3 Reasons I Want to Build a Small Home

The Shack 

There are many reasons to build or live in a very small home. There are as many different reasons for living tiny as there are people who are doing it. The three main reasons I want to build small are: lower cost, less clutter, and lower negative impact on the environment.

Over the decades, I've always tended to live in smaller spaces and I guess as a result, I am more accustomed to smaller spaces. As an adult, I've only lived in two "large" homes (meaning, over 1,400 sq ft).  Over my lifetime, the American Dream seemed to be that big house with the picket fence. So I felt a little strange about admiring and dreaming about the small homes.  

Fortunately, somewhere along the way I decided to live my dreams - whether it was popular or not. And somewhere along the way, small homes became the America Dream for more people.

This is being written during the process of planning for retiring off-grid. Or being on-grid but as self-sustainable as I am able to be. I have purchased my land with a currently off-grid, dry, hunting cabin that I lovingly call The Shack. 

This is more about the three reasons I am planning on building small.

1. Low Cost - Moving Toward Debt-Free Living

Please be clear that I'm not knocking people who live in large homes with large price tags. There are many reasons to live in a large home and a lot of people dream of living in a large home. And I think everyone should live their own dream. Some people choose to buy a large home in a desirable area as a retirement investment. I think that's a fantastic idea for some people. But that's not for me. 

My plan had been to pay off the land, then pay cash as I go to make the improvements; the septic, water, then the house.  My plan was to do this over years and be debt-free when I retire. My idea of the American Dream is to retire with no debt and very low monthly bills. A very small (or no) mortgage would help this happen.

As time goes on, and my desire to be there sooner as opposed to later, my plans change. I may not get up there debt-free, but I still want my debt to be as low as possible.

I am not able or willing to remodel or build my own home. So I'll hire someone. That will increase the cost. But even so, building a modest home at less than 800 square feet carries a much lower price tag than building a large home.

The current house plan I have in mind is approximately 640 sq. feet. If it costs $100 per square foot, my 640 sq. ft. home would cost $64,000 while a 1400 sq. ft. home would cost 140,000. I really like the difference in those price tags!

2. Preventing the Clutter and Excessive Consumerism

Oh my gosh, I am my mother's daughter. She was a hoarder. And probably could have been a guest on the hoarder tv series.  I'm not quite that bad. But I easily could be. And living in large spaces only invites buying A LOT of things. 

I like to have things. But I think overall, Americans overdo it in regards to having "stuff". I personally want to live in a small space in order to help keep that excess consumerism from setting it. I don't want to buy a bunch of things I'll use once or twice then have to make room to store for the rest of my life.

I'm certainly not a minimalist. But having less things makes me happier than having a literal ton of things.


Reduced Time Spent Cleaning?

Related to the topic of clutter, some tiny-home advocates report that the time spent cleaning a tiny home is significantly reduced.  I'm not completely sure that I buy into that argument 100%.  Yes, it takes less time to mop a kitchen floor that measures 6 x 10 than it took to mop my old house kitchen that probably measured 10 x 14 (or larger. It was a HUGE country kitchen). But, I think that keeping everything in it's place in a small home, with multiple use spaces, is also time-consuming.

For example, when camping at The Shack, I get all of my bedding out of the mouse-proof containers and make my bed. Then I put the bedding away, into the storage containers. Because where my bed is made is also my "living room" floor. Every time you have a "multiple use" space and have to spend time storing things away, it takes some time. 

So I think the reduced time for cleaning may or may not be true depending on the area. If there isn't an overabundance of things that need to be stored, getting them out and putting them away each day won't be as time consuming. 

3. Low Environmental Impact 

When people refer to reducing the environmental impact, they are usually referring to having a small carbon footprint. 

"A carbon footprint is historically defined as the total emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent" - wikipedia

My desire to live in a really small home has to do, in large part, with a desire to keep heating/cooling/energy costs and usage as small as possible. Reducing that carbon footprint. I previously owned an older, 1,400+ square foot home and cringed at how much energy it cost to keep that place remotely close to comfortable.

I also think of low environmental impact in the aspect of visual pollution. Personally, I don't like seeing the farm land that was turned into a subdivision of 100 homes. I don't like seeing forests cut down to make way for manicured yards.  Again, I'm not insulting people whose dreams include living in those situations. Live your dreams and love it. Don't try to please anyone other than yourself. However, it's not for me. Those sights are usually visual pollution to me. As are homes that are built on the top of a mountain or ridge and can be seen plainly from the valley below.

My plan to build a small home in place of The Shack has a lot to do with not interrupting the view from below. If I plan this right, my small home will be invisible from the valley below and that thought makes me happy.  I want the neighbors to gaze upon my trees - not upon my house.

Related Small Home Links:

Small home plans

The Big Book of Small Homes Plans is FULL of awesome home plans under 1,200 sq. ft. This book has given me many great ideas for the inside layout options and exterior options.

Lancaster Cabins

Are you interested in a tiny house on wheels or a park model? I toured Keystone Kabins (now named Lancaster Cabins) and LOVED, loved, loved those cabins. If my land was unrestricted, one of these cabins would already be parked there. They are a must-see for tiny home lovers. 

The Shack - A Quick Peek

And here is a quick peek (and a first video attempt) of the inside of The Shack during the before stage. 

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you shop via one of the affiliate links, I may earn a small commission - at no additional cost to you. I am very appreciative of every reader who visits my articles. Thank you.

Keystone Kabins Park Model - Tiny Home Option

My original plan was to buy my land and make improvements over time.  On my less-than-shoestring budget, that would amount to a long period of time.  But my thinking was to pay as I go and hopefully retire to my little mountain homestead either debt-free or close to it. However, the more time I spend camping at The Shack, the more anxious I am to move there. This weekend I toured several options for housing. I was surprisingly impressed with Keystone Kabins' park models.

(Note: Since the writing of this article, the name of the company has change. It is now Lancaster Log Cabins. Same address, information, and cabin. Different name)

Keystone Kabins - Vacation Cabin Kits

I was originally interested in Keystone Kabins because they make vacation log cabin kits. You can either assemble the kits or have them assembled.  The floor plans and prices are on the Keystone Kabins website.  I liked the rustic look, the options, the small size, and most of all, I liked the prices. Their simplicity keeps the price tag lower than some other cabin builders I've been looking at.

I called to see if there were vacation cabin models onsite that I could tour at the Pennsylvania location. No. No vacation cabin models. But there are "park models".  I decided to go ahead and look even though I wasn't interested in a park model. Frankly, I didn't exactly know what a park model was but I'd go and look. At least I could get a sense of quality.

What are log cabin Park Models.

I've learned that park models are very similar to RVs. Or like Tiny Houses.  They are built on a trailer. They have VIN  numbers and are considered to be a recreational vehicle. Because they are suited for camping only, they are not considered to be mobile homes or permanent living arrangements. 

Originally, I thought there would be no way I'd interested in a home as tiny as the ones shown on the television shows.  I can live very small, but I'm not interested in living THAT tiny. Besides, I'm not very interested in living on wheels again.

However, these park model log cabins had an open feel.  And they were much more solid than I had expected. Later in the day I stopped at a model center to look at some of the modular floor plans I have my eye on, and there were park models there also. Those park models were gorgeous - shiny, fancy, decorated beautifully, and modern.  Visually crisp and clean. But they also smelled of chemicals and felt less solid.  

In contrast, the Keystone Kabins log park models were solid under my feet and smelled only of wood (despite having been recently varnished - or stained. I'm not certain of the correct terminology). The rustic simplicity caught my eye and my imagination.

Good Customer Service Early On

Dan, of Keystone Kabins, had answered my phone call and was very inviting. I don't believe he was scheduled to work that day but had left the additional pamphlets and information where he said he would. In addition, he was present in the office when I checked - just in case. We did not have an appointment.  I was just rolling through as I went from one spot to the next. And frankly, traffic was so horrible that I was running an hour and a half later than I had wanted. But he was there.  

That is more than I can say for another builder who knew I was coming - the builder of the homes I most wanted to see during this trip. I arrived 30 minutes within closing and their office was closed. We did not have an appointment, but they were aware I was coming.  Perhaps they had an emergency that required closing before their posted hours.  Perhaps not.  Either way, it makes me wonder what their customer service will be.  I do not wonder that about Dan with Keystone Kabins. I already feel that he'd be reliable and go above and beyond.

Daydreaming about the Future

I am still completely uncertain about what my final choice will be. However, I'm more able to imagine having a home on wheels to camp in, rather than my little rickety shack. Who knows, maybe I'll opt for one of those slick and shiny park models. Or maybe I'll make more progress than I expect financially and build a stick-built family sized home.  I don't know. But I do know that I'm smitten with these natural, rustic, wooden, tiny log cabins. Clearly, if I choose a park model, it won't be my permanent home. But perhaps I can use it to comfortably camp in for years to come. 

I need to do more research about living so small. And have ordered this book just today. My apartment isn't very much over 400 sq feet, but I do have quite a bit of storage here that I won't have in a park model.

Tiny House Living 

I'm sharing the following photographs that I had taken only to refresh my memory after returning home.  The models were in process and I was not planning on sharing the photos. For better quality photos and more information, please see their website or the Keystone Kabins facebook page.

Meanwhile: