Dee’s Downsized Dream Home November 3, 2010
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Sustainable Living.trackback
Before downsizing, Dee Williams spent most of her free time fixing up her 3-bedroom bungalow in Portland Oregon.
When a close friend got cancer, her endless remodeling efforts seemed trivial.
To gain both time and money, she sold the bungalow, and built a smaller house for $10,000.
How small? Very small. Just 84 square feet.
Now, instead of a mortgage payment of $1,000 a month, her entire monthly housing bill is about $8, for heating.
“The more intentional you are in your choices, the more every change makes room for more changes. … You get to choose what you want.”
More about Dee Williams’ House: Living Large in a Tiny House
Related posts: Small Space, Big Style * TumbleWeedHouses (to get plans for your own tiny home!)
Spirit Lights The Way 
Hats off to her, not many people brave enough.
We’ve downsized with each move ~ 4,400 to 1,600 to 1,000 sq ft. This is a wonderful size for us.
What is cool: She has reduced eliminated ALL clutter (she only has 300 things . . . she’s counted). She got rid of all the stuff we hang onto that reminds us who we were ~ love letters, etc. How liberating!
But no shower?
No refrigerator?
No running water?
I’ll pass.
*sigh* Makes you think, doesn’t it? My husband and I are in the midst of trying to sell our house, because we want to be closer to town. Perhaps we should build our dream home, and because there are two of us, we’ll make it 168 sq. ft. Sounds wonderful to me. Ashley’s game. Our children and their families can pitch a tent on our .1 acre lawn! What do you think? (BUT, Zoë will stay inside with us! :-D)
What about a small cabin? With one main room and two bedrooms . . . and a loft for the grandkids???
I’ve always loved historical cabins. So compact and multi-functional.
This place of ours has 2 bd 2 ba ~ perfect for us AND we housed 7 visitors in it overnight with only minor juggling skills required.
OMG how alternative…must say, Dee and her dog look perfectly content 🙂
Her loft looks so cozy. A great place to curl up and read.
Sort of like being on a perpetual camping trip . . . with 11 foot ceilings and a skylight in your “tent.”
Curl up and read? I wouldn’t be able to fit my books into that space, much less me. And I’d bang my head on the ceiling.
Eh, to each her own.
Living in a dollhouse, treehouse, or playhouse would be lovely as a weekend retreat . . . but I prefer a tad more “room to roam.” 😉
I love small with mod cons. A partner and I lived for a few years in 600 square feet (with a loft) that included a full bathroom and laundry. It was fun on wintry nights with one Malamute, three cats, fire roaring and having to be no place else.
Sounds cosy. 8)
Where my daughter and I stay now is not far off from this. We share a futon bed in a loft that has no heat or central air.
We Do have a bathroom with a shower. I still put my designer touch on everything, but in a more compact space. It’s forcing me to rethink exactly how much more I could live without. Eventually, we will need to move on, but I’d like to own a little trailer house — a bit bigger than this one, because I have to have the shower, the fridge and the running water — thank you…
But this change has brought us even closer and my 13-year-old is content to have a mom who is less stressed and now has more time to hang out to watch chick flicks with her…
By the way, here is a link I found a while back… to check out other homes like DEE’S…
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
Great link ~ I added it above.
When we realize how much we can live without . . . it’s quite liberating.
At this point, we probably won’t downsize much more. And, if we do, I will not give up indoor plumbing, hot water, or electricity without a fight. 🙂
where would all of my books go? My crafts? And my piano that i refuse to live without even though i can’t play it. and no shower? no way jose! no running water? way no way jose! might house might be small (1000 feet) but at least it has hot water and plumbing.
We used to have 8 huge bookcases filled with books (most of which were never going to be opened again). After a small flood, we donated bags and bags of books to a church booksale.
Now, we have two handmade bookcases (made by my BFF) filled with books we refer to, read, and enjoy. Anything else, we get from the library.
I’ve downsized my craft supplies as well.
If I use it, I keep it. If I don’t, I find it a new home.
I use my shower. I’m keeping it. 8)
i just got a brillian idea. my husband can live in it in the backyard!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bwahahaha! That’ll free up some space.