Comment on The Typical First-Time Homebuyer Is Now 40 Years Old, a Record High
the_q@lemmy.zip 3 days ago
I’m 44 and want a tiny home, but even they’re getting up there in price. Apartment living is really disheartening.
Comment on The Typical First-Time Homebuyer Is Now 40 Years Old, a Record High
the_q@lemmy.zip 3 days ago
I’m 44 and want a tiny home, but even they’re getting up there in price. Apartment living is really disheartening.
DNS@discuss.online 3 days ago
It’s not just tiny homes are getting up their in price; they are extremely affordable. The issue is you’ll need to place it on a foundation and once you do, you’ll be beholden to the same permits as a regular sized house which can add a tremendous expense. Sure, you can go the trailer/on wheels route, but that opens up to other issues such as home theft (literally) to cities outright not allowing it on your lot.
Also take into consideration that a lot of municipalities do not like tiny homes as it goes against the look of the town/city, to some even outright banning them to having exorbitant fees placed on them.
I’ve looked into tiny homes and to save money, I would have to move out to the rural areas where I am permitted to build them without being hassles by the city. Oh, and if your neighbor doesn’t like your home, you can definitely expect frequent visits from the city inspectors to fuck your day over.
All I want is a tiny home, and a big front/backyard to garden/self-sustain my family.
grue@lemmy.world 3 days ago
It’s not just the permits; it’s the land itself. The vast majority of every metro area’s land is zoned single-family with minimum lot sizes vastly larger than what a single tiny home would need, so you end up being forced to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of land before you can even start to build on it, tiny house or otherwise.
the_q@lemmy.zip 3 days ago
Oh yeah you’re well versed in the rules and regs. It’s insane to me the push back tiny living gets from established systems, but it does attempt to fly in the face of the American way and capitalism.
DNS@discuss.online 3 days ago
You can buy a Tuff Shed for $20k with foundation installment, insulate it yourself, all for less than $27k. Toss in electrical, and water; you’re looking at around $40k. Permits and such will probably add another $10-$15k. Overall, you’re looking at $80k for a tiny home in a major city versus homes that go for more than $600k. Rurally in my county, I’ve seen homes go for $300k, so you’re still saving a fuckton of money.
Tiny living absolutely goes against capitalism and our need to consume more than what we can handle to be further in debt by those who control the means.
Horsecook@sh.itjust.works 3 days ago
One way to get around zoning restrictions is to find an existing small house. I have a 400sqft house that was built a century ago, before building codes existed. It isn’t legal to build something here under 800sqft now. My neighborhood is full of little houses like mine, and demand for them is very low.
I’m 60 miles east, and 1 mile above, Los Angeles, in a National Forest. It snows here. The views are lovely. My house is worth $100k.
tux7350@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Big Bear is such an under rated part of southern California. I loved going there and looking at the giant pinecone. I never realized housing wasn’t too bad out that way. How are the taxes?
ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I live in the Philly metro area and you see exactly 0 tiny homes around here. They are just not allowed by any municipality, anywhere. The closest I’ve found are at a sort of tiny home park in Lancaster, about an hour and a half away. And the owner of that development had to fight tooth and nail for years to get approval for it.