{"id":9657,"date":"2021-07-18T12:21:15","date_gmt":"2021-07-18T12:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/?p=9657"},"modified":"2024-05-26T12:57:36","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T12:57:36","slug":"small-homes-are-just-the-right-size","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectsmallhouse.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/small-homes-are-just-the-right-size\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Homes are Just the Right Size"},"content":{"rendered":"
I just picked up a 2017 issue of Mother Earth News at our neighborhood book exchange. It had a cover article Small Homes are Just the Right Size.<\/p>\n
These homeowners downsized their lives to inhabit hand-built spaces that are easier and cheaper to maintain.<\/p>\nMother Earth News December 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The article is by Lloyd Kahn. He says that \u201cthe average size of a new single-family house in the United States in 2016 was 2,650\u2014almost 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973.\u201d<\/p>\n
Smaller homes are \u201cless expensive, use less resources, are more efficient to heat and cool, [and] are cheaper to maintain and repair.\u201d<\/p>\nSmall Homes: The Right Size<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Lloyd Kahn\u2019s book Small Homes: Just the Right Size<\/strong> is about homes that are larger than Tiny Houses but smaller than the national average. It is about homes with between 400 and 1,200 square feet of floor area.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can create your own home using mostly natural materials.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lloyd Kahn \nMother Earth News December 2017<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Most of the homes were built by the homeowners. Some are made with timber from their own trees. They make use of hand-made, recycled and repurposed materials.<\/p>\n
It is a sequel to his book Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter<\/strong> about homes that are 200\u2013300 square feet.<\/p>\n
Lloyd Kahn<\/h2>\n
Lloyd Kahn is a regular contributor to Mother Earth News and has written a lot of books. Most are still in print. Many are available on Kindle.<\/p>\nThe Half-Acre Homestead by Lloyd Kahn & Lesley Creed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The Half-Acre Homestead <\/strong>by Lloyd Kahn & Lesley Creed<\/p>\n
The Half-Acre Homestead is a record, with over 500 color photos, of Lloyd and his wife Lesley\u2019s owner-built home and garden. They show you what the house and garden look like, how various functions (solar panels, septic systems, skylights, etc.) operate, and tools they use in the kitchen, garden, and shop.<\/p>\n
The book also includes fishing and foraging along with recipes, information on raised beds, raising chickens, and collecting rainwater. The couple include advice for anyone thinking of building a home.<\/p>\nShelter and Shelter II by Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton Home Work by Lloyd Kahn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Shelter<\/strong> by Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton<\/p>\n
Shelter has been in print since 1973. It is one of the original books on living in tents, yurts, timber buildings, barns, small homes, domes, and more. It covers building materials like heavy timber construction, stud framing, stone, straw bale, adobe, plaster, and bamboo.<\/p>\n
Shelter II<\/strong> by Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton<\/p>\n
Shelter II is a sequel, not just an update of the same book. It is a practical hand-book to build your own stud-frame home. It is covers everything; the foundation, floor, wall and roof framing; roofing, windows, doors, interior finish, plumbing and electrical work.<\/p>\n
Home Work <\/strong>by Lloyd Kahn<\/p>\n
Home Work is the sequel to Shelter and Shelter II with more ideas.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom yurts to caves to tree houses to tents, thatched houses, glass houses, nomadic homes, and riverboats, each hand\u00ad-built dwelling finds itself at one with its environment, using natural materials.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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