The worldwide interest in Tiny Houses means there are often some ‘interesting’ programmes to watch about them on tv. There’s a certain something about dinky little houses, some with living space on various levels, some even on wheels so they are towable reminiscent of ‘gypsy’ caravans. Sometimes I think it would be great to live in one – then usually have second thoughts when I think about the things I need around me to live the sort of life I enjoy. There’d be a tiny house on my block- as well as countless outbuildings to house the assorted paraphernalia stuff I’m referring to above 😏
So each time we decide to come here on our winter trip and I remember the size of the cabin I say to myself ‘it’s just for a few weeks’. We have the same cabin booked each time so I’m aware I’ll be living in Four rooms in One for those few weeks so bring the amount of clothing and assorted ‘stuff’ I feel I can handle for that time.
There’s a bedroom with large picture window and hanging space for clothing (photos dated 2016)
A beautifully appointed kitchen/diner with up to date appliances and a small sitting area with comfortable couch
The bathroom (shower/hand basin/toilet) is tucked away behind the sliding panelled door, the view from the ‘kitchen’ window is palm greenery and with only 9 steps from the mirror end to the window by the bed there’s not a huge amount of floor space, storage is almost negligible yet it doesn’t feel cramped.
Years ago (2008) after our first visit to Bowen I mentioned our little ‘holiday home’ and how small it was to my mum. I must have caught her on a grumpy day because she quickly retaliated that living in one room is the norm in some parts of the world, reminding me of the term ‘bedsit’ and because of them loads of people actually have a roof over their heads.
Could I live permanently by choice in this little space – I don’t think so. It’s fun for a few weeks but that’s my limit Necessity is a different matter altogether.
How about you? Could you live in a tiny space or do you need room to move (and store your ‘stuff
Still Waters 
I’m intrigued by these tiny places to live, but in all honesty, would go stir-crazy in a few weeks! So no, not for me!
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Our house is about twice the size of your holiday home, we moved from a cottage of 1800 square feet to this house at about 640 square feet. Really, it is almost the equivalent of each of us (2) having a 320 square foot tiny house, but the shared kitchen and bathroom help make it seem a bit bigger than that. We do have an unheated and unfinished basement, that wasn’t dry when we got here, but is OK now as long as a dehumidifier runs 24/7. We also have a garage, which leaked, seriously full of mould leaked, until last month. The new roof on it isn’t quite finished, but when it is the mould and mildew will be cleaned out and it can be used for storing tools etc. and things that can weather -35C temperatures.
Downsizing isn’t done yet, three years on, and our big house furniture does not work well in this little house. We are still tripping over our stuff, and renovating too. We still find it hard to get rid of things we might need, and won’t even consider getting rid of stuff we treasure.
It is quite different than a holiday home though, which is furnished appropriately, with only the essentials for recreational living setup.
It is my food preparation and preservatin equipment that really feel the squeeze here, pressure canner, food mill, bread machine, small appliances, ingredients etc. I am still trying to organize the kitchen so that my necessary activities there run more smoothly. As it is I am constantly shuffling things about to accomplish every task. In the next few years we will be renovating the porch and including an outdoor kitchen, screened in against insects, squirrels, and hopefully even mice, where I can cook, process food, and can in the summer months, and I am really looking forward to that!
I thnk tiny houses require a dedication to organization, and a willingness to let go of equipment intensive activities. Where would a canner store their canning equipment and canned food? Where would a woodworker store their tools? Where would a reader store their books? Well, the list goes on, and of course there are ways around any storage issues, if you are organized enough!
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I would not choose to live in a such a small place, but I could easily enough if I had to but I would have it redesigned like a caravan, whereby every inch of space is cleverly used for storage. I remember bed sits here in Melbourne. They were pretty good too.
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We downsized 16 years ago, now we are seriously considering up sizing.
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We lived in a tiny house years before it was popular, but back then it was called a shanty. It was meant to be a couple of weeks, but ended up being close to a year. It was pretty awful for the 6 of us. Never again!
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We downsized to a two bedroom apartment and believe me after my Mom and sister died and I was left with all their things I still have not got through I’m never buying another object unless it is clothes. I don’t wish this mess on my only daughter so when one gets up in years you should downsize or give whatever you intend to give so they can get use of . Just my opinion.
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This is quite a different matter than dealing with a lot of objects that one has inherited. When we downsized we gave a truckload or more of perfectly good furniture and clothing to Shelters for battered women and for the homeless, no regrets there. Family treasures went to the girls, but they didn’t want much.
One of my daughters wanted me to throw out all of my books when I turned 60, so when I die she won’t have to deal with them. I told her I kept money in the books, should keep her pretty busy when I’m gone. I’ll seed a few bills here and there in the collection to keep her interested. She might even read one of the books, you never know, it would do her good.
The books are my cherished companions, I have no intention of following her advice and living for decades without the things I love around me.
She is a big girl now, she can cope with a little inconvenience. There are companies here that will auction off estates for a cut of the take, my girls can do that if they wish when I die, it will no longer matter to me. Until then, I am alive and I am going to live my life to the fullest, with the things I cherish surrounding me.
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I downsized from five bedrooms to 1000square feet. It was liberating.
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the key point to being anywhere “smaller” is storage units & minimalist…I’ve pondered the Tiny House movement but what I see is handling differing sorts of “gadgets” that relate to utilities, looks technologically beyond me …
However, if push came to shove and I ended up in a “bedsit” – as long as the roof over my head didn’t leak, I would manage…
And there is another plus with “small” less household cleaning…I discovered that with my current rental, the kitchen floor is less energy expanded for sure – however the logistics of storing some gadgets in it also difficult…
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I brought up two kids in a house half the size of that place. Now my daughter is bringing up her two kids there. It was/is our own house. We were happy and grateful to own a house at all
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I couldn’t do it. I am mildly claustrophobic, and a collector of books among other things. And my partner is a collector of other things and reluctant to let anything go.
I would require a heap of storage space and more organisation that I think I can muster.
All power to those who can.
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The two of us live in a 1000-sq ft, three-bedroom apartment, and I love it. We moved into a three-bedroom about 40 years ago, years ago when Kaitlin was about seven, and the extra room felt like a luxury — one I would prefer not to give up.
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My daughter wants to build a small Granny house in the back of their property. I think of that every time I enjoy a stroll through my good sized home. I love the space both inside and out. Maybe when I am bed-fast a small house will do.
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We have watched a whole series of programs here on US TV on “tiny house” living. Our house was very small — main living about 640 square feet (not counting walk-in basement) when we moved in in 1981. We have since added on twice because we needed more room. And you know what? We have filled it up!! Thinking we should have just kept it small.
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Like you I can live in a small space for a while but it does become difficult – living in our caravan at the moment waiting for the cottage to be sorted it is a squeeze – not because of the stuff – more there is no place to do any floor exercises or spread out a bit. I could live in a smaller house but not a tiny house.
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