Tiny Houses

[wing117]

I've seen the main themes of MMM as the following two statements (feel free to correct me!):

Happiness and Wealth from Simplicity.
Simplicity through Efficiency.

So, the SO and I have been discussing our break from the societal mold recently with the move away from consumerism, significant savings percentages (we're each over 50% now) and some of our recent thoughts against standard social norms (Kids? Perhaps not. Marriage? In our hearts absolutely, but will we actually benefit from a legal union? Debatable.) have had me really thinking outside the box.

Recently I've started looking at low square-foot, well designed homes. Think sub 800-sq foot as the largest, all the way down to ~140sqft. It's actually quite exciting! Less waste, more efficient for heating and cooling, ingenuous storage options, multi-use rooms by way of multi-use furniture and much more.

With my carpentry/construction background, I could buy a small plot of land and build the place myself, keeping the costs down to sub 80k for building in most cases (actually in some cases sub 40k). This is a large cost difference between purchasing a 150-270k house with a 15-30 year mortgage.

The SO is only partially on board with this (thus why this isn't in "Throw Down The Gauntlet"... yet) so I have a lot of research to do but what do the you guys think?

I've been looking at the company Tumbleweed; specifically their Whidbey and Cypress20 models.

Is anyone else out there living in 'tiny' homes? What are the pros and cons that you guys can come up with? I want to make sure I'm not just going on a crazy "This is really different, that's why I like it!" spree, rather than logical, concise decision making based upon the facts, goals and lifestyle.

[Posthumane]

There are many houses in my area from around 1910-1912 which are in the <800 sq ft range, and I had looked at some in the 500 sq ft range which, while they seemed small, didn't strike me an anything hugely out of the ordinary. For one or two people a house in that size range should be quite comfortable as long as you don't have too much stuff and spend a lot of time out of the house instead of being a couch potato. I think it depends on your hobbies and interests as some activities require a lot of equipment which you have to store somewhere.

Now, once you get down to the 140 sq ft range I would think things would get more challenging if you're used to doing things in the conventional ways. This would require things like putting away your bed as soon as you get up to have room to do anything, etc.

[MissStache]

A tiny house on a beautiful piece of land is a big part of my FI goals.  I am leaning towards one of the larger ones (700-800 sq ft), since I want to have a small sewing studio as part of my home, but the living area will be more in the 500-600 range. 

Tumbleweed houses look beautiful, but I'd rather design my own since I have particular ideas about how small spaces should be utilized. 

My parents (who built their own house) always told me that there was no bigger test on a relationship than building a home together, so I would say make sure you get SO on board before anything concrete happens!

[wing117]

A tiny house on a beautiful piece of land is a big part of my FI goals.  I am leaning towards one of the larger ones (700-800 sq ft), since I want to have a small sewing studio as part of my home, but the living area will be more in the 500-600 range. 

Tumbleweed houses look beautiful, but I'd rather design my own since I have particular ideas about how small spaces should be utilized. 

My parents (who built their own house) always told me that there was no bigger test on a relationship than building a home together, so I would say make sure you get SO on board before anything concrete happens!

Sounds like we have similar plans! Our main hobbies are letterpress and small hand tool wood projects (I'm learning relief carving for...the letterpress!). Both are easily contained in a smaller space.  You make a very good point about designing your own. I have contacts in with several local architects, so that would be a nice project to look it.

Definitely have to get the SO 100% on board before I do anything! She's a good sport. Her main criteria are: She's always wanted a claw-foot tub, some closet space for clothes (our current place has 0 closet space) and a place to setup her letterpress. I think those are all easily doable. She loves the idea of a loft bed.

[MandyM]

I am obsessed with tiny homes and Tumbleweed in particular. Right now, I live in 975 sq ft with a roommate and small zoo (I foster animals for the humane society). My house not particularly well designed, but is plenty of room for us. The two things that really help out my situation are the large garage and the covered back patio. I'm still working to get the garage organized (I bought the house in July) but it will be able to fit my tiny car, my roommates boat of a car and still have room for storage and a work table. The patio is a great extension of the living space as it is well shielded from the sun and rain and it has a fan to help during the heat of summer.

Basically, I think anything around 500 sq ft would be really easy to get used to, even without much innovation. Less than that and you have to be more creative.

[rubybeth]

I love tiny houses! My husband like the treehouse versions of them the best. Jay Shafer, who started the Tumbleweed Tiny House company, now has a new company, Four Lights, and I love their designs, too: http://www.fourlightshouses.com/

We have briefly kicked around the idea of living on a friend's land out in the country in a tiny house once retired. Right now, we need to be close to jobs and school, but that won't be the case forever. We live in about a 700 sq. foot 1 bedroom apartment right now and the only things that really suck about it are the lack of counter space in the kitchen and having to schlep groceries for any major distance on my own (we try to shop together, but it doesn't always work), so I know we could handle the small space as long as we had some separate areas for alone time.

[jfer_rose]

I am interested in tiny houses and small-space living too. There are several tiny homes in DC at Boneyard Studios-- my favorite so far is the Minim house: http://boneyardstudios.com/ . Check out the photos! I love it.

But at the same time, I already live in a small home-- it's a condo, not a standalone home, but small enough that there is no bedroom. So I won't switch to a standalone tiny home any time soon. What I like best about the tiny homes is having more direct access to the outdoors compared to my condo without a balcony/patio. I certainly see this as a big possibility for my retired self.

I follow a blog written by a woman who owns a tiny home-- http://rowdykittens.com/. It has been interesting to read about some of her struggles. She and her husband moved to a new town but had to leave because they were cited for not complying with zoning rules (a challenge for tiny homes). Also, she injured her back and was unable to use the loft bed for several weeks. None of that would stop me from trying this out down the line, but I would have to think through all this ahead of time.

[FunkyStickman]

I'm also very interested in a Tumbleweed house, specifically the Whidbey as well. I'm still about 8-10 years from paying off my current house and having my kids grown, but if I can build one cheap enough I may do it early.

Specifically, I'd like to build one in town, on a small plot of land, to keep travel and maintenance costs down.

To get there will require a massive amount of minimizing. I think it's a great idea, though I'm not sure my wife is 100% sold on it... I think the first time she cleans a tiny house she'll be glad! But large houses are just so wasteful.

[Elaine]

We live in a tiny home, though it is an apartment. We're also a family of just two (don't want kids) and our place is 471 square feet, we don't have any yard space. So here's the pros/cons:

The Good:
-Low maintenance (cleaning takes no time)
-Low cost to furnish
-Cozy! We like that we're always within talking distance of one another.
-Cheap to heat/cool
-We actually always plan on living in a small space, but when we finally buy instead of rent we will be looking into something in the 500-700 sq. foot range, I'll explain why we'd like a little more space in a bit.

The Workarounds:
-You must learn to use space very efficiently, this sometimes mean big compromises. (i.e. "sweetheart I know you love guitars, but do you really need five of them?") Don't go into this unless you are BOTH willing to get rid of some stuff that may at first be dear to your heart.
-Sound travels, if you're watching a movie and your SO is reading - headphones will be necessary. This is ditto if one of you is a night owl and one goes to bed early. If my SO is washing dishes I can hear it crystal clear in our bedroom.
-House guests. We actually have a two bedroom so we are able to have houseguests, but they are essentially sleeping on an air mattress in our office/reading room. This is fine for us (in our 20s) and we don't feel anyone minds, but I know this may bother some people who have elderly people staying over.

The Bad:
-Lack of storage. Sometimes I feel that having a space as small as ours actually costs us money because we are unable to buy almost anything in bulk. Space is so limited that we are also fairly constrained on DIY projects because all building must take place in either our living room or office (so spray paint, refinishing furniture, etc. is out). This would be different if we had a place with a yard, so it may not be applicable to you, but think about how much you can save on bulk buying and having a pantry. If you live in 400 sq feet or less this is extremely unlikely, you won't be able to stock up on things if they are a good low price because you'll have no space.
- Entertaining. I love doing things at home because A. I love my home and B. We're frugal and hanging out at home is cheap! It's hard to host more than a couple of people at a time, and I sometimes feel our home is not very comfortable for them (because we have small folding chairs to save space instead of proper couches, etc.). I think a big part of this lifestyle for me is enjoying local home based things, and that's tough to do in a teeny tiny space. Maybe this is different if you live in a hot all year round area and have a huge patio or something.

So, in conclusion, we LOVE living in a tiny space. But for long term housing (aka buying), we will be looking more towards 500-700 sq. feet. Hope this helps!

[TrulyStashin]

This post got me thinking. . .  I'm now trolling my city's GIS website looking for small, undeveloped parcels of land in desirable neighborhoods.  The kind of lots that are not useful for larger, more traditional houses and are thus "not buildable" from most people's perspective.

I've just found a lot that is .19 acre (8352 sq feet) -- 50' deep and 200' wide (road frontage) with forest on two sides.  Neighboring houses are assessed anywhere from $500k to over $1m -- they're mostly lovely, large historic properties.   Right now it is zoned R-2 and the R-2 rules would not allow development at all so the lot is assessed at $8k.

But if it were re-zoned to R-4 or R-5, then it would be possible to build a small cottage like the Whidbey  -- or something similar but shaped differently to accommodate the long, shallow lot and perhaps in the architectural style of the surrounding mansions so it looks like it was a carriage house. 

How badass would that be?  Offer $8k for the lot -- contingent on re-zoning -- apply for the rezoning (which is what I do in my law practice) and if lucky enough for it go through, I'd have a buildable lot in a kick ass part of my city.  I could build a small cottage there and have a lovely, new, little home for under $100k.

[wing117]

Now you're thinking TrulyStashin! This is why I'm getting excited about this potential, it opens a lot of opportunities and not at an extraordinary cost. I'm thinking quality over quantity. I can afford to architect and build a 550-800sqft home and the lot to put it on. I cannot (would not) however, afford to do the same with a 1500+ sqft home or the materials would be shoddy. 

Elaine: We are already living in a thin-walled cabin and employ the headphone method already. Waking/sleeping routines have already been sorted and relate back to headphones. Storage isn't an issue because we currently don't have any! We live a pretty minimalist lifestyle anyway. The only thing that we would have to sort out is books (dated technology now) and our holiday decorations.

House guests is any interesting topic. We have family visit once to twice a year. The really small homes of ~130sqft I'd like to build and have it as an art studio/rental/guest house in order to provide the family a place to stay. If I class it up and rent it out on AirBnB for ~80/night for 10 nights a month, that's 9600/yr with 30k upfront cost... Lots of options here really.

As for entertaining, we don't really do that a lot currently, but when we do, it's usually done outside with grill/drinks/bonfire.

[KulshanGirl]

I live in a tiny house.  It's around 600 square feet.  I love it.  I don't even have my own bedroom, I sleep on a wall bed in a nook off of the living room.  There is a picture of that somewhere in the Wall of Shame and Comedy area, in the biggest mustachian purchase thread.  My house is very much like a sailboat.  Areas change into other areas.  Things are on hinges and on wheels.  It's pretty minimal until you peek into the three year old's room.  Then it looks about normal.  Hehe.  I never want to live in anything bigger than this.  Less to clean, less to fix, less room to hoard things.   

[Elaine]

Glad to hear that those won't be issues for you! Sounds like you are a good candidate for tiny house living, just wanted to provide an all around assessment. I should mention that in our larger apartment I would routinely host dinner parties with 50-60 people, so I'm certainly not a typical entertainer (fyi, cost per person was never over $8). If that's not a priority it sounds like you could totally go super small, good luck!

[frugaldrummer]

My first house was about 800 sf, built about 1915 as a laborer's shack for the oil fields in Huntington Beach.  It actually had a very effective floorplan, I'll try to describe it:

The building was rectangular, short dimension across the front of the house (was a long narrow lot).

Left half of the rectangle contained bedroom,followed by bath (with that claw foot tub!) and another bedroom in the back.  Both bedrooms opened onto the bath (Jack and Jill style).  The only disadvantage was that guests would have to walk through a bedroom to get to the bath.  Behind the last bedroom was a tiny room which opened onto the kitchen - we used it as a nursery, but it could have been a small office or a large pantry.

The right half of the building contained a rectangular living room, followed by separate small dining room with a built-in hutch and pass-through between it and the small kitchen.  There was no hallway per se, you just walked from one room to the next (shotgun style).

A small porch on the front of the house, and a large deck on the back of the house, made the most of outdoor living in this good climate.  I do think it's easier to live in a small house in a good climate.

We lived in this house as a couple, with a baby, and a nanny living in the second bedroom, and it was quite big enough.

[TrulyStashin]

I am now ISO house plans for a cottage/ carriage house style "semi-tiny home" (800 - 1000 sq feet) with a front elevation that is long and narrow.  The lot I have in mind is 200' long on the road frontage by 50' wide to the back edge of the lot.  With legal setback requirements for R-4 or R-5 zoning, the house cannot be deeper than 19 or 20 feet but could be 40 or 50' long, with the entrance on the long, street-side of the rectangle.

If anyone finds such a plan please post a link!

[MrsPete]

I've looked at those, and I think they're a little too small, even for a couple.  Too little space equals more housework because you have to move things to do the cleaning.  The retirement house we're just beginning will be about 1500 sf.  We're planning cozy rooms, but also details like a no-barrier walk-in shower.  Having just lost a dear, elderly relative, I'm very attuned to the issues that may become problems as we age.  We're building a house that'll be small by most standards, but not as small as the houses you're describing.

I think a house is kind of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears -- don't aim for too big, don't aim for too little . . . look for just right.

[lauren_knows]

I love the idea of Tiny Homes, and even watched a documentary on them last night.  But, as someone with a growing family who regularly has the inlaws staying at our home for childcare, I'm just not sure how you can get 4 people in 400sqft.

That being said, we're looking at moving from a townhome to a single family home in the next few years, and will be looking at "smaller" homes to downsize a bit.  I think that a tiny home can be a great part of the actual FI phase of your life.  I'd be interested to see stories about families of 4+ living in these sort of homes.

[frugaldrummer]

My mom used to live in a circa 1952 ranch house which was 1,050 SF.  It contained 2 bedrooms and a third room which was situated off the living room that could be used as a bedroom or as a den.  It had one full bath (accessed from the hallway between the two bedrooms)and one half bath (off the third bedroom/den).  The living room/dining room/kitchen was open plan (the galley kitchen was actually quite a reasonable size with plenty of storage).

The bedrooms were reasonably sized - the smaller ones probably 10 x 11, the master more like 14 x 11. 

A house like that would be very comfortable for a couple, or a couple with one child, even by modern standards.

[KatieSSS]

I'm obsessed with the idea of tiny houses. I've been wanting to do a tour of the local DC tiny house experiment - Boneyard Studios - just to see if that lifestyle is really possible for me. I get quite claustrophobic, so I'm thinking not!

But I do like the "larger" tiny homes, such as the B-53 from Tumbleweed and The Sea Grass from the Bungalow Company. Both designs are under 1,000 sq. feet. I think it would work with a family if you have no more than 2 kids.

[Mr.Macinstache]

The big cost comes in when you need a water well and septic tank, if you go out on a plot of land. That could be offset by building an efficient home. I like the challenge of building a little larger house and make it as efficient as a small one, I think that should be the goal, instead of saving a few bucks on materials just to build a small house.

[lauren_knows]

My mom used to live in a circa 1952 ranch house which was 1,050 SF. 
......
A house like that would be very comfortable for a couple, or a couple with one child, even by modern standards.

Yes, but 1000sqft doesn't qualify as a "Tiny House", I don't think.  A lot of these Tiny Houses are <400sqft and sit on a trailer for mobility. 

[ZiziPB]

Don't know much about tiny houses, but I know a lot about small space living, having grown up in a 520 sq ft apartment (for a family of 4).  My parents still live in that same apartment and it works reasonably well for 2 people (but it was rather tight for a family of 4).  When I retire in about 5 years I am planning to move back to the "old country" to be close to my family and I already purchased my retirement apartment there.  It is about 650 sq ft and I have rented it to a young couple with a baby who like it so much that they recently enquired whether I would sell it to them....  The one thing I would advise you to consider is adding some type of an accessory building that can be used for storage.  The apartments in my birth country usually come with a designated locked storage area in the basement of the building that is very handy for storing stuff like bicycles, out of season stuff and, for my parents, the wealth of canned and preserved foods they make every year.

[Katnina]

I live in a 500 sq foot studio with my husband & our 2 small dogs.  It IS doable!!  We hope to own an airstream some day and live in it for half the year-and that is even tinier.
The main thing is that you can't own a lot of stuff- which is great!  We try to have a one-in-one-out rule, where if something new comes in, something old has to go out.  I'm not as good at adhering to this rule as my husband is, but I try!

[Michread]

I LOVE to look at tiny homes online because it makes me feel like I live in a mansion!  (1950 sq ft home)  I grew up in apartments all my life so I REALLY love my spacious home.

[expatartist]

I'm a big fan of tiny living spaces (flats). Thanks to everyone for all those links!

DH and I just moved into a tiny 'duplex' in the heart of old Beijing. It's about 350-400sqf, but is doable because there's a good-sized balcony where we hang out on sunny days: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebriel/10241269366/

Big windows and innovative storage solutions are key.

[backyardfeast]

I wrestle with this one.  Hub and I have lived for years together in apartments/carriage house/condos of between 600 and 800 sq ft, and have also contemplated living on a sailboat.  I love the idea of a small cottage on a plot of land big enough to have a garden.  But as much as the minimalism appeals to me, I'm not totally sold on the tiny house concept.

I had a friend whose family of 8 was raised in about 1000 sq ft, and hub grew up with a family of 5 in about 900sq ft.  But the key was that, in those days, people spent a lot more time outside...no matter what the weather (we're in Canada--no Florida options here! :) ).  Kids roamed around outside together all day; there was no space inside for play dates, etc.  And that was the norm, so it was ok.

We're living now on a 1/2 acre in the smallest house we could find at the time: about 1800 sq ft.  It feels ridiculous, as we spend 99% of our time on the main floor living area, which is 950 sqft. I'd LOVE to downsize.  And love the idea of building.  BUT.  Back in the day, when people lived in those small spaces, they had workshops, barns, garages, summer kitchens, outbuildings.

I think small works if you have a really urban lifestyle--you want to live like a New Yorker or a European, doing your celebrations at restaurants, walking to museums, etc for entertainment, having a community garden plot.  We just found that when we lived in our in-theory-really-desirable urban condo that we got bored...we are creative people with lots of hobbies who love camping and outdoor activities.  We minimalized so much that we edited out our passions. :(  So even when I think about downsizing, I have to remind myself that I want food storage, food processing space (for canning, etc), workshop space, storage for gardening supplies, the canoe, the bicycles, etc.  When we bought our house, it was also important to me that we had space for family to come and stay.  That space does get used a lot, but I would do without it.

These are personal decisions, of course, but I think there is such a thing as too minimal..although I reserve the right to change my mind! :)

[MrsPete]

The big cost comes in when you need a water well and septic tank, if you go out on a plot of land. That could be offset by building an efficient home. I like the challenge of building a little larger house and make it as efficient as a small one, I think that should be the goal, instead of saving a few bucks on materials just to build a small house.

This is true: Building on "raw land" is more expensive than building in an established suburb.  You didn't mention the cost of permits and driveways, but they are also big costs.  We're looking at building on acreage in the country right now, and we could have bought a pretty nice lot in a good neighborhood for what we're spending to "bring in" water, electric and so forth.  I should point out that we're purposefully building some distance from the road, so that is raising the cost.

I do agree with you that you can build a larger home (and I'm talking moderately large, here, not mansion-sized) by choosing less expensive options:

- A simple rectangle is less expensive than a house with lots of jigs and jogs.
- A simple roof without multiple gables or dormers is less expensive.

Those two things make a world of difference, but there's also the finish level:  Laminate flooring and tile countertops, for example, are significantly less expensive than hardwood or exotics and marble (which is the new thing since granite countertops are "out").  Also, tiny houses frequently include custom-made built-ins, which are expensive.  Having said that, my house is going to be outfitted with some expensive choices, but I never said I was trying to build the cheapest thing possible -- just that I'm aware I'm making a more expensive choice. 

You really can have a larger, simple house for the cost of some of these tiny houses. 

Personally, I think these tiny houses would be great if you were planning a vacation house, but not so great for every day life. 

[NinetyFour]

Here is a link for a company just starting up in my area.

http://rockymountaintinyhouses.com/plans/

He is working on his own plans, but in the meantime, has links to other companys' plans.  Maybe some of them would work for TrulyShashin?

It looks like some of these companies have workshops at various times/places around the country, so that folks can learn how to build these homes.  Cool!

[SondraRose]

We just bought a 568 sq. foot house built in 1950 on a 4000 sq ft lot. 

It has two sheds in the back (one will be torn down soon so we can build a tiny ADU as guest space and for AirBNB.)  We LOVE it!

It's just me, my husband and our dog.

Very energy efficient and walking/biking distance from everything in our small town.

[elainelw]

Tiny houses can be a great way to save on living expenses, but I suggest first researching where you will live. My tiny house is part of http://boneyardstudios.com/, a "showcase" community, where technically we are not permitted to live full time. I would love to see more "showcases" pop up around the country to encourage zoning laws to change, but for now, for an individual, the best bets are to either to live in someone else's backyard or to live in an RV park.

For the first option, check out zoning regs. Some areas allow small "accessory dwelling units" also known as granny flats -- this would be a tiny house on a foundation. Other areas allow backyard camping (good for a tiny house on wheels).  Some areas allow neither. You can still give it a try, as often a town official will leave you be until a neighbor complains.

For the second option, states like FL and AZ are best, as many RV parks in these states allow permanent living. In CA, technically most RV parks only allow you to stay 6 months (although there are ways around this.) If you're going to live in an RV park, it would be best to have your tiny house built by a licensed RV manufacturer, as many parks require this.

If you want to build your own tiny home and live off grid on your own land, best to do it in remote area in a state like NM, which isn't as strict in enforcing zoning issues as CA and the east coast. Before building your own home, I'd suggest starting with a workshop http://tinyhousecommunity.com/workshops.htm . Tiny houses on wheels need to be able to withstand wind and vibration while on the road.

[MKinVA]

http://www.rosschapin.com/Plans/Cottage/BettyCottages/BettyCottages.html

Interesting little guest cottages.

[C. K.]

A husband and wife built their own cabin (400 square feet).

You can see most of their progress and the finished cabin tour here on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npBqmW8LWkY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOis3ayBl1MSyyDveDuPZ8g

You can read about and see pictures of the entire process on his detailed blog: http://littlehouseonthehill.weebly.com/



             

[C. K.]

There are also tons of tiny house videos on Youtube by documentary filmmaker Kirsten Dirksen http://www.youtube.com/user/kirstendirksen?feature=watch

Usually, the homeowner takes you through the space and mentions pros and cons of living in that space, from cabins, to Tumbleweeds, to house boats, to Hobbit houses, to tiny caves carved out of the mountain.

Mrs. Dirksen cobbles together many of them into one video called We, the Tiny House People: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDcVrVA4bSQ

[meadow lark]

Before investing a lot of time and money into something like this I would try living in an RV for a little while.  I did it for 8 months - 26' class A.  Two adults, an 11yo, and a medium sized dog.  Realized what I needed to really be happy in a space that we didn't have in that RV- a comfortable queen sized bed, a good place to play on the internet.  Other than that I absolutely loved it.
  We just moved into a 1000 sq ft and it is perfect for the three of us + 3 medium-large dogs.

[CryingInThePool]

I'm with KatieSSS - partial to the 'larger' tiny houses.  This will be a long term investment for me which means anything so small that the bed  is lofted is out for accessibility reasons.  I want a small house that will allow me to age in place.  Right now I'm focused on www.fabcab.com.   I've been obsessed with their Original TimberCab design since I saw it at a homeshow years ago.  Though I'm trying to facepunch myself into the new more affordable, but less cute, ModCab.

I already have the land (putting in the side lot of my rental house) but the timing is where I'm stuck.  Financially I'd like to build before I leave my job as I would feel more secure about the early retirement without that big expense in my future. However that's in conflict for my desire to spend the first few years traveling and exploring overseas seasonal living - so an empty brand new place (unrentable per local law) seems like a waste.

[Retireme32]

Perhaps your SO would be 100% on board if she knew she were committing to the idea of a tiny home with her  HUSBAND instead of her SO.  think on it.  :) 

[Mr.Macinstache]

I'm with KatieSSS - partial to the 'larger' tiny houses.  This will be a long term investment for me which means anything so small that the bed  is lofted is out for accessibility reasons.  I want a small house that will allow me to age in place.  Right now I'm focused on www.fabcab.com.   I've been obsessed with their Original TimberCab design since I saw it at a homeshow years ago.  Though I'm trying to facepunch myself into the new more affordable, but less cute, ModCab.

I already have the land (putting in the side lot of my rental house) but the timing is where I'm stuck.  Financially I'd like to build before I leave my job as I would feel more secure about the early retirement without that big expense in my future. However that's in conflict for my desire to spend the first few years traveling and exploring overseas seasonal living - so an empty brand new place (unrentable per local law) seems like a waste.

The larger ModCab is pretty sweet!