The ultimate downsizers:Couple swap city life for tiny cottage-on-wheels which measures just 140sqft
A young couple who found themselves longing for a simpler life decided to take the matter of their marital abode in their own hands - quite literally. Malissa and Christopher Tack live in a perfect miniature home which, despite the fact that their combined knowledge of construction amounted to bare minimum, they built themselves. The Tiny Tack House, as the pair have named their cottage-on-wheels, is a 140 sqft wooden structure, complete with kitchen, living room, bathroom and a sleeping loft in Snohomish, Washington.
Pro petite: The Tacks decided to downsize and do it properly - they now live on 140 sq ft. Malissa, a 3D artist, and Christopher, a graphic designer and photographer, stumbled upon the 'tiny homes' movement online and knew it held the key to their perfect home. Despite having little to no knowledge of how to build a house - or anything at all for that matter - they spent 800 hours over seven months to build their own home and everything within it. Thanks to Malissa’s skills as a 3D artist the pair were able to designed it themselves and make a virtual version of their future home, ahead of grabbing hammer and drill. ‘We just had some basic shop class skills from High School’, Malissa Tack explains on their website.
Welcome inside: As you enter the Tiny Tack House you walk straight into the living room and office with the bathroom on the left, and the sleeping loft above it and the small kitchen
Cramped kitchen: The couple say living small has made them more considerate and a better couple as there is no way squeezing past unnoticed in the kitchen
Ready, steady, cook: Although the pair relied on professional advice regarding electricity and plumbing, they installed it all themselves ‘The work was done by Chris and myself. There was a few days where the parents flew in to help out with the roof. ‘We had advice help with the electrical and plumbing from a certified person. ‘Just about everyone we know thought we were crazy, but now, everyone loves the idea of the house!' The house has four solar panels and is supplied by a 40 gallon fresh water tank, making it environmentally, as well as financially, friendly.
Nighty, night: The sleeping loft is located underneath the roof above the kitchen and bathroom
Looking down: A birds-eye view of the Tiny Tack House from the sleeping loft shortly after it was finished A mere six months after the pair moved in to the Tiny Tack House they reaped further benefit from their downsizing as Chris lost his job as a ‘lead creative’ at Apple. Thanks to their choice to live small, they are able to ride out the storm as both maintenance and building costs were relatively low. The Tacks expect to have paid it off completely within two-three years and keep costs to bills and rent of the land where the Tiny Tack House is parked.
Cat not included: The pair are now devoting a lot of their time to the tiny homes movement helping others in their bid to downsize and build their own home
Handy work: The married couple have built everything in the Tiny Tack House themselves (apart from the iMac double-functioning as a television)
Back to nature: Despite working in high-tech fields - Malissa as a 3D animation artist and Chris at Apple, they wanted a simpler life outside their professions ‘Without the substantially lower cost of living, we would be struggling financially,’ Chris Tack told the Huffington Post, The Tacks add that living small made them stronger as a couple, and nicer to one another. The cramped situation forces them to respect the individual's right to their own space and to be more polite, as the tiny kitchen barely allows a squeeze-past.
Scare home: Destitute man moves into a 100-year-old GRAVE after losing his house
A homeless man has told how he began sleeping with the dead when he moved into a cemetery 15 years ago. Bratislav Stojanovic, 43, has shared the burial plot with the ashes of a a family who died out more than 100 years ago in Nis, Serbia. But after giving the grave a changing tombs-style makeover the former construction worker said he feels at home.
Homeless Bratislav Stojanovic said that he would rather sleep in the grave than on the street in the cold weather
His tomb is only two square yards and the ceiling is just one yard high
At night Stojanovic uses candles foraged from the cemetery for light. He said: 'It is dry and it is warm. I have some lamps and my personal possessions. 'It isn't a palace but it is more comfortable than the street.' Mr Stojanovic, who has never had a regular job, lost his home in the town after running up debts. He moved into the grave after dossing down in the streets for months and now spends his time foraging in the out of use cemetery for candles.
The cemetery is now closed making it harder for Stojanovic to find candles
The tomb belongs to a family who died out 100 years ago
Mr Stojanovic has lived in the cemetery for 15 years after he lost his house
Homeless Bratislav Stojanovic rests as he sits on a grave stone in the cemetery he has lived in for 15 years Mr Stojanovic said that living with the dead isn't as scary as some might think. He said: 'I was afraid in the beginning, but I got used to it in time. Now I am more afraid of the living than of the dead 'Whenever I want to crawl out I first check if there's someone around, otherwise I could scare a person to death. 'People are very kind to me, they sometimes bring me food or clothes. 'Sometimes I have to get my food from rubbish bins but it can be very nutritious. It's amazing what people throw away," he explained. 'It doesn't frighten me to sleep in a grave. The dead are dead. I'm more frightened of being hungry.
Mr Stojanovic shelters from the cold weather in the cemetery
Foraging for food in the town's rubbish bins. He says that locals sometimes bring him food 'And if I die in the night, at least I'm in the right place.' Mr Stojanovic lives on a diet of food he collects from the rubbish and collects cigarette butts he finds on the ground. His tomb spans only two-square yards and the ceiling is one yard high. Officials at the cemetery say their squatter can stay as long as he does not disturb other visitors.
Smoker Mr Stojanovic searches for cigarette butts in the town of Nis (left) and he walks along a railway line near the cemetery (right) 'The family who owned the tomb are long gone so technically it belongs to no-one. If he behaves himself there are no plans to evict him,' said a spokesman. The name of the family who owned the tomb is unknown as the names have eroded from the gravestone.
| America's most expensive beach hut? Tiny wooden property on sale for $2.5million but at least it has a nice view. Red beach property comes with 20 acres of Hawaiian land. The tiny, 484 square foot property is said to be a 'slice of paradise'. A cozy red wooden hut nestled in the middle of the Hawaiian countryside is on sale for an eye-watering $2.5million. The property is described a 'slice of paradise' with vistas onto the pacific and the Laupahoehoe countryside. At only 484 square feet, the dimensions may be a little cosy, but the price tag may be helped by the 20-acres of lush Hawaiian countryside that come with it.
'Slice of paradise': This Hawaiian beach-shack is on the market for $2.5million. Though it is only 484 square feet it comes with 20 acres of Laupahoehoe countryside. The property's international agent, Sotheby's, describes the tiny home as an 'exclusive hideaway'. 'Whales, dolphins, and turtles play just off shore providing occupants with endless entertainment,' its entry reads.'Fish, snorkel, dive, lounge, or sit around a bonfire as your catch cooks, all additional options.' 'Surrounded by 20 acres currently grazed by cattle, this beach cottage has a wonderful island atmosphere unable to be duplicated by anything in the state.'
Room with a view: The tiny beach hut might not be great for dinner parties but what it lacks in space it makes up for with breathtaking views. Set in a 'jungle canyon' the home has its own a private access road and rocky beach. Property on the Big Island can command high prices but this wooden home, which is described as coming with a 'full kitchen' but little else, is like nothing seen before. However, beach huts are increasingly commanding bigger and better price-tags. In the U.K. a six-foot wide hut went on sale for £245,000 (around $400,000) in South Devon in November.
Aloha: Sotheby's are seeking a new owner for this bright-red Hawaiian beach-shack worth $2.5milliion. It has its own private road and two carports
Room with a view: This wooden hut may come with an expensive price tag of $2.5million but its 20 acres of land offer breathtaking views of the Hawaiian countryside and Pacific Ocean. Though it perhaps couldn't compete with the countryside of Laupahoehoe, it had a 'under floor heating, a marble wet room, wireless internet, and electric windows which automatically close when it rains'. Four times as much, the Hawaii cottage also comes with two carports underneath the property and a 'large open common space'. Laupahoehoe is currently home to only 581 people with a median age of 45 and has an average income of $30,000 per household. The name means 'Leaf Lava' named after leaf-shaped lava formed on its beaches. The tiny town of Laupahoehoe sits on the slopes of Mauna Kea, a volcano which is the highest point in all of Hawaii reaching 33,500 ft from its ocean base - making it more than twice the size of Everest.
Natural beauty: Laupahoehoe Point in Hawaii. The tiny town is home to under 600 people
Breathtaking: Maua Kea reaches 33,500ft from its ocean base - twice the height of Mount Everest Tuk tucked up in bed: The one-man camper van that is perfect for the lonely traveller. Vehicle contains fold-up bed, sink, kitchen, running water and fridge. Design based on Piaggio scooter and is similar to tuk-tuk rickshaws. Travelling long journeys all by your lonesome can be a chore paved with uncomfortable motels and bad service station food. Single camping often means sleeping in the back of the car, or going to through the effort of putting up a tent by the side of the road. One designer’s dream of ending the pain for lone campers has resulted in the Buffalino, a three-wheel mini-van similar to tuk-tuk rickshaws which are seen across Asia and Africa.
Versatile van: Once the miles are managed, the camper van becomes a snug place to sleep for the night until the journey continues
Home for one: What was once a three-wheeled scooter has been transformed into a camper van for one. The fully furnished camper contains a fold-up bed, a sink, a kitchen with refrigerator and running water and, of course, a place to hook up your laptop. German industrial designer Cornelius Cormanns modified a three wheeled Piaggio scooter to create the Buffalino, which is set to meet the requirements of a single individual. Mr Cormanns wanted to design a vehicle that would offer greater flexibility during travel, while also creating an economic and fuel efficient ride. The Buffalino serves as a greener alternative for long solitary journeys as well as offering a way out of fast foods and motels.
Happy camper: The camper is designed to meet the single travellers requirements and comes with a complete kitchen and bedroom
Cowboy ready: Dubbed as 'economic and fuel efficient' the van, named 'Buffalino', is perfect for the lonely rider
Multitasking: The Buffalino motto is to be cheap and efficient and leave as little of a carbon emissions imprint as possible
Smart-an: It may not come with a jacuzzi but it has all you need, even if you technically sleep in the kitchen
Take a seat: When it comes to dinner time, the driver's seat - which also makes up half the bed - simply swings into the kitchen
Room for one: Designer Cornelius Cormanns wanted to provide greater flexibility for the single traveller when he designed the three-wheeled camper van
Traditional: Television vet Luke Gamble seen using a tuk-tuk taxi Tech millionaire says he traded mansion for 420-square-foot apartment 'the things he consumed ended up consuming him'Just because you can afford to buy the world, doesn't mean you should. That's the message Graham Hill learned after many years of living a life of extreme indulgence that involved multiple luxury cars, expensive gadgets, a four-story mansion in Seattle and a 1,900-square-foot apartment in New York. After a 15-year buying bend that began when he sold his tech company in 1998, Hill says the glow of his shiny new things started to fade and he felt weighed down by all the clutter spread between his two homes.
Life change: Tech millionaire Graham Hill traded his life of luxury for a 420-square-foot apartment
Sleep tight: Hill's custom-built bed tucks into the wall of his tiny apartment in Soho. This room also serves as a dining and living area
Dining: With the bed tucked away, Hill has enough space to expand his dining room table, which seats 12
Entertainer: Hill has a minimalist's kitchen with just 12 bowls that are shallow enough to also serve as plates. 'Somehow this stuff ended up running my life, or a lot of it; the things I consumed ended up consuming me,' he wrote in a recent op-ed published in The New York Times. Hill responded to his growing burden in a very unorthodox way: He got rid of everything. He traded it all in for a 420-square-foot apartment in New York that fits only a few pieces of furniture, most of which can be tucked into the walls for added floor space. 'Acquiring lots of stuff relatively quickly and feeling sort of wasteful and not very conscious about the whole thing... at the end of the day, it didn't really make me any happier than my smaller, simpler life,' Hill told the TODAY Show.
Collapsable: Hill demonstrates how he pulls out his retractable table, which fits neatly out of sight in the kitchen
Easy access: Hill pulls his wall out, demonstrating how he creates a guest room that can sleep two
New ideas: Hill believes so strongly in his new way of life that he's working on constructing apartment buildings with tiny residences that resemble his. 'I think life is about experiences and about connections and about relationships, and I think you want to maximize your time focused on that and minimize your time focused on acquiring more stuff and dealing with it,' he said. Hill believes so strongly in his new way of life that he's working on constructing apartment buildings with tiny residences that resemble his. He says the apartments, with their movable walls and furniture that can easily be extended to serve guests or tucked away out of sight, would make it easier for people to downsize.
Slumber party: Hill's friends can stay for the night when he pops out the retractable bunk beds
Stacked: Hill's dozen dining chairs stack neatly in his ample closet space
Home entertainment: Instead of a flat-screen TV, Hill uses a projector and pull-down screen to watch TV. 'My latest venture is to design thoughtfully constructed small homes that support our lives, not the other way around,' he writes in the Times. 'Like the 420-square-foot space I live in, the houses I design contain less stuff and make it easier for owners to live within their means and to limit their environmental footprint. 'My apartment sleeps four people comfortably; I frequently have dinner parties for 12. My space is well-built, affordable and as functional as living spaces twice the size.' More importantly, he adds, 'I sleep better knowing I’m not using more resources than I need. I have less - and enjoy more. My space is small. My life is big.'
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