9 Comments

Having lived in 66 different homes in my life, I recognize the wisdom in each of your suggestions. Wonderful of you to share so others may benefit from your experience.

Expand full comment
Jul 27Liked by Lloyd Kahn

Town homes and apartments are necessary too, if we want to solve our housing crisis. We cant all keep sprawling into our forests and perpetually expand our road networks with tax dollars. Writing as a person living in a 950sft home who wishes she had more space for her expanding family. My quality of life would be better in a 1500sft apartment given how much more time I spent indoors than in a yard. Thinking single family housing is the only sane choice put me in this corner.

Expand full comment
Jul 27·edited Jul 27Liked by Lloyd Kahn

Yes, I so agree about small homes. Everything is so extreme in fads; either live in a shoebox (on wheels) or a mansion, when all most of these issues require is a bit of common sense and a more modest outlook. The Small Houses link above isn't working, by the way.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for tip, I fixed link.

Expand full comment
Jul 26Liked by Lloyd Kahn

Can you give a link to Small Homes: Simple Shelter ? I have looked everywhere I can think of and only find Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter.... Thanks!

Expand full comment
author

Go to www.shelterpub.com and you'll find it there.

Expand full comment

Ordered it right after I read your comment. Got it Friday (today is Sun) - blazing fast delivery! Have only had time to read thru about 1/3 of it so far. Good stuff!

Expand full comment
Jul 26Liked by Lloyd Kahn

maybe not so popular in your neck of the woods, but here in the NE everyone has a full basement to fill with junk.

instead, consider a slab & dedicate a closet size space for a utility core. keep kitchen & bath close to minimize pipe & #12 wire runs. a square, while not esthetically most pleasing, is the most efficient shape for a footprint. arithmetic proves that easily.

Expand full comment

I've been scanning Zillow for the past few years, trying to find a very small house on a large lot nearer to our families. That combination barely seems to exist, though there are scads of 3-4 bed, 2-3 bath homes on tiny lots.

My true ideal would be a small house in a community of gardeners and considerate neighbors, but how does one find that?

Expand full comment