Meet Our Tiny House (1000 sq ft for our family of five!)
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
- After designing, building, and decorating our 2500 sq ft home in Texas, we decided to downsize to a 1000 sq ft rental house in Virginia. Come take a tour!
Our family has been experimenting with different types of minimalism in 2017, including not buying any non-consumable goods for the year. When a great job opportunity was offered to us in Virginia, we decided to take a year of transition to challenge ourselves by moving into a smaller space while we figure out where we want to live. We are excited to discover some great small-space solutions, enjoy being close to each other, and saving time, energy, and money by living with less.
People used to live in these type of houses all the time before everybody got greedy and thought they had to have a custom built home right away. It's not the size or cost of a house that makes it a home, it's what you do with a house that makes it a home.
I totally agree:)
I like your new place.
You are so right!... My career was as a Homemaker and Stay at home Mom, and I worked hard to make our little home cozy and welcoming, because like you say it's not how big or how much it costs, it's what you do to make it a home.
My Hubby and I raised 4 kids and had a dog and cats, in a 980 sq ft home, with 3 bedrooms and a bath. It had a full unfinished basement we didn't have the money to finish, but we lived just fine, in that little house. Look at this house, it does appear smaller than 1000 sq ft. The rooms in our house were bigger. although it looks like this little house does have a family room, so that is probably taking away room, from the other rooms. It's a cute little home.
1000 sq feet isn't hardly a tiny home lol.
1000 sq ft is actually only considered small... Tiny Houses are under 500 sq ft... some wouldn't even consider anything tiny unless it was 400 sq ft or less...
But back in 1950 a 1000 sq ft home would have been considered a above average size house and it would have easily had about 8 people living in it as more people lived under the same roof back then than now.
Anyway, that's a pretty big yard, lots you can do with that...
For the bunk beds, have the middle bed face a different direction... It gives each more headroom and you can put storage or a desk under the middle one to make the most use of the space...
Add a little bookshelf between the beds and the wall and curtains to close off the beds and each child can have their own private space as well...
Alternatively, you can have two bunk beds with one trundle bed below the bottom bunk bed if you want to keep it simple...
Or, if you want the room to double as a play room... There's always Murphy style bunk beds and they can double as desks...
There's similar ways to maximize the use of space for the rest of the house as well...
I read about those specific distinctions after the fact. Funny that there are specifics for square footage and naming! So technically this is a small house, yes.
Also, thank you for all of the small space tips!
Yes, over 600 to under 1200 square foot is technically considered small...
Though, it's also a matter of perception... The only reason we call them small or tiny is because modern houses have gotten so big and many in western culture nations aren't used to smaller structures...
So what used to be normal or above size is now called small or tiny...
Most non-western nations wouldn't bother with the distinction because most of them still live in the smaller structures... Go to someplace like India and you'll find whole families living in homes under 300 sq ft...
Similarly in Japan, there are many living in what we would call tiny houses and apartment, they even have hotels that basically just consists of cubical bed units that's barely big enough for one person to sleep in and no standing room...
Thus what you're used to also determines what you may consider the space...
The distinctions mainly matter is the range of options you can have and how easy or hard it is to find legal ways to live in said size house...
Generally, it's much easier to find a small house that meets legal zoning requirements than a tiny house in many parts of the country...
Like some places that put minimum requirements have the minimum size requirement set to 600 square feet... and if they also don't allow RV's to be parked in the area then that's not an area someone in a Tiny House can legally live... But someone in a small house can...
However, the idea of living more efficiently can apply to any size home...
While the lines may blur once tiny houses start to be legal in more and more places and technology allows more options like expandable houses that can turn from a mobile shape into a full size house...
There's a company called TEN FOLD Engineering that's working on such technology... Their youtube channel is under the same name and you can check out some of their prototypes and CG videos to see what may be possible in the near future...
You're welcome, I hope the kids have a wonderful time in their new room...
There's plenty of other nice ways to enhance the spaces if you plan to live there a long time too.
Companies like Ikea even cater to people living in tiny houses and apartments now, with a tiny showroom in their store so you can actually see how it's like in one and see how their products fit in the space.
People have also hacked a lot of products to maximize use out of them or turn a cheap piece of furniture into something that would normally cost a lot to get ready made...
Exactly!... And you know, it didn't take two incomes to keep up everything. Most of these big homes aren't homes anymore, because there is nobody home, to transform from just a big house, where a bunch of People live, to a home. Sad but true. I love seeing videos like this.
Wow you consider 1000 sq ft a "tiny house?" I live in Richmond, VA and am searching for a bigger place now for my family and 1000 sq ft is really all we can afford. 2 kids, 3 cats, 1 guinea pig, and my husband and I. Where in Richmond are you? Church Hill?
It's funny I come across this while browsing UA-cam. I am from Richmond, Va. My mom's house is 840 sq ft. And my current home is 760 sq ft for the seven of us. I love your big back yard. Big yards make all the difference in a small home.
You're lucky. We built our home and it's only 890 square feet, and we have a family of 5 as well. Our bedrooms are a lot smaller than yours, but we have plenty of space. That's where minimalism comes in handy. Ours is yellow too. Thanks for sharing your home. Loved the tour.
Living in a smaller space will help you realize you don't need as much room as you think you do. I lived in my RV for 7 months before I moved into my small home. And, boy oh boy, does it ever feel spacious! LOL
I am from Hong Kong, this house can fit 100 people.
U should let your 3 kids have that master bedroom since they need that space. And u should downsize and take the next size bedroom since its the 2 of u u and your husband!!!! You 2 should live in the smallest bedroom since it just for 1 year,,? And by the way what happened to your house in Austin? Why did u move out of that house in Austin?
The bedrooms have worked out so well, and the kids are happy in their space, as are we in ours! We moved from Austin for a job change, and are house hunting in Richmond. Hopefully will find something more permanent in the spring!
You know, it is your business who goes in which bedroom, I think you did just fine. The Children's bedroom is so cute. At that age, it's not a problem. I hope you stay with the idea of smaller living.
Love this!! Also love the grace you show when handling some of these critical comments. Excited for you guys. Hoping to learn a lot from you. My family of 5 is building a 586 sq ft tiny house. One bedroom for all 3 kiddos for us too. Most of the time they end up in our bed. So individual space isn't a "need". Subscribing
It's a sweet experience being so close! Good luck to you!
I love this! I know you are going to do amazing things with this space. I'm curious what neighborhood you're in. I'm in the Northside of the city. Please let me know if I can help in any way as you settle into RVA! Welcome! xoxo
We're in the West End for now! We have heard such great things about the Northside, too! It will be super fun to figure out where we want to settle down and buy a home. And THANK YOU! I appreciate your support!
There are so many awesome neighborhoods - Northside, The Fan, Westover Hills, the Museum District - so much character! We love raising our family here. :) Best wishes to your family!
Thank you!
I am 3 years late to the party but I would have turned the back room into another bedroom for the kids. I think the kids comfort takes priority over entertaining guest. Three kids to one room is kind of tight.
I’m shocked they let you move in there with a family of five. I was turned down as a family of 4 (two boys a year apart) in a 2 bdrm 1200 sq ft apt. My credit is good too and I make enough money for it. The landlord said he would not squeeze us all in the apartment. Lol. It was plenty big for us. Anyway, good luck on making it work!
i mean it can be done ppl in urban areas or big cities do it all the time. 5 ppl in 1200 sq ft or less.
Aw your rental reminds me of my 2/1 in Austin! Really excited to see how you make it work with kids. 🙂
We're excited to see how it works, too!
I'M SO EXCITED TO WATCH THE TRANSFORMATION! **All caps on purpose, cause i'm yellin'!
Haha thank you so much! No where to go but up:)
Looks to me like the house is in Lakeside or Forest Hills or Maymont area.
Am I close ?
Oooh I clicked this video not knowing the house is in Richmond!! I live in Richmond too
I lived in a 1026 sq foot home with my husband and 3 kids for 30 years. My in laws lived in the partially finished basement for 6 weeks at a time in spring and fall. It was their house and my husband was fine and was way to comfortable. I put up with it for 30 years and threatened to leave. My two oldest had their own bedrooms. Upstairs until a new baby arrived many years later. My middle son who was in his 2nd year of High School. We had one full bathed a 1/2 in the basement. My oldest son moved out 3 years after the baby was born. My Mother in Law was a hoarder of things from. the 1950s, 1960 and 1970's she could never give anything up. When I grew up our Grandpa lived with us for awhile. This house was1,200 sq feet. 4 bedrooms with the addition 7 people and 1 bathroom. I now am 63 and have a 1,803 sq foot home with an 800 sq foot basement. This house fills up too and the only people there are my 17 year old son, my husband and I. I wouldn't mind our house to be about 300 more sq feet. My one sister's children have huge homes. My sister has 2 homes. A 5,000 sq foot foot for her and her husband now. She also has a 2,200 beach condo in Florida. When I grew up in the 50s,60s and 70's it was nornal for people to live in a 1000 sq foot home. It was the normal back then. We have 4 bedrooms in our home. 2 full baths and a 1/2 bath on the lowest level. The basement has a home office and storage.
I love this cute little house! :D
We're enjoying it, too!
Hope u got it for a decent price because it needs lots and lots of work. Will subscribe as I'm very interested in the final results.
We are just renting this one:) Luckily, because it does need a LOT of work!
That space is quite big for me coz I live alone my son's visit once once,mine is exactly the same size..
Your gonna save plenty of money
in many countries 1000 sq ft is quite large, not massive for sure but definitely large.
I'm so excited to see the transformation! Haha. It's Styrofoam.
Maybe we add a wood one, hahaha
You really should put the kids in the larger room, you and daddy will be sleeping in one bed and the kids I noticed are not all one sex, so they will be in different beds. They need more room then you and dad!
The kids are getting a fun triple bunk in their room. We have a kind bed that won't fit in the smaller bedroom! (and the kids end up in it some times, too haha)
I don't get way u would not put your 3 kids in the bigger room way do u and your husband need more space to sleep in then 3 kids to play and sleep in
You still live in a huge house...
Lol do not cover the floor return with a rug!! U will hate life
Luckily it's not being used anymore as the HVAC was updated to the attic!
Typical city slicker, you can tell they have never had to sacrifice...if you think a 1000 square feet home is tiny you've been spoiled.
What does your poor ass know who or what about them