Hermitage for Sale

Mobile Hermitage For Sale!

The Mobile Hermitage, pictured here, is one of the homes that helped start the Small House Movement back in 2003. The Mobile Hermitage is now being offered for sale at a price of $30,000.

This home is owned by Greg Johnson, founder of the Small House Society, and is one of the very first Tumbleweed Houses ever built.

This is the same home that was featured on National Public Radio, Public Television, Better Homes and Gardens, and even the Oprah Winfrey show requested to have it on the show. The sale of the home will help advance the Small House Movement and make way for an exciting new development in smaller, simpler, more sustainable living.

It is approximately 60 square feet, and has a kitchen. For more info, please contact Greg directly.

Fencl Build for Coast to Coast Tour

This summer, beginning on May 25, 2009, Jay Shafer will drive a Fencl Tumbleweed Tiny House from San Francisco to New York. Along the way, Jay will stop in 14 different cities, making the house available for you to see. In addition, Jay will host Tiny House Building and Design Workshops in Boulder, Chicago, and New York along the way.

This is a photo journal of the construction of the first Fencl, which is being built on the property where Jay and Tumbleweed Tiny House Company reside.

The picture above is the construction site and shows a lot of the building supplies delivered and covered to protect from the rain.

Here you see the framing of the sub floor, foam insulation is installed next and then plywood completes the sub floor.  

The plywood has been installed and the sub floor completed. The house is now ready to be framed for the walls and the roof.

The walls are up, and the sheathing is attached, the roof has been framed and the loft constructed. Tyvek is being installed and roofing is the next step.

The underside of the loft above the kitchen and bathroom.

Roofing almost completed.

The electrical wiring is in and basic plumbing in the bathroom has been installed. The roof has been insulated and the walls will be insulated next. The shower will be put into position and the framing of the bathroom wall will be completed. Plumbing for the bathroom and kitchen has yet to be completed.

Jay has the Thetsford Aqua Magic Style II toilet, shower, and Surburban RV 6 gallon hot water heater available to install, plus the Dickinson stove has arrived for the heating of the Fencl.

Awaiting sunny weather to complete the exterior.

Jay is looking for a buyer so, if you are interested, please contact him. Check back often for updates on the progress and completed pictures of the Fencl before the tour.

Will’s Tarleton

Will Pedersen from Abbotsford, BC, Canada is just finishing his Tumbleweed Tarleton.

It has taken Will about 5 months, working mostly by himself, to construct this masterpiece. Will has mostly adhered to the Tumbleweed plans and used materials that are available and in stock at local lumber/hardware stores. The windows, door and countertop are all custom made. Will says that he just loves the feel and design of the house.

Will has done most of the work himself, except for the hookup of the water and drain lines where a plumber friend assisted him. He also hired someone to do the electrical work and install the lights and outlets and hook the house up to the grid. You can view some pictures of the construction on the Tiny House Blog.

Will kept track of his expenses and lists them here: (Click on image to enlarge)

Approximate cost U.S. Dollars is $13,500. Of course this will vary across the country, but gives you a good idea of what to expect here in the U.S.

Will took lots of pictures during his construction and you can view pictures of the process at Will’s project on Flickr.

Will lives and works at Glen Valley Organic Farm, a cooperatively owned farm in Abbotsford, BC. The co-op wants people to work and live here, but only one single family house (already housing 5 people) is permitted on the 50 acre farm. So, a small mobile house is a perfect solution to farmer housing. The co-op sells at farmer’s markets in the greater Vancouver area (carrots, potatoes, beets, strawberries, raspberries and more).

Heating Your Tiny House

Four Ways to Heat Your Tiny House

When you build your own Tumbleweed, heat is one issue you need to think about. The type of heating you choose will depend upon where the final destination of your tiny house will be.

Normal central heat or large wood stoves, etc., just produce too much heat for your small space. So what are some of your options? In this article we will look at some ideas for using four types of heat. Wood, gas, propane and electric heat.

Wood

The original Very Small Woodstove is the Jotul 602, from Norway. This model is a mere 12 inches wide, 19 inches deep. They are found most often in cottages and cabins in the woods, where the 602’s good looks are a highlight. It’s been around almost forever. Although very small it can heat amazingly well.

Jotul 602
12 x 19
$700

Available from Jotul
[Read more]

My Lusby

Do you remember the first time you threw a blanket over a card table or clothes line and crawled inside? That supremely satisfied feeling of being in your own small space? That’s how I feel in my Tumbleweed house. It’s especially true whenever I climb up into the sleeping loft and peer down at the cozy space below. I had a small house before this one – less than a thousand square feet - but there were rooms I seldom entered. It seemed that the dog and cats and I spent most of our time together in the kitchen, the bedroom, or the living room. Now we must share a smaller space, which, of course, has meant that we’ve all had to make some adjustments. [Read more]

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