A couple months ago I pointed out Mike Davidson’s excellent home-building journal A House by the Park, in which he is chronicling his step-by-step process to build a custom home in Magnolia.
When I posted that link, some readers complained that Mike’s project was too high-end to be of much use to your more average family. Well, thanks to a heads up from Cheap South in the comments, here’s another local project on the opposite end of the spectrum for you: Mini-Mobile Cottage
Jeff & Arlene are building a cottage with less than 200 square feet, documenting and pricing out the project in a similar manner to Mike’s site. They’re also looking for a place to park their house upon completion in August, so if you’re interested in helping, drop them a line.
Cheap South » Jun 5, 2009 at 4:59 am
I’ve been reading more and more about this type of “housing”. Most of us are not ready for something like this, and it obviously does not work if you have kids.
You have to question the wisdom of doing this if you have no land to park it on. You could also argue that for $700 (not too much more that what they are willing to pay for rent to park the place), you can rent a 1 bedroom apartment (larger than this cottage)…..
Kary L. Krismer » Jun 5, 2009 at 6:24 am
I view it more as a way of adding a cheap mother-in-law unit, presumably with a relative actually living there so they can come in the house every now and then.
Either that, or plop one of these into the middle of five acres somewhere.
Other than that, I don’t see the point.
Cheap South » Jun 5, 2009 at 6:56 am
Well; someone will rent them the space and with the money will pay the yearly property taxes plus insurance.
Ira Sacharoff » Jun 5, 2009 at 8:02 am
“I view it more as a way of adding a cheap mother-in-law unit, presumably with a relative actually living there so they can come in the house every now and then.”
Or with a relative actually living there and forbidding them from coming into the house every now and then:)
Workinstiff » Jun 5, 2009 at 11:26 am
200 sq ft?….Sounds like Ted Kaczyinski’s place in Montana….It works if all you need is room for a bed and a workbench to make bombs on…