Ok so here is the deal It’s not the cost .It’s the savings! If you take a 30 year mortgage that is 360 months and a payment of  $1388 .00 per month and for the sake of argument it includes the principle, interest,taxes and insurance on the house it adds up to $500,000 over the life of the loan.Pretty scarry huh? Well that does not even include any upkeep or maintenance!

There are some other things to consider here in the next 30 years or 360 months are you ever going to refinance or take out a second mortgage maybe one of those handy low interest equity lines to pay for a few dream vacations or toys . Sure could use a boat or a couple of four wheelers .Maybe a big ol R.V. to hang out in on the weekends.Could be your just paying college tuition or a wedding .Point is the loan may never get paid off.

Here is a real life problem. The market crashes and the dang thing isn’t even worth what you owe on it and your stuck upside down as they say.Sound familiar ? Well not so with a tiny house. You pay cash$$ up front and your done .So what is it really worth? $300,$400 ,$500 thousand dollars or more.It’s money in your hand ! Not in the house.Save it and pay cash for all the fun experiences you can now afford not paying a big fat mortgage to the BANK OF FOREVER IN DEBT.

Plus its beach front property where ever you go:) Now wouldn’t it be wise to learn to build your own micro house ? Look at what there worth!!

These photos show the detail of the roof framing and sheathing this is a gambrel or barn type roof system .It has more volume of space in it than a gable or A type roof.

It took about 2 hrs to frame a sheath this roof as we had all the components pre cut and ready to assemble.We had to beat the weather after taking off the temporary roof .

Roof shelled in and gable ends still need covered then we can paper in the roof with 30lb felt .That done and we are dried in as a shell .

Here is a shot of the framing looking up from inside spacing is two foot on centers.WE put a row of osb on to lock the frame and steady it before the wind got to it .

Here is a photo showing the difference in an A roof and a barn roof  volume wise there is quite a bit more head space as you can see.

After all the subdeck is installed it is quite strong my son is about 200lbs standing on top no problem for snow loads here.

There is a saying I really like ” The more you know the less you need” I really like that knowing how to build your own house and fix things .Growing your own food or some of it .Ride a bike instead of a car and take back your life. I will continue to teach independent living for the rest of my life.I like empowering others and seeing them live better for it is my soul purpose and I am passionate about it .We will continue to explore ways to become more self reliant on this site and living lightly on the planet .

I have a mission to help 10,ooo people  to live life by their own design. Independent self-reliant lives of their choosing. Owning and building your own home outright is a big step in that direction.

Here is an experiment live in the same square footage of space as a micro house has only in your current home .You could clear out a room of all but the things that you would have in that house just the furniture and belongings suitable for that lifestyle and daily living.So only the clothes and shoes only the personal items you would use in a space that big .The space could be around 125 150 square ft.

Now that applies to your kitchen use only the space of the counters and cabinets that would be in a tiny house.Next is the fridge just use the same space as a small one that would be in a micro house.Put away everything that doesn’t fit and see how it feels to use and live in that space (no cheating how will you wash your clothes ? how will you shop for food that fits that space and lifestyle?

What will stay and what will go try removing everything first and only allow  what is necessary at first then see if you need more .Mentally move out of your house pack your bags and act like your going to a hotel .There is a bed a dresser a tv a mini fridge microwave a little coffee pot a closet and a bath room.So simple and uncluttered you bring your clothes and a laptop a phone and not much else.Sometimes there is a bar sink and little counter maybe a desk but it probably is as big or bigger than a micro house.

How does that feel? What is left over? Will you or do you miss it?   can you do without it? can you sell it or give it away ? You are now consciously shrinking your foot print on this planet.Your consumtion and waste should radically reduce. As your awareness changes so will your habits .A big and noticeable side effect will be the money left over every week or month. Another side effect is time more of it as there is less to maintain and clean .You may find yourself calmer and happier as there is less to do and worry over .The overwhelm of everyday stuff should dissipate. Maybe you can move to a smaller living space less expensive to live  and maintain.

Or you just might go get a micro house and start living small in a large way .Who knows you just might find yourself!?! 

 Any good set of plans should have a bare minimum framing sheets and a materials list with specifications for types of materials .A better set of plans will give cut sheets telling you every cut of every component of the plan .A great set of plans will give you detailed instructions on how to assemble the components and build the entire project.  An excellent set of plans will come with a support system in the form of some sort of help or contact that you can get questions answered about the process as you go.

An exceptional set of plans will have dvds in combination to show you the process and walk you thru the project step by step so you can build with confidence and know that the project has actually been tested and proven .A designer should be willing to offer ongoing technical  support to make sure you are successful with your project . A designer should be offering you a guaranty risk free money back offer if you aren’t satisfied with the quality and detail of the plan.

  So be aware of what you are buying and whether you are getting a set of plans you will actually be able to read and understand a set of plans that has everything you need for your skill level to alow you to successfully complete your project from start to finnish and not leave you in the lurch lacking the details and direction and support to create your dream micro home. Be carefull out there

Here is where we are today people are trying to retire and worked the last 30 plus years to put away enough to enjoy the( golden years ) They keep telling you about.Now this could be for a lot of reasons layoffs ,cutbacks,divorce,health issues or an accident.Maybe your investments went bust or your house values crashed. Sound  familiar?

So what are you going to do ? maybe you see the writing on the wall down the line a few years for your self and you are looking to course correct now . Sorry if I come off all doom and gloomy but there is an alternative.

Plan B the back up plan .The what if the SHTF ( shit hits the fan) sorry if that offends anyone it is a broad and encompassing phrase that covers a multitude of scenarios from the minor lost my job to the end of the world and every thing in between.So what if? Well you need a fallback plan something that you can count on come what may.

What is that ? What does that look like ? How does that work? I’m glad you asked.;) It looks like a way to live without needing a bunch of money and infrastructure and still keep a standard of living you can be happy with no matter what happens .Some thing you can put in place now so you have the peace of mind that your covered for the future.

What does that take ?well I see the big costs of living today Housing is number one.How much money do you need to live if housing is no longer an issue? the second seems to be transportation gas prices are not going down that is for sure.Then food and healthcare.

Well lets solve the big one housing .Having a micro house built and setting in the back yard is a major piece of insurance in my opinion .It’s the fall back the escape pod the backup plan for the SHTF possibility of the unknown future .What if the power fails or there’s an earthquake or hurricane a blizzard and so on and basic services are interrupted wouldn’t it be nice to go over and get inside your micro house and fire up the heat and lights and be able to cook a meal and not just survive but thrive .

Lets talk about location.Micro houses can be placed in locations that would otherwise be prohibitive to live in either by price or the inability to build in an environment .So you can put it in a backyard or beach front on a lake river ocean pond ect… but the view or amenities are to die for.Who can afford a (million dollar view ) but you can barrow it for little or nothing .

You could live in walking distance or biking distance of all your shopping and business needs minimising or eliminating the need for a car.if you park your micro house in an area that has space for a garden then you can produce some of your own food cutting expenses further.

Lastly your health is very important and I want to touch on or bring full circle the backup plan living more simply and deliberately gives you time.Time to prepare your own food from scratch .Time to walk or bike to where you want to go .Time to be outside in the garden working in the fresh air and sunshine.Time to spend with family and a great place to live for a fraction of the cost of traditional lifestyle we have now .All we have is time health and family all we need is food shelter and clothing .If we have these we have more than the majority of the people on the planet . After that everything else is excess and luxury.    This lifestyle by design If you choose it

in the following pictures I took some angles to get some perspective on size and space .All the walls are in place and I temporarily placed a metal roof on it to keep out the weather. 

I will spend some time in and out of the building to get a feel for the space as I layout the rest of the interior .The bath and kit need some thought as space and function are a premium . I am also still deciding about the height of the roofline in relation to the loft.

I may drop the floor of the loft down a bit for more head room in it .There are plenty of windows to keep a small space feeling big.

I will do a video walk around of the project as it is to give you a look at the space .

 there will be over 1000 cubic feet of space inside the house and  about 152 square ft with the loft .

I’m thinking about a wood stove and a propane heater so I can use wood when I want to save money and have propane so I’m not tethered to feeding the stove day and night.

 Today I will finnish wrapping the walls in house wrap and cut out the door .If I have time I will start the roof frame. put on a workshop the waiting list is half full .If you want on the list just email me at kevin@mobile-clean.com I will let you know about the dates and time and price first before I open it up to everyone else .This will be valuable hands on building experience with a general contractor carpenter live to guide ou and answer your questions . Lots of tip tricks and trade secrets on how to get it right .

If it was spring or summer and you wanted to you could use it as a hard sided tent and begin living out of it as you finnish the house (for the adventurous types out there this would save you money on living expenses that you could use to pay for materials.The whole thing is an adventure really right! So have fun.I will be doing a video shortly showing you how to save $ 1000.00 of dollars on your project in a very unique and innovative way so stay tuned . you may want to subscribe so you will be the first to get the latest episodes as they come out delivered straight to you and the youtube channel for all the latest action.Oh and don’t forget the face book page by the same name.Here is the video   http://youtu.be/odlrD4MKPHg enjoy.