Tiny houses... practically speaking, what do you need?

[catherine]

I'm a huge fan of the tiny house movement and I've threatened my kids that if I can ever break loose of my suburban home, they're likely to find me in a tiny home parked in their back yard.

But as adorable as all of these houses are, I'm thinking when they're cluttered, they must be a nightmare to live in. Tiny home turned shanty.

So, what do you think is the MINIMUM you would need in order to be able to live in a tiny home? (We haven't seen fawn in a while, but her 100 item list would come in handy here).

I'm thinking:

1) computer
2) 2 saucepans
3) 1 skillet
4) 1French knife
5) 1 paring knife
6) four piece place setting
7) set of utensils for 4 (or you could do the Scott and Helen nearing thing of having 1 bowl and 1 pair of chopsticks per person
8) 5 outfits
9) 3 pair of shoes
10) one set of bedding (rewash sheets weekly)
11) favorite books: max 25, rest on e-reader
12) vinegar & baking soda & six microfiber cloths for cleaning
13) small vacuum or broom
14) One small basket of toiletries. One "all purpose" shampoo.
15) Two sets of towels, washed weekly
16) Seven washclothes, washed weekly
17) one drawer of office supplies--staples, rubber bands,
18) technology accessories: chargers, earbuds
19) one small basket of jewelry/scarves
20) one handbag
21) seven sets of undies/socks
22) food as necessary and as can fit--in nicely laid out mason jars.

I do think my dream would be a real challenge.

What would you HAVE to have if you lived in a tiny home?

[Tammy]

Your list, modified as follows:

What I would not include ----

No computer - use smart phone instead

One skillet with 2 inch sides is enough for me

No scarves or extra jewelry - I only need the earrings I'm wearing

2 pairs shoes is enough - tennis shoes and sandals

No books unless I'm currently reading it - I usually read on my phone

No carpet- so no vacuum. I would have a swifter only

Then I would add the following:

Small bag of medication and first aid stuff

Folding bike

Accordion file for important papers that are not electronic

Fan

One box of photo albums and a few keepsakes from before the days of digital everything

Very small toolbox

[Gardenarian]

My cabin is pretty much a tiny house, and I have little more than the items listed.
Some extras that come in pretty handy:
Assorted kitchen tools and small appliances, such as a toaster, manual can opener, coffee maker, electric kettle, corkscrew, colander/strainer.
Sewing/mending: assorted thread, scissors, needles, pins.
Garden supplies: pruners, shovel, rake, gloves, watering can/hose. (I often bring my weed whacker from home - need to keep those blackberries down.)
Basic tools (I usually bring these from my home rather than having a duplicate set) hammer, nails and screws, pliers, screwdriver, electric drill, saw.
Other: flashlight, candles, matches, playing cards, writing/drawing paper.
I keep an assortment of field guides handy (picked up at library sales) but most of my books are checked out from the library.
Comfortable area to sit outdoors (this could be a deck or patch of lawn or a slab with a couple of lawn chairs.)
Also, a yoga mat.
Swimming gear and a sun hat.

If I lived there full time I would need the things Tammy listed.

Also, I have a washer and dryer, apartment sized fridge, stove, microwave oven.

As for furniture, I'm a big fan of the traditional Japanese style of living, and would love to have a low table and floor pillows rather than the traditional dining/living room furniture. As I'm renting it out on AirBnB, I need to have more conventional furniture.

[awakenedsoul]

I live in a 567 square foot home. I just have what I need. I cook a lot, so I have a full Le Cruiset set of pots and pans. My mom gave them to me for my birthday many years ago. My fridge is the studio model of the Big Chill. I have a loveset instead of a couch, and my furniture is small. It's all antiques. They were made for smaller homes. I'm happy as long as I have my knitting, my dogs, my music, and a notebook for writing. The closet is small, and I have plenty to wear. I guess everyone's different. I don't like clutter, so I keep things put away, and recycle and toss things daily.

Sorry I didn't make a list, but it seemed like it would be too long and too much work! I'm kind of lazy today...

[Spartana]

.

But as adorable as all of these houses are, I'm thinking when they're cluttered, they must be a nightmare to live in. Tiny home turned shanty.

So, what do you think is the MINIMUM you would need in order to be able to live in a tiny home? (We haven't seen fawn in a while, but her 100 item list would come in handy here).

Well I can't top Fawn (although I keep trying!) but as a single kidless minimalist I don't own much. So what I need (and what I actually have) is this:

1 saucepan
1 pot
2 of each: dishes (plates, bowls, mugs), glasses and utensils
1 cutting board
1 good knife, big spoon and fork
1 pot holder
5 dish towels
no books
no knick-knacks
a few photos in frames
some basic clothes and shoes (mostly varied tennis shoes)
a few wash clothes and towels
basic bedding with only one of everything (just wash weekly)
some basic camping stuff that is usually stored in my truck
2 bicycles (mountain and road)
a bike trailer (folds small)
some various sport equiptment (would get rid of most of it)
and...well you get the point. Not much! So living in a small place would be very doable for me with almost no clutter. As it is, almost all my cabinets and closets are empty (packrat sister is in the process of moving to her own place), and if I wanted to keep larger things (bikes, sports stuff, camping gear) I'd probably get a small shed for that if needed.

[happystuff]

I love the lists! I haven't thought of specifics, but this thread really gives me stuff to think about. I know that I have a ton of personal decluttering to still do.

[gail_d]

Fawn posts at her blog, Single Mom Enough (http://singlemomenough.wordpress.com/), and she has shared her minimalist kitchen equipment at this link (http://singlemomenough.wordpress.com/2014/01/27/minimalist-kitchen-equipment/).

[gail_d]

And you can access all of her 100 things posts on the right side of her main page.

[catherine]

Thank you, gail_d!

[Spartana]

One thing I wonder, is how much living space do people want, and how much stuff do people own, solely for the belief that someday they will need it....maybe? Or because someday they will entertain lots of people....maybe? Or the kids/grandkids/in-laws will move in...maybe? Or that they need a library, workout room, TV room, breakfast room, den, study room, sewing room, workshop, etc... when they often just do all that in the living room or dining room. I see friends with grand ideas for their living spaces and stuff who never actually use any of it...ever!

[gadder]

Great question, but really it needs to be broken down into end-games questions.

1. What do I think need for survival?
2. What do I want for thriving OK?
3. What would be some luxuries?
4. What might come in handy someday?

The OP, I think, meant #2.

I love the simplicity, the theoretical beauty of Zen-inspired Japanese minimalist home decor, but where do you put all the daily clutter and accumulated sh-t, and is it practical? Seems like more of an Interior-Design mag dream.

Me, I am a Scavenger. I see my current microwave works fine, but there's one outside on the sidewalk too - maybe I will pick that one up for later (Just need the room though).

Perhaps the distinction is mindless bad un-essential clutter versus good redundancy in essentials?

[Spartana]

Me, I am a Scavenger. I see my current microwave works fine, but there's one outside on the sidewalk too - maybe I will pick that one up for later (Just need the room though).

Perhaps the distinction is mindless bad un-essential clutter versus good redundancy in essentials?Ha Ha - I'm the anti-scavenger. If I have more than one of something I give it away (donate). I don't like clutter so that's a big motivator to not getting or keeping "extras" of things I have one of already, or for not getting things I don't use. Secondly I always think that if I donate something I don't use and am just storing (hoarding??) then someone who actually needs that thing will get to have it and use it. I always figure if something breaks, I can go to the store (or thrift store) and get a replacement at that time. For me it seems easier and much less of a hassle to do that then to store something I may never need for years (decades, eons, eternity!). But I understand the scavenger mind-set since my sister is a scavenger and can't pass up anything - whether she needs it or not. She has tons of stuff that she has found or bought cheaply in storage at the house for "some day" and "just in case". From my perspective it has been a huge weight tying her down and requiring her to have a larger living/storage space that she doesn't really need otherwise (as a single childless person). But from her perspective they are much loved and enjoyed things that she just wants to keep for "some day".

[gadder]

Thank you Spartana for the responses.


I'm the anti-scavenger. If I have more than one of something I give it away (donate).

I envy your faith in the future. I give too, once need and redundancy is satisfied.


Someone else can always use what I might hoard.

Yes. I try to give as much as I take, because I know there are others who need this stuff more than I do. I do not want excess, just enough and a back-up. Thing is, in an urban setting, there's several good microwaves a year thrown out , so scarcity of garbage is not an issue (food aside). Cutlery and dishes? I have loads, and when I find new stuff, I either upgrade or leave it or re-direct to needy causes.

I think the the Scavenger mindset is not the same as the mindless Hoarder's, with 10 years worth of newspapers on the balcony. It has to be conscious, deliberate, an asset to life, almost an investment to the future. A 2nd microwave is such; a 3rd kept microwave is not (instead, replace the worse with the better), a 4th is mental health issue.

Maybe your sister can open up a 2nd hand shop (yeah. not gonna happen)

Anyways, this may be off-topic of the ideal tiny house contents. It is just the practicalities that got me going....

[Spartana]

I was just joking about a scavenger being a hoarder. I really think scavenging is great - especially when I see all the great useful stuff people just throw out. And I think most people have great control over their scavenging and take just the items they would find useful in their lives. I'm a minimalist who gets a real high when getting rid of stuff ( to quote Mel Gibson "freedommmm") and feel bogged down by owning a lot of stuff - even stuff I use. I try to find multiple uses for just about everything so that I can only own one of something. For instance last night I made those package cinnamon rolls but didn't have a cookie sheet thing to put them on to bake. No problem. I just took my skillet and put them in that and baked them. They came out perfect! So I realized I don' need no stinky cookie sheet after all :-)!

[jp1]

As long as I live with SO a tiny house would be out of the question because of the clutter factor. I've always been a "place for every thing and every thing in its place" kind of guy, but SO is a "any flat surface is a great spot to put this" kind of guy. I have enough difficulty spending time in a hotel room with him because his stuff somehow magically explodes out of his bags all over the room within 3 minutes after we've arrived. Living in a small space permanently would push me over the edge in a matter of days.

If I were single I think the OP's list would work pretty well for me except that I'm a guy so I don't need the jewelry/scarves and I'd swap out the handbag for my backpack that I carry everywhere. I'd also want 2 weeks of undies/socks, no washcloths and only one bath towel, washed bi-weekly.

I travel a lot for work, and also a fair amount for fun, and have learned that I can fit all the clothes I need in my rolly bag suitcase, and all of everything else I need (book, phone, ipad, computer (although now that there's powerpoint for iPad I doubt I'll ever take the computer anywhere again), sunglasses, umbrella, etc) in my backpack. I could probably walk away from everything in our apartment as long as I could take those two pieces of luggage, packed, and as long as I had a way of cooking would be perfectly content for an indefinite period of time.

[Spartana]

My ex-hubby was also a cluttery kind of guy and we lived for awhile on a 29 foot sailboat. It was pretty fun but his clutter (and general packrattiness) became too much for it to be a long term thing. We did put stuf in a storage unit but he was a tinkerer and sports guy (did lots of equipment intensive activities) so always had tons of things laying around all over the place. Kind of drove me nuts. Eventually got a house.

[TxZen]

I shall work on my list and post later. I love threads like this!!!