Tiny houses catch on with those looking to simplify lives

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - Their house is smaller than a two-car-garage, but that's not a big deal to Cori Cox and his Hoosier family.

They like to keep things tiny.

Very tiny.

An 800-square-foot cabin looks like a mansion next to the tiny house the family is building 50 miles outside of Indianapolis.

The 8-foot-by-20-foot house near Terre Haute will have an oven the size of a dorm room microwave when construction is finished. But the Cox family isn't worried about space.

They got rid of big stuff to live small.

"Building a tiny house just fit in with our values," Cox told The Indianapolis Star (http://indy.st/1AwY0Te ). "Our goal here is to reduce the amount of clutter, live more simply and sustainably."

Angel Tyra - the lady of the tiny house - cut her shoe collection in half when they moved out of their 1,000-square-foot Westfield rental in December. Their 8-year-old daughter Amelia donated toys to charity, while Cori found a new home for their bulky beds, televisions and furniture.

Tiny house living - the concept of downsizing to 500 square feet or less - is a movement that's inching its way into Indiana as more homeowners nationwide trade their "McMansions" for tiny houses.

The idea of moving into a house smaller than a hotel room intrigued the Cox family as they looked at ways to depend less on material things and more on each other.

Cox, a 37-year-old software engineer, even floated around the idea of moving to Ecuador before his wife agreed to live in a tiny house.

"When he first brought the idea to me I said 'you're totally out of your mind,'" Tyra, 33, recalled. "I said nobody lives like that. We can't do that."

But they did.

They hired an architect to help design the $20,000 tiny house they are building themselves. It will have everything they need, including a composting toilet, kitchen with four cabinets, shower and customized sleeping lofts. There will even be space for their 60-pound dog, Dexter.

A small refrigerator could be filled with crops by spring. The family purchased a 14-acre lot where they will be able to do small-scale farming. In additional sustainability, their 160-square-foot home represents a move toward financial stability, Cox said.

The family owned a home in Indy for a couple of years, but decided to sell when Cox found a better-paying job in Michigan.

"This happened right when the housing market tanked," Cox said. "We kept the house on the market for as long as we could, but we ran out of money paying the mortgage and rent in Michigan and eventually lost it."

Five years after filing for bankruptcy, the family is recovering, thanks, in part, to their tiny house.

Utilities are expected to cost about $50 a month for water, heat and electric.

That's half of what they paid at their Westfield rental.

Propane gas expenses as low as $8 a month have been reported by tiny house owners with solar power. Saving money, however, isn't the only reason for living small.

The family wants to spend more time together. One of their favorite activities is roller derby.

Cox plays for the Indianapolis men's team Race City Rebels and Tyra recently joined Bleeding Heartland in Bloomington.

They also enjoy spending time with family and friends outside of their tiny house.

"Having more than two guests," Cox said with a chuckle, "would get sort of comical."

Owen County family builds tiny house. Kelly Wilkinson/The Star

Television shows, including FYI's "Tiny House Nation" and HGTV's "Tiny House Hunters," are drawing attention to the movement, and so are local fan clubs.

Jennifer Bridges, 44, and Pam Schiefelbein, 49, launched the Facebook page "Two Girls and a Tiny House" last year for local tiny house fans.

Now more than 1,200 Facebook users receive updates and building advice from Bridges and Schiefelbein, who plan to travel the country after they build a tiny home.

Their house on wheels will be equipped with solar panels, stairs and a massage table for Bridges, a massage therapist for the Indiana Fever.

Their cat Miss Kitty, and dogs Ralphie and Bella will have their own space, too. The environmentally friendly tiny house will have about 280 square feet of living space.

"A huge concern of ours is the environment," Schiefelbein said. "We're going green."

The first step involved changing their diet, the second turned into building a tiny house.

Finding a place this winter to start construction has been a challenge. If they can't find a place to build it, Bridges said, they'll wait until spring and build outside on her property. They are designing and purchasing the materials without much outside help.

By August, Bridges and Schiefelbein expect to take their tiny on the road to French Lick for the LPGA Legends Championship.

They recommend people interested in the tiny house lifestyle learn as much about it as possible.

"Do your research," Schiefelbein suggest. "Figure out what you really want."

A lot of people are offering to help Bridges and Schiefelbein.

Many of those volunteers have attended meet-ups at Schiefelbein's home. About 20 people gathered on Feb. 7 to learn more about their journey.

An estimated 95 percent of their followers on Facebook are from Central Indiana, including Kyle and Michelle Shore.

The Indianapolis couple will live in a 325-square-foot cabin while they save money for their tiny house to live in after they retire.

The Shores, both 42, want to purchase a tiny house, but first they will move into a micro cabin in Henry County, east of Indianapolis.

Their Indianapolis house, which has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, goes on the market this month.

"The goal is to be retired and go on to the next chapter before we are 50," said Kyle Shore, a mental health therapist.

The couple plans to live in their cabin for five years while they save money for their tiny house and retirement.

Co-workers, family and friends were skeptical at first, Shore said, but they knew he was serious when he started insulating the walls of his cabin.

Their intentions to move were confirmed again when Shore sold his Hyundai Genesis Coupe sports car. He now owns a pickup truck that could pull a tiny house.

"We spent the first half of our lives collecting stuff that we rarely use or need," Shore said. "We have come to recognize that is it now time to chase our dream of financial freedom, early retirement and adventure."

In Marion County, a building permit isn't required for a structure of 120 square feet or less. But the structures are considered sheds or mini-barns - not homes.

John Bartholomew, spokesman for the Department of Metropolitan Development, said tiny homeowners would have to apply for variance if they wanted to park their tiny house in the county. Current zoning codes do not include rules and regulations for tiny houses.

But that doesn't mean you can't have a tiny house in the city.

While tiny houses are typically less than 500 square feet, tiny house fans also are interested in older homes with less square footage.

The website tinyhouseblog.com, features shotgun homes in Indianapolis, calling them "small by American standards and a great bargain."

Indiana Landmarks lists home for sale on the website, two of which have sold.

A house at 2236 Station St. near Martin University is currently for sale. The historical society is asking $5,000 for the property, said Chad Lethig, Indianapolis Preservation Coordinator for Indiana Landmarks.

The home, located in a low-income neighborhood, is in need of improvement. The nonprofit made an effort to revitalize the exterior.

"The bones are still solid," Lething said. "It could be a really cute house."

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com