Wow, I can't believe it has already been a whole year! I think the experiment was a success. I feel confident that I will continue living in my tiny cottage for many years to come. Looking back a lot of things have changed.
I:
Downsized a tremendous amount of "stuff" out of my life
Reduced work hours to 28 hours a week
Paid off 70% of my debt
Got a cute little dog (and still have my cute not-so-little parrot)
Had a shed built and got rid of rental storage
Met tons of great people at the ranch
Lived through a fire and earthquake!
Saw lots of animals including: mountain lions, bobcats, silver foxes, deer, turkeys, horses, long horn bulls and long horn cows to name a few. Oh and Bob the pig!
Life is good in my Ynez!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWIzJ2pC1ZXOR2lbLPuNTJiVgvKW-22g0bWKQWzoG86_G1FOrmTiPHqABpaMn_IoHiKgEdhQ-jBaDh0qQ0fSkMx9XtMj1UaywFJi8uFSD0k-uXce_ovXzfzLBrIBcP1FZl6aYq3tCwlZC9/s320/2013-04-12_16-51-54_120.jpg) |
Some of my new neighbors. Aren't the babies cute! |
What's for next year? So far I have just a few things on the list.
Like:
Pay off balance of debt
Re-stain or paint exterior (the sun is very hard on the finish here)
Maybe add skirting of some sort
Take a little vacation (there are so many local things I haven't seen yet)
How would I change my tiny house if I were starting it now?
I have often been asked this question. Even at the beginning of the process I questioned whether I should add an extra couple of feet to the length to have a space for an office/single bed, murphy-style but I didn't want to exceed a set price and had to forgo the extra length. The 20 feet that I have is the minimum I felt would work for me and I use every inch of the space. One thing I would change is to have sliding closet doors. I opted for regular doors so I could utilized the inside of the doors to hang things on, but I find it irritating to constantly have to walk around them. And as I said before the blinds are a dirt magnets (perhaps I will change these for roller blinds in an easy to wash finish or stick blinds with a lining that can be removed for cleaning).
Suggestions for want-ta-be tiny houser's?
Be clear on what your needs are and choose multi-functional pieces. Get rid of everything else. Use apartment sized furniture that has a non-bulky style. Open legs on furniture will give the feel of more space. Folding tables and chairs can be removed or stored when not in use. Mobile furniture instead of built-in's will give you the most flexibility. Leave as much open space a possible. Less is more with a tiny house.