Small world, tiny homes
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Small world, tiny homesIt is a small world after all, especially if you own a tiny house. A growing trend, the small house movement advocates sustainable living in small places. Many think of their home as their castle, and Jay Shafer of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. offers plans on how to build one — 64 to 840 square feet of it at least — for under $20 thousand dollars.

Whether or not it is a fad, the small house movement, as well as Shafer, has received much media attention from CNN and CBS to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. There is even a Small House Society, which states its mission as “to support the research, development, and use of smaller living spaces that foster sustainable living for individuals, families and communities worldwide.”

Living in houses “smaller than some people’s closets” since 1997, Shafer says that his concern was for the environment and the impact of a house with a large footprint. So he chose the tiny house lifestyle, which he describes as slower and simpler: His first home was just 89 square feet.

According to information on his website, Shafer says that the length of time it takes to build a tiny home could be anywhere from 550 to 850 hours depending on several factors including size and complexity of the project.

Although no instructions come with the house plans, Tumbleweed does offer two-day workshops on how to design and build a small home, as well as how to pick the right trailer, select materials and tools.

Upcoming workshops will be held in New York, Oct 15-16; Atlanta, Oct. 29-30; Santa Rosa, CA, Nov 5-6; and Dallas, Nov 12-13. For more information, visit TumbleweedHouses.com

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