smallest practical home

You should read Debt Free! by Rob Roy (as previously mentioned). He tells how to start with a small building and add as you go. You might also want to look into cob. Very labor intensive, but not hard, and it's cheap.

Peg

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Oops, it should be Mortgage Free! by Rob Roy.

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We are nearing completion on a tiny house(24x24) attached to our new horse barn(also a diy project). It's just one bedroom, but otherwise has all the amenities of a "real" house- kitchen, LR, bathroom, laundry room. It has 2x6 exterior walls and is very well insulated. It has electric (radiant cove) heat. The only things we hired done was the electric service entrance(I did the inside wiring), the septic system, and the rough-in plumbing. Total cost- including new appliances- is about $15,000. I could have probably shaved a little off the cost, maybe a few thousand, by using cheap vinyl for the floor(instead of inexpensive laminate and ceramic tile), buying unfinished kitchen cabinets and cheaper appliances, using one-color of cheap Wal-mart paint, buying really cheap light fixtures,etc. But we'll be living here for a few years until we can build the main house and I want it to be nice. I think I've made some decent choices because everyone that sees it inside says "Wow!". The outside is just metal siding to match the barn. If we had contracted the house and barn built, the cost would probably be closer to $100,000, not the $27,000 or so we actually have in it. I guess my point is, if you can do most of the work yourself, you can build something nice for just a little bit more- and you'll be happier.

In the past, my dh, dd and I lived in a motorhome and tents for a summer. Right now we are living in a small cabin, approx 12x24 feet with an 8x8 foot loft. We don't have indoor plumbing, so we have an outhouse and a water dispenser. My dh and I sleep in the loft while our dd sleeps downstairs in what would usually be the living room, next to the kitchen. I sewed a curtain for her privacy as well as curtains for the loft for more privacy. We had to put the majority of our belongings into storage, and kept only the basics with us in the cabin. After living in close quarters for 8 months now, I have discovered that I don't need a big house with all the trimmings. I would like to have just one more room though, so our dd can have a real bedroom and we could have a living room to visit with friends. But it is possible and not too difficult to live in a small space. If it's just your wife, you and your animals, you shouldn't have any problems living in a small home. It's easier to do without children. Good luck!
mtnhighgirl

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" It's not about getting what you want, it's about wanting what you've got"
Sheryl Crow

How big is your current home? If its larger than your plans, block off some rooms, after moving everything out of them into your living space, and see if its large enough.
Voila

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No lotus land ever cast its spell upon a man's heart more than Wyoming had enchanted mine.-The Virginian-Owen Wister-

I currently live in a trailer, but I've closed off the back bedroom and addition to save on heating costs. It's currently like 10 x 25 + the laundry and bath. For one person and 6 dogs, it's just fine. I figure 4 dogs = one human- but you'd have to like the human an awful lot.

When I find my land, I'm going to build a 16 x 12 with a sleeping/dog-free storage loft to begin with. Already have the plans and everything. ^_^ Can't wait!

Cait

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"Dogs may not be our whole lives, but they make our lives whole." Roger Caras

Do a search for dog trot houses, several will come up including the ones I pasted here.
http://www.flheritage.com/magazine/s.../samp_art.html
http://www.filmnorthflorida.com/loca...Dog-Trot-House
They were very popular in the south and there are a lot of them still around. It is basically a one room cabin that the family lived in until they could afford to expand. Then they built another cabin next to the existing one and connected the 2 with a roof making a breezway of sorts. This area could also be used as a "summer kitchen" for canning and such so that the main house did not get so hot with the woodstove doing all the canning. You can get creative and have a loft or not, but you can build as you can afford it and as your needs grow.

I lived for 8 months in a 16x24 cabin with a 1/2 loft. We had 4 teenagers and no electric, or plumbing. It was rough but we made it. So I know you can live in a small cabin. When I move back to MO I am going to build another small cabin. Will start with a 16x20 and will not put a loft in except for storage.

Hi, for what it's worth, here's my idea. Due to your concerns about costs, you really need to check into alternative building methods. A couple of good sites to visit are:
www.backwoodshome.com
www.MotherEarthNews.com
www.greenhomebuilding.com
and look at the possibility of building your place in one of the many possible methods available to you. If the area you want to build the place at is sandy, then the rammed earth with discarded tires method might be best. Or you may need to go with the hay bale method since it's in a country setting. Whatever you do, check the codes! You don't want to build something only to be told to tear it down again by the authorities.
Good luck!

The smaller it is, the easier it is to clean & heat.

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Freedom isn't Free

I've seen shipping containers turned into houses several times, FWIW. Insulate the interior, add fixtures and AC, cut a door and windows in, presto, instant house. (And dang near fireproof as well if wildfires are an issue in your area.)

If you're concerned about the appearance, add siding.

Need more room? Buy another container, set it down next to the first. Moving? Hire a trucker, tie everything down inside, take your house with you, and you won't even need a moving van!

You can also set two down about 20 feet apart and roof over between them and have a carport/storage area. I'm planning on doing that at my place, eventually -- hay storage and parking between the containers, and turn one container into an office and library and leave the other rough for general storage.

Zoning may be an issue depending on where you live.

Leva

I've lived in a small very inexpensive space off and on for 10 years now.Start with a used travel trailer.Good ones around here can be had for $1500 or so.Remove the door.Build a freestanding buiding.Mine is 10x14.Cut a door frame the same size as the trailer door-have floor of the building the same level. Seal the two together.The trailer has all the appliances,plumbing heating.Bedroom bath and kitchen Use the building as a living room.Mine cost alltold bout $4500.The building is quality-t&g pine big windows.Ceiling 11 ft.I can easily remove the trailer if need be to upgrade or expand the building.I put a deck on it also

L