Guest Post by Walt Barrett
In order to get an idea of the number of people involved in the actual market for micro homes we are asking you to answer a few questions. We are not asking for personal information, but taking a poll to learn your interests. If you answer these questions it may very well speed up the permit process and also the emergence of mass produced micro homes to the marketplace. Mass produced homes and kits will greatly reduce the costs of each unit. Competition is the great equalizer.
Thank you in advance.
Please comment below on the three questions at the end of the poll. Short answers for numbers 12, 13, and 14 would be appreciated.
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Use comment section to answer the next three questions.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
12. Approx $1,000 per month
13. Under $100,000
14. WA, ID or ?
Keri Gailloux’s tiny home — a converted school bus — is also retired now, thanks to the pandemic. Ms. Gailloux, 68, had lived and worked in San Francisco running a hepatitis C training program for primary care doctors, but after retirement she converted the school bus which she named “Skoolie,” into a mobile home so she could travel. Six months before the pandemic, she hit the road.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? $200
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$5000-8000 for a modular kit, I would think
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Somewhere in Appalachia, likely in the northeast GEORGIA (1st choice) mountains or possibly western North Carolina (2nd choice), or eastern Tennessee (3rd choice) both near the Georgia state line (making them farther south is the reasoning, so less snow and milder winters)
I would like to pay less than $1K a month for two people in an 800 square foot home. I think, depending the on the cost of land, I should be able to build the house for about $60K. I’d like to stay in Colorado. I want the house to be on the grid, but feed to it with geothermal and solar as well as use a passive design to decrease energy needs.
There is no way to leave a response for 12, 13, 14
Hannah, use the comments section to answer last three questions.
there wasn’t a way of answering the last three questions.
11. This question needs a “neither” option.
12-13. I’m not sure. Definitely not the $700+/month it takes to rent an apartment in my city.
14. Wisconsin.
>12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$2-400 a month.
>13. What do you think is a fair price just for >your particular choices from above?
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 to 30,000. Maybe $ 35,000.
>14. What state would you prefer to live in your >micro home?
Somewhere near a college so I could teach. Preferably one that wouldn’t have a problem with my buying land and parking the small house on it.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
I would only build what I could afford to pay for up front–no loan at all.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$50,000 or less (materials only–building it myself, but also paying an electrician and a plumber)
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Maine
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
For what? I plan to pay as I go.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
I’d budget $30K for the entire project.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
GA, TN, NC
Thanks for doing this. Good to see who’s out there.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$0
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
I have purchased plans – Cost to build will be around $3500.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Oklahoma!
I would be paying cash for the home.
Something small, full of light, well insulated.
I would pay up to $35,000 but prefer a basic shell and to choose my own embellishments and appliances. Probably composting toilet, though in Ca. you usually are forced to also have a septic tank. Prefer catchment to a well and solar panels for sure. Want to live in rural California, Santa Cruz mts. or Nevada County. Thanks!
I could pay up to $500/month, but would hope to have cash.
I would prefer to live in California, but that won’t happen, because it is too expensive. I need to be reasonably near medical and school facilities.
I think ~$35,000 is fair.
To answer last 3 questions:
400-500 a month
25000-35000
California
12.) As of right now 300 a month.
13.) In Kentucky the amish will build you a basic shell for about 8000 or less. I would also have a composting toilet, probably solar panels (let’s just say partially off the grid for now. All together with land no more than $50.000. Want a log cabin with loft or a wooden yurt.
14.)Colorado
Hey– Cool idea with this survey. Unfortunately, I think the results won’t be very useful. I have no idea how to answer most of these questions. Eg. if I want two floors, for some styles that essentially doubles the square footage, and for some it doesn’t add anything. I want a washer/ dryer on the property, but not necessarily in the house. I’m open to a variety of ready-made, DIY styles, etc., but my dream is to definitely live small.
Some people will have a very concrete plan in mind, and so will have specific answers, but those won’t necessarily be useful either. For instance, they may say their dwelling should be on wheels, but that could be because of the zoning in the area they hope to put it in, not because of ultimate preference.
I think this is a useful exercise but the questions you have here aren’t going to get you very useful answers.
I could pay between $500 and $800.
Price is a huge variable depending even where I go in my city and I don’t necessarily want to stay here when I retire. I want to be in an urban center. My family has a double-deep lot in a very exclusive area so I could put my micro-house on the second lot and help care for my elderly mother. I’m guessing that option would still cost me close to $100K.
I prefer California, even with all of it’s problems.
I intend to pay for my home upfront,
I think I can build it for around 5K with basic cabin and solar oven and humanure compost toilet and solar hot water shower outside
Would like somewhere with no restrictions and low land cost… closest to get to that at the moment in Texas is in Brewster County, the Chihuahuan desert… so you tell me, where else are there no restrictions?
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
I don’t plan to have any reoccurring monthly bills for anything but insurance, taxes and utilities. I intend to pay cash for land and materials for home.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$40,000 — any more than this and I could buy a tight, smaller home in my hometown without any of the inherent headaches of a tiny home.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
MO, AR, TX or WA
12. I would pay in full
13. Around $50,000
14. Washington State
approximately one grand a month. less,if possible.
tennessee,carolina,georgia border. northeastern part of georgia.
in that region,i’d expect to pay no more than 300 thousand for a home.
1- $200
2- not sure
3- WI
$200-$400
$20,000.
Los Angeles Adjacent
I expect to pay $8,000-10,000 total … Monthly? umm .. $300
As far as State … WY, AZ, maybe Idaho.
I want water piped in, Will use heated thermal tape to insulate pipes. Would like to have electric and Broadband Internet. But already have some solar cells and a charge controller. Want dual 12VDC and 120VAC systems. My wife wants a tub. We have a composting toilet. Gotta have something that makes into a nice bed downstairs in case we get too crotchety to climb into a sleeping loft.
I want just plans for DIY.
Afford $200 a month.
Louisiana, Indiana.
12.the point for me is to have no monthly home related payments 13 no more than $10,000 total investment in the home,most labor would be me 14 illinois,not really by preference. because we have lots of tornados and below zero in the winter,100 degrees in the summer i would like to have a basement but i think building permit issues will keep this from happening.well water,compost toilet,grey water system,off grid
12. $0.00
13. $5.000.00 to $10,000.00 or less with salvaged materials
14. MS – mobility due to tornadoes and hurricanes or just to be able to escape whatever
I’m planning on building for cash. No loans
Right price would be $10K- $20K
Currently in MO and would be fine here.
12. my means are not the greatest. so i would have to build as i could afford it. most likely with free or recycled products.
13. no answer
14.State of Texas
12. Would cover initial costs with proceeds of selling current house. Reasonable monthly living expenses can be covered.
13. Would hope to invest less than $40,000 in construction materials and labor.
14. Southern Quebec and Ontario, Canada
PS Your washer-dryer question allows no option for “Neither”. Therefore I haven’t answered it.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? $1000/month max but it probably wouldn’t be that high.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? about $100,000.00 for 800 square foot single level
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Northern CA, Grass Valley area
11. Neither (I can use everyone else’s).
12. I won’t know until I’ve graduated. I’m going to budget, without phone and internet, for $300 a month(inc. gas or diesel for driving).
13. My father and I have already estimated $25,000 at the high end to build it ourselves. He’s an environmental architect so I have a golden spoon in this venture.
14. I will take my home anywhere and everywhere I can. I am a travelling writer with family and friends scattered in nearly all 49 landlocked states, and every province. I don’t need or want a stationary house, I want to be with all the people I love.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
400-800
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
20-30k
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
TN
12. have been saving $1000 a month for the last 3 years to build outright..
11. doing a bermed (on 3 sides)passive solar shell dried in with a slab foundation and slip form walls. and a white standing seam roof(SIPS as roof panels). it will be a 560sf structure.. will be jst under $11,000 the interior will be done while i live in it..
13. i have several acres in OR. but am trying to find an acre or so in TX right now.. the cost of living is quite low and i allready live in Tx.
tha price fr land here in TX is around $5000 an acre if you buy under 3 acres.. and there are several places jst outside of the city that have no sf restrictions. looking in the mineral wells area and have found several.. jst having commitment fears..
Planning to with cash. About $25,000 cost for house, entirely off the power grid, Alabama.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? Up to $1,000.00 a month, including HOA dues.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? $60,000-$100,000 depending on finishes, land views, etc.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Always in the Carolinas 😉
We acutally have our dream home here in Raleigh, NC now. We affectionately call it The Love Shack…all 687 sq.ft. Over two years ago we began downsizing from 3,800 sq.ft. to 1,405 sq.ft. apartment to our final retirement home. It’s located in a community and the HOA dues are a little of $100.00 which includes the entire grounds and outside maintenance of our home. It also sports a 18 hole golf course, 2 swimming pools, tennis courts and a full gym with interior basketball courts. We are very blessed indeed.
12. $250 to $300
13. $10,000 or less
14. Ohio
11. Neither. My house will be run off of solar grids and a well and as there is no viable washing machine that would not require a separate DC converter/generator, I found that it would not be suitable for my needs. Besides clothes last longer by hand washing so I purchased a standing wash/utility basin and will hang clothes in front of my wood burning stove to dry.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? I will not pay rent to anyone and I thought that this is the main reason for downsizing and/or building my own house…I’m okay with paying someone else to do some of the work to build, but at this point the tumbleweed houses do not include modern amenities and are basically a shell so besides building materials and the cost of the designs, what would I be paying for?
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? The cost of the home, no more than $50,000 (fully built and with some plumbing), and property taxes.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? The Rocky Mountains of Colorado near fresh water and fishing.
One more note. Many of these homes with steep ladders do not seem appropriate for those who are even slightly disabled or elderly and I intend to purchase once and be able to live in my home until old age. Any chance that full stairs could fit into the designs?
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
around $500
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
I would like to see it stay below $100,000
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Texas or Arkansas
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$800 or so
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
For the house, I would want it to be reasonable. I think a lot of the challenge people run into is having the money for it without getting a mortgage. I’d love to set up a company for mortgages for small homes because I can’t afford one out of pocket.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Florida
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? Would buy the land, then build the house as I could afford it, mostly salvaged material.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? No idea at all.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Berrrmont (vermont)
I want to live in NY state. Cost should be 10K or less or $500 per month or less.
Several of the questions needed an either/neither/both type options.
12. $500/month
13. Around $100,000
14. North Carolina or Colorado (because that’s where my family is)
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$300-500
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$35k-$60k
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Montana/Idaho
10K or less….will build with recycled or scrap materials and use parts from scrapped out RVs. Will be a free spirit and live where ever. Will travel too much to be in 1 place too long.
Will be off grid, solar and wind powered. Would need sewage and running water even if its well water…..will get a filter installed if I have to.
250.00 or less per month 25000.00 total package, ill do most of the work. middle tennessee is my choice
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? I would like to pay as little as possible $300 or trade for work/caretaker
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? $2,500-$6,000 I’m building myself with some reused materials travel trailer windows doors and roofing from snow collapsed building
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? OR WA
12. Build when I can buy supplies without owing.
13. Less than 20,000 (including using scraps etc.)
14. I am fortunate to have the land already on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$1400 (about $250k total spread across 15 years)
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
Right around 250k if I finance it, somewhat less if I wait and pay cash. It would also vary wildly based on location; Seattle could be as much as 5 times the price as a lot in unincorporated Grays Harbor County.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
WA, OR, British Columbia
1. Pay as I go.
2. 3500.00
3. Coastal NC
Hi,
I’m interested in building micro mobile homes as I think there is a segment of the young population that’s wary these days of buying a home on a long term mortgage. I envision some people as ready to make a small investment in a home that can be readily moved based on need.
12. Assuming this means ongoing costs – $200/mo
13. Less than $25k.
14. Definitely Vermont
We will be looking at a small new construction on our adult children’s property. When we are gone, they have a rental unit. Hope to not have a monthly payment at that point. Maybe 500-700 sq. ft. all on one floor with stackable washer/dryer and little upkeep. Probably match adult children’s home in color at least.
$200
$10,000
New Zealand
$200/month (after the house is paid for)
10K -15K
Pennsylvania
12. aside from land costs 400.oo or so/month
13. 25-50k
14. hawaii for sure
Have already built such a home.
Note: some of your questions cannot be answered with a yes or a no.
i would suggest then that you give
ACTUALS tothe questions in narrative form.
The answers would help the questionnaire.
go thru all the queries… be factual.
I did leave a few details out, I’m afraid (some for good reason)
My “tiny house” is 400 sq ft, wired and insulated, with another 92 sq ft of storage and shop space all under the same roof.
There is water and power at the street of an owned lot in the southern US. (I have never owned, nor wanted, washer, dryer, TV, microwave, stereo, and other “standard” American amenities. Electricity, phone, computer, small fridge and secure shelter fill all needs).
There are two basic innovations.
1.I bought a 16×36 pole shelter, upgraded to comply with resident standard reinforcements and hurricane resistance specifications. Installation by a trained crew was included in the price. I then had a slab poured, doing the prelim work myself. I then enclosed most of the space under the roof (leaving room for a porch) all completed to look like an attractive gable-end residential home.
2. Second innovation was to utilize a lightweight 16 foot travel trailer as a kitchen and bath “module”, eliminating the need for a waste disposal system on the property. This also serves as a guest cottage. I haul it back and forth seasonally to a similarly built “docking station” up north.
Total cost (not including trailer and lot) is under $8000.
Hope this helps.
1. i’d really like to pay nothing per month, ideally. although $150 would be it for right now. 2. i’m looking at used rv’s right now and i’m budgeting about $2500-5000 for that.
3. not sure where i’d like to settle yet, that’s what the rv is for.
ultimately, i’d like to build a cob house, off the grid, my land.
goal to only have to pay for wood, maybe propane
10k to 15k
wa state
12 – $500
13 – $30,000
14 – Florida, but thinking about Vermont despite the cold up there.
I’ve designed my own 8×20 house on wheels to address 3 tiny-house issues that i don’t see addressed otherwise: the need for more storage space, the desire for stairs to the loft instead of a ladder, and the space for a stack washer/dryer.
currently looking for land in maine specifically, because of more lax building codes. also networking with people who might want to start a 3-4 person “community” there.
Nice to see someone other then myself looking to live in a Tiny home in Maine!
I like the idea of a small community, but Maine would be waaaaaay to cold for me.
Yea its not for everyone, but I have always loved winter and the cold snow dont bother me at all. And the summers are absolutly beautiful up there!
For me, I cant take a hot climate, the heat just drains me and makes me feel sick to my stomache…and then there are the bugs and snakes to deal with in hot climates!
12. 600
13. 22500
14. Arkansas, Missouri, maybe Michigan.
I want about 1000 sq ft on one level. It may be easy to crawl up into a loft cubby when you are young and dumb but what are you going to when you are not so nimble?
Cost of building is 80 to 125 per sq foot.
Do the math.
Free and clear is ~ 100k
Alabama
$100./month
25-30K
Southern Maine
Have my Tiny Tumbleweed…thinking similar house for relatives/guests.
1. $300
2. including land, $100,000
3. WA state
I could do up to $1000 a month.
I’d like to do build it on a small lot in the Seattle WA core metro area, i.e. cap hill, cascade, lower queen anne.
I don’t think the house itself should be more than $10K to $15K, I expect the land will be the expensive part (?) but I haven’t even looked at the market to see what that means.
11 – neither
12 – under $400
13 – $10000, maybe $15000 max
14 – Northeast or Northwest, with the option to move it from one to the other upon a whim.
12. < $250 including heating & power costs – ie long term replacement of batteries and similar costs.
13. $15,000
14. South-Eastern Ontario
12. I will own the land outright so little to no on going costs other then taxes.
13. Including land…$60,000-$70,000
14. Maine
1. $150
2. $20,000
3. Pennsylvania
12. $200
13. $25,000
14. Arkansas
11. neither
12. $200 per month
13. $20,000
14. Australia – Victoria
I could pay $800-1000 Cdn. Including land, no more than $100,000 Cdn, if it comes with sewer, water, and emergency services access and is no more than 2 hours from a good sized town. $40,000-50,000 for the home, no more. I live in Canada, so I would prefer the West Coast (islands or coast). (In the States, Washington, Oregon or Cali, please.)
300.00 month
$25,000
Texas
1.$700
2.$150,000 with land (400-500 sq ft home)
3.Southern California
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$250.00
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$25,000.00
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
New Jersey – southern part. or perhaps near the pine barrens. 🙂
12. Will own it.
13. Probably about 85K including land.
14. We live in Maine, bought another parcel of land.
We already own the place we are in now.
This will be the third place my wife and I built ourselves.
We have been collecting materials for a few years, and also reclaim alot.
Presently I adzed some old reclaimed timbers, sanded and finished the out for small timber trusses for the bumpout.
Looking to live minimally per month, just a few hundred dollars. While living in my tiny home and having virtually no expense but this I look forward to paying off all my financial obligations and school loans. Then I would like to build a slightly larger tiny home. Right now I am collecting the materials for my XS tumbleweed. Just ordered the trailer custom, without sides, rails, and minimal boards to save the work and additional tools, this did not cost any more to order this way.
I am looking on keeping costs for my initial xs home to be below 10k.
I spent most of my adult life in the tropics of SWFLA but have come to love the trees of the north…i just can not stand the cold! Maybe I could become a snowbird or jst simply live halfway down the country!
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
Based on current expenses, leaving aside what I’d still need to pay for such as taxes, insurance, etc: about $260 per month
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
Given that there is a huge range of costs, degree and kind of finishing, for the house: I think I could do it for around 20,000 to 25,000, depending on how much I had to hire out (I am partly disabled). That’s house alone.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
I live in Vermont now, in a small (but too large for me) village house I own and want to sell. I’d love to move back to the west (home for me), but feel, given my resources, not realistic. So looking and asking around about a rural lot, preferably in or near community of like-minded folks, here in Vermont. Would be lovely if someone was looking to move out or up and had a little house to sell!
1. $280.00/month
2. up to $25,000.00
3. Oregon
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
Up to $500 for ins + taxes at retirement(in 5ys)
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$30,000(800sqft)- be energy eff with rain watch catchment, maybe some solar, but not totally off grid. Required to have well and septic in our county.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your
micro home?
Starting with coastal NC as is my current state and have land here. Will build 1st small house here. But not ruling out mountains -Tn or VA.
12. I want to build a stationary house and a tiny house on wheels and build/be mortgage free.
13. DIY plans under $150 each; Total cost for both buildings under $15K
14. Canada & Martha’s Vineyard
I have been planning this for four years, and during that time I have purchased building materials, solar system, generator, etc. and am about 7 months to a year out from accomplishing my goals.
I can afford up to $1000.00 per month.
A fair price would be about 100k with 5 acres of land.
I would stay in Northern Vermont where I currently live in a rented house that is 720 square feet of space.
1) For utilities/bills? $150.
2) A fair price for me is $25,000 to build. For land, basically I don’t know because I live in urban Vancouver and it’s more than I could afford.
3) Doesn’t matter. BC, Quebec, the Maritimes, New England states, California, Oregon, Texas.
500.00 a month
45,000
WA or OR
Would be nice to find a community of families , single parents ect… small farm I have an extensive animal husbandry, gardening background
I would like to pay:
$15,00-20,000 upfront (maybe half @ purchase)
& finance the rest
$5000-10 for land 1 acre or 2
$10,000 for tornado/storm cellar
Live in : Ozarks
I will be building my own from my own plans, and It will be on wheels. I haven’t decided yet how big it’ll be…probably as big as I can possibly make it and still pull it around easily. I plan on staying only about 2-4 years in each place I move starting here in MO, and them possibly moving to Arkansas for a while. LOVE THESE PLANS! I’M SO EXCITED!!!
1.$500.00 Month
2.Under $5,000. Lots of wasted building supplies in my area.
3.Indiana is my home so I will stay here.
$350
$25,000
Eastern Central Alabama
1. I would love to keep the costs per month under $500
2. Total budget for my project is $25-30k
3. I already have a piece of land in mind in NH
200
10k – 25k
Colorado
$200 per month
$10,000
Indiana
500
15000
SW Seattle in backyard of existing home.
$1000
$85,000
California or Oregon
$1,000
$85,000
California or Oregon
$200 to $300 month for land/space, and utilities
$10.000 cost DIY, or $20.000 pre made
west coast, small town or semi rural area
I haven’t looked into this enough to know what is fair. This is only doable for me if the costs are low enough.
As someone else said I need big enough that you can have stairs for when you are no longer able to easily climb a ladder with your hands full – even if storage is the only thing up high.
I’d also like to echo some of these questions had other answers than yes/no
I’d like on/off grid flexibility.
Also a good way to anchor one of these down if they are on wheels so you don’t have the trailer park tornado/hurricane problems in high winds
$500/mo
$50,000
Tennessee/Kentucky
I plan to use all reclaimed material with no monthly payment involved.
I plan to pay less than 15,000 for everything.
Building on my own land in Vermont.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
Plan to own outright so would only have a small amount for utilities for montly costs.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
Around $80,000 including land (I hope).
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Texas, Austin area.
12- same rent as now $200.00 per month only ownership this time around.
13. $5k-$10k is what has already been estimated for it by a builder buddy if I build it.
14. Michigan, Vermont, Washington State in that order.
$300 a month. expect to pay for electricity and or propane , Incinerating toilet system. No water or sewer avialable at properties,
250 to 350sq feet @ a cost of 10-20k DIY
two locations; (summer) Alaska and (winter) Hawaii
Already own one property currently working on purchasing the second. Expect to begin the first structure within a year.
12. 800$/month.
13. Ideally no more than 100K CAD, not including land.
14. Quebec, Canada.
I already own my own land.
I would expect to pay 40-60K for total build but would hope to come well under that. However I am prepared to pay for bells and whistles to get what I want and a top quality product.
I am in New South Wales, Australia.
12. Cash, paid for!
13. 25K, 100 ft2 max.
14. Somewhere warm, close to a large body of water
12. $386/month
13. $40,000, not including land
14. Georgia
400 month,
30,000 all told
Idaho, Montana, Or Arizona…
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? Cash paid in full
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? 30-40K
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Maine.
at the time i voted, there were 688 responses to the first question but
695 to the second?
there was no provision for no responses
which culd also have helped in this …
I suppose I can tell you that
my NO is because I have some hobbies that just need ROOM. mostly for documentations. followed with photography STUFF wich does lessen as time goes but finishing etc requires room for stuff.(no i dont like working in a barn, i want the STUFF and the work to be part of my living, not remote and hidden or out of the way.
I lived in a small place when I first started out. I am not in favorof multitasking a room. I have done it, dont want to do it again, but that does not mean i have no interest in what others are doing or that i cant advance it for the ease of others and for businesses(those building travel trailers and mobile homes) .
I am intersted in the considerations of a small house in the midst of zoned properties greater than 800sq. SO, an effort to nest similar/like minded individuals would be a good thing. Planning and Zoning must be brought in.
I think for seniors, some needing a kitchen, bath and bed/common room with ramps and open floor plan would be a good thing. Single button window closure, curtain drawer, remote fans, remote MASTER OFF on stove, Remote on temp for furnace all would be in the scheme for the seniors.Ramp and covered car and covered doorways essential. assisted but IN ONES OWN SPACE sounds great. APARTMENT halls are not to my liking.
I like the eccletic of some of the tiny’s but people must be able to LIVE in them. still, they are nice to look at and the venue is definately part of the magic.
FYI, you didn’t have to answer every question. For example, I don’t know if I can get permitting, so I skipped that question.
fyi.. it would be logical that the FIRST question
to have the most answers…
it doesnt.
Mine will be a granny cabin on the property where I already live now. I will contribute around $200 a month to property taxes.
$5000 should get it built. Basically a 16′ by 20′ well insulated “shed”.
Wisconsin
$800-$1,000/month rent, or under $100,000 to pay cash. Prefer to live where snow isn’t on the ground 3 months of the year like it is here in eastern Idaho.
12. u$s500
13. 5000 en total
14. Uruguay. sud america
12. Nothing!
13. Not more than 2500 EUR, but then again I’m planning to fix up an old bauwagen – the whole thing will be very DIY and freegan. 🙂
14. Probably Westrogothia, Sweden.
Great idea this survey 🙂
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
A: $800/mth (kinda depends on geographic location though)
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
A: $600-700/mth
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
A: Illinois (or some other state with a relatively healthy fresh water supply)
12. About $500.00 a month.
13. DIY should be about $25,000.
14. North Texas.
Comments on Survey: Sewer and water should be seperate questions, I would have a water hook-up option and yet have no sewer (Composting toilet).
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
It’s hard to separate land payments from the housing; in total, I could pay $1200/month.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
For 400 ft2 off grid on a single story, I think a total of $40-50k should do it. Financing is the biggest obstacle, IMO.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Ideally, I’d love to stay in Massachusetts. Realistically, New Hampshire will be great.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
Total with insurance, taxes and utilities, I could pay a little over $800 a month.
13. What do you think is a fiar price just for your particular choices above?
$20 to 40,000 to construct.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Texas
12. $600.00/month
13. $50,000
14. Wisconsin, of course!
First, some of the first 11 questions should have an “I don’t know” option. Things will depend on the zoning and permitting allowances.
12. DIY Paid in full.
13. No more than $75,000 including land/lot.
14. SC
12: $300/month
13: I chose off grid, and off wheels, so I expect to pay about $4000 for the 128sq ft, single story structure, $1000 for a relatively small solar system (400 watts, with batteries and charge controller, no inverter), $500 for rain catchment, storage and filtration, and $500 for solar hot water system (with on demand propane backup). From the decisions above, I expect less than $10 monthly costs for propane and no other utilities.
14: I expect to buy about 10 rural, wooded acres for $50K somewhere with a temporate mountainous climate, such as the big island, Hawaii, Idaho, the Pacific North West or the middle east coast. Expected annual taxes should be less than $3K.
This isn’t a very good survey, the questions are to vague. For instance : Do you prefer a 1 story or 2 . Well they don’t say if a 1 story with a loft is considered a 2 story ?
Do you prefer it to bbe off the power grid? Well again, I would like it to be off the power gridd, but I would like it to have the ability to connect to the gridd if I so choose to.
Do you want water and sewer ? Does this mean city water and sewer , or does it mean having a fresh, grey and black water holding tank ?? …………
I have my own land, but would like to be mobile too.
I dont make much, so I could make payments of only about a hundred dollars a month, with a small down payment. Who ever wants to go in to this business should be able to hold financing for at least some of the units, as bank loans for these might be hard to come by.
I would like to travel and live in different areas, but West Virginia would be my home base.
Would need to sell present house, thus paying cash for home. For health reasons, need a one-story, and probably not do-it-yourself. If it’s possible to have frost/freeze free utilities, so much the better. Would like to read some things about people who live in such houses, to find out what utilities, etc would cost (real life, not some marketer’s dream) Would prefer minimal utility cost. Would prefer Texas as state, as that’s where I’m from. Would prefer no more than 80,000 in cost.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? I would like to pay off at purchase to be debt free.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? Actually, I would prefer something a bit larger than 800, so not sure it qualifies as a ‘Micro’ home. 75 to 100K including land and all fixtures.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? New Mexico
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
$300/month
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
$20,000
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Multiple
12 – pay 500 a month
13 – 40000
14 – Texas. I want a metro area to do this. I can’t make a living in the hinterlands, and I don’t want to live there.
I have no idea how much it will cost or how much I can afford as this dream is fairly far into the future and will most likely be a second home (our current home is 1300 sq ft).
I would prefer someplace warm and lovely but I suspect I will want this house close to where my daughters decide to build a life.
My husband and I always said that in retirement we want two small houses close to our two daughters. If they happen to settle near each other then the second house can be someplace fun.
(Of course my daughters are 4 and 6 so this is VERY far away)
1. $500 would be the most
2. $75,000
3. British Columbia, Canada
12. $20k (BTW, Mennonites can deliver a 16’x16′ finished house, in Belize, for $8,645 USD).
13. $555/mo. for 36 months (Basically, the equivalent of a car payment).
14. AZ or NV (Reasonably-priced parcels and great exposure for solar paneling).
12. Nothing but basic consumables costs and taxes, will pay outright for construction with savings and investments (eventually).
13. Fair? not sure. Realistic? likely around $50,000 for a very basic 400 sq ft, including $25,000 for sewer and water. Part of the square footage will be a workshop.
14. A state of bliss of course, on a BC Gulf Island where I already own property.
12. Would want to pay outright. Just starting to save up now.
13. Have just started exploring, so I’m not sure what would be a fair price.
14. Vermont, or maybe Maine
12. Pay outright.
13. 40K not including sewer and water.
14. NM AR OK
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? $300
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? I should be able to do it for around $5000. I have access to a few hundred acres of land with a mill on it. So wood would basically be free, just time cost.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Minnesnowta in the summer and then travel in the winter, since it will be on a trailer.
I would actually like 2 units. One tiny home on a trailer so I could move if needed and one that was about 400-500 feet of permanent residence.
Trailer home totally off the grid.
Tiny home mostly off the grid.
12. $250 loan costs/$250 utility, etc costs
13. With land and foundation and building costs, permits, etc. $35,000
14. New Mexico
Around $300 / month
15K – 30K Depending on the package
WI near the Twin City area
OK… I do market research for a living and this survey is bumming me out. No opp to say “I don’t know” for those of us who are very interested but have not thought about things like water & sewer. I didn’t press “publish” because I simply can’t answer many of these questions. Hate to be a bummer… but you guys should test out surveys like this on a few people before going live to get the kinks out.
Not sure what comes up on your screen but I had individual vote buttons for each question and the option to answer the last 3 as comments. If I didn’t have an answer I could leave that question blank. Each question has a total number of voters as well as percentages shown at the end so you can compare how many people answered each one. For example on the washer, dryer or both question I would assume that if you don’t answer it that means you don’t want either. I think it’s more to give a general idea rather than be a fully “scientific” poll. People’s ideas and opportunities are always in flux so it’s really just a momentary snapshot anyway and some answers may be more indicative of “what should be” than “what is”.
#12 $300.00
#13 $45000.00
#14 Tenseness
cash, paid in full…no mortgage or rent please.
800sq ft. for less than 40,000 would be accessible for many more people.
washington state or hawaii
12. Paid in full. $300/month taxes/ins.
14. land and house total <$90,000
15. Have land in AZ, would prefer SoCal.
500 sq ft.
12. I would want to build as I can afford it, thus incurring no debt. Hard to judge costs and forsee the future that way, but it would not become a financial burden. I would guess the shell alone to cost approximately $10,000. Finished, possibly $20-25,000.
13. $25,000 would be a fair price for an owner/builder. Property not included.
14. I would love to build in many different states, but would build here in the North Okanogan Valley of Washington state because this is where I belong (not necessarily want to be).
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
I have two months left on my build project, figure the investment to date is around $30K
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
If someone else built it, $45 to $50K, If I do it, what is cost, which right now is about $30K
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Oregon or Washington
12. $400 a month would be the most.
13. 40K
14. Texas
12. I would prefer to pay cash and not have to pay anything! 🙂 But, less than $500 would be a figure I’d be happy to live with.
13. Depending on size, design and construction style, I’d hope less than $100,000
14. Georgia or Tennessee mountains
$400/month
$28-32K
Would downsize for mobility, but for permanent structure probably NC, FL or GA.
12. I would like to be able to pay anything below $400. But I would love to not pay for much at all!
13. $30,000 – $40,000
14. California or anywhere else in the US with vast land. It doesn’t really matter.
12. 100 Bucks, counting in propane and generator fuel costs.
13. USD $10,000.00 or less.
14. Anywhere the growing season starts in April or earlier.
$6oo
$30,ooo to $40,000
Georgia
As a contractor I would build the tiny house out of straw bale and used timbers for the post and beams. I belive I could build the whole thing for about $10,000 not including land. It would have a gray water system, a way of storing rain water, septic and leach field for sewer. The land would have to have water for a well at a reasonable depth. Propane and solar for energy use. Mid Arizona, where it is not too cold and not too hot..along the rim. I have built this type of home and they are very energy efficient and very DIY friendly. Conserve, and use old lumber and look for demoliton of buildings for use materials. This cuts cost.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay? $400 a month. However, I want to pay for it outright so I can use my money for other things i.e. giving to those less fortunate in other countries, travel, etc.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? $40,000-$50,000
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? Oregon
12. Pay cash OR pay as I build.
13. 15K (if I went precut route) to 65K (finished)
14. Eastern Pennsylvania/not in the boonies
I want to do it diy (except some plumbing and electrical) so I want it paid off when finished.
I am hoping to build an 8×12 for $25,000, furnished.
I want to travel with it but my home base would be northern Ohio, a decidedly frigid winter clime.
12. already completed, paid cash as we built.
13. 75,000
14. Pennsylvania
I want to thank everyone for participating in our micro home survey. We will be winding it up by Friday. The information we have gathered is of significant value and will greatly influence the micro home industry.
For those of you who thought we did a lousy job on the survey we thank you for commenting and we look forward to a better survey authored by you and also any other contributions that you will be making to the growth of the micro home industry. We are doing the best we can with the time we have to do it.
Thanks,
Walt Barrett
12. What ever it would take!
13. 800 + sq. ft. @ up to $200,000
14. Any where in the Pacific Northwest
12…paying for it as we build…with a total cost of about $15,000.00 and it would be in Michigan
12. About $1000/mo ideally with land costs and home.
13. We would be looking at less than $200K all in (inclusing land) about $50-75K for the house itself. We would be building much of it ourselves though, with the exception of some trades (plumbing/electrical)
14. The Kootenays in Canada (British Columbia)
Interesting survey, not always easy for me to answer though since my tiny home will be nomadic
Putting my needs out to the universe:
* Class C or “short bus” size RV low mileage
* One story (of course)
* Regular plumbing and electrical hookups completed (and/or composting toilet and solar power)
* Inside layout, decor and storage customized by me
* NO don’t currently have a place to build it
* Building permit ?
* On wheels see above
* Off the power & water grid but connections available for hooking up at an RV park (or the parking lot at my employer)
* Frost-free/freeze-proof might as well; good insulation and leak-proof roof
* Own a washer-dryer OR easily accessible close by
12. Prefer to pay cash or pay off a short-term loan on time
13. $40K or less
14. Location independent
1 $450.00 a Month
2 $50,000.00
3 TEXAS
I just had my 400 sq Foot 12 x 36 Park Model RV Home built by Athens Park Model Homes Athens ,Texas. It was completed Last Month. Everyone who is considering a Park Model Home RV type ,get your RV Site, Land , Location first before you Buy .
12. about $350.00 per month
13. between $15,000 and $20,000
14. Wa or Id
I plan to live in a storage building or cheap travel trailer while building and I will build it as I have the money…no monthly payments. I will spend as needed to build it, and will use as many free materials as I can aquire, and am not putting a time limit for building, so I have no set figure for finished price (I am already collecting components). I have property in Arkansas, but hope to build in Texas, as job opportunities are better, there is no state income tax, and most of my family live in Texas.
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
I’d prefer to pay nothing monthly. To pay up front and live mortgage and utility free.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
10k-70k including land.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
Vermont
12. No monthly payment. We plan to build and pay cash as we go
13. 50k to get it to a liveable status (we can upgrade/do aethetic touches over the years) We already have the acreage, free and clear.
14. Land is in Florida
$500.00 per month payment
$45,000.00
Idaho
12. no payments (no mortgage or utilities) only taxes on land
13. $30-$50K on house, $50-$100k on land
14. NC
12. How much a month could you afford to pay?
Right now am trying to pay off debt. Not sure on this one.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above?
With a pier foundation, hopefully $12,000.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home?
I currently have 2 acres in Maine with a trailer, septic and water. Would replace trailer with tiny house.
12. Paid off on move in (Taxes only reoccuring)
13. $25k on Fencl, $30-$50k on land
14. ND
12: $650 monthly
13: $50K
14: Florida
$400.00
$30,000.00
Arkansas
12 Prepaid, no monthly (except utilities)
13 as little as I can get away with… Ideally, under $10,000.00 (but I know it may take more).
14 New England (or Ohio to be near my grandson)
12. Not interested in paying any monthly rent.
13. $6,000-$8,000
14. Undecided- perhaps Alaska or British Columbia
12. 1200.
13. 100-150k
14. BC, WA, CA, MN, NY, CO, MT, WY
12. no more than $500
13. $30,000
14. probably California as a main residence though i might move to another west coast or westerly state… i hope to go on tour in the next few years so my tiny home would be pretty mobile!
I would love to pay $75.00 dollars a month.
The price should be be 7,ooo dollars off grid, and $9,000 for extra amenties.
I would love to own a piece of lot in any city urban enviroment.
I currentl live in Philadelphia,and I should be able to live in a tiny house without all the restrictions.
The rural enviroment is not for everyone, I want to live in a urban city enviroment.
The tiny house companys should really think about creating extra creative spaces within the tiny house, for children and pets.
I currently need a tiny house for one adult and two children,including 2 cats and 2 dogs.
I want to spend less than $ $9,ooo dollars, and I want to own a small low cost lot in the city.!!!!!
12. How much a month could I afford to pay? If this question refers to a mortgage payment, then my answer is $300 per month, for a 250-square-foot home. I also assume that there would be no additional fees for a homeowners’ association.
13. What do you think is a fair price just for your particular choices from above? If I obtained a 15-year mortgage, with monthly payments of $300 per month, then the total fair cost (with mortgage payments) would be $54,000. That would be fair. If paid in cash, then a fair price would be approximately $40,000.
14. What state would you prefer to live in your micro home? I am a city-dwelling California native, so I would prefer to remain here. However, I certainly would consider other locales, if they met my need for walkability.
$300.00/mo
$10,000.00
Texas, Wisconsin, Colorado reasons to live in all 3 states business, family
minimal needs no running water composting toilet
propane or wood heat solar led lighting
12. ~$500/month, including land
13. ~$50k-60k, including land & a basement foundation
14. UT
12. I plan to buy a more remote property so the price won’t be so outrageous. I’m hoping for about 5 acres on a lake. I’m hoping to keep the price at $20,000 or lower for the land. The cabin I will have to price out materials depending what way I decide to go with building ie logs, 6×6 lumber, post and beam, or frame. Depending on the location of the property I have also thought of milling my own lumber with the Alaska mill.
13. Depends on the above information.
14. Alaskat
12. 100.00
13. 3000.00
14. Texas
12. $200 per month
13. $10K (would prefer to use reclaimed materials whenever possible.
14. Land is in TN