TINY houses ! (and pipe dreams)

Yes, would recommend a carbon monoxide alarm for any combustion heated places. About $30 dollars or so. (Different to a smoke alarm)

 

If you're on Foxtel, there's a new series just started on this. Could you live in a tiny house?

 

Thanks for everyone's replies!
I was living in the US for a couple of years and they seem to be a massive "thing" there but it seems to be more of an almost underground movement here.

I finally got a reasonably straightforward answer from one of the councils- you can only have a tiny house aka caravan if there is another dwelling on the block- which completely defeats the purpose of what we are trying to achieve. Amongst other requirements are minimum dwelling size and the need for a laundry. (side note, my apartment in Sydney doesn't even have a laundry although I suppose there is a common laundry... but for a weekender, who really cares?) I'm not sure I could live in a tiny house full time but would be perfect for a getaway !

As a few people have mentioned, I appreciate the laws are in place to prevent slum lords but I think it's also preventing a really awesome little movement- living sustainably in a small amount of space, limiting debt, not worrying about beating the joneses etc. I have joined the Tiny Houses Australia Facebook group which is really interesting for anyone else who is interested in this kind of thing !

 

I've seen the container trick a few times. A friend of mine also has this set up. Got a cheap 40 footer on his 25 acres on the South Coast. It's roughly in the middle of the property with fairly dense bushland and trees along the boundaries so can't see anything from the dirt road at the front. Surrounding properties are all acreage also with dense bushland on the boundaries. So no one can see what's going on. He decked it out with basic bathroom (septic setup with pump) and kitchenette lounge and 2 single beds all in one room. Only the bathroom has a partition. Carport outside. 5kva diesel generator.

 

It can happen pretty easily apparently, particularly when there's no way for fresh air to get in there - like in standard form, no windows etc...

 

Something I've wanted to do, but concerned about keeping people off the property when I'm not there

 

Yes...that is a concern especially if you have things like dirt bikes and mowers/tractors etc. It's a risk you take. You need to do the best you can regarding security like locked gates and container and do your best to hide the things that worth something where possible. My friend with that property told me one of the concerns in that region is the theft of fuel. Either stored or from within equipment. He said teenagers come and syphon fuel from tractors and other equipment. Hasn't happened to him but has heard it from neighbours.

 

A tiny house is on wheels and therefore generally falls under caravan laws. On the one hand, this is a bonus because on first look, all you seem to need is a caravan permit to park it at your block and off you go. On the other hand the following issues present:

• Staying on a resi block in a tiny house on wheels is deemed camping or staying temporarily in your "caravan". There are time limits on how long this is permitted and often it is only allowed during school holidays.
• Once you put a couple of posts up to support the verandah, it is considered "permanent" and council kicks up a fuss.
• On normal resi blocks, the neighbours are close and can thus see your tiny house. One whinge to council and you can be asked to move on.
• It sounded to me like it was easiest if you had your tiny house at the back of a huge farm block where there were no nosy neighbours, or so much space nobody cares anyway.

I took some time to drive out and view Fred's tiny house recently. It's really impressive and he's really thought it through. Several people were there, mostly folks keen on sustainable and cost efficient living. However there was no hard and fast means of getting around council woes. You have to build first and then seek permission to park it somewhere. So you could end up owning a tiny house but not being able to park it anywhere. The topic of insurance also had not yet been broached, so it was unknown whether insurers would insure it as a house, or a cabin, or a caravan, or indeed not offer insurance for it at all.

Fred acquired quite a beefy ute capable of hauling his tiny house. Because a tiny house is very heavy obviously. There were height issues also... ensuring the tiny house didn't exceed the height permissable by Vic Roads etc.

As the sleeping quarters are accessed up small ladders, I imagine a tiny house would be problematic for people with toddler children, or older people for whom ladders become difficult as knees and so on start to fail.

As cost of living rises and wages do not rise to keep up, I can see concepts like the tiny house becoming the only option for many folks. Tiny houses are a concept still in the infancy stages here in Australia but if the issues with council and insurance can be overcome it could well be wonderful. I'm keeping a very interested eye on it. I view them as essentially granny flats or student accommodation to plonk in the backyard of a house. However being on wheels I could relocate the tiny house if the demand in town changes. I could just drag my tiny house off to somewhere else it would be more easily rented out at that time. Personally I would not buy a vehicle so I could move my tiny house around, I would just pay someone with a beefier vehicle to do it for me. It's not like I'd be wanting to move it every week anyway.

 

You need to know the neighbours and also hide as much as possible and don't make the place attractive to theives. And basically make stuff hard to lift!
Also there are sensor activated CCTV cameras available now
Depending on the block size is good to offer it to the neighbours to let their stock graze

 

Excellent point about the neighbours. This guy bought the 25 acres from the next door neighbour. Who also happens to have another lot just on the other side. So he is sandwiched in by the same person who owned it all before. Also has a good relationship with him and speak regularly. Helps to have friends in rural areas.

 

I love the concept of Tiny House. Without wheels they fall under granny flat rules? I'm looking into both options for my parents who have recently realised their physical and financial need to downsize. But I don't want them to have to sell up and move out to the sticks to remain in independent living.

 

Agreed. People forget that as they age they will probably be a bit more reliant on medical services which tend to be in larger townships. They of course also want to be close enough to the family and friends for regular visits.

 

The portability is attractive and it's a great concept. I'm still wondering why people don't just build small enough houses though, especially if travelling around with the house is not priority? I.e. Build smart house in small land.

 

Because if you need to sell or rent it out, it appeals to a smaller quantity of "customers".

 

Because it then becomes a small house or granny flat. Not a tiny house. Whole different kettle of fish with rules and regs. I agree with you though. With housing becoming so unaffordable I believe a new solution called I'm going to call Land Sharing is the go. Multiple parties buy a block of land and build small/tiny houses. Councils will hate it because it's a hairbrained scheme, but will give a lot of young ones a start that's cheap.

 

This is starting to happen along the NSW north coast I believe. Eco type communities. There's a few acres then a number of families live with communal gardens etc. I'm being serious, not just Nimbin pot head stuff. Many people from Sydney and elsewhere are making the move and being self sustainable amongst small communities. Becoming more popular for tree change families.
There are down sizing options out there its just whether you want to keep playing the "keeping up with the Joneses " game in the city or you want to actually do something

 

My extended family are looking into more affordable housing as we retire from the rat race. I don't like tiny house - headroom above the bed is too cramped for me. I see it as yet another caravan. I believe that caravans are not as prevalent in the States as they are here, hence the new concept developing over there for something transportable that isn't a fifth-wheeler.

As for an affordable permanent dwelling, we are looking into a small self-built home using more sustainable and recycled materials and industrial building techniques such as concrete tilt slabs. I have been watching some UK programs about building to a tiny budget (not Grand Designs) and I already know several families who are all thinking the same. Our first house was 7m x 10m, plenty of space for two bedrooms, a large kitchen and large bathroom and a large living room.

Councils like to keep their staff employed processing lots of development and building fees, hence they wont take too kindly to residents opting out of the system that collects so much revenue for them. I looked into a residential eco-community on the NSW far north coast a few years ago and the prices were astronomical.

There should be a market for unwanted cabins from Curtis Island construction camp. If I bought a couple, I don't know where we would store them.

 

They have already been having auctions since last year. Get googling so you don't miss them.
The may have storage for you for a short period after you buy, they have plenty of room!

Or better yet buy a block at 1770 and build there! Amazing spot!

 

Who an afford land at 1770?

Real Estate & Property For Sale in Seventeen Seventy, QLD 4677 (Page 1) - realestate.com.au


But I like your thinking

 

Your link didn't come up in the post properly.

56 acres... 120k!!
235 Murphy Road Captain Creek Qld 4677 http://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential land-qld-captain+creek-201359714