a temporary place to live even before I was able to start on the house. At least now I am almost finished with the trailer and can start building the fun part! If I can get four walls, a roof, and the electric run, I will probably go ahead and move out to the new property as soon as possible and finish the house out there. Since I am going to be off-grid anyway this will give me a crash course in living without all of the comforts for a little while. But I figure it won't be too bad. I am going to use a generator for the lights, radio, computer use and air conditioning for now. And a propane stove, campfire, and solar oven for cooking. And I guess I will have to bring in water for now until I can get the well dug and the rainwater catching system set up. You know after writing this it sounds like a fun adventure and you can bet I will be updating and blogging about it all!
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Would love to be able to follow you but can't figure out how..... do you have a page on FB that can be followed? I'm in NOLA myself and very interested in small houses and self sustainability.
ReplyDeleteThe rss feed didn't work?
DeleteSigh, where were you when I was 31 Ben? I have wanted to build a tiny house all my life. My own home is less than 700 sq. ft, but a tinier one off grid is my dream. I thought about the trailer idea such as you are doing, but have 9 beautiful acres and some cinder blocks that came with the place, sooo, maybe permanent is the way to go. I am lousy at building, but figure I would really like to do this right. i am excited about your plans & ideas, so will be following along as you go! Things certainly do happen for a reason. This has become obvious in my life as well as i job hunt in the foothills of Yosemite national Park. I was not able to join either and put it on my blog, but figured out how to Bookmark. To see my semi tiny house, check my blog http://yosemitemoonmango.blogspot.com/2012/01/tiny-house-friends.html
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your progress Ben!
Jeannine
Do you have an rss feed reader? I tried it with a reader and got it to work through my android phone.
DeleteI am quite the technotard and am not sure if I have an rss feeder! How do I check? I don't have an android phone. No cell reception in my area.
DeleteOh wow, I think I may have just found it! I'll play aorund with it and see what happens!
ReplyDeleteWell, I can get it to subscribe, but not follow.
DeleteHi Ben,
ReplyDeleteI just found you through my google reader via tiny house blog. I got so excited to see that someone near my age is building one in my state! Building my own is on my "life list", and I have even drawn up plans. My design is 16' x 12' on the inside with a porch on either end that's between 6-7' (x 12'). Otherwise, my design is remarkably similar to yours; Of course, I know one is limited when working with so few square feet. A few differences: I did place a shower inside, but I also added a big wash tub on the back porch for fun :) Instead of a table and chairs, I have placed a built in bench on either side, at a 90 degree angle with another bench on either side of the door inside, if that makes sense. Underneath the benches are enclosed storage (like the windowsill box seat we love in LA homes). Then I wrote in a pop up table for each side (think Murphy bed in reverse), though I'm not sure how you might construct that. I also have a sleeping loft to be 9' x 12', with just enough room for some sideboards or narrow chests of drawers on either side of the bed. I cannot wait to build it and just wanted to share and tell you I admire you for executing your dream!
On a personal note, are you still dating the aforementioned woman?
Sincerely,
Chloe
Thanks for reading. I am not dating the aforementioned woman anymore. Lol. That pretty much got washed away with katrina. Thanks for asking though. You know its actually pretty hard to find a woman with similar ideas. If i say i am going to live in a 200 sq ft house most people think I'm crazy. I love the wash tub idea. I kind of want to do the same thing but want a cast iron tub connected to a solar shower a few feet away from the house under a big tree or something. I actually will probably take most of my showers out there in the summer and spring and only use the indoor propane heated shower in the winter. You live in nola?
DeleteI did live in Nola from 2003-Katrina. I emigrated back to my hometown, Shreveport, and reside here now until I finish school in a couple years. Yes to showering outside, as nature intended, ha! I also have a dream to live on a houseboat at some point. Have you seen the documentary Atchafalaya Houseboat? This couple built it themselves in the '70s- they have this fantastic "floating" bed. It's pretty amazing: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5367035.
DeleteLooking forward to reading more about your journey! I better run, but I'm including my email address if you'd like to talk some more: chloekilman@gmail.com :)