When I saw that another episode of the Hillary and Donald hour (debate) was on Sunday night, I turned off the tube and binge-watched “Tiny Houses” on Netflix.
I’m sort of amazed at how much one can fit into 200 square feet. I’ll admit all that downsizing, being free on the road, and traveling in a tiny house did seem sort of romantic and inviting at first. However, there were some aspects that were quite puzzling.
There is a sink, washing machine, a shower, and even a bathtub in some. I know where the water comes from, but where does it go?
If you are on a camp site, there must be some system for waste water, but what about when you are on non-campsite land. I know the toilets are composting toilets (more like a litter box), but where does the dirty shower water go? Or any of the appliances’ waste?
None of the hosts ever addressed the issue.
Another conundrum for those families that choose to have their small kids sleep in a loft: I noticed on all the shows that there are no railings cordoning off the loft area. What happens when a sleep-confused kid gets up in the middle of the night and falls off? Heck — what about when an adult gets up sleep-confused and falls off?
Then of course, what happens when you pop up out of bed? How many times do you knock yourself senseless on the sloped ceiling that is just inches from your head before it gets really old, really fast? And what about crawling in and out of your bed on a daily basis. How long does that adventure last?
These tiny houses sound great if you live in a temperate climate, but what about if you live where outside temps dip well below the comfort zone? How do you stop the pipes from freezing?
And lastly, since these house are light on their feet, what do you do when there is a hurricane or tornado? Doesn’t seem like there would always be enough time to remove the chocks, hitch up the house, secure the interior, and get on the good foot out of town?
Not for Nuthin™ — I’m all for decreasing our footprints and living free and easy on the road, but sharing 145 square feet of living with my husband and daughter (not to mention the litter box toilet)? Not a chance.
Follow me on Twitter @JDelBuono.
