I read a great Penny Hoarder article some years back about living in a trailer. I would love to see more articles, especially now, about non traditional homes and people successfully living in them-like trailers, van dwellers, small shed dwellers, etc. I am eager for creative types to start thinking outside the box in terms of what is or is not possible for long term residential dwelling. Thanks
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I’ve been looking at other options for a few years now. Been to RV shows, follow things online. I am trying to buy a mobile home. I want some yard and space. Rent for apartments is ridiculous. So I plan on saving enough to buy a used home then all I have is lot rent and utilities. Unless I can find a home on private land but most of those are in rural areas where there are no jobs. Unless you want to live in an RV or Van. That’s is a whole another thing.
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I am single, and if still single in retirement age, I like the idea of an active seniors tiny home community.
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I’ve been researching van conversions & traveling as a single woman. Tons of YouTube videos that has helped with fears & insecurities. I really hope I follow through depending on the state of the country. I want to take two years & travel the USA & Canada. My goal date is 6-9 yrs from now. I do plan on keeping my modest paid of home (in 2 years) just for security.
It’s been fun researching container homes, too
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I think it’s a great idea . You automatically own it, don’t have to pay mortgage , and no one to tell you how your yard is supposed to look . Etc . Plus you have freedom!
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I am purchasing 15 acres and planting a small vineyard. In order to afford the land and supplies for the vineyard I lived in a 26’ fifth wheel camper with 2 dogs for two years full time. I commuted one hour each way to my full time job. I still have the camper on the land to stay in overnight when working on the vineyard. I plan to refurbish the camper as a cottage for short term rental once I build my permanent home. I loved living there and still love staying overnight there whenever possible.
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I’m looking at options for living within a shout of my son’s house without actually being on-prem. A tiny home is a possibility as long as it isn’t TOO tiny. A granny flat attached to the main house also is a possibility, as long as both units are sound-proofed and private, with no shared kitchen/bath. Housing is outrageously expensive, and I need a little more help than I used to re: shopping and such, and I’d prefer paying “rent” to my family members as opposed to the over-priced active senior complex where I live now.
I would love to live in a smaller home than I have now. Since I’m married, the decision is not entirely mine to make. A tiny home seems too extreme for me, I’d like a little more space than that but a trailer wouldn’t be too bad, but it would depend on where it is. A lot of people in Florida have trailers but when a hurricane hits, you are very vulnerable.
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I think living in a tiny home if it was a great layout would be great for me for retirement… especially if I could pay it off… Goals!!! I think it is so doable
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Freedom to stay where you want is glorious. Whether the choice to live off grid or in a traditional setting they both come with a price tag and inconveniences. For me it has always been a matter of which inconveniences are less troublesome to deal with. I have lived in a VW bus, a dune shack by the sea a loft over a stable. As a traveler on my journey through life I have made ends meet, and more, as an artist and designer. Living off grid is well suited to my chosen profession. I have learned that not being shackled to a mortgage and all the responsibilities if tradition helps me sleep soundly. I know if you go to the HUD website you will find quite a selection of homes from the eclectic to the traditional. I have found land for sale on the HUD site. HUD offers so much I was quite amazed. I will take off grid to traditional most anytime. Good luck
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I would love to live in a tiny house. I have seen how container homes are made. Converting a bus into a RV sounds appealing since I once lived in one as a child.
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Why do we want to create a framing that it’s a cool thing to live in a van or a tiny house? So wealthy entities can keep policies in place that displace more people, in order for them to add more dollars to their mountain range of money? How about we work to make sure there is affordable decent housing that aligns with average wages, retirement accounts?
I just recently moved out of living in a mobile home (10ft x 50ft). I LOVED IT! I went frugal and picked it up as a handyman special for free; all I had to pay was lot rent and utilities. I did all the work myself (plumbing and some light construction) to save on costs and only ended up paying for supplies. I did this to pay down my student debt and made significant headway because our place was so small that it cost almost nothing in utilities. If I ever had the chance to go back to that I would in a heartbeat. We had a lot of freedom both with our time and financially that was AMAZING!!
To each his or her own, I brought it up because your notion seems idealistic but certainly not reality for some right now. Homelessness is out of this work right now and working class are being priced out of the market as both apartment dwellers and potential home owners. Some people want the security of having something of their own but the mobility that some of the non traditional homes homes provide. If it’s not for you that’s cool too! I’m trying to get a conversation started to see what is truly possible, has already been done successfully, and what might actually serve some in the future.
@firebird posted:
Freedom to stay where you want is glorious. Whether the choice to live off grid or in a traditional setting they both come with a price tag and inconveniences. For me it has always been a matter of which inconveniences are less troublesome to deal with. I have lived in a VW bus, a dune shack by the sea a loft over a stable. As a traveler on my journey through life I have made ends meet, and more, as an artist and designer. Living off grid is well suited to my chosen profession. I have learned that not being shackled to a mortgage and all the responsibilities if tradition helps me sleep soundly. I know if you go to the HUD website you will find quite a selection of homes from the eclectic to the traditional. I have found land for sale on the HUD site. HUD offers so much I was quite amazed. I will take off grid to traditional most anytime. Good luck
This is sooo amazing!
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Small cabin, home, yurt, army tent can work if climate OK, plus think creative materials ( check on permits!). Straw bales, rammed earth and Cob all great.
