Finally, Electricity!
08 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
I finally have electricity at my house! So now we need to get the skirting up, which Dad bought and has some sort of genius plan for so I’m waiting for him to come do his thing with it, and build the fence. I’m kind of proud of my fence. I found the panels for it in almost perfect condition for free, including the gate for it. Now all I have to do is come up with posts for it, and I have a brand new fence for my doggies for next to nothing!
I’ve been cleaning all day, and I have to say I almost can’t remember where I put everything away before the move lol. I’m working on getting things organized and all that. In all honesty its become a little overwhelming, and the weird thing is I have less stuff now than I did when I lived in Amarillo. A lot of it is, when I was getting the house ready to be moved I was in a hurry, and I just stashed stuff in random places. So I’ve got stuff to straighten out, rather than just putting stuff away. That sucks. I’ll take putting stuff away over reorganizing any day!
Anyway, that’s the news for now. Oh, wait, I almost forgot! I found a gorgeous antique daybed on craigslist for $100, and sold my couch, so the daybed will be taking the place of my couch, thus opening up a little more space, and offering more storage underneath the daybed! So, now, really, that’s all the news for now. More to come 
Inspiration
27 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Other Fascinating Tiny Houses
I love when I find videos like this! They are so inspiring!
More Progress And Storage Shed Indecision
25 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
I watched the electric company put up poles and electrical lines the other day, and my heart soared! I thought there might be a possibility that I could celebrate Christmas in my tiny house this year, but when my cousin, who is the owner of the company installing my plumbing and electrical, came over the other day to get payment for the first half of the work they did, he informed me that it will be this coming week when they will be able to come out and tie me into the electricity. Not for the first time, I considered going off grid and doing a complete solar installation, but I talked myself out of it because I keep thinking it will be more expensive to do it that way. So, I wait.
However, in the time that I’ve been waiting, I’ve had time to rethink many things, and I’m so excited to start working on them! I want to install a tankless water heater, and need to discuss that further with my cousin so I will know what I am looking for. Then, of course, I’ll be doing a decluttering. Decluttering is something that should be done at least once a month, and since moving back from Amarillo, I realize I have quite a lot of things to go through. Dad is pushing for me to have a storage shed built on the property, and while it would be a very useful thing for things such as a lawn mower, gardening tools, etc., I’m not sure about the size. A contractor friend of ours said he can build me a 10×15 shed to match my house, and guarantees no waste! I love the no waste concept, but I’m not sure if I want something that big. Things that size almost force you to find things to fill them with!
I don’t want to become a hoarder. That is not a healthy way to live. However, there is one thing I know I have a problem with and that is books. I’ve toyed with the idea of having my own personal library on the property. Not huge of course, maybe 96 sq ft or so. Just something where I can keep my books that aren’t available on my Nook, and that I can’t live without. I figured I could just build a small square building, insulated of course, with built in bookcases, and a comfy chair to sit and read. Then I thought… what the heck am I going to do about this huge storage building Daddy wants built? I really don’t want to combine my library with a storage shed. That would be rather depressing to sit in a room with bookshelves all around and a comfy chair situated next to a stinky lawn mower! I’m sure I’ll figure it out, it just stresses me at times.
But, that’s about all I have for now. Not much more going on. The countdown begins to the day I get to move back into my tiny house. Believe me, I cannot wait. I’ve been living with my parents while I’ve been waiting for all this to take place, and while their house is probably 10 times bigger than my tiny abode, I’m definitely ready to go back to my simplicity. I dearly love my parents, but when you get used to living on your own, in your own space, it is hard as the dickens to get used to living with your parents again! Oh, and since I’d bought a tiny 2 ft Christmas tree for my house, I didn’t want it to sit in a box this year, so it is plugged in, in my bedroom here at Mom and Dad’s. Sad… I know, but next year, that tree will get the treatment it deserves!
What Happened To The Adventures!?
22 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
Well, I started this blog as a means to tell my story about living in my tiny house, but I’ve been very lax on that lol. So I’ll tell you a short tale … I moved into my tiny house, after certain set backs and mishaps along the way. I lived there for about 3 months or so before I was forced to move.
But before you can start wondering if I flaked out on my tiny house, let me say that I happily moved it with me. I wish I had shared everything that happened in the 3 months that I lived in my home, but with my new start I will gladly share my ups and downs!
In the 3 months that I lived in the rv park in Amarillo, I learned a few lessons. The first and most important of them all was patience. Yes a tiny house is a wonderful tool to teach patience. It took almost a month after moving my home to get it hooked up to water and electricity (mainly because out of my own ignorance I had people “helping” that shouldn’t have been).
After moving in, I decided to put a bookshelf in the living room to house my dvd collection (a habit I am having a hard time breaking … I love my dvds!). It was a cheap $30 bookshelf from walmart and while I diligently followed the instructions the cheap material fell apart as fast as I could put it together. I hate to admit it, but while putting it together my frustration levels grew, and finally exploded when the stupid thing fell on my head. Its punishment for daring to fall apart? The hammer I was using to build it destroyed it! The release of anger felt wonderful, but it took several hours after the fact for my dog to realize it was safe for her to be out of her kennel. Poor baby thought I was mad at her.
The next thing that posed a problem? Finding a washer and dryer that ran on 110v. I diligently researched options online and was torn between a 24 inch stacked unit, and a combo unit. I called Home Depot and spoke with about 6 different people in hopes of finding an answer or at least a well informed suggestion. Most people had no clue what I was talking about and in general treated me like someone with a mental problem. I finally spoke with a lady that was at the ready to order me a 24 inch stacked unit without fully understanding what I was asking for.
I told her I wanted to do a little more research before settling on the almost $2,000 purchase she kept diligently trying to push off on me. I then decided to cruise Craigslist, in hopes of finding a comparable unit for cheaper, and landed on a Splendide combo washer and dryer than ran on 110v for $250. It had been well taken care of, and was more eco-friendly than the stacked unit, so I went and checked it out, and bought it on the spot. I ran Tide HE Washing Machine Cleaner through it, then ran my first load and sat for hours watching the dang thing go through its motions, and was in love!
After that, things were forcibly settled down because I had to concentrate on school. There just was no more time to take off. I realized I needed a propane tank to run my stove, and I just didn’t own one. I found one on trusty Craigslist again for $20. It never got hooked up, and then I had to move. I lived out of the microwave for 3 months, which let me tell you did nothing to help my income or my figure.
As school got closer and closer to ending, I began having lots of trouble with the rv park I resided in. I felt like I had to lock myself in my home and cover all the windows to keep from being bothered. The neighbors loved looking out their windows with binoculars. One man purposely brought his dog to my yard to potty all the time, and management insisted on acting as if my home was their property, not mine. The final straw was when an electric company worker tried to mace my dog. That’s a story all its own and will be told at a later time. I called the office and was informed that my dog had to leave the park. Needless to say, I was incensed! I cussed them out and brought my dog down to my mom’s.
Heartbroken, I drive back to my house 2 hours away from the dog I raised myself, and find a note on my door telling me I need to leave the park as well! The cowards hadn’t even had the courtesy to call me! I had another week and a half of school until I had completed the course, so I made arrangements to have my house moved to a little town an hour outside of Lubbock, TX where I purchased almost 2 acres of land. My house was picked up November 1st, landed on my 2 acres on November 4th (because of certain setbacks with weather, etc.), and has sadly sat vacant since then.
My land needed to be plumbed, which was done quickly. Then I found out the entire house needed to be rewired because it was a huge fire hazard thanks to the idiots that rewired it when I first moved into it. Then, after it was rewired, I needed the electric company to run another couple poles down the alley behind my house so it could be wired into the electric grid. Earlier today, December 21st, the electric company finally ran the poles. Now I am waiting for my electrician to come back and set up a meter and wire my home into the local electric grid. After that I will be dealing with getting internet, television, and all that.
Thankfully, in the 3 months that I got to live in my tiny house, I’ve seen where organizational, and space issues, need to be improved on. I recently bought an antique daybed to replace my traditional 6 foot couch. The daybed will serve as couch, spare bed, and have room for storage boxes underneath it. I plan on finding a computer/tv armoire to put in the living room that will house my xbox, tv, laptop, dvds, and games, and hopefully I’ll be able to maximise that space and add a little extra storage. So stay tuned everyone, as I share the things I live and learn!
The Cost of a House Mover
21 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
I had to hire a house mover to move my house. When my friend with his one ton showed up to hook onto my house he looked at everything and found out that the wrong axles were put on the house and the breaks weren’t even hooked up. I contacted McDowell House Movers here in Amarillo and they have been just amazing. For $1500 they will move, set and level my house this week. They said they were thinking about starting this morning at 8. I’m back in school so I can’t be there while they are moving it, even though I really wish I could be. It’s just really exciting to finally have my house set where it needs to be.
After the house movers get my place set and leveled, my boyfriend and some of his buddies are gonna go set up the electricity and plumbing, then we’ll be slowly moving stuff into the house. With me being in school and the boyfriend working weekdays it can be a little hard moving. During the week, once our days are finished, we usually just want to sit around the house and watch TV or play on the xbox so moving is reserved for the weekends. I can’t take any more time off from school so the move in is going to be slow and steady, but you know what they say about slow and steady… it wins the race, so everything will be fine.
The house moving service has been amazing. I didn’t know if they would be able to fit my little house into their busy schedule and my best hope was that they could get the house moved at least by next month. Then they told me they could do it this week since it’s such a quick move, and just surprised the heck out of me. The negotiations were really easy. I dealt with a woman named Melinda that is just amazing. She was working the phones by herself and had her 4 year old little girl with her. While she was running behind and had a lot of things to do, she handled things professionally and was awesome. I understood her running behind… its hard when you’re running things alone, especially when you’re running a business as successful as McDowell’s is.
I met with Melinda yesterday to sign paperwork and everything was quick and easy. She explained the contract to me and it seemed really simple. I paid for the service in full, even though they offer the option to pay half down and half on delivery, it just seemed easier to pay it in full than write two different checks. I need to go out to the RV park and pay for my lot. I’m just hoping they don’t charge me the whole $295 for an entire month since it’s only 11 days until the first when the rent is due. So … while there have been setbacks and issues, it’s been exciting. I’m ready to be living in my tiny home.
Awesome Reusable Bottle
13 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
So I’ve long wondered what I should do about water bottles. I usually buy a case of water every month at Wal-mart. Then I worry about all those damn plastic bottles. What do I do with them? I reuse a few of them, but my imagination doesn’t quite span well over 30 bottles a month. I try to take them in to recycling, but lets face it, sometimes I forget … surprise, surprise, I’m human. But the guilt of those bottles sitting in a land fill for all eternity was really getting to me. I knew I could buy a Brita pitcher or something like that or even one of their fancy filtration systems that hooks up to the faucet, but that left me wondering what I would do when I was on the go and wanted good water. Amarillo water comes from Lake Meredith and that water is disgusting. It’s nice to swim in but not nice to drink. I figured I could reuse a bottle from my monthly case of water, but then what happened when I ran out of what I’d filled it with from home? I was browsing Brita today because I got to thinking about all those water bottles in my tiny house and didn’t like the idea. I was looking at the pitchers first, but then I came across this:
It has a filter inside of it so I can just fill it up from whatever faucet is nearby and go on about my merry business knowing that my water is now clean and good to drink. The bottle retails for about $9.99 and I think that’s a fair price. The bottle is reusable and recyclable, and who can complain about a water bottle that filters your water for you? I’ll also be investing in a Brita pitcher for the times when I’m at home and need to wash my water bottle. That way I won’t be wasting any more plastic bottles!
Craigslist is Pretty Awesome
12 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
Well today, after I found the RV park that is willing to take my tiny house, I got an email from a couple through craigslist that have 17 acres of land and are considering possibly renting it out. While I would definitely not need that much land, where it is located would be a Godsend for me. I’ve stated several times that I would love to find a place sort of in the country where I could wake up to nature, and this might just be the place. I am currently visiting my mom and I won’t be back in Amarillo until Thursday so I’ll have to go look at it then. I don’t know if the place is even feasible for my tiny home, or how far it is from my school, but it’s definitely worth looking at if there’s even a small chance that it could be my perfect oasis for me and my pets.
It would be so nice if there was some place to hook up my little trailer out on those 17 acres. I grew up on ranches and loved waking up and seeing nature all around me. I would love to be able to do that again. But I don’t want to get too excited about it until I have a chance to go see it. Knowing my luck there probably won’t be a way to hook up my trailer and I would have to buy the rv hookup to be able to live there, and rent would be outrageous. I don’t understand why they are trying to rent 17 acres to me for my tiny house, but of course, you’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, if that’s what this is. We’ll see on Thursday and I’ll keep you updated on it. Fingers crossed that it would be perfect for me and in my price range, but I’m definitely not throwing the RV park out the door just yet.
