Living in a 600 sq ft cottage...

[Jyotsna]

I've seen the threads about mamas here living in small houses. I may be living in a small house because I'm about to move. I'm moving out of the area where I currently live, and into a more popular area. Because of that, I can't afford the rent for a same sized place.

What furniture should I keep, what should I store or sell?

How do I manage 4 of us in a small house. Are there tips of the trade, sort of, that you can share with me on helping everyone get along in such a small place? We will have some space outside to play, but NO backyard.

I'll be putting my bed and the girls bunkbed in the bedroom for my girls and I to sleep on, and in the living room our sofa and a futon sofa for my son to sleep on. We have to have our table and chairs, our computer, our tv/dvd player, sofa, futon sofa, dressers. Should I make a space in the bedroom for watching videos, and keep the livingroom/dining room for just sleeping (for my son) sitting and reading for everyone, and homeschooling? We could put our book cases in our living room to keep everything close.

I know of families who live on boats for years at a time. Can we live in 600 sq ft?

Thanks for any advice or thoughts, stories about your transition from large to small. I'm prepared to sell stuff.

[Tradd]

Originally Posted by Jyotsna

I've seen the threads about mamas here living in small houses. I may be living in a small house because I'm about to move. I'm moving out of the area where I currently live, and into a more popular area. Because of that, I can't afford the rent for a same sized place.

What furniture should I keep, what should I store or sell?

How do I manage 4 of us in a small house. Are there tips of the trade, sort of, that you can share with me on helping everyone get along in such a small place? We will have some space outside to play, but NO backyard.

I'll be putting my bed and the girls bunkbed in the bedroom for my girls and I to sleep on, and in the living room our sofa and a futon sofa for my son to sleep on. We have to have our table and chairs, our computer, our tv/dvd player, sofa, futon sofa, dressers. Should I make a space in the bedroom for watching videos, and keep the livingroom/dining room for just sleeping (for my son) sitting and reading for everyone, and homeschooling? We could put our book cases in our living room to keep everything close.

I know of families who live on boats for years at a time. Can we live in 600 sq ft?

Thanks for any advice or thoughts, stories about your transition from large to small. I'm prepared to sell stuff.

So, this is a 1BR?

Is the computer a laptop or desktop? If it's a laptop, get rid of any computer desk you might have and just use it on the dining room table.

How many dressers? A sofa AND a futon sofa? I think you might have to get rid of one or the other. Too much furniture in a small space always makes it worse.

If you're renting, are you sure the landlord will rent to all 4 of you?

You might very well have to pair clothes down and get rid of at least one of your dressers. Depending on how many bookcases/available wall space, you might have to cull the books out, as well. Put dressers in closets, if possible, to give you more floor space in the BR.

Basically, it comes down to getting rid of as much stuff as you can. You're going to have to really look at your seasonal stuff (such as decorations) - you're simply not going to have the space.

I'm a minimalist myself, BTW.

[Thystle]

Ok so is this a 1bd/1ba?

Is there a dining room, and if so could it be "blocked" off in anyway to make a room?

Are there any large closets or built in bookcases/shelves?



How old are all the kids? In possibility of putting all the kids in the bedroom and you sleep on the futon so you have a bit of privacy?



Is there any storage/basement/attic space at all?

[lolar2]

Will there be a yard or porch or anything like that?

[guestmama9920]

I don't usually post here but was lurking and well here is a subject I know a lot about (not saving money but living in a tiny house!)

We had a 3bed 2.5 bath 700 sq foot house before. Our last place was 800 sq feet although we couldn't find 800 sq feet when we measured it I promise you

So, actually I'm now in a place that is 1900 sq feet and you know what? It's too big! I actually preferred the little place. Easier to clean and keep tidy!

Here are some tips maybe something is useful

Sort through your stuff, donate, ebay or trash what you never use. We've moved international a few times and I use this theory when buying or keeping stuff "would I PAY to have this shipped" I mean some things I wouldn't, cheap stuff like say a mop, but furniture etc I use that theory and nick nacks, which we have little of.

We used 1 chest of drawers for the 4 of us, 1 closet, had more room for other bits.

Wall shelves are FAB! you can use them for storing books, nappies, pictures. they sell awesome fabric holders at pottery barn, then you can put them on the shelf, storage without taking up floor space.

You do not NEED a big dining table, we have 3 of us at one that is 90cms, and we have room!

Most companies do small spaces ranges, I know pottery barn does and Ikea is famous for it.

1 big bed is less room then 2 smaller ones. murphey beds are better made this these days too.

Ikea does a storage one that you lift up, tons of room for junk (that you were suppose to have already gotten rid of )

tops of kitchen cupboards you can use for stuff you don't use very often.

Hang coats on the wall in the loo (like us Brits tend to do )


Give me more info and I'll try to help some more

[Olma]

About two years ago we moved in half the space we had before and it took some hard work on paring down all the 'necessities'.

One place I always look for inspiration is [url]www.apartmenttherapy.com.
They tour real small places with real ppl living in them. Some of them are pretty amazing in what they can fit in in a really tiny place, and looks good too!

Like a pp mentioned, Ikea has great ideas for small places. Browse their catalog for ideas on how you can put all your esentials in a room Also there are books dedicated to living in small spaces, check them out at your library.
Good luck!

[Noelle C.]

Many states limit the number of occupants in a rental unit to 2 people per bedroom plus one more. So you need to look into whether it'll be legal to rent a 1br unit with 4 people.

[SleeplessMommy]

I would not recommend storage for anything - Craigslist is very effective for selling furniture. It would be better to get $50 or 100 for a piece of furniture than to spend $100 a month (or more) for a place to store it.

[p1gg1e]

We had 4 people in 550 sqft ( 2 adults , 4 yo and a 2yo ) one bedroom little cottage.

Muiti purpose furniture is best futons , bunk beds , small tvs and we got rid of most of our little appliances. We had a king sized ved with me Dh and toddler and 4 you slept in a toddler bed at the foot ( that kid beats you up in your sleep LOL other wise she would be welcome)

Best thing to do is move into the place settle in and figure out your needs ( Id actually get a storage unit for only one month) and then get rid of what ever you don't need.

We only moved because we ended up getting mold , space wise it wasnt bad...at least I thought it wasn't

[guestmama9920]

Originally Posted by Noelle C.

Many states limit the number of occupants in a rental unit to 2 people per bedroom plus one more. So you need to look into whether it'll be legal to rent a 1br unit with 4 people.

Kids don't count. I know you can def do 2 kids in a 1 bed.

Originally Posted by SleeplessMommy

I would not recommend storage for anything - Craigslist is very effective for selling furniture. It would be better to get $50 or 100 for a piece of furniture than to spend $100 a month (or more) for a place to store it.

VERY good point. Storage adds up. We had storage once cause our place was small and I wanted the extra storage space. But I knew I was paying for the space vs it actually being cost effective if that makes sense.

We've moved back and forth over the pond and people always say "why not just put it in storage vs selling it" which in theory sounds the best plan. But if you pay £100 x 12 that is £1200 and to store a hoover, books, etc, well you could prob just buy them all again

Also storage places have gotten expensive. BUT if you say to yourself, I'd like to store xyz and I don't mind the extra $$$ for the space then do it. It's nice to have the boxes and junk you don't need at home somewhere else

[Noelle C.]

Originally Posted by Britishmama

Kids don't count. I know you can def do 2 kids in a 1 bed.

Yes, they do, in states with limits on how many people can live in a rental unit. It's not limited to the number of children you can physically fit in a bed.

[guestmama9920]

Originally Posted by Noelle C.

Yes, they do, in states with limits on how many people can live in a rental unit. It's not limited to the number of children you can physically fit in a bed.

I was told in Cali they didn't count kids. We rented a 1 bed and where told we were allowed 2 people but as many kids as we wanted (we had only 1 though) we were told they didn't count as "people" for the requirement

[Fujiko]

Yeah, I remember reading specifically in my rental agreement (can't remember if it was in Oregon or North Dakota) that children don't count. Probably differs from state to state.

[velochic]

Unfortunately, in California, it appears that the landlord has some say about how a rental is occupied. A very quick google search came up with this. It looks like there is a general "2 plus 1" rule and even a square footage rule, so the OP may have a difficult time occupying a 1br. And there are some housing laws that *can* be enforced if a landlord wants to... and it appears it includes kids. As long as the landlord is not using the rule to discriminate against people with children, then they can make limitations... the limitations just have to apply to everyone. That is, if there is a 1br. and you have 3 adults living in one unit, you have to let a single mother and her 2 kids live in a unit and cannot use the "rule" to discriminate.

That kind of surprises me. I clicked on this thread because dh's best friend lived with his wife and 5 kids in a small apartment in Munich for many, many years before they built a house just outside the city. When we lived in Munich, we would visit them and it seemed crowded, but they were actually very happy. They had 2 bedrooms and the teenaged girl and boy had those. The rest slept in the living room. Germany is notorious for their occupancy rules, however they owned the flat. I'm surprised that if they allowed it there, that it is disallowed here.

I was just going to say that having a very small space is most definitely doable and people like me (another minimalist) actually kind of prefer it. Our house is 2000 sq. ft. and it seems huge to me sometimes... except when my mom (who lives with us) and I are at each other about something.

OP - if you can swing it, I think you'll be fine and may come to prefer it. Good luck!

[irishdancer]

Hi,

We live in a 935 sq ft house and there are 5 of us. We have 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, although we did manage to convert the extra room off of the kitchen (the old garage) into our bedroom, so I guess we have 3 bedrooms. We use our room to watch TV, and it also has the computer in it. The two boys are in one room, we have a loft style bed for my 11 year old (converted bunkbed) and a small bed from Ikea for my 5 year old that fits underneath like an "L" shape. My daughter has her own room. We have been very creative. The house is from 1941, so the closets are tiny. I share one with my daughter and the two boys share one. My husband uses the hall/coat closet for himself and we have a small linen closet. We do have an attic, which we use for storage, and a garage.

It is all about creative planning. I hate clutter and it is way more noticeable in a small house. Everything needs its place and I like to make sure everything is hidden(like with under the bed storage). It limits your consumerism, which is a good thing! If there isn't room for it, you don't need it. I think we, as Americans, have way to much stuff as it is, a small house or space makes you look at posessions differently IMHO. Don't get me wrong, my attic is full of unnecessary stuff, but it also has things like our winter/summer clothes. One of our next projects is to downsize the attic.

It also takes me less time to clean the house from top to bottom. I would seriously take a look at your new space without any furniture in it and visualize ways to make it the most comfortable for your whole family. Try to make a small personal space for yourself so you can unwind or read a book in quiet. If you do have a dining room, trying to make a bedroom for you son might be a good idea (as another poster pointed out). You could just tack up some curtains in a pinch, that way he would have some privacy also and you would still have a living room. Anyway, it can work, you just need to go into with an open mind. And, definitely less is more with furniture!!

Good Luck,

Rachel

[KatWrangler]

Originally Posted by Britishmama

Kids don't count. I know you can def do 2 kids in a 1 bed.


VERY good point. Storage adds up. We had storage once cause our place was small and I wanted the extra storage space. But I knew I was paying for the space vs it actually being cost effective if that makes sense.

We've moved back and forth over the pond and people always say "why not just put it in storage vs selling it" which in theory sounds the best plan. But if you pay £100 x 12 that is £1200 and to store a hoover, books, etc, well you could prob just buy them all again

Also storage places have gotten expensive. BUT if you say to yourself, I'd like to store xyz and I don't mind the extra $$$ for the space then do it. It's nice to have the boxes and junk you don't need at home somewhere else

Bolding mine. They do where I live and I think its a bunch of doo doo. We were denied several appartments because we mentioned we had three kids (5,3 and 16 months). We were getting a 2 bedroom.

[Village Mama]

Our house is 780 square feet for the four of us( not 600 though which would cut out a room.... could be done though). It is actually plenty of room even for homeschooling. 7 years renting here so far!
I have seen people use a bed that rolls under another bed for the children. Sleeping loft areas help to maximise space underneath if you can swing it. For us, everything has to have it's own place. If something new comes our way we generally have to rearrange a ton to make it work. Lots of tall shelving is key.Baskets are nice because things will not look as cluttered that way. We do all of our homelearning,huge amount of books, crafting, wool spinning, fermenting, canning etc happily in our small home. I wouldn't say that there is any one good answer for a layout.... my advice is to be flexible because the right layout and organisation of the space will always be evolving.

[Jyotsna]

Thanks to everyone on all the comments. I'm not going to take the place because of the way it is layed out, but I think if the owner is willing to rent it, and the renter is willing to make it work, the law should not be involved.

Of course, we have seen 4 families living in the houses in our neighborhood. The original renters are obviously not honest about the number of people planning to live there! I will be, because I don't want an unexpected eviction!

I am still looking for a very small place, in order to keep my untilies low, and everything low for that matter. Also, I'm feeling I have too much stuff, and I want to get rid of it, and I may have to force myself.

Please keep the small space comments coming. I'd love to know how you deal with your mail, homeschooling, knitting supplies (geez! Can you have too much?), dirty laundry, art supplies, books, kitchen neccesities (blender, mixer, extra bowls, serving plates, china, silver ect), yard supplies, gardening supplies, cd's, dvd's, videos ect, ect, ect.

Thanks so much for your comments!

[honeybee80]

Originally Posted by Jyotsna

Please keep the small space comments coming. I'd love to know how you deal with your mail, homeschooling, knitting supplies (geez! Can you have too much?), dirty laundry, art supplies, books, kitchen neccesities (blender, mixer, extra bowls, serving plates, china, silver ect), yard supplies, gardening supplies, cd's, dvd's, videos ect, ect, ect.

Thanks so much for your comments!

I rent a 750 sq. ft. house (it's just me and my 2 kids, 4 and 6 yo) and I LOVE it! Regarding what you mentioned above:

*Mail: I sort it immediately--most of it goes in recycling, and everything else I try to deal with right away, esp. filing. This is the thing I have the most trouble with, as it's SO easy to get overrun by paperwork!

*Craft supplies: I have a few rubbermaid containers that things are sorted into. I recently decluttered my craft stuff because I had a lot of stuff I wasn't using. This stuff takes up one shelf of my hall closet (files, winter accessories, camping gear, games, and gift wrapping supplies take up the rest).

*Dirty Laundry: I have 2 collapsible hampers in my closet that we all use--one for light colors, the other for dark. Laundry never has to be sorted that way I usually do laundry twice a week.

*Art supplies: Kept in 2 bins on top of my microwave, which is on top of my fridge. My kids tend to get out of hand with art supplies if they are left accessible all the time

*Books: I have 2 bookshelves in my living room--one tall and one shorter. I have 2 shelves of books for myself and one shelf of books for the kids. The rest of the shelves are for toy storage (which are kept organized in containers).

*Kitchen necessities: Necessities is the key word there China and silver are not necessities to me. I have corelle dishes that I got from the thrift store...enough for each of us, plus a few extras. Appliance-wise, I keep my toaster oven and microwave out, plus my french press (I switched from a drip coffee maker to that and will never go back!) In one cabinet, I have a blender, crock pot, electric hand mixer, and popcorn popper. Those are the only appliances I have.

*Yard/gardening supplies: I do have a shed in my backyard, so I keep all that stuff out there.

*CDs/DVDs: All are in books--I got rid of all the plastic cases. Books are much more efficient! DVDs are kept in my hall closet, along with my portable DVD player (I don't have a TV), and my CDs, which I rarely listen to (I use my ipod most of the time), are in my car under the passenger seat, in case I need them (realistically though, I NEVER listen to them!)

HTH a bit! GL in your search!

[HappyLittleHouse]

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