SHOFSmall Homes on Foundation - aka "SHOF" - the standard home size before the "McMansion" era took hold.
In the early 1900's, the average home size was determined by practicality, therefore typically under 1,000 sf. Due to corporate encouragement and a misguided economy, we have been on a trend to "super-size" our homes - and our personal debts - until the realization that we can no longer sustain the overhead. We have been blindly trading in our lives for "things" thinking they would bring us happiness. It doesn't work. Since the economic downturn of 2008, many have awakened to the realization that we simply cannot continue that trend. The need for most is a return to smaller, more affordable homes that have a lesser environmental impact. Time for a return to those beautiful small homes. |
THOWTiny Houses on Wheels - aka "THOW" - were born of the determination to actually own a home, free of a mortgage and the threat of having it taken.
If a house is built on a foundation, it's subject to the standard building codes and permitting which typically means a minimum square footage (probably 2,000 sf) which puts the price out of range for many people. So somewhere in the near-past, someone discovered that if built on a trailer, the house essentially circumvents those building codes and they may build as small - and affordable - as necessary. Finally! A way to put a roof over your head without a mortgage! So telling that such effort is needed just to own a home. Something needs to change. |