Living in a Shed?
When it comes to Tiny Houses, they come in all shapes and sizes. 
Even the definition of a Tiny House isn’t all that definitive as of yet. Tiny Houses and the movement’s folks live in urban areas, they live in the most remote areas of the earth. Diversity of what Tiny is, is in itself interesting as people take these ideals we share in the Tiny House Movement and manifest itself in so many forms.
This richness of various forms allows rethinking of traditional housing is so many great ways. I have toyed with building a Tiny Home a la Jay Schaffer, which I would venture is one of the most popular approaches today. The other option I have considered is a Prefab shed. Today I was able to go see a model that I have been toying with the idea of purchasing and putting in the middle of a plot of land.
There are issues with this approach of course. Like all other Tiny Home making this legal and to code is rather difficult by its nature of being Tiny. One big advantage of the prefab shed option is that these structures will almost always pass code, are easily able to obtain building permits, if you even need one! Of course officially this would have to be just a shed. It gets a bit more complicated when you are not placing the shed behind a primary dwelling. This is where I find myself.
When I was talking with the sales person at the shed store, she told me that they have had several customers live in these sheds. They call these buildings “sheds” loosely, with models up to 1000+ square feet.
Why a shed though? Well like I mentioned the ease of getting them legitimized of course helps. Second they are cheap! The model I show here is 192 Square Feet. Included are the windows, doors, installations, taxes, anchoring, site leveling and delivery all for the price of $4,200! Figure adding in permits, running power, insulation and drywall (doing the work myself of course) I am looking at a sweet house for around five grand. You could then deck it out with Ikea swag for another $500 and have a really really nice place! The only drawback is there is no loft for a bed, so you have to deal with that, Murphy bed?
The other advantage to these houses is that you can move them! Not as easily as Jay’s house on a trailer, but it’s possible. The other advantage I see with this is that they offer payment plans of $70 a month, makes it pretty affordable, considering I have friends that pay over $1500 a month in rent.
I wanted to ask you all what do you think of this idea? Is anyone here doing this? Post in the comments or shoot me an email at ryan112ryan {at} yahoo [dot] com and tell me your story and experience.
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I would love to read more about the shed possibility. A murphy bed seems like and easy idea. $5000 is a reasonable price. We are looking for a tiny home for a "second" farmstead home while our children are little.
I could very easily live in 192 sqft. It seems like more than enough.
I tell you: I live in, what we call, an outlet. Like a commercial place for architects, lawyers and such. It has 236 ft2 (22m2) and sometimes I feel like I have more space than I need, considering I have bathroom, shower, bed, kitchenette, fridge, etc!!! All in there!!!
See:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=3…
Awesome! There is a shed dealer on the freeway access I pass often that has a "barn" unit I have considered many times. The barn is a bit larger, measuring about 20×20, and has a loft with inside stairs. In my mind, I have built a shower bath under the stairs, outfitted it with a tankless water heater, a gas-fired soapstone heat stove, a kitchenette and, as you pointed out in your article, have a turn-key house for less than $8,000 (excluding land). This is a great idea and if you proceed with your plans, I'd love to read more about how you do it, especially where those dreaded building codes are concerned.
I know I've had the same idea over and over again. While I've never looked that hard and I've never found one nearly that nice, they are very affordable options. And yes, they can always be lifted unto a flat bed truck and moved, which is about as often as the average wheeling truck is moving.
The only real down side to this option, is sealing it. Sheds are very rarely built to keep the are out, and often actually have odd vents everywhere. If your shed is custom built, you can ask them to use a house wrap for very little extra, and explicitly mention the vents, and you're good.
Of course, you can always build it yourself, and still save even more, but you never need to spend a lot.
I love it. The exterior is very welcoming, would be nice to come home to, and I would be proud to invite friends over. The interior layout is also attractive and looks comfortable – not just a square or rectangle. Can you build a loft into the rafter area? Is it just too low? I also live in 250ish square feet and have all I need. The best thing about tiny living for me is the limit to how much "stuff" will fit in a tiny space. I always have the excuse " I have nowhere to put this! " when considering purchasing an item I really don't need.
Thanks for sharing this. If I were you I'd go for it!
PS – I love the idea that you can move a "shed" like this. You never have to waste time, money and effort to sell or rent your existing home so you can move. Great.
I have purchased a 16×30 metal shed with an 8' loft extending from the far side (I am planning to extend the loft for additional storage). The exterior walls are only 80" tall and have 6" cross beams for the loft above. The building has a 11.5' roof at peak (it has the barn style roof). I am attempting to turn it into a family home for myself and three young daughters. My oldest daughter turned 10 last month so I am keeping in mind that she will soon need extra privacy. I am not a carpenter by any definition, just a single mom trying to survive. If anyone has any ideas of layouts/floor plans, etc. that would helf in my struggle- I would be forever grateful.
[...] Living in a Shed? (The Tiny Life) [...]
Many times sheds are not framed the same way houses are, particularly the corners and the ceiling. This would mean a lot of extra "deadwood" later to allow for sheetrock or paneling. To get adequate ceiling insulation, you'd have to have at least 8" to allow for insulation and air flow. Also need to consider plumbing if you're going to have it. NC Code is more lenient on permit requirements if no one wall is more than 12 feet long. Email me if you have any specific questions- I'd be happy to help out. We're a tiny house building company in Asheville. Cheers! -Barry
hi, interested in your company name, address- collecting info about tiny homes and who makes them, might be useful in future
Hi Barry, I am interested in possibly building a Tiny house in the asheville area and wuold like some information about your conpany. Thank you Linda
Ok I am moving to Florida looking to purchase a 18′x36′ “Shed” and converting this to a ” Tiny House” for my wife and I. I am trying to figure out if I need to pour a foundation or can it be like a trailer and set up on blocks and anchored down. I have a blue print created for the “Tiny House” If you would like to see it.
This is great! It really shows me where to expand my blog. I think that sometime in the future I might try to write a book to go along with my blog, but we will see…Good post with useful tips and ideas
I am looking at an amish built shed to do the same thing. What do I have to look for in the building codes of the county to guide me in this? Obviously I can’t buy a chunk of land anywhere I want and build my shack house. Or can I?
You can take it two ways.
1) Get it all legitimate with a lot of hassle
2) Get the land, have all the hook ups put it, then add the house, hide it and hope no one cares
That said, I would talk to the realitor, see what they say about the idea. You will want to look at minimal size restrictions, what is considered a primary residence, egress rules, what is considered a mobile home, a temporary shelter, etc. Also what are the rules on qualifying as habitable.
Something like this has been on my mind for many years. I am 46 and own many rental units. I live in a larger house with my wife and teenage sons.
I so badly want to simplifiy my life. I also want to explain to everyone that the side of the house is little reflection on the person.
I wonder about zoning as they have minimum sq ft.
Also permits and inspections. I read recently about discising it as a trailer by making a metal base. I am sure I can design and build one. When I was a teenager, i tore down an old shed that was on my grandmas property for years. She claims an old man lived there for years. This has alwasy stuck in mind head and now I am 46. I think it woould be smart and every logical benifet will come in to place.
Yes, the home we are in is 100 years old and the roof is beginning to sag. It may hold another 5 years, but anyhow my wife and I can’t afford a new roof. So what I thought up is buying 3 acres for $6000, have a rent to own shed( barn style cabin with loft 12 x 36 for $250 per month. Do the insulating and sheet rock myself, add solar lights, solar kit, wind kit, compost toilet, solar panels to run laptop, cell phone and TV. Add 100 gallon containers in back( rain water) and pipe water into kitchen and bath for shower.
Winter use bottled water. In some countries they can only use 5 gallons per water per day. Conserve… Buy a coleman stove and a $200 propane heater to warm the cabin in winter. Store extra food so if snows can have plenty( also buy propane from Walmart to store). 20 TO 30 year shingles on the roof. I seen where a guy takes out a battery on a laptop and hooks up solar panels and the computer worked. Need a gas generator for emergencies. But one could like totally off grid( meaning no electric bills). 432 sq ft with a loft.
Again very good ideas, I have been kicking around similar ideas. I have been disappointed with the solar light kits, but I know there are some good ones out there. When you insulate yourself, you can use a better quality of insulation. I would suggest the spray foam, more costly, but you are doing a small area.
To your point of being snowed in. I would strongly encourage you to have a 3 month supply at all times that you use on a rotating basis. Basically you buy what you normally eat, buying only when things are on sale, then rotate them (using the oldest stuff, new stuff in back). This allows you to weather the storms, plus this also save money and means you will always have stuff on hand. I would agree on the generator (solar panels get covered by snow, wind stops blowing etc).
Now in town property, they have codes and regulations to go by, but usually county property is different. County property around Missouri is farmland. A guy built a cordwood log cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks, here in missouri. You could not build it in the city limits. As long as a building permit is gotten, I really don’t see what a county or state could do. Sheds are used as offices too. Some are used as cabins. Our roof on the 100 year old home does not have a over hang but it was built before the law was passed. A propane refridge would be good to buy( runs $450 to $2000) or a 12v cool refridge for $200 until you could afford a propane refridge. But the main thing about living off the grid and using solar and wind energy is to be cost efficient. Propane would cost $200 to $300 per year. Electric free. So your biggest investment would be your food, once paying the shed and property off. Another thing, some sheds come with a roof garanty to withstand winds of 165 mph.. They are actually claiming the shed is stronger than most homes. A 12 x 36 is really a 12 x 30 shed with a 6 ft porch. The porch is the loft.
Really good points! I agree that once you have these things paid for and done with energy and food will be your two largest drains on money. How to mitigate those costs will be key to further financial security and sustainability.
No, in Misouri( don’t know about other states) but they sale the barn cabin, to sleep in, can have electric if choose, plumbing, ect.. But I chose to do solar and wind power. The only thing that would concern HUD, is if after a few years, one sold it as a home. It is not a home, because it don’t follow HUD guidelines. Now is the gov going to tell you where you can stay. No.. The gov. does not care if one lives on the streets. About the blowing snow, well the roof is not that high( could reach solar panels and lightly remove snow) The Barn Cabin is 16 ft high, solar panels would be 10 ft high. Thus I am 6′ 2″, a broom is 5 ft, so I could reach most solar panels but I would use a ladder to get some too. The solar heater works in cold weather too. The wind turbine could freeze, but generally speaking, the wind blows about 35 to 40 mph in the winter, but mornings it slows up to nothing. That is why I have a propane heater. It gives of light too. Have oil burning lamps just in case. But winter snow, on most years last 2 days and sunny for 5 days. Most snows only put 2 to 5 inches of snow on the ground. Most snow melts within 3 days off cars and off roofs. It gets cold in Missouri, most years we have a week of around 0 temps. Most of the winter will be like 20′s at night and 30′s during the day. Example: 34 degree and sunny for a all day high temp. As long as it is sunny, the solar panels absorb sunlight. When it is cloudy, the solar panels will absorb 50% of the light. Now I have heard of wind power turbines freezing up( say the rain freezes on contact) well it will be on everything. That being the case, well oil lamps( Dollar General item) for light, propane to operate the heater and stove. Might need to disconnect the batteries( Deep Cycle Batteries ruin if they get run down to 20%). But things like this occures often. Being prepared for bad weather, is the key. I listen and watch the new for the weather to be prepared. Now I am sure, if I watched the weather and they said Freezing Rain, that I might cover the solar panels with material and plastic to prevent them from being a sheet of ice in the morning. Sometimes could remove the solar kit and take it inside for the night. You know what I am saying. Even take in the wind turbine and look it over for damage if going to be freezing rain. It does not hurt your equipment to take down for repairs or what could damage them. The solar panels are good through 50 mph hell storms.
This is just the conversation I have been looking for! I want to put up a three season get-away on my lot, as simple as I can make it…except permits and inspections are needed because there will be no main house and I want at least water.
I have been looking at sheds at Lowes and Home Depot because they will install them for a reasonable price, since I am not handy…maybe could put up some interior paneling. Has anybody bought one from these companies or similar ?>
I know there are defiantly people who do this, I was talking with a local place and they showed me some photos of people who had. You are right on with the problems because there isn’t a house on property, this would be a primary residence.
-Ryan
[...] luxuries of things like stairs. I often run into this issue when it comes to thinking about using sheds as a house. The biggest thing I struggle with when it comes to stairs is that they take up a lot of room and [...]
Hi Ryan! I stumbled on your blog by accident when Googling Tiny House info. I have long been fascinated by the Tiny House Movement and when my aunt decided to buy me a prefab “shed” so I could have a home again (I lost everything in Hurricane Katrina), I was so psyched to have my very own tiny home. I have one of the “barn” style that is 12×30 with two interior lofts front and rear. I live in a very rural area, and Louisiana codes are lax as it is, so we had no problem with actually putting the building on our land. The electric was also no problem. The only thing we had to make sure was to code was the septic. We ended up putting in a lift station to the main septic tank instead of putting in a whole other tank, given the proximity to the main house. I have done most of the interior work myself (with a little help from family and friends) and have found it relatively hassle free and very rewarding to be able to do the work myself and finish my little house exactly as I want it. I put up regular interior insulation between the studs and covered that with 1/4 inch OSB, which is the most economical option and more practical than drywall which would crack should I ever choose to move it. I just continued the insulation right on up to the ceiling from the walls. I did have to cover the vents on the roof peak ends for the winter as they let in a draft, but I did not want to fully close them as it is super hot here in summer and need the venting. I know Louisiana winters are mild compared to the rest of the country, but with the walls insulated and the floor finished (patched and with sheet vinyl) I often have to turn the heater down, even when it’s in the 20s outside. My cabin is better insulated than the circa 1940s main house! Anyway, I know I have run on, but thought you might appreciate hearing from someone who does indeed live in a “shed”, though I found it quite rude when I had a customer refer to it as that. I call it my little house or my little cabin, though I thought it quite funny when I told my co-worker I couldn’t decide what to call it and she suggested that it was my little hut. LOL I’m still giggling over that one. Anyway, good luck! It can be done!
Awesome information! Thanks for sharing. I use the word shed because it is the most commonly searched work from people looking to do this. Want people to be able to find the info they need! I would be curious to know what your climate is like there during the summer and winter and how the house holds up temperature wise inside?
I live in Florida out of the city limit. My girlfriend and I were wanting to have a 10×20 wooden shed built from Home Depot so that we could live in it. All we need is a sink, toliet, and some hot plates.No large appliances, We can shower etc at my parents 75-100 ft away. Getting the building and setting it up wouldnt be a problem, I just need to know if this would be legal?
Hello all, Ive been wanting to do this for about 10yrs now. I’m wanting to go a little bigger then most “1,000sq”. I don’t know if that’s still ” tiny house ” but I plan on having a family of 4 so i thot it would still pertain. Any info I would love to hear. Ive asked around and as long as it is built to the same code as a house your good to go” but I’m not a pro” lol. As for the things I’ve thot of to help to heat the space is a wood stove. google ” wood stove kit ” that’s the best I’ve found so far for me. as for a water heater, tank less for sure. I also seen a crapper that needs no pluming. It burns the waste and vents it outside. the downfall is its 2,000 bucks but septic tanks run about 5,000 buck and then you have to pay every few years to have them drained.
I really want to buy a “shed-like” home like this, so I can be out of my house, and have my own privacy. I really like the design of this one. I told some of my friends about the idea, yeah it sounds odd, but houses come in all shapes and sizes, right?
I am in LOVE with the pictures you’ve posted. I absolutely LOVE it.
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We have been living in a shed-cabin since last spring. I love my cabin! We survived a South Carolina summer, let’s see how we do during winter. We hope to buy land next spring or summer. Yay!
We haven’t installed any form of heat. Any suggestions?
I’m actually starting to blog about our downsizing journey. Our entire current home is the size of our former master bedroom!
~Adrian (livingonafootprint.blogspot.com)
Great idea. My wife and I are working on homesteading with a series of 11×14 sheds that can eventually be skidded together and attached to a central pavilion. Eventually the pavilion can be closed in to create a central great room as our budget and lifestyle changes.
In your situation I wouldn’t stress the rigors of “full on” house insulation. With modest wood heat in 192sq ft you’ll probably be cracking the windows before you go to bed. Good luck.
Living in sheds is not uncommon in Australia, though less common in the major cities. If your shed does not have a loft for sleeping you can use a loft bed. IKEA sells them at reasonable prices.
I am always dreaming up ways of having a cluster of tiny houses linked together. I want to be able to give our four older children a home through their university years and into adulthood so as to give them a good financial footing. Tiny houses would allow independance whilst being supported by the family. Child number one starts uni in 2012 and child number 5 starts kinder then. Small spaces are familiar in our family as we have raised 5 kids in a 80 year old two bedroom house, but I think to focus on their uni studies they will need greater seperation/personal space.
I would love to hear from anyone about linking these tiny houses together. As each child leaves home I would like for them to be able to take their house with them.