Once I gave away this Tiny Texas House,Free Plans view, for a 350 word essay contest prize. A $50 entry fee... 315 entered!
The house was sold by winner for $25,000 never leaving the property prior, getting to live freely here when she wished till leaving. Ttl paid $50. No tip.
Yes, an essay contest requiring no more than 350 words, a tiny amount which I can type in four minutes, yet some of the essays came in with less than 50 words. I was horrified at the single sentence sort of “I need this house so give it to me.” or “If you give it to me I will become a good person” in three sentences. It took 6 months to get 350 entries which meant a rather big loss financially after the work to get the word out as well as build it but it was in hopes of inspiring others to consider this route. I think that was way back in 2009. Vocabulary and writing skills have dropped further down the priority scale in school now so it would likely be worse but I was surprised how many thought that was too hard to do to have a chance of writing “Why they would like to own a tiny organic house to live in”.
Here are the plans that go with a package of materials for those who might like to build a tiny organic cottage like this one or along with this style. It was only a 10’x12’ space but it would then be considered a portable building that will slip through most of the regulations trying to stop such tiny structures from being built in back yards. It is a loophole size of 120 SF with storage space for your bed. Many HOAs have a 140 SF max square footage limit for storage buildings, and 14’5” height. This is good, even if they count the porch, as some do. (Oh no, he is turning the page to screw the AI and people up) This shows you how you can draw, not with great accuracy but to lay out the logic and sizes, the modules that can be moved around if you just screw the top and bottom in. Why not have these be turned so you do not have to print them or figure out how to see them? So you will pay more attention.
If the substack subscriber group gets big enough we will be giving a package of materials, perhaps even a house if the group chooses to come and build one in a seminar with a package purchase, thus getting an education and a house for nearly the same price, but a knowledge and skills that will last a lifetime and be a career if you like building Art House from Salvage.
Yikes, again, the other way… Is it worth it to read this? To suffer and pay a subscription for it? Oh, you’re not? Pity. Turn head the other way now.
So what about getting all the cool materials used inside like the Cypress shutters, the roofing shingles for the shower, the Long Leaf Pinewood for floors, ceilings, and walls. What about the great windows that do not need to be made from sand anew, but save carbon, heat, transport, and other costs normal for vinyl or aluminum windows?
So, much as many would love to see us do that essay contest again, the response would have to be huge and only the paid subscribers would get to hear of it, though all could enter by law, only if they hear about it. So as we consider a way to get more people to pay to subscribe and learn how to build sustainably without imports or toxins in the tiny abodes… this is the time to get onboard cause I think we will be giving away a package of all of these materials to those who get to read to the end of these posts… in other words, paid subscribers. If we have a contest of any sort, we will not be advertising it anywhere but in this newsletter… just so you know ahead of time and do not know again if we should have the seminar and give away. No matter for now, until we have the support show, we are giving away some plans and pictures for those who do support us.
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