BTW, I know Pinnacle, and I've been in some of their "homes".
There really is no difference in construction quality from a tool shed, except Pinnacle builds on trailer frames (which makes them not permanent structures)
BTW, I know Pinnacle, and I've been in some of their "homes".
There really is no difference in construction quality from a tool shed, except Pinnacle builds on trailer frames (which makes them not permanent structures)
Keith Tanner said:MadScientistMatt said:Keith Tanner said:My wife falls over herself laughing at the Tiny House setups being pitched as actual homes. She knows a trailer when she sees it.
Credit where credit's due - they did manage to make single-wides look a lot better than previous designs. But it the design in the first post is still fundementally a single-wide, and judging from the price it is most likely built to similar standards and materials as a conventional mobile home.
Fair enough. They basically were willing to go vertical, and there are a few clever touches in each.
There was a prefab custom home manufacturing facility here in town that went under a few years ago. They were aiming at the high end mountain town market. They left a really big factory behind.
I disagree.
I was at a recent RV show (with a group interested in Tiny Homes). RVs have come a LONG way. They go vertical, they look great, they use incredible design and technological innovation, they actually are portable, and they cost half of what Tiny Homoe are going for.
If I was looking for something like this, it would be an RV all the way.
I toured some cool "Tiny Houses" that were built without a trailer. They were just overbuilt Sheds, but nice overbuilt sheds.
In reply to chada75 :
Were they concepts or samples, or actual houses that people were living in?
The reason most (legal ones) end up on trailer frames is that they are too small to meet the minimum size requirements in the building codes to be called a "house".
Ive been in many (I considered a business building them). Most are wonderful conceptual exercises, but illegal. Some of the ideas get adopted in foreign countries with different guidelines.
If I could spend the rest of my life building wonderful little houses for $25,000, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I can't.
In reply to SVreX :
The Amish one with a legit Bathroom and Kitchen was probably a demo at 25k. It was display by the side of the Amish cabin place
The one were I walked in was being lived in and the guy said he paid 55k not including land and pad.
Both weren't on trailers. The 55k was around 450 square foot.
I'm going to be building a cabin using a Graceland portable building in the not too distant future. It will be in the 400 to 600 sqft range. I'll do all the wiring, plumbing, and finish work myself. It should be well under $30k when done.
Edit now that I'm at a real computer.
Probably something like the one.
They offer it in a 14 X 40.
slefain said:Keith Tanner said:My wife falls over herself laughing at the Tiny House setups being pitched as actual homes. She knows a trailer when she sees it.
In this situation, I'd be tempted to pick up an Airstream. They've got resale value of their own, they're cool looking and if you ever decide to AirBnB the thing it'll have an appeal to it. Plus you can make it go away if needed.
Neighbor already got ticketed for parking their single axle AirStream beside their house. Pretty sure the city would do the same to me.
So... if you can't park an RV next to the house without getting cited, I'm not sure how some sort of tiny house variant won't eventually get the same treatment.
I follow a few "tiny house" and "van living" channels on YouTube, but mostly for pure entertainment and to steel RV build ideas from.
In reply to Toyman01 :
What is the price on those? I've seen them, but getting a price on a Graceland building is near impossible.
spitfirebill said:In reply to Toyman01 :
What is the price on those? I've seen them, but getting a price on a Graceland building is near impossible.
From what I can tell from the site, you will need to contact one of their dealers for pricing. Granted, in this day of "gotta have it NOW" online information, that does seem rather archaic.
The local dealer will deliver one for about $14k.
The design in the first post looks like a fancy version of what you get for $30 a night at a campground if you don't like tents. I imagine they cost a little more than a decent shed to slap together yourself and then you can use all free microwaves, college refrigerators and single beds that turn up in the local paper. Put it on the pad but call it an enclosed porch when obtaining a permit :)
Toyman01 said:I'm going to be building a cabin using a Graceland portable building in the not too distant future. It will be in the 400 to 600 sqft range. I'll do all the wiring, plumbing, and finish work myself. It should be well under $30k when done.
Edit now that I'm at a real computer.
Probably something like the one.
They offer it in a 14 X 40.
Those are what I would call tool sheds, and what I suggested earlier from Home Depot. I just stick built something similar for under $3K (not counting labor).
Nothing wrong with them.
However, you're gonna have a tough time attaching one to a residence and calling it a "house".
Its not a building problem, it's a regulatory one. Inspectors and municipalities have guidelines (the building code, zoning ordinances, etc) that define for them what is a residence. Sheds like that don't count.
The issues I would see for most inspectors:
- Lack of a permanent foundation
- Undersized floor joists
-2x4 trusses without engineering
- Non approved truss joint connections.
- Lack of foundation anchoring, wind strapping, bracing, etc
- Windows and doors that do not meet the energy code requirements
- Egress opening routes and sizes
Etc, etc....
They are perfectly adequate structures. They just aren't approved generally as residences. It's not what they are built for.
Just as utility trailers are not built as passenger vehicles, and do not meet the DOT standards for crash testing, etc.
I keep watching this thread. My parents have a vacation home that would really be served well by a garage apartment or two. Tiny Home might be the solution, and zoning probably isn't a problem where this is located. But when I say Tiny Home, think much closer to "furnished shed with toilet, shower, and space heater". My uncle has basically that, without the plumbing, just down the road; my grandpa's old place was perfect with 2 Prefabs and a garage apartment.
EDIT: Oh, and the reason that we'd want it: We frequently have everyone up there, and everyone plans on having kids. Having a little privacy on your vacation is nice; my wife and I just want a little bit more than a tent.
In cottage country, what you're talking about is called a "bunkie". Overflow sleeping arrangements in a shed with fewer permit difficulties for construction. I'd never made the connection, but they are tiny homes. Usually without the trailer wheels because they're sheds, not trailers.
Keith Tanner said:In cottage country, what you're talking about is called a "bunkie". Overflow sleeping arrangements in a shed with fewer permit difficulties for construction. I'd never made the connection, but they are tiny homes. Usually without the trailer wheels because they're sheds, not trailers.
Canada, you are awesome. Looks like it isn't really an accepted thing here in the US--again, zoning wouldn't be an issue (pay the contractor with cash, he doesn't care and no one would know), but it would be nice if it was.
BTW, this is pretty much the same thing as cottage country.
I've seen permanent tiny homes. I have never seen one as a primary residence though. As SVreX said, the minimum size requirements prevent you from doing this.
Most places have something like a 500-1000sqft minimum size :(
granny pod.. do it right.
http://www.aarp.org/home-family/friends-family/info-2017/granny-pods-small-homes-fd.html
In reply to SVreX :
Actually, the Graceland buildings can be supplied with engineer stamped drawings and are suitable for wind zone III areas with a proper foundation.
As far as permitting and inspections, I'll skip that step. The building will be sitting in the middle of 400 acres and I will handle the septic system, and power connections myself.
ProDarwin said:I've seen permanent tiny homes. I have never seen one as a primary residence though. As SVreX said, the minimum size requirements prevent you from doing this.
Most places have something like a 500-1000sqft minimum size :(
But I can live aboard a smaller boat to my heart's content
My first US house was something like 780 square feet. It wasn't a Tiny House, it was just from the 50's. It was nicely done, seemed roomier - but best suited to either a young couple with no indoor hobbies or a single male who spent all his time in the 800 square foot garage 
Keith Tanner said:My first US house was something like 780 square feet. It wasn't a Tiny House, it was just from the 50's. It was nicely done, seemed roomier - but best suited to either a young couple with no indoor hobbies or a single male who spent all his time in the 800 square foot garage
Isn't it amazing how well a good layout can change things? I lived in an 800 squarefoot, 2BR apartment that was effectively bigger than the 1100 square foot house that came after it. Sure, there was more space in the new place, but it wasn't actually usable. I really wish I could knock out a few walls and move a staircase in our current house.
Toyman01 said:In reply to SVreX :
Actually, the Graceland buildings can be supplied with engineer stamped drawings and are suitable for wind zone III areas with a proper foundation.
As far as permitting and inspections, I'll skip that step. The building will be sitting in the middle of 400 acres and I will handle the septic system, and power connections myself.
Right. But not for $14K.
Im just trying to answer the OP's question, and respond to what is posted. The OP asked for something he could use as a residence in ATL. That won't work (as you posted it).
Then, you posted a tool shed for $14K which I could build for $3K which does not meet the building code for a residence. Sure, you can pay much more for engineering and a foundation and make it a house, but you could do that with virtually anything. I don't see how this answers the original question.
In reply to SVreX :
Hmm, I thought this was the insane ideas thread, not the what will pass code thread.
In reply to Toyman01 :
Slefain's insane idea. The rest of us can TRY to be sane every once in a while!
So, I just came across this while doing the "project" search on CL. I think he's going to have to pay someone else to take it away...
https://westslope.craigslist.org/tro/d/tiny-house-project/6299306463.html
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