Alternative Housing Solutions
CREATIVE HOUSING ALTERNATIVES
CREATIVE HOUSING ALTERNATIVES
There is always a need for housing, however during hard times, such as is
currently affecting the United States, and other countries, obtaining a roof
overhead is becoming increasingly challenging. The alarming inflation in
house prices not only creates difficulties for those seeking to buy, but is
also a budget buster for renters. In this situation, as in so many others,
creative thinking will help those in need of adequate shelter to find viable
solutions. A place to live can be many types of places, and situations.
Stealth, or brown bag housing, is a situation where an existing
non-residential building is repurposed into shelter, without substantially
modifying the exterior. Often the main requirement is a full bathroom, and
at least an ad hoc kitchenette for sheds, garages, or offices to be useful
as homes. In fact, one way to obtain immediate rental income is to add a
full bath to any structure.
In climates with cold winters, insulation and a good heat source, such as a
wood burning stove, is essential. There are small wood stoves that that give
off adequate heat for a tiny space, and if they have a flat top, the stove
will have the added benefit of being a place for a tea kettle.
In a converted shed, or garage, insulation and a little work will be needed.
However insulation comes in rolls, pre-sized to fit between the standard 16"
on center studs, and can be easily installed with a heavy duty staple gun.
Minor electrical work, and a carpet to cover the concrete floor will help
finish off the space.
Personally, I like sheds, and fondly remember the shed we had in our rear
yard, back home. We had inherited our house from my great Aunt who lived
there around the turn of the last century, before the days of indoor
plumbing. We still had her old, long unused, outhouse, chicken coop, hand
pump, and the old shed that once been a single car garage, and shop. That
shed was the place I would go to think and daydream. It was a wonderful
place. Perhaps, because of those memories, I think that sheds offer an easy,
and romantic, solution to a need for shelter.
Another unconventional space is a converted shipping container. This could
offer the ultimate solution for international portability, all that is
needed is a place to park it. The website, escapeartist.com has an excellent
article about how to convert a shipping container for residential use:
http://www.escapeartist.com/OREQ4/Nomadic_Housing2000.htmlFinally, another type of "brown bag" solution is the conversion of
commercial space into residential. Years ago, after the divorce from my
first wife, I lived for a year in a converted store front near "People's
Park" in Berkeley, California. Outside it looked like a store, with the
windows obscured. I used a large sheet of raw, painter's canvas, to cover
the window, which created a soothing quality of light, when the sun shone
through. It had a full bathroom, and kitchen, high ceilings and was very
quiet, and convenient. All this for a fraction of what apartments so near
the campus would have cost.
What can be used as a home is limited only by the imagination. Such places
as service station shops, school buses, and retail loft storage areas, are
among the many places that have been converted to homes. During hard times,
creatively thinking about where you can live, will help keep a roof
overhead.
Alternative Housing Solutions
By: William Edward Summers
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