Chicago Loft - photo credit by Lavender & Lilies

Finding a home in the perfect location at the right price can be difficult. It seems that most urban areas offer very small homes or homes that are extremely expensive.

Picture this; you find a terrific urban neighborhood that offers walking or biking to local shops and restaurants and the school district is distinguished, unfortunately the only house you can afford is under 1,000 square feet and you know that size just won’t accommodate your family’s needs. An alternative to a smaller abode might just be to raise the roof, literally, by adding a loft. Creativity is a plus in this scenario, you can A.) convert your attic into a room, B.) add a loft to a volume ceiling (higher than just a vaulted ceiling), or C.) raise the roof and build up.

Take the attic for instance; most families don’t use the entire portion of the attic for storage. With the help of a contractor, you can convert a portion of your attic into another room. Apparently, rafter attics are the easiest to convert without raising the roof, truss-built attics require more work to convert and may require an architect. A contractor will make sure your walls and floor will support the weight of an addition. Within your plan, a contractor will also make sure fire exits are available and take into consideration windows, sky lights, and air flow. Resource for attic conversions.

Can’t covert the attic? What about a vaulted-volume ceiling? If your ceiling is high enough, you can build a loft room or just a sleeping loft to add a little extra space. Sleeping lofts are quite popular in cities like New York where space is limited. Narrow ladders can be tucked away during the day and brought out when it’s time for bed. Resource for loft conversions.

West Hollywood Cottage - photo credit Sunset.com

Sunset.com recently showcased a small cottage in West Hollywood. Originally only 600-square feet without much land to work with, the couple built up and doubled the square footage. Adding plenty of windows, using bright white walls and geometric designs and colors gives the illusion there’s more room than what’s actually there.

Would you consider a smaller home in a better, or more prestigious, neighborhood? Would you add on?

Enesti plans on sale

The Bodega plan is one of the smallest “cottage” plans, but it’s quaint and very similar in style to the Enesti. I liken it to being sort of like the Enesti, but miniaturized. Its square footage ranges from 261 sq. ft. to 356 sq. ft. These plans are on sale for $500 off making it a bargain.

Both homes have nice-sized front porches implemented into the plans allowing a person to stretch out their legs when things are feeling a bit cramped. And the loft in the Bodega plan isn’t counted into the square footage – meaning it’s a little larger than the square feet state.

Which Tumbleweed is your favorite?

ShelterKraft Werks Container Home

Could you tell me a little about what motivated you to build container homes?

Well, I’ve always loved the challenge of building small spaces - everything from secret forts when I was a kid to a neo-classic dog house.  The idea of using containers first occurred to me when I was working at Starbucks as a store architect, looking out of my office window at the Port of Seattle, with all of the big ships, stacks of containers and cranes, I began fantasizing about stowing away in a Hamburg Süd container and getting shipped to Germany to within 5 kilometers of my grandmother’s house. For the next 10 years, as I pursued various long-distance sailing and architectural adventures, I kept thinking about what it would take to make containers livable and how many ways you combine and stack them – like  playing with giant Legos!

In the fall of 2009 I came back to Seattle and met my partner Anne. With her extensive business experience and my design, engineering and construction background we began to explore the possibilities of starting ShelterKraft Werks. We got excited about how containers could provide a truly sustainable housing method, that also offered something more cost-effective in this new economic era as people are seeking ways to reduce their footprint both ecologically and financially with an awakening interest in small homes. From my sailing experience, I could see ways to make elegant and effective use of small spaces to create comfortable and functional living environments inside even a single container.

It all came together as a culmination of my lifelong passions and Anne’s entrepreneurial experience. What inspires us is the philosophy that ALL people should have a safe and secure place to call home. A home that’s affordable, appealing, durable, and sustainable.

How much do they cost (at minimum)?

ShelterKraft’s fully-built container house lines start at $35K for our CargoCottage(tm), a single 8′ x 20′ container that sleeps two, with kitchen, sitting area, and bathroom/shower. We offer a range of “stock” models up to a 2-bedroom house made from 2 40′ long containers with a base price of $68,000 (http://shelterkraft.com/products/stock-house-models/).

We also offer backyard office/studio spaces with a half-bath starting at $17,000 (http://shelterkraft.com/products/ecottages/).  We can also design custom houses that include additional containers, or stacked (multi-story) structures.

The price per square foot drops a lot as you build larger spaces, since a big percentage of cost goes into the kitchen and bath. On average, it costs 25-50% less to use containers than to use traditional (stick frame) construction for a comparable space.

What information do potential container home owners need to know- such as land requirements, plumbing and electrical, etc.?

All of the ShelterKraft houses come ready to install on the customer’s site, with electrical, plumbing and engineering (which can also include solar, wind, or other alternative energy and water systems). The customer needs to take care of preparation of the site, although we can provide consultation on what’s needed.  Depending on the particulars of the site and whether the house is a single container or multi-container structure, a home owner need only provide simple site preparation: a flat gravel bed or concrete slab with RV hookups (for a single container or more temporary structure), or a concrete foundation or pilings plus utility stub-ups (for a more permanent structure).  More information about site preparation and installation is included in our FAQ: http://shelterkraft.com/faqs/

As I mentioned in on your blog, we have had tons of interest in our homes and our biggest barrier seems to be finding creative financing solutions to under 400 sq.ft. houses (the FHA/HUD minimum size limit to a ‘viable’ house).

*Little House notes: These container homes are amazing. I’m also curious about the financing of these homes. Further research will most likely produce a follow  up post on  how to finance homes under 400 sq. ft.

Would you consider a ShelterWerks home for yourself or a guest house?

A quick search revealed that Ikea has a section on their website dedicated to small space ideas. They highlight how the room was organized maximizing the space and offer photos of families “living” in the room. The rooms used in the videos and photos are still the model rooms, but seeing pictures of people in the room, “living” in that small space, gives a better idea of its functionality.

Ikea Small Space Ideas

In my opinion, the photos of many of the rooms are a bit cramped once you add a  family of 3 or 4, but one or two people could definitely live somewhat comfortably within the small square footage. Yet,  most of the ideas Ikea offers for maximizing space can be used in any size of a room. For example, using glass-front cabinets that extend up to the ceiling allows for more storage, but still keeps an airy, open feeling through the use of glass. Or using two chaise lounges that you can move around the living room for more or less space is a great idea.

However, some ideas seem a bit ridiculous like having a bunk bed in the living room with only a curtain to pull around an adult couple. It might work for a single couple, but throw in a couple of kids and I’m not sure how comfortable I’d feel about that. In my defense, I don’t have kids so maybe I don’t understand that privacy goes out the window. (Any parents want to comment on this?)

Their small space website really cemented the idea that creatively utilizing all areas of a room (floor to ceiling, loft sleeping for guests, cubbies and cabinets) saves floor space, hides toys effectively and items which are rarely used, and allows more room to move around. Ikea’s space saving ideas can come in handy in any household.

How do you effectively utilize your space?

Crystal Cove Beach Cottage

I don’t live in a house (yet), instead I live in a fairly large apartment compared to the average “apartment” size. However, 50% of my time is spent in one room, my office, and the other 45% of my time is spent in my bedroom. I roam the other parts of the apartment throughout the day, but only to get something to eat or use the bathroom.

Out of my 1,690 square foot living space, I utilize 400 square feet 95% of the time. The analysis of my behavior is what has led me to believe that I could live in a tiny or small house.

Not only do I recognize my living patterns and know I could live in less space, some of the tiny house designs I’ve come across are the most space-efficient designs I’ve seen. Partly because they have to be, given the small square footage, but also because there seems to be a trend towards living with less – less square feet, less material items lingering around, less income dedicated to a mortgage or rent payment. When it comes to some of my favorite tiny house designs, less is really more.

My all time favorite tiny house company is, of course, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. I’ve been singing their praises for a long time. However, they’ve recently added six new designs called Box Bungalows. Each one under 110 square feet with plans selling for $49.00. These plans are different from their original tiny houses, which are now labled “House to Go,” which are intended to be built on a trailer for mobility. The Box Bungalow plans are meant to be stationary with concrete footings for the foundation, though there is some flexibility on foundation choice. The really nice part about these tiny houses, is you can purchase them in a kit or pre-assembled for those less handy with a hammer, and they cost under $20,000!

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

While reading Westways Magazine, I came across a local real estate company that purchases small houses, renovates them, and then resells them preserving their originality. Better Shelter renovates small houses in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. A unique real estate niche for people who are tired of the McMansions of the early millenia. When the time comes to purchase a small or tiny house, I’ll be investigating this company a little more.

I can also “test-drive” a tiny house by renting one at Crystal Cove Beach, a state park in Newport, CA. In a concerted effort, the Crystal Cove Alliance and the CA state park has renovated the 1930′s beach cottages and rent them out by reserving them through Reserve America. However, I quickly searched for availability on the individual cottages and had difficulty finding available dates from now until next March! I guess the tiny house trend is more popular than I thought.

Not only do tiny houses cost less to build, relieving the owner of a hefty mortgage payment, they also are more energy efficient saving lots of money on utility bills. If you want to learn a little more about tiny or small houses, be sure to check out my house plan page. I’ve done extensive research on small and tiny house plans.

Could you live in a house under 400 square feet in size? Do you find that the majority of your time at home is spent within a smaller space than what the house actually provides?

For my first guest post at Little House, I thought I’d discuss my little house. Fitting, no?

I live in the urban heart of Atlanta (Midtown), surrounded by condos, restaurants and movie theaters within walking distance. Needless to say, space is at a premium in this ultra-pedestrian-friendly part of the city.

And so I own a little house. A VERY little house. (Although, in the interest of full disclosure: it’s no where near a valley.)

As Little House often discusses, small homes are great for reducing costs. Let’s review the obvious price savings:

1. The house itself is usually cheaper.
2. Utility bills are lower.
3. Insurance is (presumably?) lower since there’s not as much house to cover. (My insurance is a ridiculous $3,000 a year, but that’s an entirely different story.)
4. Maintaining the house – such as replacing the carpeting and tile – requires less material, and is therefore cheaper.
5. Furnishings are cheaper (you need fewer).

For all the savings, though, a little house also comes with some big price tags. Here are three I’ve discovered:

#1: The Efficiency Cost.

You need to use your space more efficiently – and that can mean shelling out big bucks, plus hours of your time, to install custom shelving or built-in storage units.

Paula's Kitchen - LH's Note: I love the brightly colored walls with the wood floor.

For example: Our washer/dryer is already consolidated into the kitchen. The only “utility closet” is jam-packed with a vacuum cleaner, brooms, mops and other cleaning supplies. But unfortunately, some of the people who live here are professionals, and their bosses expect them to show up to work without wrinkled shirts.

The only way to have space for an ironing board is to hollow out a section of the kitchen wall, between two studs, and install a pull-down ironing board on hinges.

This strategy is similar to our guest “room” strategy. Right now our friends sleep on couches, but we realized we’d have to upgrade after one of our friends literally left our house and checked into a hotel.

We’ll need to build a Murphy Bed into the living room – you know, the kind that attaches to a wall, with hinges and load-bearing chains. When guests come, we’ll surround the bed with a foldable Japanese screen for privacy.

All these space-efficiency retrofits require tools, lumber, and hours of your time – unless you want to pay someone to do it for you.

#2: The Furniture Costs.

Ironically, you might actually spend more on furniture when you have a small home.

When every square foot counts, you realize how spatially-inefficient most furniture is. This doesn’t matter when you have room to spare, but it matters a great deal when you’re wedging your so-called “home office” in that sliver between your bed and the bathroom.

At this point, you start to scrutinize desks, cabinets and bookcases for usable storage capacity. (I’ve coined the term “footprint-to-storage ratio”, referring to how much floorspace it eats relative to how much it can store). You’ll start spending weekends scouting for furniture with built-in storage capacity – like ottomans that open up – or you might, as I did, just build your own desk when you realize there’s nothing off-the-rack that’s as tiny and efficient as you need.

#3: The Landscape Costs.

If I had a huge swath of space, I’d just let it be grass. But my tiny strip of earth doesn’t really merit the cost of a mower.

Solution? Landscape it with trees, flowers, and rocks. Use mulch and compost. Surround it with pavers and flagstone. Plant perennial groundcover. Maybe anchor the whole setup with a fountain. It’s a lot of fun to landscape your yard – but the fun comes at a price.

Learn more about how I save money on my little house – and discover why on earth I got stuck with $3,000 annual insurance – at AffordAnything.org.

Little House’s Side Notes: Paula isn’t sure exactly how big her place is in regards to square footage, but here are some fun facts she shared with me:

• I do know that the width of that walkway in the kitchen — the one you see pictured — is one and a half feet, big enough for one person’s hips plus a cat or a small dog to stand side-by-side.

• I also know that the length of my desk — the one wedged between the bed and the bathroom — is 30 inches. And it’s literally right up against my bedframe (on one end) and the bathroom wall (on the other).

Tumbleweed Tiny Houses on Sale

I’m engrossed in little house plans and have done extensive research in my quest for the perfect little house. Though I’ve found lots of options for small and tiny house plans, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company is still one of my favorites. Many of their homes can be built on a trailer and offer excellent space utilization. They also have small, stationery homes as well that require a foundation. Now, fitting a family of 4 into one of these homes may be a stretch.  Their homes are meant to comfortably fit one to two people; say a single person or empty-nesters who are ready to downsize and be more mobile. I also just wrote a post about how inflation over 40-years has really modified the “American Dream” and maybe it’s time to think outside the suburban track-home.

For those ready to make a move and go small, Tumbleweed is having a sale on one of their tiny house plans, the Popomo, until the end of this month. This mobile style home appears to be one of their easier to build homes. It’s basic structure is a rectangle and estimated cost to build is $20,000. This home is also one they have actual photos of inside and out. By the looks of it, it’s quite modern and can easily be pulled by a full-size truck. Ready to make your move?

Now, for some weekly reads:

• Money Beagle shares his debt perspective over the past four-years. He’s been doing a terrific job paying off their student loans.
• Bucksome Boomer with Should Retirement Include Living Apart from Spouse? I can’t imagine living apart from my husband, but the couples discussed in this post had very different views of retirement. For some, this works, but I can see where it wouldn’t work for all. Interesting topic.
• The Squirrelers with Gift Cards: Hurry up and Use Them! Not all gift cards are created equal. Some expire, some stores close, and sometimes the vendor who sells the gift card has no affiliation with the gift card store. Beware gift card users!
• Mighty Bargain Hunter with Netflix is still Cheap! I agree. Even with their price increase and change in plans I’m still a Netflix subscriber and have been for years. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
• Mom’s Plans with I Closed My eBay Store. Melissa’s been working on decreasing her inventory and closing out that store and she finally did it.

Of course, if you had a choice over what kind of floor plan to choose, functional floor plans make the most sense. But what constitutes a functional floor plan?

• Rooms that serve a purpose
• Traffic flow throughout the house – the rooms should be laid out in such a way that you don’t have to walk through a bedroom to get to a living room or den, etc. Or walk past an unused living area to the “main family area”
• Plenty of storage
• Minimal wasted corners, landings, or seating areas

Some good choices include bungalow style plans. Bungalows vary in size, but are typically under 1,500 square feet. Their exterior design can range from Craftsman to Cape Cod. These small floor plans normally focus on the living/dining/kitchen area as the central “living area” with the bedrooms anchored towards the back or to the sides of the house. Bungalow plans include both open floor plans, where the kitchen is open towards the dining and living areas, as well as more “closed” floor plans, where the rooms are only connected by doorways.

Bungalow Small Floor Plan

Ranch Style Small Floor Plan

Ranch style plans are another preferred, functional choice, depending on your individual style. Ranch style plans are traditionally one-level, however newer styles offer two-levels. The main living area (living room, kitchen, dining area) are clustered together either towards the middle of the house or on either end with the bedrooms grouped together as well. Ranch plans can range in size from small (1,000 sq. ft.) to very large (over 3,500 sq. ft.)

The benefits of choosing smaller, more functional floor plans can mean huge savings in your electric and gas bill. It may also mean you accumulate less “stuff” because you have fewer wasted areas that end up getting filled with things you never use. Another good reason for a small floor plan.

When you bought your home, did you consider the floor plan and its functionality? Are you thinking of buying or building a home and seriously considering a smaller one?

A house plan site that has drawn my attention lately is eplans.com. Their site is easy to navigate and allows you to select the features you’d prefer and style that best suits your needs. For a small fee, you can receive an estimate of what your house plan would cost to build, a service many companies don’t offer.

Some of their plans include actual photographs, like the Craftsman below, while others include an illustration.

EPlan's Craftsman cottage style house plan

Another nice feature of this site is you can choose plans that fit within your budget. So if you can only afford to build a house that is under $200,000, you select the minimum and maximum cost variables and only house plans that fall within your range will appear within your search. Quite helpful for people like me who are hoping to save money though building my own home.

Now if only I could find land to build one of these fabulous plans, I’d be set.

Have you thought about building your own home? How far have you gotten on your plans? Do any of these ideas inspire you?

Harris Home Design

Harris Homes also dabbled in Four-Square and Colonial Revival residential architecture, but the majority of the 1920′s models revolve around bungalow, or Craftsman style, home designs. Their bungalow floor plans were much more open than their Four-Square plans. Most of their kit homes delivered regionally around their business in Chicago, Illinois and can be found throughout the Great Lakes Region.What’s interesting about this company, is they were truly pioneers in the “green” movement before it was ever popular. Their specialty was wrecking and offered “money back for waste” according to the Antique Home Style description. The only thing I see that’s missing in most of their floor plans, was a second bathroom. However, I’m sure that in 1920 it was a treat to have indoor plumbing!

Today there is still a desire for Craftsman House Plan designs. A few companies I’ve come across that sell similar plans, though not necessarily kit home plans, are The Bungalow Company. I’ve written about this company before; they have some amazing bungalow house plans including a small house plans design area. They also have slide shows of sample interiors and exteriors which helps in determining a favorite plan or style.

Another company that offers a lot of bungalow style plans, as well as other architectural designs, is Designs for Living. They have lots of plans to choose from and many of them have actual photos of completed homes instead of just illustrations or mock-ups. Their floor plans are really open and unique and not so cookie-cutter. Also, the architectural plans are quite reasonably priced compared to other companies I’ve come across, however I’m not sure if you’d need additional sets of plans upon construction. Comparatively, some companies include 4 sets of plans for one price that are called “construction” plans.  Since I’m not ready to build my dream home yet, I’m a little unsure of the materials needed.

At least I’ve found companies that offer bungalow style plans. Once I get serious about where I’m going to build my home, find a reasonably priced lot (this is the kicker of them all!), and decide on a design style, I know where to look!

What style is your dream home? Does antique architecture pique your interest?