The best way to slash your energy bills is to choose a compact, well-built home such as this sweet, neat and petite home in Franklin, Maine.
Mother Earth News in the current issue (Oct-Nov) of their magazine did an article on Ben and Sarina Speed, who live in an 18 by 18, 640 square foot home. Smaller than most garages, Ben and Sarina share their home with their son Noah and a house cat.
The house was designed by Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company located in Sabastopol, California. The family lives very comfortably in their small home. In a house this size details are doubly important, and the Speed’s home is efficient and attractive both inside and out.
Thoughtful planning produced a design that is efficient and economical, as well as cheery and welcoming. The walls are brightly colored, creating an airy and spacious feel to each room. The house is very efficient with an electric bill of only $20 a month.
Sarina says that living small takes the clutter out of your life, as you have to be very efficient when living in such a small space.
Besides being cheaper to maintain, the Speeds’ home was cheaper to build, costing $55,000, including road and foundation work. To keep costs down, the couple did much of the nontechnical labor themselves or with the help of friends.
The Speeds’ may add another child to their family at some time in the future and will probably add a small addition to the house to fit everyone comfortably. They plan to keep it small and simple as the current plan and say that the house will never be over 1000 square feet at it largest.
Read the complete article “Home Petite Home” at the Mother Earth News site.
Photo Credit: Frances Idlebrook – Mother Earth News
If you enjoyed this post,