Musings: An Author's Tiny House

For several decades I’ve been fascinated by the concept of the Tiny House or Small House. In the last few years, they’ve become widely touted and seem like a new concept to many people, but they’ve been around for decades in countries around the globe. As a retiree and author, I find my preferred lifestyle changing to gain more time for the important things in my life – being with family and friends, writing, and participating in activities such as walking, reading, and being with my dog. This shift in focus has created a new significance concerning the size of my home.

I’m not as attached to “things” as I once was, and I’m enjoying living more simply with fewer possessions and distractions to take up my life’s moments. For the past three years, I’ve been attempting to reduce my environmental footprint including the quantity of my belongings, and if all goes according to plan, the spring of 2015 will find those items reduced by up to 80%.

I haven’t found any industry-specified definitions for the Tiny House or Small House, but I’m designing mine to be less than 500 sq. ft. I’ve found that many folks think all tiny houses are constructed on flat-bed trailers in order for them to be mobile. My house might be designed to be movable, but my intention is to locate it on a normal-sized residential lot – which brings up the issue of finding a location where a house this small can be built. In many cities and towns, a building that size is considered a shed and can’t be used as a residence.

Bypassing all the possible restrictions and misconceptions about this size home, I’ll be discussing my ongoing design plans from time to time in my Musings. My ultimate goal is to achieve chemical-free, sustainable, off-the-grid living (as much as possible) so I can maintain my independence, have minimal maintenance, and have much more time to write.

I’m not an expert regarding Tiny or Small Houses; I’m simply becoming more aware of how I want to live, healthily and happily.