Living in a Small House

Article details

Main points

The author describes living in a compact, reconfigurable, energy efficient home built two years earlier in an urban location.

The home has a 1,600 square foot interior and a small lot. The location allowed the family to eliminate a car.

The reduced lot size lowered taxes, lawn maintenance, home insurance, and utility costs. Better materials and technology are expected to reduce maintenance over time.

Configurable URBANEER features make the space feel 15% larger because the rooms can be converted as needed.

The author says the home created more freedom by reducing house expenses and chores.

Costs and savings mentioned

Item Amount
Vehicle elimination $600 a month
Ancillary home ownership expenses $300 a month
Overall savings 50%

Appraisal and financing

The author says it took three appraisers to receive the value needed for financing.

The first two appraisers gave up. The third was willing to push the boundaries to better reflect the home’s value.

Housing market observations

Proposed metric

The author proposes measuring “life per square foot” instead of only construction cost per square foot.

This measure would include savings and freedom from efficient living, not just expenses.

URBANEER’s stated goal

URBANEER says it is creating compact and configurable living spaces under 1,500 square feet.

The company says it has formed a cross-functional team of industrial designers, engineers, architects, builders, and a building supply company.

The goal is a new model designed from the inside out.

Tags

#smallliving #construction #modularhomes #modularconstruction #urbaneer #futureofliving #offsiteconstruction #lifepersquarefoot