As everyone who knows us knows, my husband and I live in a small house that is on wheels. Technically it’s not a real mobile “tiny house” however. These have to be 8 1/2 feet wide to be hauled down the road with a regular truck, and ranges from about 16’ to 25’ long. Ours is larger at 12’ wide by 35’ long. It has to be moved by a truck or company that has a special wide load permit.
Ours is also called a “Park Model” cabin. It is RVIA certified, which means it conforms to R.V. standards. When we lived at the campground, the zoning officer said we did not need a permit for it. And where we are now, we were told that we can live in it as well. This isn’t the case everywhere, however, so we are thankful.
The story of finding this 420 square foot cabin is another story unto itself, but to us it was a miracle! Brand new they go for $50,000 and up. A couple years ago when needing a place, however, I was determined to find something we could afford. After a few days of prayerful online searching, I discovered a private owner Craigslist ad for a location 4 hours away, selling something for $24,000 that was far better than I ever imagined possible. It was practically brand new, too!
Would you like to take a peek inside? Recently I took a video tour to share with our out-of-town friends who h. It’s in 2 parts. (If the links below don’t work, you can also view them on Youtube at: https://youtu.be/RgHRDL68ztA and https://youtu.be/Qguv0H6ahkA ).
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Life in a Turtle Shell
Now obviously living in a house this small is not for everyone. Even if you can, or want to make the needed adjustments, it’s not easy to find places to park them. Neither are they cheap to buy outright. But personally I would probably always try to live small. For a minimalistic organizer freak such as myself, there’s an addictive satisfaction in having to be efficient with with space and try to choose things to own that have multiple purposes. It’s also a great feeling to know that one’s house and possessions can quickly be moved if need be. Already we’ve lived in two places with our home, and if life takes another turn, it can be moved yet again. Like a turtle!
If interested in going small and/or mobile yourself, there are so many helpful resources online. A simply inspirational one that we enjoy sharing with others is a documentary called,“Without Bound – Perspectives on Mobile Living” available here: https://youtu.be/Lg37Cbx-kak
Until next time!
Pamela
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