Peak Moment 119: Builder and author Shay Salomon finds that the happiest home builders are often the ones with the smallest houses. They’re less costly to build and maintain, more likely to be finished, use fewer resources and help people simplify their lives. One version of “smaller” is to share a house, which can ease our loneliness while building our social network. Co-founder of the Small House Society, Shay notes that scaling down can enable a ratcheting up of our whole lifestyle, as we revalue quality over quantity. Declaring “Enough”, she says, is the most ecological thing one can do. [ www.littlehouseonasmallplanet.com ]
@valhala56 That’s an awesome idea, and heating/cooling much cheaper as well, as underground tends to stay around same temp year round.
@ceahorse56, sounds just perfect for a couple. Although one might need a little more space if you like doing projects perhaps. At times our 1500 square feels much too big (and too easy to accumulate stuff!).
As empty nesters and down sizing we now live in 980 sq ft in the country. Sometime it still seem to big! Our favorite room is our screen in porch!
I enjoyed this so much, Thank you Janaia. What is a house? It is just four walls to contain the dreamer?
i want to build self sustaining (80%) shipping container homes. . . about 1200 sq ft total. . . i believe each unit could be completed under 30k. . . . and EVERYONE could be a home owner. . . the interiors could be near 100 percent recycled building materials and would feature built in furnishings such as murphy beds, dc led lighting systems and grey water recycling.
Being thrifty is greener than being “Green”.
their fare share is what they earn not what the steal!!
we can clear a forest in a few min lol? wow STOP REPRODUCING IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE WORLD PLEASE thats the problem!! gandhi was a racist and a shitty human being!! i want a small house because it’s cheaper and
easy to go off the grid!! but big houses are not killing the earth or making people lonely thats just ridiculous!! these yuppie hippies use every thing but then say it’s horrible people with 2 houses have produced more and with all the welfare their is NO reason to be homeless in the us
Beautiful, fabulous, wonderful, thoughtful. Everyone I know can’t afford to retire in the homes they purchased. Or work just to keep “stuff”. I’ve always thought this way, but didn’t know there’d come to a be a small house “movement”. I look forward to building my small, comfortable luxury, efficient dreamhouse. Not tiny like many shown here, but small and warm, not a mansion that I need help maintaining. It’s gotten out of hand.
@aprilspl – If you have a chance check out my blog, RowdyKittens. I write about the small house movement frequently. Also, there are a lot of links you might find useful on my blogroll page.
Shay’s book “Little House on a Small Planet” is an awesome resource.
Wow! I got an answer and fast. great information and thank you for the reply I’ll look for the book.
Shay’s book “Little House on a Small Planet” has photos of many interiors, including some with lofts and houses on wheels. You can buy the book or borrow it through interlibrary loan (most libraries have this service).
Where can I see more about little houses? Do you have photos or videos of inside or outside?
What about split levels or lofts?
I picked her book up a while back and glad to see so many people more inline with what they really need. Thanks for the video and lots of great postings
I’ve w0rked in construction for almost 30 years and this woman is totally correct in what she is saying. People build houses , in general much too large for them. the payment is also much too large. well done!
I really enjoyed this video, thank you for sharing it.
I know and have worked with Shay Salomen, and she is absolutely brilliant. Anyone interested in building design or building their own home should read this book or take a workshop with Shay. She is AMAZING!!!
well. . . the outside space is a large garden, a deck. . . and the whole permacultural project is in itself a creative project. . . my videos are at
permacultureli. . . love your interviews and am very happy to have found peak moment. . . you are a wonderful interviewer.
Oh, you must feel pleased and maybe a bit smug — you’re already living the small house life! (Or maybe I’m just a bit envious
It surely must be faster to clean and clear out the clutter. What I’d miss in that space is a projects area — sewing, painting. But maybe that’s done in a different place?
wonderful, deep, enlightening. . . lovely, soothing!!
I just adored listening to this conversation as I uncluttered my10X14′ house this morning. . . thank You!.
lol it’s funny that shes burping throughout the video from being pregnant, made me laugh.
pretty cool vid.
Thank you so very much. Rose and I love our little house.
We luv our little house.
Wow, what a great idea, I thought about converting my dads 1960′s Fallout shelter he built into an underground dwelling. I thought it would be excellant to install solar panels on the groundroof and the ground installation would be great in the winter. No need for alumiumn siding or painting the exterior or worry about them pesky terminites lol.