# tiny Living, is it for you?



## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

So there seems to be a growing trend not only for retirees but even for 'ordinary' working people to look at downsizing to a truly tiny home as a means of living on less money. Have you seen the show? What do you think of the idea?

What I keep asking myself when I see people building these tiny homes, is why they don't just buy an RV trailer? It seems like they are re-inventing the wheel to me. Recently though I read an article about a town in Ontario (Chatham) that is looking at coming up with a specific new set of by-laws to cover tiny homes. It seems that there are existing by-laws covering RVs but those by-laws may not fit very will with tiny homes in several ways.

For example, is a tiny home permanent or movable simply by virtue of having wheels or not? What about property tax? If someone wants to live in a tiny home of under 500 Sq. ft. what do you do when the by-law says a home must be at least 750 sq. ft. and that a home can only be built on a lot of a certain minimum size? ie. 35ft x 80 ft. or whatever according to existing municipal building codes.

If a developer offered to divide a plot of land into 10 lots 25 ft. by 80 and put in access etc. just as is done with 'normal' houses, then sell those lots to people who wanted to build a tiny home with no wheels, on a concrete pad, is that a 'trailer park' or should it be a separate entity with different rules etc.?

https://www.chathamthisweek.com/news/local-news/will-tiny-homes-fill-the-gap-in-chatham-kent

I can see such homes appealing to a single retired person or even a couple in some cases. There is certainly nothing wrong from an aesthetic point of view of the tiny homes shown in this article on the subject. http://www.bu.edu/today/2018/tiny-homes-detroit/

So what are your thoughts on the subject?


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## Big Kahuna (Apr 30, 2018)

Longtimeago said:


> So there seems to be a growing trend not only for retirees but even for 'ordinary' working people to look at downsizing to a truly tiny home as a means of living on less money. Have you seen the show? What do you think of the idea?
> 
> What I keep asking myself when I see people building these tiny homes, is why they don't just buy an RV trailer? It seems like they are re-inventing the wheel to me. Recently though I read an article about a town in Ontario (Chatham) that is looking at coming up with a specific new set of by-laws to cover tiny homes. It seems that there are existing by-laws covering RVs but those by-laws may not fit very will with tiny homes in several ways.
> 
> ...


I can tell you that living in a house that is 15% too small is a lot more hassle than living in a house that is 15% too big.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Longtimeago said:


> So there seems to be a growing trend not only for retirees but even for 'ordinary' working people to look at downsizing to a truly tiny home as a means of living on less money. Have you seen the show? What do you think of the idea?


There are a variety of people, some who are less about downsizing. I have only seen the ads for the show.




Longtimeago said:


> ... What I keep asking myself when I see people building these tiny homes, is why they don't just buy an RV trailer? It seems like they are re-inventing the wheel to me.


More control of the layout, quality and cost (including maintenance) seems to be part of it. Being able to custom build for the environment the home is intended to be in as opposed to accepting an RV's thin insulation, windows that aren't meant to keep the cold out etc. seems to be another part. 
http://wwppss.wixsite.com/smart/q-a




Longtimeago said:


> ... Recently though I read an article about a town in Ontario (Chatham) that is looking at coming up with a specific new set of by-laws to cover tiny homes. It seems that there are existing by-laws covering RVs but those by-laws may not fit very will with tiny homes in several ways.
> 
> For example, is a tiny home permanent or movable simply by virtue of having wheels or not?


Tiny home enthusiasts and IIRC associations say part of the definition is to be putting the home on wheels. Several like it as they see freedom should their neighbour be bad, their job be moved etc.
Carriage homes seems to be the term for a tiny home that is added to an existing property, which some jurisdictions allow while others stick to minimum size house on a minimum sized lot by-laws. 




Longtimeago said:


> ... What about property tax?


None to pay ... though one may have land rental on where one is parking it.



Longtimeago said:


> ... If someone wants to live in a tiny home of under 500 Sq. ft. what do you do when the by-law says a home must be at least 750 sq. ft. and that a home can only be built on a lot of a certain minimum size?


Try to get the by-law changed and move until the changes happen.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/rea...gislation-prompts-big-fights/article33183956/
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...en-learned-they-re-not-allowed-to-live-in-it/




Longtimeago said:


> ... If a developer offered to divide a plot of land into 10 lots 25 ft. by 80 and put in access etc. just as is done with 'normal' houses, then sell those lots to people who wanted to build a tiny home with no wheels, on a concrete pad, is that a 'trailer park' or should it be a separate entity with different rules etc.?


Depends on the by-laws in place plus how the municipality enforces them.




Longtimeago said:


> ... I can see such homes appealing to a single retired person or even a couple in some cases.


Working people, single and couples like them too.
https://www.thespec.com/news-story/...en-learned-they-re-not-allowed-to-live-in-it/


https://ottawacitizen.com/life/homes/tiny-homes-a-big-problem-for-city-living
https://www.tinyhomealliance.ca/
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/02/14/toronto_man_wants_city_to_let_him_live_in_tiny_home.html


Cheers


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Municipalities are building such small building subdivisions as low income housing.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

My wife & I moved into small living space 9 years ago from a 2250 sq ft home.
I would at least want my tiny home built on a steel skid so a winch truck can move it away when the neighborhood goes to the dogs.


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## hboy54 (Sep 16, 2016)

I just spent a month on a 22 foot sailboat, so if I were of limited means, no problem. As Chief Maintenance Officer of pretty much everything around here, my incentives are to smaller and less of it.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

We did move to tiny house. Down from 3600 to 1500 sq. feet.


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

I think tiny homes are an excellent idea 650 sq feet for under $4000 dollars can be 3 D printed in less then 24 hours. 3 D printed homes could really bring down rent prices & or make land lords a fortune as well as bring down the cost of home ownership.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Longtimeago said:


> So there seems to be a growing trend not only for retirees but even for 'ordinary' working people to look at downsizing to a truly tiny home as a means of living on less money. ...
> What I keep asking myself when I see people building these tiny homes, is why they don't just buy an RV trailer? ...


A lot of municipalities have zoning restrictions on "trailer parks"; "mobile home parks" (or "modular relocatable housing" as it is officially known in Canada); or "RV parks". 

Also, I've noticed most of those Tiny Homes shown on TV are designed for mild climates. It might be uneconomical to build one for Canadian energy standards, unless you live in the BC Lower Mainland.

PS: Like OP I have often thought a mobile home would give better value for money than those tiny homes you see on TV. And would be more practical (Can you imagine a senior citizen living in house where the bedroom is a loft with a 3ft. ceiling height; accessed by a stair that would not meet any safety standards that I am aware of?). But all of these require a site that is zoned; and has hookups for water, sewer, and power. And I'm not sure that even the CSA mobile home std. would meet most provincial energy efficiency stds for housing nowadays.


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## nathan79 (Feb 21, 2011)

I think it's a good idea, lots of people seem interested. Soon this may be the only way for the non-wealthy to own a "house" in major cities. I know it's basically like mobile homes, but they look nicer.

Me, I've been living in small spaces for the last 15 years... it gets old. I desperately need more space for my hobbies.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

OhGreatGuru said:


> A lot of municipalities have zoning restrictions on "trailer parks"; "mobile home parks" (or "modular relocatable housing" as it is officially known in Canada); or "RV parks".
> 
> Also, I've noticed most of those Tiny Homes shown on TV are designed for mild climates. It might be uneconomical to build one for Canadian energy standards, unless you live in the BC Lower Mainland.


I asked my Brother yesterday about his thoughts on this as he is somewhat of an 'expert' in that he spend 3.5 years 'full timing' in an RV after he first retired. His answer was that even so called 'winterized' RVs have limited insulation and heating capabilities. The real reason for this is weight. Because they have to comply with highway transportation restrictions regarding towing weights etc.

However, if you build a tiny home without wheels on a concrete slab, as per the example in Detroit I linked above, weight is no longer a factor. You can build in the same way as any other wood frame house designed for colder climates is built. The real restrictions then become building codes, lot size minimums etc. which are all about 'laws' designed to protect the building industry. I can and have built a 'garden shed' by myself in my backyard. It looks almost identical to this one (I made some modifications to the basic design). It could easily become a 'tiny house'.
https://www.familyhandyman.com/sheds/2014shed/view-all/


The other real issue is NIMBY. That's what results in municipalities having zoning restrictions confining trailers etc. to 'trailer parks' (or whatever other name someone wants to use). No one wants their neighbour to put a tiny home in their back yard and sell it or rent it to someone willing to live in it.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I suspect most municipalities have bylaws now for carriage homes and secondary suites. The key issues for carriage homes will be minimum lot size, combined FAR (floor area ratio). driveway access/parking, and utility connections... and of course conforming to building codes and obtaining a building permit. Many carriage homes are being built in the GVR and they are now sprouting up in at least a few municipalities in the Okanagan Valley. 

Not sure there are any local bylaws yet governing 'tiny homes', but a key issues will again be combined FAR on the lot, access/parking and utility connections...and some minimum building standards, e.g. not corrugated metal huts.

I really don't have any aversion to 'tiny homes' in the neighbourhood provided certain conditions as I just noted are properly adhered too. Housing affordability is a crisis in many parts of our country including in my municipality and there need to be better alternatives to mind numbing 350-500 sq ft concrete boxes in the sky.

Added: I would not live in that amount of limited space. I see 900-1000 sq ft as a minimum I would be comfortable with eventually.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Further to my earlier comments on building standards, the National Building Code (and pretty much all provincial building codes based on it) dropped most of its minimum room & space dimensions a number of years ago. (In what I personally think was a retrograde step, but that's a separate discussion). However, they still require a minimum ceiling height of 2.1m for most occupiable rooms, so most of those "tiny homes" wouldn't get a building permit in Canada. At best they could try to get certified under the CSA standard for factory -built homes, but even that is iffy.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

They are being built and sold and located in a number of communities already, and thus are well out of the starting gate. One such example https://www.summittinyhomes.com/


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

Lots of people live in glorious 5th wheels up in Fort Mac year round and stay nice & toasty even in minus 40. Trick is ventilation and skirting the rv.

We go skiing in my motorhome in any weather, it has a boiler heating system with many fan coil units and 3 separate heating zones as well as electric fireplace. Keeps us warm unskirted to minus 15 so far...haven't hit anything colder yet.

A buddy bought a 38' motorhome off eBay for 38k...very nice unit....much cheaper than hassling with a stick build dog house with no wheels.

There are decent spots to stay longer term if you choose although most rv parks are squalor. Heres a few I enjoy as often as possible

http://www.lvmresort.com/

https://www.bluewaterkey.com/

https://playanortervpark.com/

https://www.ovenspark.com/


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

AltaRed said:


> They are being built and sold and located in a number of communities already, and thus are well out of the starting gate. One such example https://www.summittinyhomes.com/


All I can say is that they have persuaded somebody they can be treated as an RV, rather than a house, since some RV's have sleeping lofts.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Good on them..... We need alternatives.


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## canew90 (Jul 13, 2016)

We have a Park Model, which is 400 sq ft, in AZ where we have spent 4 to 6 months over the past 6 years. In fact most of the RV parks are full of those Park Models. We find them more than adequate and don't find them cramped. Sure they are small as are the rooms but there is a living room where some have a couch & lounge chair (we have 2 lounge chairs, a dinette table, kitchen (with full fridge, full oven, microwave, double sink and a dishwasher). Nice bathroom and bedroom with queen bed. Lots of storage. The nice part is the ease of cleaning and no wasted space. For us retirees its a perfect size. Not sure I'd recommend it for a family with kids.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

canew90 said:


> We have a Park Model, which is 400 sq ft, in AZ where we have spent 4 to 6 months over the past 6 years. In fact most of the RV parks are full of those Park Models. We find them more than adequate and don't find them cramped. Sure they are small as are the rooms but there is a living room where some have a couch & lounge chair (we have 2 lounge chairs, a dinette table, kitchen (with full fridge, full oven, microwave, double sink and a dishwasher). Nice bathroom and bedroom with queen bed. Lots of storage. The nice part is the ease of cleaning and no wasted space. For us retirees its a perfect size. Not sure I'd recommend it for a family with kids.


I have spent quite a lot of time in the US Southwest over the years canew90. If you have been going for 6 years now, I would guess that you may be at the stage where you are ready for a move or sometimes like to take short trips away from your location. For over 30 years now, my favourite spot has been Borrego Springs, California. You might want to give it a look one day.

The little town has not changed appreciably since I first visited many years ago. It's claim to fame is that it doesn't even have one traffic light, just a 'roundabout' called Christmas Circle. There are several RV parks there and prices are incredibly low, having not really bounced back much since the 2007-8 Great Recession. Have a look at this link for example. https://www.roadrunnerclub.com/resale.htm

While you will find all the usual RV community amenities and clubs etc. the real attraction for me is the desert that surrounds the town. Borrego Springs sits right in the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. One of the largest state parks in the USA. Plenty of hiking and off-road drives as well as one of the best areas for the desert bloom. 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=anza...dAhWn24MKHbMhA1IQsAR6BAgAEAE&biw=1366&bih=662

When visiting Borrego, we day trip to Palm Springs (also where to fly in to) and also the coast is within a couple of hours drive. Del Mar is our favourite coastal town to visit.


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## Plugging Along (Jan 3, 2011)

I was in one of these tiny houses not too long ago as a part of a charity organization. Definately not for me in terms of a family with kids. I could see uses for a single or two person family. I dont think anyone with mobility issues would want one. Getting up the stairs/ladder to the bed was hard even for me. 

I know it defeats the purpose of downsizing, but I would love to have one of these in my back yard for my teenager or young adult. They can have some privacy but I can still keep an eye on things.

It would have been great as an alternative to student housing in university.


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## canew90 (Jul 13, 2016)

Longtimeago said:


> I have spent quite a lot of time in the US Southwest over the years canew90. If you have been going for 6 years now, I would guess that you may be at the stage where you are ready for a move or sometimes like to take short trips away from your location. For over 30 years now, my favourite spot has been Borrego Springs, California. You might want to give it a look one day.
> 
> The little town has not changed appreciably since I first visited many years ago. It's claim to fame is that it doesn't even have one traffic light, just a 'roundabout' called Christmas Circle. There are several RV parks there and prices are incredibly low, having not really bounced back much since the 2007-8 Great Recession. Have a look at this link for example. https://www.roadrunnerclub.com/resale.htm
> 
> ...


Thanks we'll try to check it out.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I am in a wheelchair so tiny homes are out of the question for me .


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

marina628 said:


> I am in a wheelchair so tiny homes are out of the question for me .


Yes for sure. Even dealing with walker access, it is abysmal how poorly planned or ad hoc accessibilty is. This goes double for most homes. Try to find a house that doesn't have at least one or two steps out front.
IMO there is a growing opportunity for building more accessible housing (hall-door widths, washrooms, no stairs, etc) for mobility challenges - not less (via sardine mini homes)


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Indeed. Accessibility is pretty dismal even in new homes. 36 inch doors should be mandatory, lever based door hardware, home entrance pad wide enough to accommodate an adjacent ramp, at least one non-threshold walk-in shower, etc, etc. The building code is out of date.


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## Retiredguy (Jul 24, 2013)

AltaRed said:


> Indeed. Accessibility is pretty dismal even in new homes. 36 inch doors should be mandatory, lever based door hardware, home entrance pad wide enough to accommodate an adjacent ramp, at least one non-threshold walk-in shower, etc, etc. The building code is out of date.





Excerpt from Nov 2013 CTV news report:

Doorknobs in Vancouver are set to become a relic of the past after city council recently ushered in Canada’s first adaptable housing bylaw.
As of early 2014, all new housing units built in Vancouver will require a slew of new accessibility features, including wider stairways, higher outlets and a main-floor bathroom.
But the change receiving the most attention is the banishment of doorknobs, in favour of easier-to-turn lever handles.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

I remember that announcement at the time and wondered when the world might catch up. What is needed though is a building code change.


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## GoldStone (Mar 6, 2011)

ian said:


> We did move to tiny house. Down from 3600 to 1500 sq. feet.


To call 1500 sq.ft "tiny" would be a joke in most countries outside of North America. I grew up in a 430 sq.ft. apartment. 4 person household: mom, dad, sister and I. It's not a luxury living but it's not the end of the world either.


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## Retiredguy (Jul 24, 2013)

AltaRed said:


> I remember that announcement at the time and wondered when the world might catch up. What is needed though is a building code change.


Agreed.

When I googled to refresh my own memory on the 2013 Vancouver announcement, I also saw some entries indicating 2018 building code changes are happening. I didn't read beyond to get into the details.


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## Eder (Feb 16, 2011)

marina628 said:


> I am in a wheelchair so tiny homes are out of the question for me .


But you can get a 45' motor home wheelchair friendly. Just think you can park it behind the Rio for this years WSOP!


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Perhaps not all here are old enough to remember 'post-war' houses. Not tiny but certainly far smaller than what developers build today. Here is an intersting article and if you are interested, check Google Streetview for the address of the house in the article. It's still there today.
http://spacing.ca/toronto/2017/10/21/million-canadian-post-war-homes/ Note the price. LOL

This one is fun, the average size (USA but close enough) of a home in the year you were born. In my birth year it was 817sq.ft. 
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/05/25/the-size-of-a-home-the-year-you-were-born/
Scroll a few random pages and note how it has gone up and down in size. 

Just how families manged to live in far smaller homes without complaint is a wonder isn't it.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

Longtimeago said:


> Perhaps not all here are old enough to remember 'post-war' houses. Not tiny but certainly far smaller than what developers build today. Here is an intersting article and if you are interested, check Google Streetview for the address of the house in the article. It's still there today.
> http://spacing.ca/toronto/2017/10/21/million-canadian-post-war-homes/ Note the price. LOL
> 
> This one is fun, the average size (USA but close enough) of a home in the year you were born. In my birth year it was 817sq.ft.
> ...


Well Longtimeago;is it about time you told us what your background is that makes you some kind of expert in all things living, some of us have been around as long as you and have I'm sure experienced as much or more in life. You joined this site this past month maybe its just a good pastime but your viewpoint seems to discount everyone. So tell me what makes you thing you know more about life/ living than I do. I do notice many members chose not to reply to you. OK you live in a small town and can't understand why more people don't do the same as you say they just have excuses to not do the same ( strange view) I'm glade your choice has worked out for you. Many members on this board have much more wealth/options than you I'm sure of including me. Anyone of the members could pm me to ask what or why I have my views as they are, can they do the same with you would you be honest.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

OhGreatGuru said:


> ... Also, I've noticed most of those Tiny Homes shown on TV are designed for mild climates. It might be uneconomical to build one for Canadian energy standards, unless you live in the BC Lower Mainland.


Possibly due to the media ... but in any case, some of the links profile people with tiny homes in Calgary and Ottawa so those owner seem to have the climate part taken care of.
I get the impression that part of the attraction is one has almost no restrictions to worry about.


Cheers


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Daniel A. said:


> Well Longtimeago;is it about time you told us what your background is that makes you some kind of expert in all things living, some of us have been around as long as you and have I'm sure experienced as much or more in life. You joined this site this past month maybe its just a good pastime but your viewpoint seems to discount everyone. So tell me what makes you thing you know more about life/ living than I do. I do notice many members chose not to reply to you. OK you live in a small town and can't understand why more people don't do the same as you say they just have excuses to not do the same ( strange view) I'm glade your choice has worked out for you. Many members on this board have much more wealth/options than you I'm sure of including me. Anyone of the members could pm me to ask what or why I have my views as they are, can they do the same with you would you be honest.


LOL, amusing DanielA. OK, tell me how you can be "sure" that you have "experienced as much or more in life" than I have. Did you ask your Magic 8 Ball, 'do I have more experience in life than he does?" and when you turned the ball upside down it said, 'as I see it yes'. https://www.indra.com/8ball/front.html
I certainly know of no other way you could make such a statement.

You "notice many members do not reply" to me. Really? How can you notice what someone doesn't do? I mean, do you see them read a comment by me and then do they say out loud or in a PM to you personally, 'I'm not going to reply". Or is that another Magic 8 Ball answer you got to the question of 'do many members not reply to him?'

You also assert that "many members have much more wealth/options" than I do, "including" yourself. Really? How do you know that, the Magic 8 Ball again? Do you want to play, 'mine is bigger than yours'? Really?

Anyone can PM me for any reason they want, why wouldn't they be able to and why wouldn't I be honest? Strange question.

Not only do you make remarks you obviously cannot back up with evidence, you remind me of a kid in a sandbox who resents the new kid because he makes better looking sand castles than you do. If you have nothing useful to add to the thread, go play in your own sandbox, you don't own this one.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

Eclectic12 said:


> Possibly due to the media ... but in any case, some of the links profile people with tiny homes in Calgary and Ottawa so those owner seem to have the climate part taken care of.
> I get the impression that part of the attraction is one has almost no restrictions to worry about.
> 
> 
> Cheers


I think the mainstream reasons for wanting to speak against them Eclectic12 are pretty easy to understand. Money.

If you show people they can own a home for say $50-100K instead of multiples of $100k, there are a lot of businesses that won't be too happy with people starting to think that way. So they look for 'reasons' to poo-hoo the idea. Imagine the disaster in the bathroom industry if people started thinking, 'you know, I really only need one toilet, sink and bathtub in a house, not 3 or 4.


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## OhGreatGuru (May 24, 2009)

Daniel A. said:


> Well Longtimeago;is it about time you told us what your background is that makes you some kind of expert in all things living, some of us have been around as long as you and have I'm sure experienced as much or more in life. You joined this site this past month maybe its just a good pastime but your viewpoint seems to discount everyone. So tell me what makes you thing you know more about life/ living than I do. I do notice many members chose not to reply to you. OK you live in a small town and can't understand why more people don't do the same as you say they just have excuses to not do the same ( strange view) I'm glade your choice has worked out for you. Many members on this board have much more wealth/options than you I'm sure of including me. Anyone of the members could pm me to ask what or why I have my views as they are, can they do the same with you would you be honest.


Daniel A: what the heck prompted this? Did you take your crabby pills yesterday? Maybe you are annoyed at some posts Longtimeago made on another thread, but I don't see anything in his current post to get upset about. He's just making an observation about how times and people's expectations have changed.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Longtimeago said:


> I think the mainstream reasons for wanting to speak against them Eclectic12 are pretty easy to understand.


The comment was that the ones profiled were for warmer climates. My thinking was that because of a bigger market for selling the show and/or the producers being based in a warmer climate, the houses were the same. I suppose it could also be a colder climate producer wanting to experience the warmer climate as well.




Longtimeago said:


> ... Money.
> 
> If you show people they can own a home for say $50-100K instead of multiples of $100k, there are a lot of businesses that won't be too happy with people starting to think that way. So they look for 'reasons' to poo-hoo the idea ...


Money works for critical articles. Where the comment is that the profiled houses are for warmer climates - money does not seem to be connected. If I was worried about losing money - I'd try to keep the show off of the air versus bias what is shown to a particular climate.


Cheers


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

OhGreatGuru said:


> Daniel A: what the heck prompted this?


DA may find there are too many replies that admonish other members, attempt to control the direction of threads, or are generally insufferable to read? I can relate to that.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

totally off-topic: recently a friend e-mailed me to say that cmf forum is the most aggressive forum he's ever visited in his entire lifetime. He himself will be another one who'll quit soon, he said. Here's a typical cmf exchange, he said:


*OP:* i am looking to do procedure XYZ. i'd appreciate any & all how-tos & tips. Thanks everyone.

*1st CMF Respondent:* here's how i've always done XYZ. There are exceptions to my method; but it works well for a middle-of-the-roader like myself (explanatory text follows) (text is clear, well-written, easy to understand)

*2nd CMF Respondent (to 1st Respondent):* what's the matter with you, you some kind of cheapskate? that technique is baloney, you so stupid you don't know what you're doing. Anyways canada is shite country, you wasting you time here.


.


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

humble_pie said:


> totally off-topic: recently a friend e-mailed me to say that cmf forum is the most aggressive forum he's ever visited in his entire lifetime. He himself will be another one who'll quit soon, he said. Here's a typical cmf exchange, he said:
> 
> 
> *OP:* i am looking to do procedure XYZ. i'd appreciate any & all how-tos & tips. Thanks everyone.
> ...


I frequent many forums humble_pie and would disagree with your friend as to this being 'the most aggressive'. I'd say he hasn't visited many other forums in that case. Most forums are equally as aggressive or non-aggressive as this one is. That's because forum moderators all get the same instructions in 'moderating 101' class.

What I do find is that there is usually a small group of regular posters who have been there a long time and have come to think of it as 'their' forum. Any newer posters who post anything contrary to the generally agreed on responses, is seen as an enemy to be attacked, denigrated, etc. to the extent the moderators will allow it. In this forum, as I am sure you realize, if you removed about a dozen regular posters, there would be very few responses on any threads. It's always the same dozen responding and they all know each other's views on everything. Boring.

I like to write and I like to debate. I am also new on this forum. Guess where that puts me? LOL


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Similarly, there are new posters who come along and denigrate others from the onset - new and old. Fortunately they are few and far between.


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Yes for sure. Even dealing with walker access, it is abysmal how poorly planned or ad hoc accessibilty is. This goes double for most homes. Try to find a house that doesn't have at least one or two steps out front.
> IMO there is a growing opportunity for building more accessible housing (hall-door widths, washrooms, no stairs, etc) for mobility challenges - not less (via sardine mini homes)


We have been house/condo shopping alot in the past two years because our youngest will finish high school in 2 years and our current home has a sizaable lot that requires a tractor to cut the grass.My husband wants to downsize the landsize for sure and we don't need this big house anymore .The best solution we have found so far is for me to have a indoor and outdoor wheelchair plus install a stair chair in the garage for me to enter .They don't make homes flat on ground anymore ,in fact most municipalities require at least 4 steps because of water table issues. The condo buildings are completely out of question ,I cannot tell you how many hallways I have gotten stuck in and need help getting out and the bathroom situations would never work. So it looks like we would be having to buy another house with modifications , I would rather spend that $50,000+ we will spend on real estate to hire a landscaper and stay in my existing home as I can do wheelies and I can wheel myself in my bathroom plus shut the door , even $900,000 + homes you have to choose either wheel yourself in or shut the door , you cannot do both lol


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

marina628 said:


> ... The condo buildings are completely out of question ,I cannot tell you how many hallways I have gotten stuck in and need help getting out and the bathroom situations would never work. So it looks like we would be having to buy another house with modifications , I would rather spend that $50,000+ we will spend on real estate to hire a landscaper and stay in my existing home as I can do wheelies and I can wheel myself in my bathroom plus shut the door , even $900,000 + homes you have to choose either wheel yourself in or shut the door , you cannot do both lol


Marina, you are one of the most upbeat and accomplished of our CMF members so I know things will work out. Please treat yourself, get the house of your dreams and 'mods to the max' - wide halls, power doors (push of a button), lift(s), whatever works best for you!


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## marina628 (Dec 14, 2010)

I already live in house of my dreams lol but my husband has the lot of his nightmares lol .Its takes 3 hours to cut the grass on the riding tractor but I love looking out my windows and not seeing another house around me and Deer and turkeys .But I agreed we will down size in next 2-3 years but that is such a hard task when you have specific needs .


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

marina628 said:


> I already live in house of my dreams lol but my husband has the lot of his nightmares lol .Its takes 3 hours to cut the grass on the riding tractor but I love looking out my windows and not seeing another house around me and Deer and turkeys .But I agreed we will down size in next 2-3 years but that is such a hard task when you have specific needs .


So no need to move, simply a need to rethink how you deal with the property size. As you say, hire a landscaper and reduce the area that needs to be mowed. Hmm, or how about applying to re-zone and have a few tiny houses parked on your land.


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## CalgaryPotato (Mar 7, 2015)

marina628 said:


> .Its takes 3 hours to cut the grass on the riding tractor .


At least Canada has become such a dessert that it's what 2-3 times a year to cut now?


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