Tiny Houses [SIV 105] 

We need more Peter Kings in our country. He is an amazing individual.

I keep coming back to watch this video, this is about the tenth time over the last three years. I watch for the adorable Muppet-like cuteness of Eva at the beginning - only a few seconds, too bad - and the eminent watchability of Peter King, the editing that makes him sound EVEN SMARTER, and the simple wisdom of his philosophy. Since I started watching this vid and researching tiny houses, my perfect house (I've done several plans on paper) has shrunk to a simple 24x32, microscopic by late-90s standards, and could even be done in a 20x20 footprint.

I met Peter King and he is a walking database of knowledge yet he is so humble. I am looking forward to take another class with him and meet some more wonderful people. Thank you for sharing this video, it changed my life.

Peter King rocks! I posted this on my facebook page and it is being passed around like crazy amongst friends, already from here in North Carolina to Fiji! This is the most complete explanation of a movement that is growing. Hurray for Peter, and thanks, Burlington College!

Anything that employs ingenuity and creativity without further waste should be celebrated. Emulated would be even better, but we can't expect miracles from the terminally consumptive masses. The fine line between insanity and brilliance is only defined by the success of the results. These results look good to me, keep building them and they will come. Mark Lorenzana

watching these vids makes me feel all comfy and cozy. thank you

"Entertain me! Faster dammit! And put it on my card!" haha I love this man.

I like this guy's attitude! I would love to dump all my 'stuff' and live free in my little tiny house!

gosh this is amazing brings me back to my roots and what it was like to be free thnx for posting

You are brilliant and speak the truth about Americans needing so much and wasting their lives away paying for everything and not really living and experiencing life.

I loved everything you said Peter. I need your class.

If you like this kind of stuff(like I do), watch some of Jay Shaffer's videos. He builds tiny houses, but he also gives advice on how to build them with some creature comforts (indoor toilet, shower, sinks, ect.) My goal in life is to answer to no one: Have a well for my water, a composting toilet for my waste, a garden for my food, wind and solar for my energy, and bio-diesel for my fuel. We need more people like this man.

Thanks for passing this along. Who knew the tiny house movement was so BIG! ;)

YES YES! I would love to have you and your tiny house in my backyard and you can use the kitchen and bathroom anytime you like! ;)

Thank you Eva, for bringing this to me.

There was a gentleman who submitted plans for a large house with a detached garage that had a kitchenette and bathroom in it. He got permission to build and started with the garage then never built the large house. One way to get around some of the codes. Food for thought.

In many small towns, you are allowed to build a structure 100 ft or smaller without building permits. It varies town to town. Thanks for asking!

I stayed at Peter Kings property in Bakersfield VT for a summer in 95. It was great. He had a half dozen or so tiny houses and the rent...... Helping keep the garden up, splitting wood for the winter etc. I will say though that at the time I had nothing but a duffel bag and a crappy car to my name. And I enjoyed it but you have to be willing to have next to nothing. And most people today couldn't hack it for more than a few weeks.

Thumbs up for tiny houses and not using more than you need!

This guy has the right idea. I like Tiny houses but I'd need plumbing. I've used an outhouse before, I like not having to go outside in winter to use one. Scaling back on stuff is the way to go though. I've been carless for 6 months, public transportation and a bike work fine. I don't miss the stress of commuting and having to gas up every week.

it's like a wooden tent...... i love it

Thank you for sharing your insights and a nother lifestile

Great segment.

Awesome job ! Great story!

Mahalo! for the video this motivated me to build my tiny house. Even though I never did get the chance to meet Peter I built mine in Puna Hawaii. Aloha! "Imagine living in the tropics with a Tiny House! YeeeHa!" :D

You still have to be rich to build a tiny house! Some of these people are spending $10,000 to build one! Good for you for being able to afford $10,000 and a piece of land to put it on. You are so fortunate.

now thats what life is all about!!!!!! Good job!!

OK, OK, OK, OK, LISTEN TO THIS MAN FROM 01:03 to 01:13. ....... Do yourself a favor and listen to his words of wisdom in those 10 seconds! ...... If everyone could figure out what those 10 seconds represent then we would be much happier. Kudos to you sir, you speak more truth and wisdom in 10 seconds than most do in a lifetime.

All around good thinking Thanks for sharing

There are so many other ways to "live" if one is willing to get out of the rut. TINY is AWESOME!

Peter's so cool...I really want a tiny house.

that's wonderful. I am going to be occupying a 2x2x6 enclosure in the future.

Good job Peter. You're awesome! :)

LOVE IT!! Would love to know more.

One of these would make a great get away in the mtns

I live in vermont and I tell you I wol go completely batshit in that house in the winter!

The I R C is the most common code for houses in the USA. It says you need at least 1 room w/ 120 S.F. min. You also need a toilet, a lav & a tub or a shower & a kitchen w/ a sink. The 120 S.F. rm. can hold the kitchen, your bed & the lav. The toilet & shower will need 7' x 2.5' extra. Forget the loft, stairs that meet code will take as much space as a bed. A legal house will be about 160 S.F. exterior, or 8' x 20', 10' x 16' or 12' x 14'. And you need water, sewer & electric.

"I'd rather be very poor and have lots of free time in a beautiful place than have all kinds of money and no free time"- I could not agree more! Materialism does not breed happiness, in my opinion.

love it man. i live morgage free it is great keep up the good work.

awesome!

That guy was awesome! I need a shack in VT!

AWESOME !!!!

I think some of these tiny house builders should make a detailed "kit" or book on what to buy, the non-blue print reader set of blue prints, and instructions on how to build their own tiny homes and i am sure that type of publication can be a lucrative venture.

In '05 Erik Estrada, standing amidst the grandeur that was “California Pines,” offered $1,000-per-acre lots (as appraised by local govt.) for National Recreational Properties Inc. w/his proclamation: “This is truly an affordable development with prices starting at these incredible prices...” (N.R. Properties Inc. prices started at $19,900 per lot that measured up to an acre. With generous financing a lot was $46,104.58 by the last monthly payment. There was a 1-time documentation fee of $995).

wish i could come, but i live in oregon! yeah, peter does seem pretty cool. i have a 10 by 12 structure in my yard that i'd like to refurbish into something livable. either that or maybe i'll build something else. i very much like what peter says about "a little bedroom that detached from the main house and snuck out into the yard." that's pretty much exactly what i'm looking to do.

same as a boat, it's like a boat!

Very cool green mountain boys all the way!

This is just the inspiration I need to build my own. Given that I wish to be self sustaining in the future, NZD200,000 should be able to buy a 3 acre property where I want to live and a 'large' small house. I don't want to be enslaved by money, a boring job or material possessions. Tiny house is the way to escape the monetary debt system.

the best tiny house video, i want one, makes you wanna drink beer an additional plus because you have time and can afford it!!! yeehaa!!! SUPER!!!

I like this idea so much I was going to get one for my son to live in (he is 19) he will not go for it. he wants us to buy him a house which is not ever going to happen he would rather us keep raising his rent then move in to an apparment or a tiny house. I am almost morgage free and shows like this has made me realize all I need is the house I have, not a bigger one. as I watch shows like this my 1500sq really looks big to me.

These are very cute, but I would have to have water in and out. Enjoy buddy!

Omg, I would love to learn to build one!

Listen to this guy's pitch for small houses...

Wow, think I got too much stuff but it's a great idea!

Sweet!

Mental note: Visit this guy the next time i head north I could really use one of these though. My bedroom and data storage in the loft, my workstation and computer shit on the lower floor. And im more than comfortable in small spaces like that.

johnmonk66 You're right about that. In that situation I'd probably store some of my supplies off site. Of course I do that anyway. I keep a lot of shelf stable food, clothes, shoes, a couple warm coats, a tent, hiking gear, blankets, an extra bicycle, unlabeled keys, and a number of other things in a storage locker. I also keep backup records like birth cert, and electronic records in my safe deposit box. If my condo burned it would be much easier for me to restart my life than my neighbors

Wow...way cool concept there. Have you ever thought of incorporating Cobb material into your tiny home lifestyle? Thanks for sharing.

love it

Love It

Kudos, my family is hoping to approach self sustainability - we've shrunk from 4000 to a 800 sq ft home by choice- 200 sq ft each. We don't "own" 2 new cars, just 1 that's used when necessary. Our elec. usage has been cut down by the use of mini-flours & our heating bill is supplemented by solar & wood. A night out consists of a family walk, perhaps visits to our neighbours. We miss nothing of our consumerist lifestyle.

that's very smart and efficient

Tumbleweed Homes gets around the house codes by putting their houses on trailers. They're classified as mobile homes & fall under different codes. If you want to have a house on a foundation, go to your building official & find out what residential code they use & tell him or her that you want to build the tiniest house that's allowed. They'll give you some general information to get you going & probably give you the name of a designer or contractor who's built some tiny homes in the area.

300 sq foot would be a luxury for me. Living free is are its all about.

First, I don't think he means his regular home. If someone has room they could rent a piece of their land for someone's tiny house. That would help the big homeowner meet expenses and help the tiny house owner find a place to live. Good idea. Second, rural land beyond commuting distance is a lot cheaper than urban land but, yes, water and view will add to the price.

Smart!

I live in a tiny house, only difference is mine is on wheels (RV). The phylosophy is the same though, keep it simple, only what you need. I think everyone should simplify and minimize!

actually if something does go bad, it would be easier to defend your condo, assuming it has one entrance, than a little wood shack

Love a tiny house and no mortgage! !

i would like to see the plans for the 8x12 at 1:20

I live in a 350 sq ft apartment and I can say with complete honesty that it is hell!

OMG!!this is awesome!! I am so familiar with tiny houses because I live in Japan. Oh I wish I can have a tiny house, Eva can I build it in your backyard??lol

I wish I was stuck in Vermont. I'm stuck in New York State...ugh.

I agree with what he said I would rather be living poor and happy instead of rich and miserable. We have it all wrong bigger is not better. Use less and by less crap we need to change ourselves, the less you have the less you expect, we have too much stuff for one person to have all to themselves. Ride a bike instead of a car or by a cheap reliable car or scooter start using less and less, in the end you won't be tied down to all your glorious nothing. Open your minds to the world around you.

Hi, I am about to build a tiny house in upstate ny. I did order a partial galvinized roof and sides. I like the look and moderness of it. The interior will have a loft. Its 10X12 and the roof is 10ft at the top. Not into permits or anything that connects me to people that want my money. I'm thinking about insulation. do you have any ideas? insulation on steal? hmmm....anyways, i kinda need a lot of info...thx for your video...marianna

What's the scoop on cooking facilities?

@Livinggreen100 You could be right. I use to live in the Netherlands which is very overpopulated and its common for even the well off to live in pretty small homes. I've spent a year now living in the suburbs of New England and it sucks. I have all the space I want and it's quiet but the area almost seems like it was engineered to have a complete lack of social cohesion and apart from nature there is nothing to do but shop. Maybe i picked the wrong "town" . Maybe next time something like this.

Gives me warm and fuzzy thoughts of Little House on the Prairie. Urban sprawl has wasted too much arable land. I would love to see a neighborhood of tiny homes. They should start in Detroit with some of those abandoned neighborhoods. Demolish and start over with tiny houses instead of Mc mansions.

I am willing to join you in the work sir,....let me help, and thus learn to help myself!!

Love this idea! But has anyone experimented with larger sizes? If you could get the sq footage up to 1500-2000, then you would have something.

hows it work? I mean, where do you put the house on? does it come with land? how much to get people to build it for you, pay them that is.

@drunknmonky77 We see what you are saying, but a plot of land and $10,000 is A LOT cheaper than a normal sized home. In addition, the high price for a big home is not just the sticker, it is also, the maintenance and utilities that come along with it.

this brotha has a brillianT philosophy~! count me in bro! heLP!

About as big as Vermont Long Trail shelters, and Johnson is a trail town even

I am very interested in your feedback. Can you help me figure out some things for my build?

"If your tiny house burns down, so what, build a new one!" Hahaha, yeah right, more like "If your tiny house catches on fire, YOU'RE DEAD!"

nice guy

I would build a house but I have a chronic bulging disk. I want a place of my own like this. Will trade baby sitting or caregiving.

My parents own an acre in Califonia Pines that they are more than willing to let me use, so I though "oh great opportunity to build". From the little that I have read, I hear that there are far too many restrictions there to build. I could be wrong, but I was discouraged by the little bit that I did read =(

Interesting. I thought it was pretty stupid to go into such debt for a house so I opted for a condo. I still have a mortgage but I'm working hard to get it paid off this year. I basically live in my master bedroom. I use the living room as a place to hang my hat while I'm on my way to my master bedroom. I use my second bedroom for storage since I'm a prepper and keep about 8 months of food and other gear back there. A shed would do just as well. I think I could do fine with a tiny house.

@scoff1972 I think that might defeat the purpose of building a tiny house in the first place, which is freedom from conventional things such as mortgages, etc. Probably the biggest you could get and still retain the "tiny house" vibe would be 300 square feet. At least in my opinion.

@UbeefHooked ever heard of an outhouse? or a tree?

@imanerd36 what is his youtube channel?

How do I contact Peter?

how can i get in contact with peter king? I would love to learn how to build these. thanks!

This guy's got it way over Jay Shafer (tumbleweed man). He's really into building these things!

I'm just curious. The home it's self if more than affordable so that you don't have to spend all your time working to own it, but how about the land? Is the land affordable? How do you go about aquiring land like this to where you don't spend a lot of time working to pay off the land? My husband and I are VERY interested in finding land to build a self sustainable home, but the problem seems to be finding affordable land near necessities such as hospitals.

I think he does a better job than tumbleweed house people. I seems they are into tiny houses just to get rich...there is nothing wrong with that..but I think Mr. King got it right and he REALLY wants to teach everyone how to build one...AT REASONABLE PRICES...

I love tiny houses, but I couldn't do without normal water, sewer, and electric. Small spaces are great, but rustic living holds little appeal for me.

@HauntedBeetlejuice oops! i meant to say 'hear'....... im not in GA these days, sorry....Cabbage Town is in the city limits of Atlanta, named so because the past residents cooked so much cabbage, immigrants from ireland i think.....not as small as the 'tiny houses', but VERY small and close together. Now, it's a 'quaint' and expensive place to live !