Will you live in a tiny-house?

[RedViking]

Problem is cost, it's often more expensive to build with wood in SA due to the expensive qualified labour.

Brick is actually cheaper if you want a place to last. Insulation and drywall is not cheap, not to mention maintenance.

I built the room for my dad but will demolish once he is dead. Then going to rebuild with brick.

Building with wood was very therapeutic and I enjoyed it. Will just reuse the frames as a garden shed.

I love wood.... NZ the average cheap home is about 1700-2000$ per m² + GST. So expensive all over the world. Now probably even worse than before.

I guess I think to build wood because I imagine it somewhere either right on the coast or in the mountains. But yeah, most probably brick or block.

 

[RedViking]

If you didn't drink instant coffee, you wouldn't need one of those in the kitchen...

Exactly!

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Well the drink instant Jacobs coffee.....

Snap...

 

[Dave]

Double container size, maybe, but single container is too narrow. It’ll feel quite claustrophobic imo.

 

[RedViking]

Double container size, maybe, but single container is too narrow. It’ll feel quite claustrophobic imo.

As much as I like the idea of designing one for a client or just they hype around it, I would not want to live in a container home. I find it overpriced anyways, and basically the same as a caravan or RV.

I do like the idea of smaller and simpler living, but not in a shoebox.

 

[Johnatan56]

I'm at 77m^2 including store room, my vacuum cleaner gives me 60m^2 without cupboard, storage room, bathtub, kitchen countertops, and space behind doors (probs 8m^2 or so), could live with 55m^2 I think alone as have 5m^2 entrance room, going below that I am going to truly have issues.
I like playing VR, and my 30m^2 living room is already a bit small considering the desk in the middle of it, but I definitely would not want a smaller desk.

The OP I would not be able to handle a desk that small, and you need something besides the bed to lie down on at times, you don't realize how nice it is to have a 2/3 seater sofa to lie down on until you go without one for a while.

I am busy designing a small home on my phone and will then further develop on my PC.

Might add a mezzanine floor as well.

View attachment 1105460

You are going to freak out in regards to that study room, that chair is for a very small person, and the desk has no space forwards. And where are you going to store your clothes? Like I see those measurements, but you're going to need another place for storage else you're going to have very few clothes.

For one person, that storage is all doable, add a second person, I find it highly doubtful. Like, I'd be fine living in it for a day or two, or hotel or whatever when I head out, but permanently? Rather not.

 

[airborne]

As much as I like the idea of designing one for a client or just they hype around it, I would not want to live in a container home. I find it overpriced anyways, and basically the same as a caravan or RV.

I do like the idea of smaller and simpler living, but not in a shoebox.

2 x 6m containers is a lot of floor space and they are tall, plenty space for shelves, keep everything off the floor. But the fact that they aren't particularly cheap after all is said and done makes them not too attractive.

Just moving them to site and anywhere thereafter is around R20k a container?

Once you get to grips with the simple borderline minimalist life, which is more mind over matter, then just having a space that's yours and has all the amenities to sustain life and has very low upkeep a penny drops, you aren't beholden to anyone, and you are very mobile.

Are tiny homes legal in urban areas in Sa including Cape Town?

 

[airborne]

I'm at 77m^2 including store room, my vacuum cleaner gives me 60m^2 without cupboard, storage room, bathtub, kitchen countertops, and space behind doors (probs 8m^2 or so), could live with 55m^2 I think alone as have 5m^2 entrance room, going below that I am going to truly have issues.
I like playing VR, and my 30m^2 living room is already a bit small considering the desk in the middle of it, but I definitely would not want a smaller desk.

The OP I would not be able to handle a desk that small, and you need something besides the bed to lie down on at times, you don't realize how nice it is to have a 2/3 seater sofa to lie down on until you go without one for a while.


You are going to freak out in regards to that study room, that chair is for a very small person, and the desk has no space forwards. And where are you going to store your clothes? Like I see those measurements, but you're going to need another place for storage else you're going to have very few clothes.

For one person, that storage is all doable, add a second person, I find it highly doubtful. Like, I'd be fine living in it for a day or two, or hotel or whatever when I head out, but permanently? Rather not.

Make it a standing desk, no chair.

 

[airborne]

I am busy designing a small home on my phone and will then further develop on my PC.

Might add a mezzanine floor as well.

View attachment 1105460

Can you do the costing to build as well?
That would be very interesting to know.

There must be plenty of existing tiny home design plans available for free on the internet?

 

[RedViking]

2 x 6m containers is a lot of floor space and they are tall, plenty space for shelves, keep everything off the floor. But the fact that they aren't particularly cheap after all is said and done makes them not too attractive.

Just moving them to site and anywhere thereafter is around R20k a container?

Once you get to grips with the simple borderline minimalist life, which is more mind over matter, then just having a space that's yours and has all the amenities to sustain life and has very low upkeep a penny drops, you aren't beholden to anyone, and you are very mobile.

Are tiny homes legal in urban areas in Sa including Cape Town?

I'm not sure in Cape Town. It is legal here in KZN, it seems anyways.

 

[airborne]

I'm not sure in Cape Town. It is legal here in KZN, it seems anyways.

Are there any minimum requirements to build a home in urban areas in Sa, apart from basics like having signed off plans and using safe building practises/materials?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

I love wood.... NZ the average cheap home is about 1700-2000$ per m² + GST. So expensive all over the world. Now probably even worse than before.

I guess I think to build wood because I imagine it somewhere either right on the coast or in the mountains. But yeah, most probably brick or block.

I would love a log cabin on the coast.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

2 x 6m containers is a lot of floor space and they are tall, plenty space for shelves, keep everything off the floor. But the fact that they aren't particularly cheap after all is said and done makes them not too attractive.

Just moving them to site and anywhere thereafter is around R20k a container?

Once you get to grips with the simple borderline minimalist life, which is more mind over matter, then just having a space that's yours and has all the amenities to sustain life and has very low upkeep a penny drops, you aren't beholden to anyone, and you are very mobile.

Are tiny homes legal in urban areas in Sa including Cape Town?

Containers have structural problems when you start chopping them up. I was a bit bummed out when I discovered that problem. I do find this statement rather a one-sided view as there seems to be self-interest in downplaying the problems or overstating the problems.

The internal measurements don't make them suitable for a living once you insulate them from the inside (for some reason nobody insulates from the outside). But hey, I lived in a Suzuki half load, a double bed size (132x188) and I thought that was roomy.


Putting up a tiny house in Cape Town is no different to any other dwelling, requires plan approval from CoCT - something 99% of homeowners are not aware of. For the same price, you can get a better quality tin shed custom built. Our building bylaws are well documented and easy to access online, but lots of reading. Don't trust any builder to keep up to date. My "master-builder" neighbour get's pissed off whenever I point out bylaw infractions in our neighbourhood as I'm the only person in 8 years to actually put plans through the City.

We do have some old caravan parks that have long lease options where you lease the land. Have friends living in one and I'm considering that as a holiday home option. You can only build with wood though.

 

[RedViking]

Are there any minimum requirements to build a home in urban areas in Sa, apart from basics like having signed off plans and using safe building practises/materials?

This is bylaws specific. Some areas and lots and developments might give a minimum size a house must be. We don't have laws that limits the size of living areas (to my knowledge) to make them "humane", such as NZ and AUS. In NZ and AUS living areas have to be a min. size to be qualify as permanent residence. So as long as the municipality allows for it, you can build it.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Are there any minimum requirements to build a home in urban areas in Sa, apart from basics like having signed off plans and using safe building practises/materials?

SANS building regulations focus heavily on mental health with natural light, ceiling height and space. RDP houses are exempt from a lot of building standards as they are solving a different problem.

Your local planning department and bylaws will add their own requirements on top of the national building regulations.

I feel people confuse minimalist living with tiny house as they are not really the same. My personal goal is to retire as a minimalist in a comfortable house, one with space and simple design for upkeep. A big garden for an outdoor braai is more important than a big lounge.

 

[RedViking]

RDP houses are exempt from a lot of building standards

It is not so much the houses that are exempt but the informal areas have little to not rules.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

This is the best free online resource to answer the above question. Always read the regulation as suggestive and your bylaws as prescriptive.

Dimensions - SANS10400-Building Regulations South Africa

Every Room Must be Fit for Purpose-Part C The National Building Regulations (NBR) are not prescripti

www.sans10400.co.za

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

It is not so much the houses that are exempt but the informal areas have little to not rules.

True and I found out that is why the developers give them as little space possible to extend their homes.

CoCT for one just does not have the resources to enforce building regulations as I experienced with a departure order I applied for.

 

[airborne]

SANS building regulations focus heavily on mental health with natural light, ceiling height and space. RDP houses are exempt from a lot of building standards as they are solving a different problem.

Your local planning department and bylaws will add their own requirements on top of the national building regulations.

I feel people confuse minimalist living with tiny house as they are not really the same. My personal goal is to retire as a minimalist in a comfortable house, one with space and simple design for upkeep. A big garden for an outdoor braai is more important than a big lounge.

But you can't live in a tiny house without being a borderline minimalist, or else it's just not feasible?

 

[animal531]

But you can't live in a tiny house without being a borderline minimalist, or else it's just not feasible?

Yeah, as a student I lived in a small place (can't remember the exact size, but let's guess 50-60m2). Adding any furniture or anything new was pretty complicated.