Posted on 09/01/2011 7:17:13 AM PDT by SanFranDan
For those who are too broke to get on the housing ladder, an American firm is here to help.
Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed Tiny House Company makes cute little homes that start from the bargain price of $99.
The cheapest home is a flat-pack to be built by the owner but, if you're not very handy, there are ready-made versions for $38,997.
The teeny homes, which start at just 65 square feet are kitted out with fully functioning kitchens, bathrooms complete with composting toilets and sleeping areas.
Some models even come on wheels.
As well as being environmentally friendly the homes are affordable for people on meagre incomes.
As the debt problem in the U.S. reaches tipping point Mr Shafer, who lives in one of his houses in Sebastapol, California, says that less can be more.
'People are starting to get a clue I think,' he said.
'People are starting to understand that excess is not necessarily a luxury. It can be a burden, a liability. People are living in 4,000 and 6,000 square foot debtors prisons.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“The Texas version ...”
When they said it was a “converted silo” I imagined more of the ICBM variety...
LoL! That’s a keeper ;)
That would be the Nebraska model. ;)
More like:
Must be real nice having the kitchen and sleeping area just a couple feet
inches from the toilet.
for $99.. i’d call it a deer blind.
Where you gonna keep all your grape growin' tools?
That’s a real north Idaho kind of song.
Maybe so, but they don't have wheels to get the hell out of Detoilet with!
You don’t need zoning. They are like a mobile home ~ most are on wheels. I don’t see why people here on FR are getting so hot under the collar about these capitalistic American companies are building something that there is a niche market for. Isn’t that part of what FR is all about? These are for people who want something different from your run-of-the-mill mobile home or people who want to down size. And the $99 is most likely referring to the price of the plans to build it. I’ve gone to and investigated this website. If I had the money, I’d love one of these homes. Buy a piece of property out in the middle of nowhere, drive one of these things onto it, have a solar panel, camp out and live my life in privacy off the grid.
This guy HAS made a small off-grid home for around $2,000:
http://www.simplesolarhomesteading.com/
More info on his Yahoo group, too:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simplesolarhomesteading/
Now that’s just cool. I saved in Favorites for future reference.
Thanks for posting the link.
wait...wait.
That looks like fun in a hailstorm....
I’ve always been curious about something.
What kind of power can you get from solar cells if it’s cloudy out? Does that cut the efficiency 50%? 90%? I guess I’m assuming you would still get some kind of wattage out of them, but no wheres near as much as full sunlight...
I just don’t know. Anybody?
Yeah, looks fine to me. Summary overviews of numerous plans, book available (about to order a copy), guy takes it seriously enough he’s lived in one for 12 years. What’s the problem?
Buy everything new pre-built by someone else with all the trimmings and yeah it’s expensive. Do it yourself with sale/used/scrounged materials and you can make one for $10,000.
BTW: the lead article got it wrong. You’re not getting a kit house for $99, you’re getting the plans for a house for $99 - still a very low price.
Indeed. Been noticing that too (esp. re: Apple). A contingent of FReepers aren't conservative capitalists, they're equal-opportunity insulters.
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