Tiny House Blog

This weeks Tiny House in a Landscape was sent to me by Ian Zapp whose father took this photo in upstate New York near Saratoga Lake. These small abandoned buildings are being taken over by mother nature but look like they could be rescued and used as a small residence or getaway cabin.

If you are in the area and would like to take time to enjoy the beauty of Saratoga Lake, and make memories as many others have for generations. Here are directions to the lake: follow Route 9 South from Saratoga Springs New York to Route 9P, or take the Adirondack Northway (I-87) to Exit 14, then Route 9P South just under one mile. Thanks Ian for sharing this inspirational pictures with us.

Carlos lives in a tiny house under a subway tunnel in New York City. This homeless man has created his own hidden sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle in an abandoned sewer hole under the train tracks.

He has electricity and light that he implies comes from a nearby utility area (most likely it belongs to the transit authority) and he is able to store food, cook and heat his tiny home. He uses a few plastic containers for water  and washing.  When a friend first showed Carlos the space, he thought it was dirty but proceeded to clean it up, painted it and moved his few belongings in. Carlos has a refrigerator, a stove and toaster oven and even a small espresso maker. He is able to keep himself safe, warm and healthy in his little space.

Carlos is not alone in his lifestyle. According to the Coalition for the Homeless, 1 in 20 people in New York have experienced homelessness and the number of homeless families has doubled over the past decade. Many of these homeless are military veterans.

Since it is Memorial Day here in the U.S., take some time to remember our fallen veterans, and think of the veterans who may not have been welcomed home the way they should have been. In addition, be appreciative of any home you have, no matter what the size.

By Christina Nellemann for the [Tiny House Blog]

Somewhere in a warehouse in the state of New York the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is working on a new product. Called the Tumbleweed Box Bungalow, Jay Shafer has been busy designing a new style of tiny house. Steve Weissmann, business partner of Jay Shafer and President of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, is sharing with Tiny House Blog readers a few pictures of the bungalows as they are being constructed and before they are officially launched.

The Box Bungalows are 7 foot by 14 foot in size, around 98 square feet. They are designed to be built on skids and will be available in a kit form so that anyone can easily assemble a bungalow in your back yard or on your property. Stay tuned as more pictures of the construction of the Box Bungalows will be forth coming. P.S. — Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is looking for dealers on the east coast. Click Here.

Brandon came across this listing while browsing Syracuse, NY area Craigslist. It has plenty of acreage and appears to have a little bit of “Walden-type” potential with a some work. Here is the description and the link. I did a screen capture as I’m sure someone will buy it soon.

8.9 wooded, hilly acres in Bolivar, NY. (Southern Tier) 250 square foot A-frame cabin with loft. Heat with wood/coal stove. Spring near by. Timber rights. Asking $18,900.00 or best offer. Please, DO NOT e-mail or text for info. I will NOT respond. Please, call Randy @ 585-797-5075 for information. Craigslist link.

Ed sent me these pictures of an Upstate New York Methodist Cottage Community. Ed says that it’s a great little place and strangely reminds him of Jon Abram’s (South Mountain Company, “The Company We Keep”) co-housing “development” on Marthas Vineyard.

Ed is not sure how many of the places are winterized, as the road isn’t maintained in the winter. It is just a charmed place. He is not sure how many of the other Methodist Camps were as large but this is bigger than several others he has seen.

I personally think these are great examples of little houses  or cabins that were made at least 50 years ago and we can learn from their design. Ed was not able to get any interior photos, so you will have to use your imagination. Continue Reading »

Okay everyone, don’t get used to multiple posts a day. One a day is my regular schedule, but I have been so backed up and been hit with time related news that I have felt I should post more than one post a day. Please keep the stories coming just be patient with me getting them all out

Chris just let me know about this affordable hand hewn log cabin he found on Craigslist and I thought I should get it up while it was still available. This one is also in New York. You can view the Craigslist link here. I am really impressed with Bills quality of work and want to get in touch with him and learn more about his work. So I may have a post on him at sometime in the future.

Carolyn from New York alerted me to this 14′ x 16′ shed/tiny house available for only $3,000 in Newfield, New York. Located just outside of outside of Ithaca, NY, it looks like it is most likely insulated as it is sheet rocked and since it is so cold in that part of the county Carolyn is pretty sure it must be.

You can visit the Craigslist listing here while it is still available. I have made a screen print of the ad below.