Author Topic: Alternative to a Tiny House  (Read 13161 times)

Workinghard

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Alternative to a Tiny House
« on: September 01, 2014, 03:20:53 AM »
I heard over the weekend that a patient lives in an air conditioned storage unit. On one hand it's sad, but I also though it was pretty creative and way better than being homeless and living under bridges.

crispy

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2014, 09:27:26 AM »
I had a friend who did that for a while.  He was saving money so he gave up his apartment and put all his stuff in an air-conditioned storage unit.  He worked nights so he would go in and sleep during the day and then shower at friends' houses or wherever. 

Elderwood17

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2014, 12:15:41 PM »
Hmmmm........kind of like "when homelessness meets hyper mustachian ism"?

We used a storage unit for a brief period of time and I noticed there were signs saying no overnight stays were allowed.

Workinghard

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2014, 03:00:22 PM »
Hmmmm........kind of like "when homelessness meets hyper mustachian ism"?

We used a storage unit for a brief period of time and I noticed there were signs saying no overnight stays were allowed.

I kinda figured overnight visits were against the rules. Most places probably have cameras too.

LennStar

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2014, 02:39:52 PM »
Hmmmm........kind of like "when homelessness meets hyper mustachian ism"?

We used a storage unit for a brief period of time and I noticed there were signs saying no overnight stays were allowed.

I kinda figured overnight visits were against the rules. Most places probably have cameras too.
Thats probably why No. 2s friend made day stays and worked the night ;)

Gerard

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2014, 02:43:44 PM »
There are profs in my building who sleep in their offices (like, full time). I've considered it. And I know this guy used to do it, and he's pretty bad-ass:

http://you.ubc.ca/ubc_stories/faculty-carlwieman-science/

oldtoyota

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2014, 03:31:25 PM »
I heard over the weekend that a patient lives in an air conditioned storage unit. On one hand it's sad, but I also though it was pretty creative and way better than being homeless and living under bridges.


A patient? A patient of a hospital? Not sure what you mean.

I have heard about mobile units being used for older people who want to live near a daughter/son caretaker but also want their own space. The units are air conditioned and are similar to mobile homes. They come with a handicapped bathroom and room for a bed and a place to sit. No kitchen facilities in the one I saw.


Workinghard

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #7 on: September 03, 2014, 03:54:56 PM »
I heard over the weekend that a patient lives in an air conditioned storage unit. On one hand it's sad, but I also though it was pretty creative and way better than being homeless and living under bridges.


A patient? A patient of a hospital? Not sure what you mean.

I have heard about mobile units being used for older people who want to live near a daughter/son caretaker but also want their own space. The units are air conditioned and are similar to mobile homes. They come with a handicapped bathroom and room for a bed and a place to sit. No kitchen facilities in the one I saw.

A home health patient that listed the storage unit as his place of residence. The nurse didn't know until she went out there that he was living in a storage unit.

NorCal

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #8 on: September 03, 2014, 10:44:54 PM »
I once lived in a 20ft shipping container (like the ones you see on cargo ships and trucks).  It was set up for living with wood paneling for walls, an AC unit, and a real door.

It was actually pretty comfortable.  Of course, I was in the middle of Iraq, so "comfortable" was a relative term.

Workinghard

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #9 on: September 04, 2014, 03:45:02 AM »
I once lived in a 20ft shipping container (like the ones you see on cargo ships and trucks).  It was set up for living with wood paneling for walls, an AC unit, and a real door.

It was actually pretty comfortable.  Of course, I was in the middle of Iraq, so "comfortable" was a relative term.

Based on your location, I would say anything with AC would be somewhat comfortable! Thank you for serving and the sacrifices you made.

LalsConstant

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #10 on: September 04, 2014, 08:17:42 AM »
I used to work for a self storage business.   If you biked in or had one so large you could park your car in it then it might work otherwise we would see the vehicle daily and know what was up.

What I want to know is how do you lock the unit while inside it?  I had to check each unit's lock every day and if it wasn't locked I would put a lock on it.

Also our municipality required us to cut off power to the unit for 7 days each month.

Roland of Gilead

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2014, 08:42:19 AM »
I am reminded of Snow Crash...

Forcus

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2014, 08:39:00 PM »
I once used my storage unit as my personal restoration shop for cars by day and a place to take (willing!) girls by night. That is all.

deborah

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2014, 03:27:45 AM »
When I was at uni, one graduate student slept under his desk at night in a sleeping bag. Our room also had kitchen facilities (it was originally a house on the uni grounds), so he made noodles in a very small saucepan for his meals. He had a knife and a spoon. Very minimal living. Not sure what he did about his clothes (perhaps there were lockers somewhere).

vern

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2014, 09:45:04 PM »

MrsPete

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #15 on: September 06, 2014, 04:24:46 PM »
While I have no interest in doing this myself, I've wondered if living in a storage building was possible.  I've also wondered about those places that put up signs saying, "Office space $90/week" -- that's pretty cheap housing. 

As for showers, a gym membership would be a cheap way to take care of hygiene needs without imposing on friends. 

viper155

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2014, 10:24:14 AM »


They didn't stagger the seams on that deck..tsk, tsk

Workinghard

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2014, 04:34:56 PM »
While I have no interest in doing this myself, I've wondered if living in a storage building was possible.  I've also wondered about those places that put up signs saying, "Office space $90/week" -- that's pretty cheap housing. 

As for showers, a gym membership would be a cheap way to take care of hygiene needs without imposing on friends.

Haha! Never thought about converting office space to living quarters! The thought is interesting, but doubt my dh would go for it.

Viper155, had to laugh at your comment about the seams.

Joggernot

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #18 on: September 07, 2014, 04:43:25 PM »
At one time in NYC and other cities there was an extreme surplus of warehouse space.  People leased it at $2/ft2 or less and moved in.  Couldn't erect walls, but a warehouse already had restrooms, so open living and portable dividers were used.

Forcus

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2014, 11:07:40 AM »

They didn't stagger the seams on that deck..tsk, tsk

The grass looks fake, my guess is it is a display thats moveable, thus the deck comes up in haulable sections. I like to quibble over details :)

Beric01

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #20 on: September 10, 2014, 11:50:34 AM »
While I have no interest in doing this myself, I've wondered if living in a storage building was possible.  I've also wondered about those places that put up signs saying, "Office space $90/week" -- that's pretty cheap housing. 

As for showers, a gym membership would be a cheap way to take care of hygiene needs without imposing on friends.

I did some research and it looks like the main issue with these types of places isn't that insurance doesn't cover someone living there. Due to liability, they will make every effort to kick you out. I have a shower at work and 24/7 access to the facility, so I could conceivably make this work. But with the risk of getting kicked out, there doesn't seem to be much point.

I'm thinking about switching to renting a room when my studio apartment lease expires early next year. Per Jacob at ERE, that's basically the cheapest. I can't camp somewhere, renting an RV hookup is too expensive in my area, living in a car/RV on the street also has its own issues. I'm 24, single, and unattached, so it's sad there's really no cheaper options to utilize, at least until I FIRE.

Cheddar Stacker

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #21 on: September 10, 2014, 02:05:20 PM »
I stayed overnight with a friend at his private campground a couple months ago. You buy a lot that's basically a campsite and you do virtually whatever you want with it.

The lot I stayed at had a $10,000 shed they converted into a nice little cabin for a few more thousand. They laid linoleum flooring, built a loft with 2 twin beds and some storage, put an A/C unit in the window, and outfitted the joint with electricity, some cooking equipment, shelving, a kitchen table, and a queen bed. So it easily sleeps 4 people and could be a fully functional living quarters for a minimalist.

It was pretty badass. I was inspired.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #22 on: September 10, 2014, 03:04:13 PM »
Apparently Google's perks are so good some employees are now living on campus, which is doubly mustachian given their high salaries and the COL in Silicon Valley. Now I wish my husband worked there instead of some other Large Famous Software Firm. His employer is notoriously cheap when it comes to perks.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2750652/Former-Google-employees-brag-long-lived-work-rent-free-thanks-tech-giant-s-awesome-perks.html


Google must love it. Now the employees NEVER go home.

gimp

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2014, 03:11:09 PM »
Google must love it. Now the employees NEVER go home.

No, absolutely not. A friend of mine had to have a conversation with one of his coworkers there, sort of an intervention: get the fuck out, go home, you need to go to bed. You can't fucking sleep here and live here.

They really, absolutely do not want you at work 24/7. Neither does any other similar company. All this "google wants their employees to never leave" is pretty much fiction I constantly hear repeated by people who have never worked at google and aren't friends with people who work at google.

NoraLenderbee

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #24 on: September 10, 2014, 05:00:49 PM »
Google must love it. Now the employees NEVER go home.

No, absolutely not. A friend of mine had to have a conversation with one of his coworkers there, sort of an intervention: get the fuck out, go home, you need to go to bed. You can't fucking sleep here and live here.

They really, absolutely do not want you at work 24/7. Neither does any other similar company. All this "google wants their employees to never leave" is pretty much fiction I constantly hear repeated by people who have never worked at google and aren't friends with people who work at google.

There definitely are some teams where long, late hours are unofficially required. My source is a friend who works at Google. Her group doesn't have those kind of expectations, but some do.

Tai

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #25 on: September 13, 2014, 08:58:09 AM »
I lived in a container converted to an apartment once as well, not in a war zone though. It was actually pretty decent, kitchen, bathroom, 2 other rooms. No a/c but I had fans and was used to the heat. I've lived in worse, and smaller apartments. I wonder how something that like would work in a cold climate?

oldtoyota

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #26 on: September 14, 2014, 07:10:12 PM »
I heard over the weekend that a patient lives in an air conditioned storage unit. On one hand it's sad, but I also though it was pretty creative and way better than being homeless and living under bridges.


A patient? A patient of a hospital? Not sure what you mean.

I have heard about mobile units being used for older people who want to live near a daughter/son caretaker but also want their own space. The units are air conditioned and are similar to mobile homes. They come with a handicapped bathroom and room for a bed and a place to sit. No kitchen facilities in the one I saw.

A home health patient that listed the storage unit as his place of residence. The nurse didn't know until she went out there that he was living in a storage unit.

Ah. That is really something.

Bob W

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Re: Alternative to a Tiny House
« Reply #27 on: September 16, 2014, 12:47:51 PM »


They didn't stagger the seams on that deck..tsk, tsk

Looks like the deck was built to be portable.   Take it apart and put it in the container when you're moving.