ArcaMax

I live in central New Hampshire on the west shore of Lake Winnisquam. This is the third-largest lake in the state. I kayak on the crystal-clear water as often as possible. The state owns the 7.2 square miles of water, but citizens own any islands that dot the lake.

Due east of my boat dock is a very small island that is less than 2,000 square feet in size. It’s about 50 feet in diameter. On this island is a tiny house. Several years ago, I was kayaking on a glorious summer day and saw the owners outside eating lunch sitting at a picnic table near their dock.

“Hello!" I said. "I’m Tim Carter. I live just across the lake from you. In the winter I often see a glow coming from your window that faces my house. Do you live here year-round?”

The older couple invited me to come sit with them. They were like teenage sweethearts and had a strong glow about them. We chatted about how they do live on the island year round. I was astonished, to say the least.

Their tiny house measured only 12 feet by 20 feet as best as I could estimate. That’s 240 square feet. It was smaller than a two-story shed I had built the previous year up above my leach field. I built my shed as a tiny house, and I sell the plans to folks on a regular basis.

After sharing a drink with them, I departed and kayaked around the other two larger islands. I couldn’t get my mind off how two people could live year-round in a nothing more than a very small cabin. As I paddled back to my dock, I decided to research how big the average log cabin was that settlers built centuries ago.

It turns out the average size of a log cabin built in the Northeast was 16 feet long by 14 feet wide. That’s 224 square feet of living area.

Are you entranced with the concept of downsizing and moving into a tiny house? Think of how small your heating and cooling bills would be. Imagine how fast you could clean your entire house! Ponder how long it might be before you’d quarrel with your significant other unless you were constantly bumping beaks like the lovebirds that live across the lake from me.

There are all sorts of advantages to living in a tiny house. We already know it’s possible, as our ancestors did it. There are also many disadvantages of compacting your lifestyle into a space not much bigger than a motel room.

The best way, in my opinion, to test your ability to survive in a tiny house is to rent a travel camper for a week. Take it to a local campground and hook it up to the on-site utilities so you can enjoy all the comforts of electricity, running water and sewer. Keep in mind not all campgrounds have a sewer connection. Without this important convenience, you’ll be stunned how fast you’ll fill up your onboard sewage holding tank.

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