Tiny House - Gary

[gary67]

Have uploaded 5 new pictures of the inside today now that we are living here.

[wratterus]

Very cool.

[gary67]

Thanks

[John H]

Gary, I didn't notice any reference in your blog to the installation of a toilet. If you haven't already done this, you might like to have a look at this YouTube channel - Bus Life NZ. That family have converted a bus for self contained living, and there has been a real saga about the toilet. They originally installed a macerating toilet (I have no idea why) and it was nothing but trouble, necessitating uninstalling, repairing, and reinstalling on more than one occasion (sounds like living with Microsoft products doesn't it?).

They decided to chuck the thing as a disaster, and have installed a composting toilet instead. Liquids and solids are separated, so you have two bins to empty compared with the normal cassette type toilet. However, it has the advantage of no nasty and smelly chemicals, and the solids can be put into a plastic waste bag and binned (just looks like earth, he said, comprised of solid waste mixed with peat).

They also made a different choice of solid fuel stove from you two - you might like to have a look at the stove they chose if anything goes wrong with yours (not that it is likely to).

Regarding the siting of the tiny house and local authority persecution (when they should be spending ratepayers' money on providing a decent water supply, unlike Hurunui) - I have thought for a long time that there should be a priority given to supporting tiny house building given the problems we have as a country with homelessness and unaffordability of houses for families. It would be great to see some kind of provision of land and zoning rules for places where you could site a tiny house, or a motorhome with an adjoining small dwelling (containing a bathroom, toilet, and laundry perhaps) with reticulation to power, water and sewage. A lot of people try to live like that in camping grounds but it is expensive.

[gary67]

Hi John we are using a bucket and sawdust composting system but getting clean sawdust is not always easy.

[John H]

The guy in the bus is using one of those rectangular plastic covered bales of peat moss you can get at a garden store.

[bonzo29]

Gary, Now you are a North Cantabrian you may not have seen the item in Friday's Nelson Mail that there is proposal to build six Tiny Houses in The Brook.

[beetle]

Wow It took me ages to read your blog and look at all the photos......well done.
I have a question.................. do you have any other buildings on your land? sheds etc? cos where did you put all your real house furniture? or store it?

And somewhere you talk about building a house on the land in the future ? may I ask how this is all financed ? house sales or something in the past ?

I got made redundant in August and the $$$ are tough, as no full time work around and relief teaching is a bit erratic..... but well done you and going back to work you know, and letting your body rest / work together.

Well done, it looks like a labour of love really

beetle

[gary67]

I'll answer tomorrow evening Beetle just shut laptop down

[gary67]

We sold our Nelson house and only used a portion of the money to buy the 10acres here as land is cheaper here than Nelson. We also used the sale to pay off the small overdraft we used to build the tiny house. The left over money is currently invested and will be used to build our new home next year, we have some land covenants to end on Jan 1 2018.

Our furniture is in storage in Hanmer, we have a 20' container that is full or as full as we can get it. We have no other buildings on the land at this point and I'm waiting to find out where exactly the house can be sited before we put anything else up although we have just planted the first part of the new shelter belt.

The wind can roar through here as t did yesterday hence why we have big tie downs.

Bonzo I did see that article and just wish all councils would be that proactive, large houses are so last millennium. Our new house has bee designed with only 75m2 of living space + garaging and that includes a room with ensuite that can be rented out as holiday accommodation part of our drive to generate a passive income.

We also plan to turn the paddock into hay late Jan and then put some lambs on it for fattening up for the freezer.

I have gone back building down here at the moment as I can earn in the 3 days a week almost as much as I was earning in 5 days at the big orange shed for quite a technical role. The extra days off allow me shoulder to recover.