Anglo, have you considered having chair lifts installed on the stair way. Really makes a huge difference.

tangerinedoor, the plan is just an example of the "ruralhomes" website. If I was to do this I'd want a 2 bedroom and there would be a lot of other customization.

We downsized a few yrs ago n I think I missed our big house for about - 5 minutes.

lol. Good luck. :).

I think your plan quite good. Then again, I'm a Scot. You're young enough that being close to stuff isn't that important to you and you realize that later in life you may need to move somewhere closer (though perhaps not if you remain active & healthy).

For my wife and I, living where we can walk or bicycle to a grocery, pharmacy and a few places to eat was a key priority so personally I'd not want to live in a very remote place.

In studying people around the world who are the healthiest, happiest and live the longest one key bit is routine (daily/weekly) interaction with others. Many and perhaps most live in quite small houses like this and some live somewhat remote but make it a point to get together with friends or family frequently.

Our house, built three years ago, is 2000 sq ft (no basement, no second story) which I guess is big by some standards, but seems just right for us. A comfy but not huge master, two spare bedrooms, one for guests the other an exercise/music room, along with a TV room and an open space living/dining/kitchen area. We seem to use every room every day, so I'd probably not want to go much smaller myself (also, it must be said, I have a lot of stuff!)

The layout and orientation aren't ideal (I'm sure Virgil or Mark would cringe if I posted the floor plan) but the location is terrific - in a bustling seaside town of 20,000 about an hour from a city of 4.5 million, within walking distance to supermarkets, shops, restaurants, bars and a stack of medical facilities, not to mention the beach. Those were all very important factors for us, and for that we were prepared to pay big bucks to be crammed into a tiny lot (we do have a nice deck though!)

The house wasn't specifically designed to be ADA compliant, but it has wide halls, big doorways, and very low threshold showers, so very easy to get around in. When we moved in, three years ago, I had a few niggling neuroskeletal issues but was pretty active; unfortunately, my osteoarthritis has caused some considerable problems in the last year or so, and the easy access to physiotherapists, hydrotherapy, and, most recently, radiology centers and orthopedic surgeons here has been one of the best things about our move to this town and this house. Our previous home, in an idyllic but tiny coastal village, had none of these things - if I wanted physio I'd have had to drive 60 km and if I needed surgery, I'd have had to consult with a surgeon and go to a hospital in one of the cities 250 km or 400 km away. So, while we didn't get everything right (should have had grab bars installed in the bathrooms), we did pretty well. Remote area living is fine if you're in your fifties and sixties, which is why we loved our previous home, but not so good when you hit the seventies and need more support.

Kathi, I may put them in at some point, but as long as I can do stairs, I do them. Stairs are VERY good for us! When my husband was coming home from 3 weeks in the hospital, I had my SIL and a friend move our queen size bed down to the guest room and move the twins upstairs. It was a VERY tight fit for the queen size bed! The physical therapist came the day after he got home, and the first thing he said was to move that bed back upstairs - important that my husband make at least one trip up and down each day.

When old people stop doing stairs, the discover VERY quickly that they no longer CAN do a flight of stairs. And that is very limiting in so many ways.

Anglophilia I agree with your comments. And I feel the same way about those lifting chairs. It's a bit of a challenge for my 91 year old father to get out of his chair. Sometimes he needs to take a few tries, and sometimes we need to remind him to lean forward ("Nose over toes" as his physiotherapist says.) But even though he had a stroke a year ago, he can still do it and it's good exercise for him to do it. I'm sure if we'd bought a lifting chair, he would no longer be able to get up by himself.

Anglo - I think we're going to have to disagree on this one. Stairs aren't for everyone. My father had two hip replacements, and in his later years, couldn't manage stairs at all. He still could use his walker to get around the village where he lived. Same for my mother, who had a knee issue and balance problems later on in life. A fall down a stair could have been fatal for either of them, but as it is, their one-level apartment provided them with a comfortable, safe home until Dad passed away and Mom moved into a retirement facility. In my case, having just been through a hip replacement, I'm grateful I have no stairs to negotiate in our house, and as for exercise, I'm already walking up gentle hills outdoors, which beats climbing stairs every day of the week in my book :)

partim, I meant a stair lift that you sit in and it glides you up to the top or bottom of the stairs.

Also, a chair lift may help people when they truly cannot get up. It does not do something for someone that has the ability, it aids them when they lose the ability.

As an aside, if your father has to have a few tries to get up out of a chair, his body is telling him he no longer has the musculature to do that activity. Encouraging him to do something that he is losing the ability to do leads to accidents, falls, etc. Also, many people hold their breath when doing a difficult activity which leads to cardiac issues and fainting issues. Just think of it as a child. The elderly are regressing instead of progressing and we need to recognize when they should not be doing an activity because the act of doing it can lead to more harm.

As a nurse, I see many families encouraging people beyond their abilities because it is very difficult to think of people getting old.

I had a small cabin in the pines for several years. It was 16x24 with a tiny bath addition of about 6x6. It was my favorite place on earth. A soft carpet of pine needles everywhere, the smell of pine in the air, a tiny lake. The pine trees were so large you couldn't reach your arms around them. A pine needle covered path to the lake.

A little woodstove, a small kitchen, a tiny bedroom. So quiet. So peaceful. The most relaxing place I have ever been. When I was there I felt I could breathe.

opaone, I think you know where I'm coming from. I'm still fit enough to ride my bike 100 miles in a day and do my grocery shopping on a bike. The supermarket is just a couple of miles across town, but it sometimes feels harder than doing 100 miles if the traffic is heavy. I saw a TV program where one of these prefab houses was built on the Assynt peninsular and that sort of country appeals to me, but maybe a bit closer to a small town than that.

Loh2001...I guess you’re my neighbor or might be soon!

Per fire codes, a stairway lift requires a certain width of staircase, Also, it won’t prevent you from losing balance or falling down the stairs. If you have any cognitive issues, e.g. from a stroke, a stairlift is a non-starter.

Great idea. I completely agree! Much more manageable.

You should go for it if a tiny house makes you really happy. But since you are asking people's opinions here, that means you aren't sure...... then the answer is no in your heart.....

I say bigger is better. Tiny houses don't have enough room for anything. It lack of storage. It might work well for a priest, a monk, a few sets of clothes and a few pairs of shoes.....

A small, well-planned house is my ideal. Since I was a child, I have wanted a little house on a big property. After owning small 1920s bungalows in Portland, OR, the first on a standard city lot and the second on a 1/2 acre, we purchased four acres on a wooded hill at the edge of the coast range and built our Craftsman-esque cabin/cottage, aka The Cabbage.

"We" are my husband and me, with no kids other than our two dogs, four miniature horses, and a varying number of chickens.

Our house is just under 800 square feet, and it has plenty of room for us. Whereas many small houses comprise a warren of small rooms, we have good-sized rooms, just fewer of them. Living, dining, and kitchen are open to one another, and instead of wasting space with a hallway, a vestibule at the center of the house leads to the other rooms. (Too often, small houses waste space on dark inner hallways or have bedrooms leading off of the living areas.) Nine foot ceilings, numerous large windows, and a large front porch serving as a three season room mean that The Cabbage feels much larger than its square footage would suggest.

If we (or any future someone) wanted to add on, we chose a floorplan that lends itself to creating a dogleg addition, but we built for ourselves. Our septic system is sized for a three bedroom house.

We're at the edge of the outback and face away from our one visible neighbor and toward the deep woods. Despite all of this, we are 20 minutes from downtown Portland, so we have the best of both worlds.

I think a small but modern house with an open plan living area can feel large. I'm single with no pets so a couple of small bedrooms (one to double as an office and guest room), a bathroom, storage and utility room and a single large room zoned as a kitchen dining and living area would be great. I'd keep it under 1000 sqft. I'd want a nice deck and a shed for bikes and tools...job done

You might want to think a little bigger. You are single now, that does not mean you’d be single forever. Just a whisper, there are a lot of single moms in the countryside, and they’d hunt you down without mercy. Lol I am not joking. If you got captured by them, your 2 bedrooms won’t be big enough for your future instant family.....you‘d need 2-3 car garages for kids toys, bikes, 4 wheelers, dirt bikes.......something to think about it when you work on your house plan......

HaHa summersrhythm, your scenario sounds like a Hallmark movie plot. I'm ok with a relationship, but not so much the kids. I have nieces and nephews who I enjoy, but I don't have to deal with them on a daily basis. My ideal small home also involves a lot of quiet and, right now, solitude so no rug-rats or teenagers. I don't mind really sharing with someone, but if they had kids they'd have to stay in a hotel when they visit.

I am guessing now you can’t waiting for Country living! :-) Country living can be tough, unlike the love story movies. In the beautiful quiet woods around you there are mama tigers waiting for you. One of the tentants at our country property just had rough experience with 2 single moms, the 2nd one injured him........he moved in just over 2 months ago.. Now I can’t wait to find out when the 3rd one is coming to get him......like watching a movie.

Good luck with your house plan. If you add on more room to have more closets and a big kitchen with an island that would look really lovely......

Summersrhythm, along with kids I also try to avoid kitchen islands. Living on one would be ok but I don't like them in the kitchen; I prefer a table that can be moved around if necessary. I'll add some demographic research to my house hunting and make sure to minimize the number of dangerous single mums.

I would lose my mind by myself in the "wilderness". I would definitely need pets to keep me company. Even so they would eventually find me with my face eaten off after chocking to death on my own alcoholic vomit.

Now I think your country fever temp might dropped a little. Lol I think Opaone could help you with that, he is a researcher on populations, might have some inside info. :-)

suzy, country living is beautiful, breathtaking. You just need to stop drinking and smell the coffee, flesh your mind with clean country air.

you won’t need pets, coyotes would keep you company, they rarely eat people, they just watch you from distance. :-)

lol I have fresh air and coyotes right here in the high density coastal zone. I like visiting the country for like a second, but what do you do there by yourself everyday? At least with an rv or truck and trailer, you could get a change of weather or scenery.

I've downsized twice -- once down to 1500 sq. ft. after divorcing while my kids were still young, and again after the youngest flew the coop. Now I'm retired and living in an 1100 sq. ft. house. I live primarily on the main floor (800 sq. ft.), which includes a large living area, small kitchen/dining room, bedroom and bath. The remaining space is a guest room on the second floor. I enjoy having my kids, relatives and friends stay with me so the second bedroom gets plenty of use. I wish I had a second bathroom but have managed without it ok.

I LOVE living in a small(ish) house -- less maintenance, less cleaning, cozy, affordable. The best thing about my little cottage is that it's in a highly walkable neighborhood with easy access to everything I could possibly need. After years of suburban living, it's a huge bonus.

I've also lived on acreage, miles from town. For me, it was a fantasy that never lived up to my expectations. It required lots of work caring for the property, lots of driving, and social isolation. Some people love the lifestyle, but if you've never lived in a rural area, you might want to try it out before you commit to building. It's not for everyone.

Best of luck!

Following.

My idea of a camping trip involves a bicycle and a tent.....I like small houses and minimalist travel. Here is my bike and all my camping and living gear on a cross country ride I did a few years ago. If I had a small two bedroom house in Scotland I'd be off riding a lot during the summer.

All your camping and living gear?! Is there a bag behind the sign? :) Btw, have you seen Downsize magazine? It's published by Fine Homebuilding. Saw it on the newsstand yesterday and thought of this thread.

Suzyq53, you might be interested in Tin Can Homestead by Nathasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw. It's their journey to renovate a 1971 Airstream trailer. The Jan 2019 issue of House & Home included the book in their Home Library Must Reads feature, a few pages past their Style Files with a page on Cabin Fever.

Small home designs

Just to share my experience as a designer, I have seen a large increase for small home designs ranging from 600 - 1200 square feet. I have found that all of these customers are preparing a home to be their final home. The homes are quite pretty and fun for living in. One large caution I wish to give you. As your home design gets smaller and smaller, the price of construction per square foot does increase. If it is truly your final home, go for it. If you plan to sell, it's selling price will typically be determined by local prices and square footage. Just know that your return in investment can be painful. They are a blast to design so have fun with it.

tartanmeup. I've seen those magazines at the supermarket checkout, Dwell etc and flip through them while I wait, but never buy them. There are no other bags behind the sign....if you look closely you'll see that I don't have anywhere to mount them on my bike. Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, cooking equipment and clothes are all in the saddlebag.

I've carried purses to work bigger than that. Impressed!

I'm trying to simplify my life as I find it gives me more time to do the things I enjoy. The approach to bike touring is an expression of that and so would be any small house that I build in a remote location. A small simple house would give me more time to cook and read and ride my bike.

Here's one to dream about: Bjarke Ingels'

Jeff, are we married? You sound like my hubs,right down to the bike. Except he wants his small place by the sea in Fife.

i've enjoyed reading these posts. i guess success at smallness is dependent on what you like to do when at home. if you like to read, a book case and comfy chair easily fits in a small house if your hobby is gardening, small house works. if your hobby is cooking, than a kitchen that takes up much of a small house works. if your passion is sewing, let me say i'd need 2 small houses, of for sewing and one for living in. and another small house across the driveway for my 26 room dollhouse.

nope, small wont work for me in the near future.

Kind of getting off topic, but here's my idea of bicycle camping: http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2012/09/12/bikes-on-dikes/. (Post by a friend of mine).

Heading out on bikes with a small bag with a change of clothes or two and staying in B&B's and eating at great little pubs and cafés and bistro's is also a really fun holiday.

Everybody's needs, desires, wants and finances are different. And they can be quite different for the same people at different stages in life.

For our first 5 years of marriage we lived in an 820 sq ft home in a neighborhood of similar homes and narrow streets where kids played in the streets without worry of being run over by a speeding car. We loved that home and neighborhood and still miss it.

Soon after our first child was born we moved in to a larger home of about 1700 sq ft and later finished the basement for another 800. It's worked well for this time of our lives.

Now we're building an 8000 sq ft home (http://bamasotan.us). Neither of us particularly likes big houses and we didn't want this one to be nearly this big. However, my wife comes from a large family so it's not unusual to have 40 people over for dinner (like Christmas eve every year as well as a dozen or so other times each year). We also like for people to be able to stay with us (family & friends from Alabama, Sweden, Scotland, etc.) and we both need home offices (we've been splitting home offices w/ guest quarters which works but isn't ideal) so we effectively have a 7 bedroom home though 2 are offices.

At one point early in the design process our architect said "so what you want is an inn". I'm still trying to figure out how 3 extra bedrooms and a bit more elbow room in the kitchen and family room ended up being 3x our current house. Frequent quote from our architect "It wants to be this!" Translated: Our and the builders revenue model want it to be this.

I think we'd be just as happy going back to our 800 sq ft home though and I'm guessing at some point as we age we'll move in to a much smaller place. A friend just moved from a 3000 sq ft home to a 600 sq ft flat along a bikeway. She can ride her bike to the same village as us with a grocery, pharmacy and a few restaurants. She's been there about 3 years and says that she couldn't be happier.

Though I wouldn't give up my wife or her family or all of our friends that come to stay with us for anything, I'm also a bit envious of Jeff's plans for his small place.

Hmmmm .... “stairs are very good for us “ ? perhaps when you’re younger but they weren’t very good for our neighbor who fell backwards down a flight of stairs in their home Six months ago. He died, as did another 60 year old friend of ours who got up in the middle of night in their weekend home, fell down a flight of stairs & died instantly! Brain stem injury.

hollybar...I'm trying to avoid bigamous relationships.

I don't know. Polygamy seems to have worked quite well for Moses, David, Solomon and a long list of others in the Bible ...and a few million since :-)

opaone

I like reading, riding bikes and bike touring, gardening, cooking, movies and the theater. If I was in a remote place I'd have to plan trips to see plays, but a good internet connection would help me to see stuff so that's on the check list too. I'd definitely want a shed for bikes and tools, but the house would have 2 bedrooms and be less than 1000sqft. and that would be more than enough space for me. I'd like it on one level and keeping it small makes that easier.

FYI this is my idea of a camping trip.....only one change of clothes required. If I'm going credit card touring and staying in hotels then I just take one 9 Liter capacity small saddle bag.

Opaone, how many stairways are in your house? Does the 8,000 sq ft include garages , finished basement and attic(3rd floor)? I am just wondering. We have a similar size property . That’s a beautiful home indeed.

Jeff, with your love of camping, small houses and the outdoors, I'd suggest finding your ideal plot of land and camping on it for a good length of time to discover what it wants to be. Even when you build, if your location is wild enough you can still camp on your land, build a tree house, or just have a secluded area far away from everything civilized. We are building a wooden platform deep in our woods where we can pitch a tent or just set up table and chairs for a woodland cocktail party with the coyotes. (The older ones prefer fine Scotch, while the young ones go off on their own for a kegger.)

Keep an open mind and an full heart when you choose your land, and it will tell you what it wants to be.

@Jeff, you and I sound amazingly similar. I've only done a couple of bicycle trips w/ tents but numerous in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Appalachian trail, and all through the highlands and islands.

For minimal clothing... A couple of friends and I did a last minute BWCA trip some years ago. We'd driven up to Duluth for a day (no bags, no clothes) and then decided to visit a friend who runs an outfitting place in the BWCA and then decided to take a couple of his canoes and stuff for a quick 1 nighter that turned in to 5 nights and 3 very fragrant campers. We had a blast though.

@SummersRythm, the house is on four levels w/ 3 stairs. The fourth level loft/attic was kind of a last minute addition that grew (architects are good at growing sq ft aren't they) from a small area w/ a ships ladder access to a full attic w/ a regular stair. Fortunately the structural engineer and a couple of the framers are old enough to know how attics are put together.

Some photos here that give you an idea of it: http://bamasotan.us/2018/08/roof-plumbing-and-chimneys/

A beautiful new build with a lot of charm! What a process!! I love the idea of 4 floors 3 stairs. Ours is plain compare to yours. It was created as a family compound by the previous owner, but it was never used as a family compound......

Yours has a breathtaking view which is very hard to find. Enjoy your lovely new home!! :-)