How small is too small?

[ToomuchStuff]

I drive by a house often enough, that makes me laugh a bit. It is small and one would say cute, while across the street from it is one connected to the family Frank James married into (one of the original homes in this area, from when a farm). I finally got the address and looked it up, and it was listed as a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 386 square feet (makes me wonder if it has a kitchen). No, this was never a garage, but it was always a home. (last one I knew this size, was a garage, over by my sisters, years ago).

[iris lilies]

I drive by a house often enough, that makes me laugh a bit. It is small and one would say cute, while across the street from it is one connected to the family Frank James married into (one of the original homes in this area, from when a farm). I finally got the address and looked it up, and it was listed as a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 386 square feet (makes me wonder if it has a kitchen). No, this was never a garage, but it was always a home. (last one I knew this size, was a garage, over by my sisters, years ago).

the James Gang? cool.

Anyway, that's a pretty small house. It would work for 1 person as long as outbuilding existed to hold stored junk and tools and garden equipment.

To get back to the James boys: did you ever see that film "The Killing of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford?" I loved that film! It's a drama set in Missouri, of course, on Frank Jame's homestead and it show the gang in the last days of their power. It's beautiful in that much of it takes place in the winter and it perfectly captures a cold, Missouri winter.

[catherine]

I tried to figure out the square footage of the little cottage I lived in for several weeks, and I tried to be generous with my estimate and I really think it was smaller than the house you describe. I think the whole footprint couldn't have been bigger than 24 x 12, and there were no hallways. You walked into the living area and could go straight into the galley kitchen or right into the bedroom, which was almost completely wall-to-wall queen size bed.

I was very, very comfortable in it. Granted I didn't have all my stuff, but I had enough. And I never lacked anything. In fact I loved it. Cleaning and keeping the place tidy was really easy, with so few steps to get around.

There are two little tiny houses on a main street through a town near me and I always have my eye on them. They're on a canal, and they're so cute. They are probably not more than 150 sq.ft. I don't think DH and I could both live in a house that small, but if I were ever single, I'd definitely consider it.

[ToomuchStuff]

Never saw it. I grew up around here an until they sold many years back (older and medical issues), I lived by one of the family of the ones Frank married into, this was their farmland. I haven't looked in years, but when it was still considered private land (in a park), I was shown his grave before they took the marker away. There was two conversations going on about it, weather to put something else, or leave it gone (vandals and such)
I've wondered the price and Zillowed it (may not be accurate), and it was about half of the 2000+ square foot farm home.

[Spartana]

Funny I was just looking at some small cabins up in my old 'hood in the mountains and one was 216 sf. It was a studio cabin but had a full kitchen and bathroom and was on a 4000 sf lot. Lots of places like that up there (Big Bear Lake, Ca) for sale and rent. Many very cute and cozy but highly livable places for one or 2 people (extra snuggly for 2). Of course there are giant mansions up there too (often next to the tiny cabins) because it's a playground for many rich and famous people from SoCal.

For me I like small and would chose that over big anytime. I'm a minimalist so wouldn't even need the outbuilding for storage. Ex-DH and I lived on a 28 ft sail boat (which is VERY tiny) so even 216 SF would seem big. I'll be selling house this winter/spring and not planning to buy again anytime soon, but when I do it'll be a small house or condo. Would like to keep it under 500sf.

[SteveinMN]

I did fine in an efficiency apartment for a couple of years; it was under 500 square feet. There was a storage locker in the basement, though, for the off-season stuff and I did stow some larger pieces of furniture with friends because I knew the arrangement was not permanent. But it was plenty of room for me. I think it's all what you get used to: after a trip to Japan several years ago, coming back to the United States was an object lesson in how big everything is here.

[larknm]

No storage here either, in our 600 sf house in town (we live in 300 sf of it in the winter) or our 400 sf cabin in the mountains (that includes a battery room for the solar modules). This is two of us and 4 dogs and a parrot. We could live in smaller happily.

[awakenedsoul]

My cottage is 567 square feet. It's perfect. The lot is 7,400 square feet. I rented apartments before buying this, so I was used to living simply. Mine has a chicken coop in the backyard, as well as an old shed that I use for storage. It's mostly for garden tools and paint.

I live very happily in this size space. It's less maintenance, easy to clean, and keeps me from shopping!

[Alan]

How small is too small? My 28ft motorhome has roughly 250sq ft of usable space when all three slides are out. That's fine for a couple of weeks but really begins to feel cramped for anything longer, so that's my answer, 250 sq ft is too small.

[kib]

That caught a chord with me, awakened soul, because I think the outside space is important. Before moving to AZ I lived in two small upper story condos, and while I like being up high looking out, it felt safe and extremely comfortable, I eventually wound up buying a piece of land as well. I discovered I need private space, I like the idea of outdoor projects. I don't need a lot of heated/cooled pretty clean space though, a 12*14 room I could eat, sleep, sit, cook and bathe in would be plenty. My property in Bisbee was 2000 square feet - I mean the total property, not the house - and I found myself constantly annoyed by the lack of options. Nope, no place for water tanks. Nope, no good solar access unless I want to cut down The Tree. Nope, no good place for a chicken coop and so on. So really, I'd say for me if I were alone, I'd want half an acre of partially wooded land, and a big old workshop / garage with a darling 400 sq. apartment with a balcony overhead.

[ApatheticNoMore]

You'll notice all the pictures of tiny houses always show windows to the outside and it's always a glorious sunny day out, the plants are green the sun shines (never even mind if the house is located where it rains 2/3s of the year or something - the showing beautiful days outside for tiny houses thing isn't limited to San Diego or somewhere it might make sense). And I just look at the pictures and roll my eyes.

I mean a glorious day where the back porch is a second room and the garden a 3rd is one thing, but if it's cold and dark and stormy outside, how soon until claustrophobia sets in? They sell such a fantasy.

[Mary B.]

We built a 400 square foot house a number of years ago. We loved it, but the finances of living where it was didn't work out for us. We rented it, then sold it to a couple who have lived in it ever since -- for about 8 years now.

They do find it small, and would like to expand it, but still -- eight years.

We (DH and I) also lived for about eight months in a 200 square foot apartment. It was in Asia, where spaces are generally considerably smaller. We did not have a lot of room, obviously, but enough space for a bed, clothes storage, table (no chairs, we sat on the floor) and kitchenette. Bathroom was separate, but included in the 200 sq ft. What made that work for us was that we didn't have a lot of stuff -- we were working temporarily in the country and happily kept things minimal. Living in that space made the 400 sq ft seem pretty luxurious.

[kib]

Yes, I agree with that, ANM. My upstate 10*14 "woodshed house" was depressing and oppressive - cold and dark - when the weather wasn't decent. But my 400 sq. condo wasn't, thanks to modernities like heat and pleasing lights and warm soft white things and, although I can't explain why, being up 15 feet in the air ... it was like the wet/dark was out there, and I was warm and safe inside the light. I'd definitely want that coziness in a small space. - The RV didn't work well for the same reason, small narrow dark space on a rainy day = incredibly dreary, and I think it would have been just the same even if it was an adorable little lofted chalet on wheels.

[jp1]

My 250 sq foot apartment in NYC was fine for me when I was single. I lived there happily for 12 years. It didn't have any outdoor space but I spent lots of time out and about enjoying Manhattan, so with the exception of the 1 1/2 weeks that I was dead sick with chicken pox, I never spent day after day cooped up in it. 386 feet would be plenty for me, especially if it has outside space that can be used for a decent chunk of the year. The trick would be making sure that I had appropriately sized furniture and just what I needed so it didn't feel cluttered. But there's no way I could live somewhere that small with SO. We both have different free time activities so I need a seperate space where I'm not bombarded constantly with noise from his tv. A place that small would only work for us if there was an outbuilding that I could use as 'my' space. Nothing fancy, maybe 100 or 120 sq feet for the outbuilding would be plenty. All I'd need in it would be a couch for reading books and computer desk. And there'd need to be cell service in the area so I could text him to ask him to bring me a glass of wine from time to time... :-)

[razz]

Before buying my new house, I investigated a smaller unit of a freehold complex that going to be built. I decided that I need space for the long haul but enjoy a small room with small galley kitchen with limited amenities, small sitting area, mini bathroom and a comfy bed for a few weeks at a time. DH and I did that at an efficiency motel room for a few weeks and loved the coziness of it all and talked of doing it more often. We were content to get back to more space when the time came though.

[JaneV2.0]

I could probably live in a small space if I had a giant studio/garage/outbuilding. I've enjoyed a long stay in a hotel, after all. In general, though, I'd say 800 sq. ft. or so (with a garage) is my minimum, and that's stretching it (or shrinking it, more precisely).

[oldhat]

I would say this (http://vimeo.com/38551849) is too small.

[kib]

Funny. I've always been fascinated with the idea of a shelter a "street" person could get away with and still feel human. That's not it!

[JaneV2.0]

Hahaha! Right on target.

[Packy]

the James Gang? cool.

Anyway, that's a pretty small house. It would work for 1 person as long as outbuilding existed to hold stored junk and tools and garden equipment.

To get back to the James boys: did you ever see that film "The Killing of Jessie James by the Coward Robert Ford?" I loved that film! It's a drama set in Missouri, of course, on Frank Jame's homestead and it show the gang in the last days of their power. It's beautiful in that much of it takes place in the winter and it perfectly captures a cold, Missouri winter.Well, since someone strayed off-topic onto the subject of houses-connected-with-infamy, there are a couple of other places in NW Mo you could look at. In St. Joe, there is the house that was once owned by Bonnie Heady, who kidnapped the young boy in 1953 & was gassed at the pen just 81 days after, along with her accomplice. Then, just a few miles away, there is the village of Skidmore, where in 1981, town bully Ken McElroy was ambushed in broad daylight as he left the tavern. In the same tiny town there is a tiny house where a young woman was strangled, and her baby(I'll spare you the gory details)kidnapped in oh--2004. All very widely publicized incidents. But please--don't think I am glorifying any of the individuals connected with these crimes. Just so you'll know.

[Gregg]

Our new digs are right at 800 sq.ft. Not sure how much smaller would be comfortable, but we took a lot of care and a lot of time to carve out our 800 sq.ft. space here and it feels luxurious on every level. The kicker is that we have a lot of storage, including an attic and a really big master closet. Full disclosure is that we also have a full, walk-out basement so the house is really 1600 sq.ft., but we don't use that space. Its finished off for DD2 when she's home and for guests. The mechanicals are down there and so is the deep freeze and shelves for canned goods, but we could easily live without that space if it weren't there. Either way its a huge step from the McMansions of the past and the only questions we've asked each other is "what took us so long?"

[Rogar]

I lived in a garage that was converted into an apartment some time ago. At the time it was ok, but I don't think I could do it again. I'd at least like to have some spare room and a second half bathroom for out of town visitors and a decently sized open space with a dining area with enough space for company. My current house is about 1400 sq ft and I could probably cut that down to 1000 and still be happy, although I'd probably want a storage area of some kind or another. One of those tiny houses might possibly work for me in a warmer climate but not during a long cold winter when going outside is more difficult.

[kib]

One thing that's always tripped me up is "other people". I can design a perfect space for myself, but then I remind myself there are other people in my life and it gets complicated. No, I do NOT want to live in 250 sq. feet and have my mother come to visit for a week, my lord that sounds like a description of Hell. I don't want to have three other people try to wedge into that space for dinner. There is no place to keep extra towels and plates and blankets, and their suitcase and boots and coats and so on. And I'm also a person with a slightly bigger than average personal space need - I much prefer my own armchair to sitting three abreast on the couch.

[catherine]

One thing that's always tripped me up is "other people". I can design a perfect space for myself, but then I remind myself there are other people in my life and it gets complicated. No, I do NOT want to live in 250 sq. feet and have my mother come to visit for a week, my lord that sounds like a description of Hell. I don't want to have three other people try to wedge into that space for dinner. There is no place to keep extra towels and plates and blankets, and their suitcase and boots and coats and so on. And I'm also a person with a slightly bigger than average personal space need - I much prefer my own armchair to sitting three abreast on the couch.

DH and I have always thought that a great set-up for us would be to have maybe 4 tiny houses around a larger community space, like a yurt or something, and each building can be heated only as needed. Our family is a bit large but the separate tiny houses would accommodate the kids, like motel cabins in a way, and then we would all gather in the yurt for singing and playing games and talking and eating.

[Teacher Terry]

WE live in 1400 sq ft now with a one car garage & big shed in the backyard. At one point we lived in a 869 sq ft condo with 1 bathroom and my hubby needed to rent a small storage shed for his tools & equipment. I love having 2 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms so we each have an office & mine also doubles as a guest room. WE downsized when we moved into this house & it's just perfect.

[kib]

DH and I have always thought that a great set-up for us would be to have maybe 4 tiny houses around a larger community space, like a yurt or something, and each building can be heated only as needed. Our family is a bit large but the separate tiny houses would accommodate the kids, like motel cabins in a way, and then we would all gather in the yurt for singing and playing games and talking and eating.It's what's always appealed to me about some intentional community models: a personal space that's me-sized (or me-and-he-sized) for anyone who wants it, and then shared spaces and things, including spaces like guest space. (Funny though, when I had the RV and a house as well, none of my guests wanted their own private suite with kitchenette and bathroom, they all preferred to crash on the couch.)

[Gregg]

In our world the detached quarters for the occasional larger groups of guests have a name. Embassy Suites.