Small Home Living (and Simple Living)

[Kitties]

I've been watching some videos on Youtube. Tiny houses which are not for most people, practical. But I get the idea in response to the McMansions. There are a few videos on Youtube that are very small but also very livable.

I've been thinking of this a lot. How to get a smaller simpler life. I like my apartment but I don't know if I want someone to have the key to my home for the rest of my life.

I'm heavily considering a mobile home in a park when I'm 55, not so far away. But I want something small. Some of them are large and old and ugly. I want something small, newer and cute for me and the kitties. Anyone ever live in a mobile/manufactured home? Good or bad experiences? I know the plumbing in them can give trouble.

I like the safety of the park also. Since I'm on my own, dropping a tiny house in the middle of Montana would not be practical for me.

I'll say one thing, in the US our society is just not geared to keep it simple. It seems to be a fight almost if you want to.

 

[Forster]

I could actually get by quite nice with a micro/mini house just as long as I had a big shop/garage to store all the stuff and have a place to get away to.

And what the heck is wrong with dropping a tiny house off in the middle of Montana.

 

[Mischief]

 

[KLS52]

I could totally do this but only if I lived alone. And yet, the other drawback would be not having room for cats...lots and lots of cats.

 

[thefadedone]

I'm heavily considering a mobile home in a park when I'm 55, not so far away. But I want something small. Some of them are large and old and ugly. I want something small, newer and cute for me and the kitties. Anyone ever live in a mobile/manufactured home? Good or bad experiences? I know the plumbing in them can give trouble.

I grew up in one. It was stand alone on a independent lot and not in a park/community. It was built in the 70s though so it was one of those old and ugly ones you mentioned. It was a piece of **** and very poorly made. The plumbing did suck and was a nightmare most of the time. Crappy /non existent water pressure, pipes always clogged, well always needed to be filled up, etc. We finally ended up moving when I was a teenager due to the fact that the roof ripped off during a really bad storm!

Spoiler

Ironically earlier that same day I was thinking how fortunate I was to have a safe place to live and not be homeless.

However, the homes now are built so much better than how they were built back then. Some of them are really nice and cute! Since I didn't live in a park, I can't tell you much about them. Although, I have always heard people gripe about them. Problems with the rules, problems with the neighbors, problems with the park owners, etc. But the same gripes can be made about apartments. It all depends on the park and the people.

I think it might be checking out and looking into if you're interested.

 

[gelhair]

Small houses rock!

 

[Kitties]

I couldn't live in the middle of Montana alone. Too scared of weird people. I do love the wide open country though.

I think I'd be too claustrophobic in one. My apartment is over 600 square feet. I never use the living room.

And I too need room for cats. My cats can get a good run going from the living room to the bedroom.

I'm looking into adult parks only. And the pet situation is really important. I know of one where a co-workers MIL lived (she died) and she said a neighbor had 3 small dogs so I know they have a liberal pet policy. I've called the manager and indoor cats are fine. I've called a couple who say one cat only even indoors WTF. No way!

Anyway, I keep researching and thinking. There has to be a better way to live than what I've got going now.

 

[thefadedone]

I'm looking into adult parks only.

Oh wow they have adults only parks? No kids allowed?

Pet policies at places are ridiculous. The fees are always insane. And what's the difference between having one cat or more? One cat can do as much damage as five cats.

 

[KLS52]

Oh wow they have adults only parks? No kids allowed?

We have two such parks here. I looked into them a few years ago when my husband lost his job. Both parks were really nice and well kept. One mobile home was brand new...bigger than my current home, lol. I would still consider moving there if/when circumstances warrant.

 

[thefadedone]

That's really cool. I never knew such places existed. I figured it would be against some discrimination law or something.

Yeah the homes now are nothing like how they were years ago. Some of them are huge! I've seen a few with jacuzzi tubs. I would love one of those!

 

[das_nut]

I prefer a smaller home. Less junk to collect. Easier to do upkeep on. Cheaper as well.

 

[Kitties]

I too prefer a small home. I'm not a minimalist however (though I love the concept) As a thrift shopper, if I like it and it's cheap, I'll buy it. I'm a lot more selective than I used to be though.

Yes Fadedone, there are several adult parks in my town. I guess because of the age somehow it's not discrimination. I'm not sure how that has worked. One reason I would buy in an adult park only is there is some protection with space rent price increases. I've known two people who live in an all ages park and during the housing upswing their space rent was raised 100 dollars in one month. If this had happened to an adult park, it would have hit the papers and probably the news. "greedy landlord" "seniors" "fixed income" If it's all ages, no one cares.

We have one very large senior park I won't buy in. I've driven through and it's depressing for some reason. I get a bad feeling. There is another one when I drive through I get a good feeling and that's the one with the good pet policy.

Some manufactured homes are really big. Two married nurses I work with bought a triple wide and put it on their property. They have been happy with it but admit it's too big.

 

[thefadedone]

We have one very large senior park I won't buy in. I've driven through and it's depressing for some reason. I get a bad feeling. There is another one when I drive through I get a good feeling and that's the one with the good pet policy.

I think that the good one is worth checking out. Maybe try setting up an appointment to take a look at some of your options and seeing what's available. It will give you an idea on what it would be like.

 

[FortyTwo]

I couldn't live in the middle of Montana alone. Too scared of weird people.

Ah, Montana. Yes, it is a weird place. There is a casino on every corner. There are several clearly competing casino companies that struggle for pertinence in a given area.

And what's funny is, each casino is fused with some other, more mundane thing.

So it'll be like, Laundromat and Lucky Ann's Casino!
Pizza Parlor and Lucky Ann's Casino!
Dining Hall and Big Buck's Casino!
Office Building now featuring Lucky Ann's Casino!

It's the same sort of epidemic problem everyone else has with McDonalds.

 

[das_nut]

These are all so cute.

 

[Mischief]

These are all so cute.

I really like all of those.

 

[FortyTwo]

NOMAD, less than $30,000

 

[KLS52]

That bed is scary! Lol

 

[hungryraccoon]

Yes, that doesn't look very safe! Love that teeny little house though

 

[KLS52]

Me too... I love the whole idea of living simpler.