I’m very much a cross-off-the-to-do-list sort of person, but living in this house is an ongoing project, and I know I need to live with loose ends.
I suppose this is also the case for living in a normal home, but the normal home we own and have lived in is a loft in a condo complex in San Francisco, and that has generally maintained itself.
In this 131-square-foot house (that we’re close to paying off, yay!), you’d think there would be less to worry about. We want to live simply and sustainably, we want to free up more time and money to do the things we truly enjoy… I recall the idealistic vision on our About page when we first created this site, which I’ve since changed because, well, it was silly.
What I’ve realized is this cute tiny house is also a big heavy thing.
I think in time, we’ll settle in as much as we can, but what I’ve realized is this cute tiny house is also a big heavy thing. We’d spent over a year purging and giving away so much stuff, only to accumulate a new set of stuff (propane tank, buckets, solar panels, batteries, a generator, an inverter, and soon a utility trailer).
So, yeah. We shed our normal house belongings, only to gain new tiny house belongings. And while we don’t have to worry about some things right now (drowning in mortgage payments), we’ve introduced new uncertainties:
- Insuring the house
- Insuring our belongings inside the house
- Protecting the house from the forces of nature (earthquakes, mudslides (hello, El Nino?))
- Having a Plan B (securing our next parking spot, pinpointing a safe and suitable storage facility if necessary)
These are only a few worries, but they’re big ones. I sense that some tiny house owners go with the flow and deal with issues as they come up — or just move their house. I feel a little helpless not having our own truck, which makes a few things easier, but we never intended to buy a truck to tow the house, as we didn’t want to move much anyway. But not having that immediate mobility is a disadvantage.
Ultimately, we have a home on wheels. We’re leasing land. That’s the beauty of this whole thing — I was attracted to the flexibility and impermanence from the very beginning. And yet now, it’s also the source of anxiety.
We’re researching and working on the above, primarily the insurance, but I also realize that we need to have a general emergency plan for various scenarios.
Over-preparation isn’t a bad idea.
We’re having discussions about these issues with our son, a tiny house enthusiast. Thanks for the insights. What a gorgeous place, by the way.
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Thanks for reading!
We’re still working out the insurance kinks; this agent in Portland seems to be the only person in the country that is a legit option at the moment, and we’re figuring out if the plan offered is appropriate for us. As for the other worries, like extreme weather — well, we just need to be as prepared as possible. We don’t have a definite alternate spot to park it, although we have a few leads from people who showed interest in hosting us. But we’re hoping that we don’t have to think about that for now 🙂
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I recall when you were just thinking it all over; guess I missed a few things! Now I can go back and read how you got here and better appreciate your arrival. What an experience you are having. The outside looks good, homey, smart. Best to you!
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Thanks, Cynthia! 🙂
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The “minimalist fairy tale” appeal of the Tiny House is still in my mind, but you are also supplying a good dose of reality with the expectations and worries come with such a home. I’ve lived in condos for so long, where nothing really needs to be done…and I miss the housework. The place looks great, and seems to live great as well. Congratulations.
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Thanks so much for reading. I’m in the middle of drafting a new post on continuing to settle in, and I deleted a bunch of stuff that sounded really negative; I don’t want to sound negative in each post, but it’s easy to come to a blog to rant about the downsides of an experience. “Supplying a good dose of reality” is a great way of putting it! If my observations are helpful to others, I’ll continue to write about it 🙂
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Yes, do not stop the rants or complaining as it is these thoughts that actually make the experience more real (brings going the Tiny House route actually closer to reality because of more rounded and realistic thoughts). This is a great learning process for you, and even better for us on the outside wanting in. Very cool for you to share (and I’ll owe you guys a bottle of wine or two if/when I make the plunge!). Cheers ~
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Thanks for your web site. I have an idea and although I have never tried it, I am certain it will work. I call it “Travel Trailer Hitch Hiking”. Just get someone to tow your trailer to the side of any road with a reasonable amount of traffic and stick your thumb out. Soon someone with a pickup truck and a trailer hitch will stop and give you a pull. It may be a short pull or a pull across country but someone will stop and pull you down the road. They may even want to take you out to dinner or home to meet their family and friends. What an adventure you will have. No matter how long it takes to hitch a ride you’ll always be at home.
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Well I guess you’re doing the right things be prepared it is very important in case of needs! Your tiny house looks beautiful!
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