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Carrie and Shane Caverly ditched a traditional living space for this tiny, 204-square-foot home.
Carrie and Shane Caverly have said good riddance to the mortgage
payments that pester many Americans, opting instead to live in an
eco-friendly house-on-wheels they built from scratch.
At 204 square feet, it’s a tight squeeze. But the Colorado couple says the venture has opened them up to a simpler sort of living.
.
“I know what it’s like to have a big house with a tremendous amount of
stuff,” Shane told the New York Daily News. “This culture of acquiring
more is not necessarily a healthy way to live.”
Carrie, an architectural designer, and Shane, a contractor, were thinking about moving into a tiny home ever since they met in 2009. After Shane lost his home to the banking crisis, the couple wanted a way to become financially independent.
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"I got absolutely tired of it, all the interest I was paying,” Shane said. “At that point, I said I’m not going to deal with banks ever again.”
The pair used their own money to start building their downsized home in February 2012. They were able to move in by May.
The Caverlys’ home is 24 feet by 8 feet, so every inch had to be used efficiently and designed with their habits in mind. There are storage spaces under the couch cushions in their living room and over their bathroom. The bathroom sink is in the shower and there’s a dog kennel underneath their elevated bedroom.
“Our biggest goal was to have separate spaces when we’re both inside
the house, so that we’re not on top of one another all the time,” Shane
said, adding that the experience definitely brought the newlyweds closer
together.
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The Caverlys collect rainwater from their metal roof and use an incinerating toilet to dispose of their waste.
Land rent, electricity, and water now add up to $350 every month, compared to the $1,500 they were paying in a conventional three-bedroom home. The Caverlys’ utility bill comes out to $130 for an entire year, Shane said.
The streamlined home also encourages the couple to be outdoors more
often. Whenever there is sunlight, Shane said he’s usually outside
enjoying it.
It does get cramped in the winter, though. Stormy weather outside kept the Caverlys inside, which was frustrating at times. The house heats up easily enough, but it was tough to find space to store winter clothing, jackets, and boots.
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Still, it has helped them distinguish between things they want and things they need. Plus, they are happy about leaving less of an ecological footprint.
The entire house is built on a gooseneck trailer that can be hitched to a pick-up truck and pulled wherever the spirit moves.
The couple drove their home from Prescott, Ariz. to Santa Fe, N.M., wanting to be closer to the Rocky Mountains. Their goal is to eventually build an off-the-grid house on their own plot of land and use their tiny home as a studio. Neither of them want to go back to paying mortgages.
Shane admits that the tiny house lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But for people who do want to give it a try, the Caverlys are offering to help them get started. They’re selling a replica of their own home for $48,000 and they can take custom orders, as well.
“A lot of people out there want to figure out how to live simply and without a lot of debt,” Shane said. “And this is one way of doing it.”
To learn more about the Caverlys' tiny house, visit their blog here.
On a mobile device? Click here to watch the video.
At 204 square feet, it’s a tight squeeze. But the Colorado couple says the venture has opened them up to a simpler sort of living.
.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The house is built on a gooseneck trailer.
Carrie, an architectural designer, and Shane, a contractor, were thinking about moving into a tiny home ever since they met in 2009. After Shane lost his home to the banking crisis, the couple wanted a way to become financially independent.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
Carrie Caverly uses a swivel desk in her living room.
"I got absolutely tired of it, all the interest I was paying,” Shane said. “At that point, I said I’m not going to deal with banks ever again.”
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The living room and kitchen. The bathroom lies through those doors in the center. The bedroom lies beyond that.
The Caverlys’ home is 24 feet by 8 feet, so every inch had to be used efficiently and designed with their habits in mind. There are storage spaces under the couch cushions in their living room and over their bathroom. The bathroom sink is in the shower and there’s a dog kennel underneath their elevated bedroom.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The closet and dog kennel are underneath a queen-size bed.
RELATED: COMMUNAL TOKYO APARTMENTS ARE COFFIN-LIKE
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The bedroom is located over the gooseneck hitch. The steps on both sides of the bed have storage spaces inside them.
Land rent, electricity, and water now add up to $350 every month, compared to the $1,500 they were paying in a conventional three-bedroom home. The Caverlys’ utility bill comes out to $130 for an entire year, Shane said.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The shower has a bathroom sink inside it.
It does get cramped in the winter, though. Stormy weather outside kept the Caverlys inside, which was frustrating at times. The house heats up easily enough, but it was tough to find space to store winter clothing, jackets, and boots.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The house has a built-in porch.
Still, it has helped them distinguish between things they want and things they need. Plus, they are happy about leaving less of an ecological footprint.
clotheslinetinyhomes.com
The couple moved from Prescott, Ariz. to Santa Fe, N.M.
The couple drove their home from Prescott, Ariz. to Santa Fe, N.M., wanting to be closer to the Rocky Mountains. Their goal is to eventually build an off-the-grid house on their own plot of land and use their tiny home as a studio. Neither of them want to go back to paying mortgages.
Shane admits that the tiny house lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But for people who do want to give it a try, the Caverlys are offering to help them get started. They’re selling a replica of their own home for $48,000 and they can take custom orders, as well.
“A lot of people out there want to figure out how to live simply and without a lot of debt,” Shane said. “And this is one way of doing it.”
To learn more about the Caverlys' tiny house, visit their blog here.
On a mobile device? Click here to watch the video.
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