# Families living in very small spaces: need advice! *UPDATED* 7/2/11



## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

DH, DS (18mo) and I are currently living in a rented 4 bedroom ranch style home with a huge field, garage, basement: pretty much the works. We are unhappy with the community in which we are living and are tired of renting and have been contemplating a move back to where we were originally living.

A mortgage is out of the question as we have no credit and heaps of student debt. We've been contemplating building one of these http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/ and buying a piece of land to put it on.

Coincidentally, we were recently approached by a friend who is a potter who is looking to sell his (very, very small) post and beam style studio as well as the 2 acres surrounding and is willing to convert it into a tiny cabin. He's also willing to owner finance on very reasonable terms. The property is situated in a valley between a mountain and a river so it is completely breathtaking and is about 15 minutes away from the crunchy bustling town we love so much. It currently has electricity but no plumbing or heating source. It is one open area with a loft upstairs. It is most defiantly equal to or less than 700 square feet.

SO my questions:

How do you make living in a small space work for you and your family? How small is your small space and how large is your family? Pets? Tips? Pictures?

Any ideas for: tub, heating, stove, refrigeration, storage, sink etc... that would be space saving?

Are we totally crazy for even contemplating this type of move? The reason we moved in the first place was because DH got a job in this community, so it would mean he would have to commute about an hour and a half every day to work, and the winters are VERY harsh here.

The house we are in is very comfortable but there is no real 'community' in the area and we probably won't be in an 'ownership' type of place for a long long time, so that rules out ever buying it.

I feel like this is the type of opportunity we have been waiting for, so why am I totally freaking out!


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

i don't know how big/small our place is. it is a one bedroom apartment. i share it with DH and 2 yr DS with whom we cosleep.

Downsize everything. live minimally. if you were going with a tumbleweed, it's the same deal.









i would recommend a very efficient, small stove for heating (wood burning would probably serve you well), a small kitchen with appliances that suit the space (think a small galley like on an RV). take inspiration from traditional japanese living.







futons that can be put away (even if up in the loft space during the day) are a great idea for sleeping.

anyway, some ideas.


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## hadleys_mom (May 14, 2004)

We live in 900 sq ft. It has 3 tiny bedrooms, a 10 by 10 living area, and a 10x5 kitchen with an attached dining area. We live in the city so we have a small backyard. We're a family of 4 (5 & 6 year old kids) and an inside dog. And we homeschool, so we're home a lot. We moved here 3 years ago from about 2900 sq ft. And I have to say, I love it! If it has high ceilings so that you have the option of creating loft space, if for nothing else than storage, that would be handy. We are really selective about what we bring into the house because we don't really have the space for extra, unneeded crap. Also, you can always expand to create living space outside for the nice months. I would keep in mind though that reselling it may be tough but than again, you have enough land that you could add on. Go for it!


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## kimmom (Sep 7, 2006)

I dont think 700 square feet is that small








We are a family of 6 who has been living in 220 square feet for 2 years while we build our 1000 square foot home.. It is what you make it. We got rid of ALOT of crap and stored only what we really wanted to keep, beautiful kitchen table and wooden kids toys, photos, memorabilia etc
We have 5 acres so our 4 sometimes 5 kids are outside ALL the time! We also built a greenhouse over our 5th wheel that gives us outside living space even int he rain and also covered storage area.
My advice is SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

pictures ya'll. mine are around here somewhere.


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## anniegirl (May 17, 2005)

I think it sounds lovely! I'm confused about your dh's commute though. If you move to this place it means he will have a long commute? I think that would give me more hesitation than the smallness of the home.

We are a family of four and used to live in a 650 sq ft home. It's totally doable. Like others have said the best thing you can do is get rid of stuff, lots and lots of stuff. Keep only what you love and use all the time. The less stuff you have in your small space, the more you will enjoy it.

For heat I would do a wood stove, just be sure to maintain it well. I'm not sure about the plumbing. I wouldn't be too keen on that. I've heard good things about sawdust toilets and I think you can have that indoors. Will you be hauling water? Can you set up a tank?


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## PatienceAndLove (Jan 5, 2008)

I, personally, would want a full size bathroom.
If you make the loft area your sleeping area, and for sleeping/clothes storage only, you can maximize your downstairs living space.
This refrigerator may be an option, as it is tall rather than wide.
Having a kitchen island and a wall of cabinets would give you a nice cooking space and would keep the openness that will make the space seem larger.
Open kitchen shelves will help keep kitchen stuff to a minimum, since things will be open to be seen. Anything that allows you to maximize lower cabinet space is worth the cost, IMHO. Kraftmaid has nice lower cabinet storage, as do Ikea cabinets
Maximizing Small Kitchens


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Hey everyone thank you so much for your replies! Sorry I am so slow getting back, we got married last weekend so everything up until now has been a blur









PatienceAndLove- that fridge is gorgeous! It's out of our price range but I like the idea. Our ceilings are tall so we defiantly want to take advantage of vertical space.

Anniegirl- He has a few potential job opportunities that are (much) less of a commute. I would be really happy if one of them worked out- he works with children with behavioral disabilities, so there are several different routes he can take. I CAN'T wait to start getting rid of 'stuff'!

We are defiantly going to drill a well, but when is the big question. We may have to go w/o for a bit. We have tentatively decided on an electric composting toilet.

Heating: We are thinking of getting a pellet stove- I have a friend who is selling one, so I think we are going to go take a look. Anyone have experience using one?

Next time we are out there I am going to take some pictures and post them...


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## boogiemonster (Jan 7, 2007)

The place sounds adorable, but the commute would be a deal-breaker for me. I'd hate to lose that much time per day with DH.

I hope everything works out for the best for you!

ETA: Sorry, just read your reply. If your DH can get out of the commute, I say go for it! But 3 hours of driving each day (longer in bad weather) sounds pretty grisly.


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

pellet stoves work very well (it's the same heat as wood burning, as it is typically made from wood shavings, etc), and getting a good one used is a great way to both recycle and save money. the composting toilet is an excellent idea (i would check out pathtofreedom.com, as they have a composting toilet and have good insights about various models), and you can do a rain catchment and greywater recycling system probably before drilling a well. it can work nicely.

also, a small, "under cabinet" fridge might also do nicely for you, but it depends upon how you eat (or plan to), how you preserve, and so on. essentially, we have a tiny fridge, but we eat so much fresh (and quickly) that it is hardly full. it may be that we can do without a fridge fairly soon, depending upon a few basic factors.

anyhoot, you might look into living without a fridge (just do a google search), and might just get a small freezer to store things from the summer frozen, as well as a larger pantry space to hold whatever you might can or preserve and keep as dry goods.

just an idea.







saves on power too.


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Wanted to update and add some pictures just incase others had ideas about how to use the space. Here is the FB public link, let me know if it works ok : ) !

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...5&l=e8d0f875b1


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## swd12422 (Nov 9, 2007)

While I don't think I could ever downsize enough to fit my family into that amount of space, the real issue for me would be the commute for DH. 3 hours a day? And probably triple that in bad weather? Nope. I wouldn't ask him to do it, and I wouldn't want him to for my own selfish reasons. Can he work from home at all in this job? If so, that would help, and as far as the amount of space for living, you could still build a tumbleweed on the property and double your square footage.


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## cyncyn (Nov 19, 2004)

Love the pictures! Dh and I lived in a handbuilt 300sqft studio house for 7 years. It was a tiny place on 20 acres of forest right by the city. The weather could be bad in the winter, but normally it was a short commute (either straight up hill or straight down hill lol). We loved it, and only moved when we decided to buy a place.

If you can fix the commute, I would do it! Our place had a very clever design with all the plumbing utilities and storage in one 6 foot square "cube" right in the middle of a long rectangle room. This separated the areas into "rooms" and left a galley kitchen along one side. The counter folded up and down against the wall and the appliances were small. The 2nd side of the cube was a tiny bathroom with shower and a small closet along the hallway. The third side faced the bed area and had more closets. The fourth side was blank and faced the sitting area; we put a futon there. One 14' long wall of the bedroom/kitchen had built-in cupboards with a countertop and my dh built another 14' long desk/counter area in the living room. We had very little actual furniture.

Look at fixtures for boats to find the best space saving designs and fold away counters and such.


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

i think it's going to be awesome.


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## ParisApril (Apr 2, 2006)

It's really nice and you get to outfit it to your taste, perfect!


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## coyotemist (Aug 23, 2007)

It looks like you jumped into it! How wonderful for your family, I'll be you love it!

I really hope you haven't bought a pellet stove, though. They need power to run, if the pellets get wet (read, slightly damp) they are useless (and expensive!), and you can't cook on them!

A good woodstove (even a safe used one) is heat even when the power is out (which happens quite often here in the country, we are about 15 miles from any city, but totally in the country), cordwood can dry out if it gets wet, and will sometimes burn even if it's wet (pine with lots of pitch!), and can often be a cookstove with cast iron pans.

We would not ever own a pellet stove again, it was terrible, we were freezing in the depth of winter, it only heated about 200 square feet of our house, and when the ice pulled the power lines down and there were 2 feet of snow and ice outside we were up a creek. Now we have a fireplace, but I'd love to have a woodstove in our forever home!


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## mouso (Feb 8, 2007)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *coyotemist*
> 
> I really hope you haven't bought a pellet stove, though. They need power to run, if the pellets get wet (read, slightly damp) they are useless (and expensive!), and you can't cook on them!
> 
> A good woodstove (even a safe used one) is heat even when the power is out (which happens quite often here in the country, we are about 15 miles from any city, but totally in the country), cordwood can dry out if it gets wet, and will sometimes burn even if it's wet (pine with lots of pitch!), and can often be a cookstove with cast iron pans.


Yes, I just want to reiterate this point as I was going to post the same. I would never get a pellet stove as my heating source b/c you need electricity. Get a good wood stove.

If where you live in Maine is anything like where I lived in VT you will lose power often as the heavy snow breaks trees which break lines. Our power was always back (well, almost always) in a matter of hours. But they would have been some COLD hours.







As it was we had a wood stove, and our cook stove and wall heat ran off of LP gas- we had 2 80 or 100 gallon tanks. Gravity fed water (which needed a pump for any decent pressure but still ran without it).

When the power went we would set up our rechargeable camping lights (which were always plugged in and charged), had water and cooking on either stove, plus our gas heat still worked, just not the blower. It was awesome!

And your house will be toasty with a fire at 700sq ft. Our house was about 500-600 sq ft and we would walk around in t-shirts in the dead of winter!









The place looks cute- good luck!


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

Congratulations! I was born and raised in rural Maine. It's the best. My parents built a house the year I was four and we went one winter without plumbing and many years without central heat. Here is my feedback on your plan:

1. Awesome!

2. The commute needs to go. Sounds like your DH knows that and is working on it.

3. Compost toilets stink. No, really. No, REALLY. My extended family just bought a top-of-the-line one for our camp, and it's revolting. If you must use one this year, see if you can build a lean-to on the side of the house to put it in.

4. Having power is essentially non-negotiable given the whole isolated darkness thing.

5. In that size house, a standard wood stove will serve your heating needs very well. I would probably choose to have a small wood-fueled cookstove with an oven, and no electric or gas range. But that's a very personal choice - the kinds of food I cook are well suited to a 19th-century stove.

6. Shelving. Shelving. Shelving.

7. I have known people who built a semi-attached "bath house" to solve the issue of a bathroom gobbling up space. It also provided a nice haven when all that family togetherness got a little intense. It was heated with a space heater.


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## althara (Jan 21, 2007)

That sink is just gorgeous! It looks like it's definitely doable. Simplify, declutter ruthlessly, and utilize vertical space for storing the things you do want to keep.


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

I wish I could be quicker with updates! Thank you all so much for the input and ideas!!! Ok so to update-

-We remidied the DH job situation- he has an 'in' at a place that would only require a 30 minute commute and there is a ride share program in the area as many, many people have to commute to get to their workplaces, so this is a plus.

-Pellet stove: Mouso, you REALLY got me thinking about it, we did buy one but only because a friend was selling on and gave us a killer deal on it. But... after thinking (and talking with our new neighbors- the power goes out all.the.time) we resold it and are looking into one of these http://www.jotul.com/en-us/wwwjotulus/Main-menu/Products/Wood/Wood-stoves/Jotul-F-602-CB/

it is tiny and has a cooktop.

Our target date for having this place livable is by next fall. So it would be 4 of us living in 650 sq feet. Is this total insanity? I am trying to convince DH to talk to our friend (who we are owner financing the property/ and who we are paying to do the building we can't do ourselves) to think about extending the life of the project so we can add a bit more on before we move in. DH is VERY against this idea because we are set to start making payments on the property when we move in, he doesn't want to wait any longer to make payments on the property- but there is no way we could afford to make property payments and continue to pay to rent the house we are living in now. Money is tight. Very, very tight. We could eventually add a bit more on, but who knows when that would be.


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## Smithie (Dec 4, 2003)

1. That's an awesome stove.

2. Babies take up just as much room as you let them.

3. That said, if you poured your stress into coming up with ways get $$ into a savings fund for an addition to be added to your home a year or so after you move in, that could only be a good thing.


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## coyotemist (Aug 23, 2007)

You can totally do 4 people in 650 sq ft. You have the woods in the warmer months. Someday you may have to add on, but for now it would be fine.

That cast iron stove is very cute, but maybe you should consider something like

http://www.woodandheat.com/?gclid=CI_Hlau6x6UCFQoBbAod1Bhyag

or

http://www.antiquestoves.com/wood%20cook%20stoves.htm

It sounds like a beautiful life!


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Smithie*
> 
> 3. That said, if you poured your stress into coming up with ways get $$ into a savings fund for an addition to be added to your home a year or so after you move in, that could only be a good thing.


I'm actually stress-pouring at this very moment : ) I've got a tiny baby shoe biz and things have picked up with the holidays coming, so defiantly going to bank it. This is going in a different direction but- It's sometimes frustrating because DH makes a nice living but sadly we've got an astounding amount of student debt that sucks our income dry. Thinking I am going to start substitute teaching as soon as I have the paperwork sorted.


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## mouso (Feb 8, 2007)

I think it is doable. You will be a bit cramped, possibly, but you will work it out. Babies need almost nothing at first!

As for your student debt- if it is student loans through the Gov't you can do Income Based Repayment (IBR) now which is a whole lot more affordable than what they charged before. It is based on a percentage of your income and family size.

My DH is doing it and it has made all the difference!


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## bluebackpacks (Nov 5, 2010)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *zoebird*
> 
> i would recommend a very efficient, small stove for heating (wood burning would probably serve you well), a small kitchen with appliances that suit the space (think a small galley like on an RV). take inspiration from traditional japanese living.


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## emmaegbert (Sep 14, 2004)

we were 4 in 860sf and currently waiting to move into an apt that is somewhere between 550 and 600sf. I think its going to be a challenge in some ways but very doable. In NYC its not necessarily the norm but is not uncommon. Agree with others- simplify. 860sf was big enough that we didn't HAVE to simplify and I felt crushed by our stuff. Was such a relief really to get rid of it. Looking forward to a very streamlined life for a while in the small place. That said I think as the kids get older it might not feel like enough space. You'll have land though so at that point you can expand or build other structures for overflow...


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

I added some new pictures to the FB album I have : ) I tried to upload them here but it isn't letting me

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44400&id=100000124230135&l=e8d0f875b1

The foundation for the basement/addition and greenhouse are complete. The basement has been capped with sub flooring and both are wrapped up until January- we're taking a small break from the project to catch up with other bills.


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## goldenwillow (Jan 5, 2010)

Congrats on your maybe babe and your new nuptials. We were wed in Oct!

I don't think you are crazy one bit. In fact, I am envious!

We lived in our van for quite some time and had a blast before DS was born. We had been trying for a LO, found out we were pregnant and decided we needed to have a house. We rented a cottage to have DS in and had to leave about a year in due to a really bad mold infestation. Now renting a modular home that is way too big for us but affordable (however made of plastic which drives me crazy) and in the country. I long for the smaller space days.

Your family is an inspiration no doubt and is reminding me that it is possible with a LO, thank you!


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## goldenwillow (Jan 5, 2010)

I wanted to ask... do you have a covered outside space planned? In the house we are renting now does not and I find that we are limited on outside time when the weather isn't the greatest. A friend of mine has a small home and her DH built a small covered space for her DS to play. I have a dear friend from Maine and she says the weather is comparable to WA.

Oh... I see... the green house.


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## crazyms (Jan 8, 2010)

700 sq ft has to be at least double what we're in so I'd say it's definitely doable. We're a family of four (5 yo and 3 yo kids) with a 3rd baby due in a few months. We're hoping to buy a new camper before the baby arrives but that will still probably be around 400 sq ft max. My thoughts: Outdoor space is necessary IMO if you're going to live in a small space. We're currently in a 32' camper and have no outdoor space right now. It drives me crazy on the bad weather days because the kids go nuts. No slide outs on this thing are killing me too since there is NO floor space. That's necessary with littles.Organize and downsize. I'm still working on this right now but it's definitely getting better. You'd be surprised what you can live without.


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## goldenwillow (Jan 5, 2010)

I hear you on being surprised with what you can live without. I do see a need for covered outdoor space though for both myself and DS just for a change of pace and some fresh air !Maybe it would help not driving you nuts!


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

We're fortunate to have plenty of outdoor space- We're situated half way up a mountain (so we are currently debating running water/pump house/ or neither) as we are surrounded by natural springs. We are buying 3 acres and our friends own 500 acres of forest right next to us so we are all set for outdoor roaming! I'm really excited for winter as there are miles and miles of xc ski trails and the mountain is perfect for backcountry skiing.

We're going to have chickens and (maybe?) a few goats so we are defiantly going to eventually have a few out buildings, but a covered play area is a beautiful idea!


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## 34me (Oct 2, 2006)

What an awesome piece of property! We are a family of 5 (16, 14 and 12), 2 mostly indoor dogs and one really smelly hockey bag in 960 sq feet. So totally doable.


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## vbactivist (Oct 4, 2006)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *kimmom*
> 
> I dont think 700 square feet is that small
> 
> ...


That sounds so cool! Would you mind to post a pic sometime? when you say greenhouse, do you mean you grow things in there?


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *34me*
> 
> What an awesome piece of property! We are a family of 5 (16, 14 and 12), 2 mostly indoor dogs and one really smelly hockey bag in 960 sq feet. So totally doable.


Hehe this made me laugh : ) When I played sports in high school my Dad made my sports bags ride in the trunk : P


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *vbactivist*
> 
> Quote:
> 
> ...


I agree, a picture would be amazing!


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## kimmom (Sep 7, 2006)

I have to look back for a picture!

There are some way back on our website www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com

Right now we have the ends open on the greenhouse we are parked under cause of venting of the propane heater, fridge etc.. Safer that way with all of us living in here! Once we are in the house we will sell the 5th wheel and be closing it in and will have a HUGE greenhouse! We did grow tomatoes, peas, beans etc in here this summer but this past spring and summer main focus was the house, next year  The greenhouse cover has been so amazing for us, we built a cob bench in there so there is a sitting area also we store our tools, bikes, animal feed etc out under cover too!

We are about a month away from moving into our home, so so so excited! 2.5 years in 220 square feet while we travelled and then settled on our land and built our cob home. I am READY for more space!


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## kimmom (Sep 7, 2006)

Here is the greenhouse cover pic

And also the last pic is of our passive solar cob home we built and will be moving into in the next few months!!


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## homestyle (Nov 22, 2008)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *GreenGranolaMama*
> 
> WWe're situated half way up a mountain (so we are currently debating running water/pump house/ or neither) as we are surrounded by natural springs. We are buying 3 acres and our friends own 500 acres of forest right next to us so we are all set for outdoor roaming!


How completely wonderful! Like a dream come to life. I hope you continue to share how the adventure progresses with us!


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## HeckedyPeg (May 15, 2010)

nak

this is a very cool idea! subbing cos i want to see what happens after the thaw 

what are you going to do for washing/drying of clothes?


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## sunnybear (Nov 18, 2004)

...


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Kimmom- I love your greenhouse!!! We're debating attaching ours to the house or not- our two slabs are separate so DH is afraid of movement because of frost etc... if we attach it directly to the house but attaching and building a window from the house to the greenhouse would allow us to take advantage of passive heat... so we will see... : ) And your new house is completely gorgeous- would love to see more pictures of your progress : ) Congratulations!

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *HeckedyPeg*
> 
> nak
> 
> ...


I really can't wait to get more work done!

I'm thinking we are going to end up getting a free standing claw foot type of tub, so I might be able to hand wash some things and let them air dry, but I'm planning on having to hit the laundry mat in town (like 15 minutes away) once a week or so. REALLY hoping to have DS (21 months) learning how to use the potty before then as that would save me a ton of washing!

So I don't know if anyone else has read this or not, but I am starting to read the Humanure Handbook (the idea being to safely compost our waste but not using it to grow food- so keeping it separate from our food compost pile). We'll probably build something like this http://humanurehandbook.com/store/LOVEABLE-LOO-Eco-Toilet.html

Friends of ours have been living in a yurt off of the grid for 10 years and have been using this method the entire time with no issues. We were thinking about buying an incinerating composting toilet but they are like $2000 and from what I've heard from other folks, don't always work so well.

Has anyone done anything similar? Might ask this in the off the grid forum as well


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## kimmom (Sep 7, 2006)

We have been using the bucket system like in the humanure handbook for a few years now.. In my opinion stay away from the commercial composting toilets, makes something simple too complex and difficult.. In our cob home we tried to pass through a composting toilet but we couldn't without a septic system. So we installed a basic gravity fed septic then plumbed our greywater septic so that it comes out of the house seperately and can either be diverted to the septic or into a greywater system. That way in the future "if" we ever sold our home the new owners could divert back into the septic. We have installed a flush toilet in the house for now but may in the future switch back to the bucket system. But with a big family it is alot of bucket hauling! Our compost piles is usually around 115 F and never smells at all..

Heres a link to our website/blog on our home building, can't remember if I gave it to you before www.canadianfamilyrobinson.com


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

We've made a bit of progress so I thought I would update : ) DH has school break from teaching in mid April so he's going to camp out for the week with some friends and get the addition up, floors down, windows in, insulation in etc... we're also planning a 'work party' for that weekend so our friends and family are going to come out and help! We were gifted some fabulous glass from an old sun room that we are going to use for the greenhouse/ entry way so that was pretty exciting. We were also given a fridge (although it might be too big, so we'll see about that) and are going to check out a sink/counter unit tomorrow. I also found a gift certificate for a local greenhouse that I forgot we had so we're going to get a few apple trees and some grass seed- when the snow melts we are going to have one massive mud pit on our hands!



The plans



We moved this tiny window from one side to the other. It's where DSs mini loft is going to be so we're calling it his pirate window : P We're also removing the door and putting a big window in it's place. We've had some fantastic luck cruising the clearance section of the building supply store for windows and doors!



Hole for the door and kitchen window still in the wrapping



Pirate window and DHs 'thinking chair' the loft is going to be in the peak and just be big enough for a sleeping mat with ladder access. We're going to make the under area a closet for our clothing and our bed is going to be on the opposite end of the room



DS playing in the sun : )

I was also recently sent this link by a friend. I think this families space is pretty amazing!

http://kelly.halldorson.com/blog/?p=2439

I had to look twice but they totally have a poster in their kitchen area for the Common Ground Fair- an amazing local organic fair in our area : )

Their mega small space made me feel more confident about having children in our mega small house- which is good because we just found out we are pregnant!


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## bubbagirl (Jul 18, 2009)

How exciting GGM!

We are both in the Nov ddc and I have a 12 month old. We have been living in a 1 room cabin, using a sawdust toilet for 19 months now. My Dh is just about finished with our addition of an 8x12 room so we can move the bed to the floor and have floor space inside for the little ones to take over and us not have to worry about the wood stove or other things getting in their way 

Love your plans!

We are working on plans for our forever home we will be building farther west on our property but that won't start for some time.


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## mouso (Feb 8, 2007)

I love to see your pics and hear the news. I miss our old cabin in VT!


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## LessTraveledBy (Feb 9, 2005)

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *boogiemonster*
> 
> The place sounds adorable, but the commute would be a deal-breaker for me. I'd hate to lose that much time per day with DH.
> 
> ...


THIS! Thew size of the place sounds great to me, but the commute sounds not doable. I do realize some people spend 3 hrs driving Mon-Fri but I think there would be a real chance your dh would be too worn out to really do anything when he was home.


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

What a great thread!!










How are things now?

I live in a tiny apartment with my soon-to-be 10 year old son. The apartment is 350 sq. feet total. One bedroom (almost half the apartment







), a small bathroom and a kitchen/livingroom. We share the bedroom for now, but I have divided it into two "rooms" with fabric/a huuuge floorstanding bookshelf etc. I`ll try to find some pictures to show you.









I looove the sound of your plans, and the pictures are amazing!!! We live a 5 minute walk from downtown of Norways thirds largest city, so not very rural at all. But, this place is in the old part of town, with small wooden houses, few passing cars, lots of small independent shops/coffeshops etc. We love it here. (LoveBug`s dad lives next door, another big reason the stay in this tiny apartment.) I love the fact that I don`t have to own so much. It seems freeing, in a way.

Oooh, and congrats on the pregnancy!!! 
*off to find some pictures*


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

This last pic shows both "rooms". I`m standing in the doorway (is that the right word?). After these pics where taken, I have put up a fabric/curtain between the rooms, so they are now completely "separated".


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

Here is the rest of our tiny home:


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## mouso (Feb 8, 2007)

Love Bug, I want to see but those links bring me to an error page!


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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

I`m on it!









Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mouso*
> 
> Love Bug, I want to see but those links bring me to an error page!


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## HeckedyPeg (May 15, 2010)

GGM: Loving the pics! It looks great. And congrats on your pregnancy! 

LoveBugsMama: you have such a happy looking home!


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## GreenGranolaMama (Jul 15, 2009)

Hey Mamas : ) Oh my goodness, it's been SO long since I've been on MDC! I have so many new pictures of the progress on our little space that I am going to share my Facebook album public link instead of trying to upload them all here! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.167969886550485.44400.100000124230135&l=e8d0f875b1

There's been even more work done since these were taken, DH teaches at a school that has session in the summer, so they have two short breaks- one at the begining and one at the end of the summer- he is on one break now and is working like crazy to get our greenhouse/entryway/bathroom built. We're 19 weeks pregnant with baby number two and it feels weird to be planning for a home birth in a home that isn't done yet! DH built our table (which is really more like a bar) today and just called me to tell me how beautiful it is! The going is a little slowish only because we are doing the building part debt free (which means lots of rice and beans for dinner lately : P ) It's hard right now but I know we are going to have no regrets about that part of it.

Eventually when I get enough time to sit down and sort it all out, I would like to start a blog about our project and compile a list of all of our research and resources.

Here are some cool things we found recently that we are going to use or incorporate:

Gorgeous low VOC paint- http://www.yolocolorhouse.com/#1

Low VOC floor finish made from renewable resources- http://www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com/store/polywhey-floor-finish-gallon.html

We also got a super cute (tiny!) ceiling fan that I nicknamed Bumble Bee









Here are a few of my favorite recent pictures



DH in green (looking a bit sleepy!) insulating with one of our friends



DH and another friend putting the metal roofing on our kitchen addition



Greenhouse/entryway and bathroom going up



My DS playing in the river by our property : )

LoveBugMama- I am in love with the tiny lofted bed- so sweet AND practical! I also love your organization and shelving- your computer space and couch area look super inviting! I don't have pictures yet but FIL is building all sorts of shelves/ bookcase type things for us so I'll post pictures when we get them up : )


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## accountclosed3 (Jun 13, 2006)

i do love me some tiny spaces.  in norway no less.  and on a country estate somewhere in ME! 

i should definitely get our place photographed and up for ya'll. when DS is ready to move into his own bed, it will be in the lounge, and we may well put up a curtain for privacy, but who knows if it will be necessary. probably not. LOL

anyway.  one of these days, i'll get to it.


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