Building a Tiny House on a MoCo lot - possible? implications?
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Anonymous
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We are considering buying a lot MoCo (prob. SS or Takoma Park) and building a tiny house on it for many, many reasons. Among these are cost, effort required for upkeep, ability to use the lot to do some significant edibles gardening, wanting to live a simpler life, etc. We are new to the area and hail from the West Coast, particularly places where this idea might not be too radical. But, as we drive around, talk to coworkers, and get a better feel for the area, it seems that we would be total freaks here if we decided to go this route. We are not entirely opposed to standing out per se. We do want to be part of our community and have our kids play with neighbor kids and peers from the nearby public elementary. So, my question is, are we being totally unrealistic.
1) Can we get a structure like this http://hobbitatspaces.com/whatsyourstyle/#jp-carousel-589 built in MoCo (it adheres to MD code and would be on a foundation)? AND/OR 2) Would the neighbors raise hell (I mean this from a strictly legal and logistical standpoint)? If you have experience with building in this area, can you comment? We'd also be amused to read what our neighbors might think, particularly in the two areas (a bit more laid back/alternative?) that we imagine doing this. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| You might be able build it but probably won't be able to resell it. Land is very expensive here so building a tiny house that you would then have to resell at a high price may not be feasible. So it would probably get torn down, which isn't so environmentally friendly. |
Anonymous
| There aren't a lot of buildable lots for sale in the close-in areas - mostly, people build new houses by buying old houses and tearing them down. Maybe you've found a lot already, but I see that as the biggest hurdle. |
Anonymous
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Here, I found one lot for sale close-in, in TP. Keep in mind New Hampshire is a major thoroughfare:
http://homes.longandfoster.com/Real-Estate/PropertyDetails.aspx?NEW-HAMPSHIRE-AVE-TAKOMA-PARK-MD-20912&mlsCompanyID=2&mlsNumber=MC7945164 |
Anonymous
| I keep responding, but I find the idea intriguing. I don't think people would care particularly. I like reading articles about tiny houses and I'm sure others do too. But a tiny house is a more appealing proposition to me in warmer climates where you can spend time outside most of the year. |
Anonymous
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We were hoping for slightly better schools and less clearing. More like this:
http://www.trulia.com/property/3095426497-2308-Fairland-Rd-Silver-Spring-MD-20904 Or this http://www.trulia.com/property/3065208833-1312-Ednor-Rd-Silver-Spring-MD-20905 Or this http://www.trulia.com/property/1066628598-13408-Partridge-Dr-Silver-Spring-MD-20904 Cost without permits and including the lot would be under 300K... Maybe we're dreaming a way out of the rat race but need to be somewhere where we can at least be employed. |
Anonymous
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You are dreaming.
Building permits in MoCo are at least $50,000. So you have your $300K left to buy the lot and build the structure. To comply with MoCo's building permits, you are probably going to have to spend at least $200,000 for the structure, water control, site prep and other details. You have $100,000 to buy a lot. |
Anonymous
| Permits alone in MoCo are greater than $50,000. How are you going to build for $100,000? |
Anonymous
So have you actually tried living in a tiny space? Move to a one bedroom or better yet a studio for a year and see how that works out first before going out and buying land etc. |
Anonymous
| There was a story in the Washington Post a few months ago about some of these type houses locally. I believe they were in the District and for some reason not inhabited full-time. |
Anonymous
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I have looked into cottage/tiny homes extensively. I think it is a fantastic idea. In order to assure that it will be a good investment, I suggest placing your tiny home within the allowable building envelope, but in one of the far back corners. That way, when/if you sell, the buyer would be able to build a "main house" and use your existing place as a guest house or in-law home. I would like to see more of this done in the DC area and am working toward a community of small homes in Falls Church. Have you seen Tumbleweed homes? BTW, the community that the pp was referring to is Boneyard Studios in DC.
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Anonymous
| Where we moved from (employment reasons), building permits were based on the sq. footage so 500sq ft. would never be 50K. How are building permits priced here? These are the ones in DC that you are probably referring to http://boneyardstudios.com/. Yes, we have lived all over the world in very small spaces. We have two kids and live in 1200sq ft. now and probably use about 800 of it. They are still small. We would not be opposed to building (later) another small structure for storage/privacy/entertaining. The person who noted the weather does have a point. We are both from warm places originally and do hate winter but, as it turns out, a 1200sq. ft. condo is too small for preschool and toddler anyway so we spend all of our time out and about summer or winter. To start getting a space premium, in terms of having the ability to stay home for days on end, I think we'd need about 5000sq. ft. of empty floor for the kids to run around. So, we really just need a kitchen, bedrooms, and a place to sit and be together in the evenings and before heading out in the mornings. I'd really like to know more about the building permit issue. We've tried to do some research but it seems that everything is geared toward a large project and we cannot get any direct answers when we call in terms of whether it would be approved fairly seamlessly. Obviously, we do not want to end up with a lot upon which we'd have to build a typical structure if the whole point of buying a lot vs. a SFH was to build this type of structure. Here are some others we've thought about too - https://www.bluhomes.com/. Some of these you can even design off the grid. |
Anonymous
Wow! DCUMs is so toxic sometimes that I was really expecting to be flamed and the enthusiasm by some on this thread is really exciting!!! This is a fantastic idea. Many would be very happy to buy a lot where there was a ready-made in-law suite, for example. Or, for older folks, a ready-made boomerang kid house. I like the way you think. Tell me more about your community?! |
Anonymous
Those locations are really out there - well, the Ednor Rd one especially, but I wouldn't call the others close-in. Yes, the postal address is Silver Spring, but it's a different area than what people are talking about when they're talking about progressive Silver Spring/Takoma Park (where, imo, you'd find more likeminded people). You are trading convenience/walkability/commute downtown to get land. I'm assuming you are familiar with the growing season and winters here, but if not I would rent a year and see if this plan still seems workable. |
Anonymous
| I had no idea building permits cost that much! You mean you have to pay the county upwards of 50K just get your plans approved and have the piece of paper to post at the site? Yikes |