Anonymous wrote:Let's get real.

I want the largest house possible.

This past year we spent more time indoors than out due to the weather.

You basically have mosquitoes from may through fall (thanks to the eco live green people refusing to allow spraying).

Then it gets too cold from fall through may.

Oh and the swampy high humidity from may through august.

Let's get real.

I want the largest house possible.

This past year we spent more time indoors than out due to the weather.

You basically have mosquitoes from may through fall (thanks to the eco live green people refusing to allow spraying).

Then it gets too cold from fall through may.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no way to look at new build vs. old house and come up with the answer that a new build is greener. There just isn't. We live in a very small (1,400 square feet) 100-year-old house. We don't chemically treat our lawn. We grow vegetables. Without a huge amount of effort (or a big public display) we are living pretty green.

Oh, and we are in DC, which is very queer-friendly.

Sounds like terrible like third world

Sounds lovely! This is a dream of mine too OP, though I've accepted I will have to wait til my kids are grown.

Check out the tiny house family: http://www.tinyhousefamily.com/

Maybe you could buy some land and put mobile housing on it for multiple families? Vehicles are often not subject to the same permitting and zoning laws. Or taxes!

You can use storage sheds for storage. You could have an outdoor kitchen. You could have a separate kitchen, just like Mount Vernon. You could have a huge deck, screened in porch. Lots of options.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way to look at new build vs. old house and come up with the answer that a new build is greener. There just isn't. We live in a very small (1,400 square feet) 100-year-old house. We don't chemically treat our lawn. We grow vegetables. Without a huge amount of effort (or a big public display) we are living pretty green.

Oh, and we are in DC, which is very queer-friendly.

Sounds like terrible like third world

Anonymous wrote:We moved from a 1500 SF rambler + 800SF basement to a 6000 SF new build after the 2nd kid. I highly recommend it for your marriage and sanity.

Love the honesty!

OP, can you make your tiny house moveable? How tiny are you talking about?

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Anonymous wrote:I also think this is a cool idea and something I've thought about somewhat. One thing you may want to consider though, is that there are some already existing very small houses in Takoma Park.

For example:

http://www.redfin.com/MD/Takoma-Park/6811-Westmoreland-Ave-20912/home/10973218

OP, here:

Less than 800 sq ft, and you don't have to go through the trouble (or environmental impact) of building something new.

Agreed. Lovely. We saw it when it was listed but are a year and a half out from buying/building so missed out. If we'd been ready, we would have bid on this house. These are few and far between, it seems. The aesthetic, plus size, plus energy efficiency, plus location is a really tough combo.

Anonymous wrote:There is no way to look at new build vs. old house and come up with the answer that a new build is greener. There just isn't. We live in a very small (1,400 square feet) 100-year-old house. We don't chemically treat our lawn. We grow vegetables. Without a huge amount of effort (or a big public display) we are living pretty green.

Oh, and we are in DC, which is very queer-friendly.

Just bragging on this anonymous forum! 1400 is not very small at all but, of course, that depends on how much stuff you have. http://menzelphoto.photoshelter.com/gallery-collection/Material-World-A-Global-Family-Portrait-by-Country/C0000d0DI3dBy4mQ

I could see doing this in the city where you'd be close to places to go (not really that different than a city apartment). It's harder for me to imagine doing it in deep suburbia in a cold climate. Long drives every time you want to go somewhere don't really appeal to me.

Maybe a city apartment plus community garden plot? I could see that.

I also think this is a cool idea and something I've thought about somewhat. One thing you may want to consider though, is that there are some already existing very small houses in Takoma Park.

For example:

http://www.redfin.com/MD/Takoma-Park/6811-Westmoreland-Ave-20912/home/10973218

Less than 800 sq ft, and you don't have to go through the trouble (or environmental impact) of building something new.

^^Also, we have two young kids. The previous (apparently knowledgeable!) poster is right. I read a ton about tiny houses and they are virtually never inhabited full-time by families with small children. Especially not in a place with DC's climate.

There is no way to look at new build vs. old house and come up with the answer that a new build is greener. There just isn't. We live in a very small (1,400 square feet) 100-year-old house. We don't chemically treat our lawn. We grow vegetables. Without a huge amount of effort (or a big public display) we are living pretty green.

Oh, and we are in DC, which is very queer-friendly.

I don't think you will have a problem being considered outside of the norm in Takoma Park -- I know of two people who have replaced their lawns with edible lawns. I think what you will get are surprises that you put such a small home on such an expensive piece of land. In DC, the closer you get to DC, the shorter the commute, the pricier the piece of land.

The land my home is on in Chevy Chase is worth 2 or 3 times the house.

We moved from a 1500 SF rambler + 800SF basement to a 6000 SF new build after the 2nd kid. I highly recommend it for your marriage and sanity.

I think teaching them the value of space and lessening the value that our society places on stuff is important whether or not we can make this work.

I've found quite a bit of inspiration from Bea Johnson who runs the blog Zero Waste Home. http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/p/pics.html
Her house is bigger than the one you mention, but the idea at the root of all of this is essentially "what do we really need to be comfortable/happy?" The answer
is usually less stuff, not more.

I might take issue with the bathrooms, however. We lived with only one for years and I was in heaven when we added another!