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Old 07-25-2015, 08:58 PM   #21
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A couple just had a "Tiny House" moved in up here. It is 399 sq ft. They are upsizing from a 5th wheel trailer to the new park model trailer. They also have 4 10x12 "sheds". Each shed is for one of their kids and their family. The little cabins each have a loft and make a nice little personal camping cabin. The whole family gets together once a year for an long weekend. They have a central dining area with several picnic tables under a large pavilion-style dining fly.

The couple lives up here for two or three months during the summer. They are real excited about their new little house. It seems pretty spacious to me!
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Old 07-26-2015, 07:44 AM   #22
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I love tiny houses, too, and agree that the 600 sqft one looks really cool.

We've never lived in a big house, our first was 1100 sqft and current is 1500sqft. We are building a little efficiency of 600 sqft at our place, which will be used by friends and various housesitters.

It is all in what you want to gain by living in less space, is it the "forced" downsizing of stuff? If so, you can test this out in your current place, and see how you feel.

If you are anything like me, every bag of discards gives me greater peace, and empty shelves are very calming. No need for me to go smaller if I can live "smaller" in our current home and there aren't any other significant pressures to downsize.
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Old 07-26-2015, 12:24 PM   #23
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Nice view. I could certainly dig it, but its just me and the dog. Looks a little small for 2 people, but some couples are doing it.

I bought a condo on the AL coast last year. Located on a bay, not the beach. It's a 2/2 and right at 900 sq feet. I love the size and there are several older single people who live there full time. For now, its a 2nd home for me. But may turn out to be my primary residence one day. My MS house is fairly small too, around 1200 sq feet. I doubt I will give it up as I still enjoy visiting friends and like having it for a hurricane retreat.

Here's my dog looking at the sunset over the bay.


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Old 07-26-2015, 01:21 PM   #24
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Here's my dog looking at the sunset over the bay.
That's a lucky dawg with a view, Dawg! 🐶🌅
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Old 07-26-2015, 05:54 PM   #25
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We downsized from 2000 to 1400 which is perfect for us. I would not want to go any smaller.
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Old 07-27-2015, 12:27 AM   #26
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We are down to just over 800sf and it's just about right for us (we moved back to the UK). By the way, I have two of my best friends who have 2 cabins right on the cliff at Big Lagoon. While there has been some cliff erosion in the past, I don't think there has been anything very notable for a long time. I wouldn't want to live there though.....we like the quiet life, but after about a week visiting I've had enough.
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Old 07-27-2015, 12:24 PM   #27
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We once stayed for a week in a timeshare unit which was a park model in Point Arena on the California northern coast, and I think park models are usually only 400 sq.ft. We parked our RV for that week, and the park model was huge compared to the 8' x 25' RV. It was quite comfortable, although if we lived full-time in it, we would quickly start to notice its compactness.

When traveling or renting it for a few months, of course you do not have "stuff" that you would when it's your home. No hobby related tools and supplies, no books, computer equipment, kitchen gadgets, etc... Surely, you can live without the above, but then what would you do all day?
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Old 07-27-2015, 02:14 PM   #28
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My house here in ND is only 860 Square feet. It is easily enough space for me and is cheap to heat (about $50 per month) and is easy to keep clean. Also with property values here in a town of 1500 people it only cost $42,000 when I bought it in 1996.
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Old 07-27-2015, 02:36 PM   #29
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We once stayed for a week in a timeshare unit which was a park model in Point Arena on the California northern coast, and I think park models are usually only 400 sq.ft. We parked our RV for that week, and the park model was huge compared to the 8' x 25' RV. It was quite comfortable, although if we lived full-time in it, we would quickly start to notice its compactness.

When traveling or renting it for a few months, of course you do not have "stuff" that you would when it's your home. No hobby related tools and supplies, no books, computer equipment, kitchen gadgets, etc... Surely, you can live without the above, but then what would you do all day?
In high cost of living areas, it would cost a lot less to downsize and then pay for a storage unit for some of the excess stuff. The retirement village we were looking at has storage lockers plus a lot of on site facilities like sewing, ceramic and woodshop studios, so if we lived there or some place similar, I don't think we'd need as much hobby stuff of our own.

I also have been thinking about how when we were younger we were perfectly happy living in 1 - 2 bedroom apartments and flats, and our dream was never to own piles of depreciating consumer goods that would take us years to declutter. Too bad, because if that had been our life's dream we would have fulfilled it years ago.
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Old 07-27-2015, 02:38 PM   #30
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My house here in ND is only 860 Square feet. It is easily enough space for me and is cheap to heat (about $50 per month) and is easy to keep clean. Also with property values here in a town of 1500 people it only cost $42,000 when I bought it in 1996.
That is an amazing price for a nice house.
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Old 07-27-2015, 06:26 PM   #31
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My house here in ND is only 860 Square feet. It is easily enough space for me and is cheap to heat (about $50 per month) and is easy to keep clean. Also with property values here in a town of 1500 people it only cost $42,000 when I bought it in 1996.
I could live in a 800 sf house too if I had a shed like that in the back yard.

Before we bought our place in FL, we rented a 500 sf condo for a couple of weeks. It was fine for us and a suitcase, but no way I could live in it full time. To each his own, but 1200 sf is probably my minimum. I don't have much stuff, but I do have some. I'd probably have to downsize from a tenor sax to a soprano.
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Old 07-27-2015, 06:27 PM   #32
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I think that in such a remote area, it would be hard to find time apart since you would both be home together most of the time. That would not work for us! I could see living in a small place in the city where one or both are out and about doing things all day.
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Old 07-27-2015, 06:40 PM   #33
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My house here in ND is only 860 Square feet. It is easily enough space for me and is cheap to heat (about $50 per month) and is easy to keep clean. Also with property values here in a town of 1500 people it only cost $42,000 when I bought it in 1996.
What is that huge building in the back of the house?
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Old 07-27-2015, 06:46 PM   #34
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My house here in ND is only 860 Square feet. It is easily enough space for me and is cheap to heat (about $50 per month) and is easy to keep clean. Also with property values here in a town of 1500 people it only cost $42,000 when I bought it in 1996.
An attached garage like that is a HUGE plus in ND or anywhere in the upper midwest. I would be very happy in that house.
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Old 07-27-2015, 06:54 PM   #35
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What is that huge building in the back of the house?
Looks like a grain silo. Probably with a railway next to it.
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Old 07-27-2015, 09:25 PM   #36
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No, it's Nodak's mancave.
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Old 07-27-2015, 09:32 PM   #37
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No, it's Nodak's mancave.
Ha, I bet then the stereo there is one of those wall of sound thingamabobs with 30,000 watts!
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Old 07-27-2015, 09:34 PM   #38
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It is indeed a grain elevator. They buy grain from the farmers and then sell it on. A large amount goes to Duluth Minnesota and is shipped out from there.
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Old 07-27-2015, 10:48 PM   #39
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It is indeed a grain elevator. They buy grain from the farmers and then sell it on. A large amount goes to Duluth Minnesota and is shipped out from there.
Yup. Former Manitoban here. Very familiar landscape. Cute house!
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Old 07-28-2015, 07:49 AM   #40
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Ha, I bet then the stereo there is one of those wall of sound thingamabobs with 30,000 watts!
But does he have the right cables?
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