What size home would you need?

[Scythe13]

We've all seen loads of different kinds of micro houses, whether it's a single room that changes into 21 different combinations, or a micro pod home, or 'the cube, 3 meters cubed home.

The simple question is, have you calculated the minimum size of home you'd need?

Just wondering what the realities and practicalities of downsizing to go further into the country, or on what kind of size home you think would be required for your family to survive in?

[TOF]

There's a big difference in downsizing and survival space.

If you're wanting to dowsize, start viewing houses with less bedrooms than the one you currently live in and basically houses smaller than yours to see how you 'fit'. It's really the only way to see if you can indeed cope with downsizing. Also, you and Mrs Scythe are young and not wishing to pry, but if you want a family, you need to factor in space for children, or be prepared to move again.

Survival space is whatever is availabe. Anne Frank comes to mind, and ancient housing styles could well be an example.

[Scythe13]

I'm not looking to downsize or relocate.

Got thinking about what kind of home to build on a certain plot of land, and it got me thinking about what minimum size it would need to be. Then I got thinking about all kinds of different things, so just thought I'd ask and see what other people have done and what things they considered.

Being nearly 30, and only a few years away from being mortgage free...no plans on going up or down in house size.

Good considerations though TOF. WTSHTF, would kids be an option or would they be inevitable? In which case, if inevitable, then any survival home would need to take that into consideration too.

[SecretPrepper]

I am a big fan of tiny houses on wheels that are big in the US at the moment. The look like houses that are the same square footage as a shed and can be moved and have solar power. Lots of vids on YouTube. But it depends on how many people you would live with.

[bigpaul]

I like old fashioned rural houses with walk in larders and fireplaces and chimneys. I also like "woolaway" bungalows.

[Sunna]

if tshtf then help your self to whatever you want/can get , i dont think bigger is always better heating a big house will take up a lot of time effort also someone could break in and you might not hear them, they might attract the intrest of others.

[bigpaul]

depends on the size of your family or group, the sort of old stone built rural properties I'm thinking of(1 is my BOL) have 2 or 3 bedrooms and decent sized living rooms, they also have large larders set on one corner usually north facing where you can store your food in the dark and cool, they usually have a decent amount of land with them too, and are set down little used remote country lanes.

[TOF]

Ooops, misinterpreted your op.

[Mortblanc]

Micro-house my sweet patoodie!!

If you do not own anything, DO NOT HAVE ANY PREPS, no workshop or tools, and never expect to own or have anything a mouse hole might be fine for you.

I own stuff, and it needs a place to be secure and protected. I presently have 1,000s/f under roof, a shed and a cargo trailer, and could use 1,000s/f more.

One of the biggest gripes I hear from you folks is that you do not have a place to store preps, can not shove an extra can of beans in the larder and have absolutely no where to hang laundry to dry, and here you are talking about going SMALLER???

Is that just so you can fuss more about having no room???

[Tarrel]

Two points:

1. It depends on your life strategy. Ours is to progressively disconnect from the financial system and become more self-reliant, in terms of growing food, keeping small livestock, making and repairing stuff. For this we have found we actually need more space, but a different kind of space. Outbuildings for working and storage are more important than living space, and land is important. As the old saying goes; "Sleep in your house, live on your land".

2. WTSHTF, what will your "survival group" look like? Will you need to / expect to take in elderly relatives? What about children? Two of our children live and work in London, and are happy doing so, but we have a "lifeboat" for them up here, and they know that.

Tiny houses are potentially very green and, from a prepping point of view, provide the opportunity to reduce outgoings and, therefore, dependence on the financial system. Their downside, as MB suggests, is they restrict your ability to engage in other forms of prepping. Perhaps the ideal is a tiny house on a plot large enough to allow the construction of outbuildings as time and funds allow. These can be home-built and customised to your exact needs, in terms of both design and siting within the plot.