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Living in small spaces
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192sq ft Mini Mobile Cottage (Mega Mansion)
I was living happily on my 30ft sailboat, in Olympia on Puget Sound (a wonderfully awesome place). I was told by my employer to relocation to Portland, OR. I did not want to move the boat but I needed a place to live that acknowledged my somewhat transient lifestyle. I Craiglisted a room as a short term answer to my housing challenge. As I searched the web and contemplated what to do, I came across the Tiny House movement. I was intrigued. I spent a year collecting pictures and making plans and in the fall of 2010 took the plunge and bought a trailer to build my tiny house on.
January 2011 created a blog to record my journey (http://myminimobilecottagebuildingjourney.blogspot.com/) and proceeded to acquire the things I would need to build My Mini Mobile Cottage. While I have been living on and off boats for the last 20 years, I am not, repeat not a carpenter. Last thing I built out of wood was a bird house in 8th grade. But, I did know 12 volt electrical work, some things about 110 and well, water flows down hill so that should cover the plumbing. I just need some advice on wood frame construction.
Well that came from a buddy I knew at the marina. Once I caught the vision and had the self belief I was going to do this, then the forces of the universe came together and things began to happen. I found a great source for wood, found just the right windows (new) on Craigslist for a song, my friend stepped up and said I could use his pole barn to work through the winter, he had built houses and would work alongside me helping every step of the way, things just started coming together. It took a year of weekends (maybe a little longer) but I now live in an awesome mobile cottage of 192sq ft.
When you realize I was living on my 30ft sailboat that is 80sq ft if you count the back deck then you know why I would consider my Cottage a huge living space. It is probably more then I need but I love it. While I am not an “eco-crazy” I certainly understand individual reliance, not being in debt, and sustainability. I designed my home to be just that.
One of the great things about living in the Pacific NW is there is no need to fret about water. I catch all my rain water and use it for showers and dishwashing. I get 151 gallons for every inch of rain (my next project is to get a larger tank as mine is only 205 gallons). I waste way too much water out my overflow! I also have 750 watts worth of solar panels and 400 amp hours of batteries and really pull very little off the grid. I use only LED’s light bulbs and my power draw is minimal. My instant on Propane hot water heater let’s me have a warm shower in the morning and I have both electric and propane heat to keep me warm. When you add in my closed cell foam insulation, I have the perfect place to live, wherever I am located.
It was an awesome project and I really enjoy the community that I have become a part of. Living in Portland, Oregon there is a strong contingent of like minded tiny house folks to share and draw from. There is a wealth of information on the web for anyone wanting to change their life (for whatever reason) to a simpler lifestyle, come join the happy crowd.
January 2011 created a blog to record my journey (http://myminimobilecottagebuildingjourney.blogspot.com/) and proceeded to acquire the things I would need to build My Mini Mobile Cottage. While I have been living on and off boats for the last 20 years, I am not, repeat not a carpenter. Last thing I built out of wood was a bird house in 8th grade. But, I did know 12 volt electrical work, some things about 110 and well, water flows down hill so that should cover the plumbing. I just need some advice on wood frame construction.
Well that came from a buddy I knew at the marina. Once I caught the vision and had the self belief I was going to do this, then the forces of the universe came together and things began to happen. I found a great source for wood, found just the right windows (new) on Craigslist for a song, my friend stepped up and said I could use his pole barn to work through the winter, he had built houses and would work alongside me helping every step of the way, things just started coming together. It took a year of weekends (maybe a little longer) but I now live in an awesome mobile cottage of 192sq ft.
When you realize I was living on my 30ft sailboat that is 80sq ft if you count the back deck then you know why I would consider my Cottage a huge living space. It is probably more then I need but I love it. While I am not an “eco-crazy” I certainly understand individual reliance, not being in debt, and sustainability. I designed my home to be just that.
One of the great things about living in the Pacific NW is there is no need to fret about water. I catch all my rain water and use it for showers and dishwashing. I get 151 gallons for every inch of rain (my next project is to get a larger tank as mine is only 205 gallons). I waste way too much water out my overflow! I also have 750 watts worth of solar panels and 400 amp hours of batteries and really pull very little off the grid. I use only LED’s light bulbs and my power draw is minimal. My instant on Propane hot water heater let’s me have a warm shower in the morning and I have both electric and propane heat to keep me warm. When you add in my closed cell foam insulation, I have the perfect place to live, wherever I am located.
It was an awesome project and I really enjoy the community that I have become a part of. Living in Portland, Oregon there is a strong contingent of like minded tiny house folks to share and draw from. There is a wealth of information on the web for anyone wanting to change their life (for whatever reason) to a simpler lifestyle, come join the happy crowd.
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