I have come to observe that I have to let ideas take root before I will give them credence. Partially due to what I call my ‘Oh Shiny!’ complex. So I try to allot myself a period of time where I ponder and/or drool about something before acting on it, best I can.
I have participated in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) for about 13 years, and have aspired to having a gypsy persona. In light of this, I have had a fascination with Gypsy Vardos for years. I thought about building one so that I could have a comfy place to lay my head when running off to wars and tourneys of all sorts. However, I always felt it was a bit of a pipe dream.
Fast forward to my tiny house notion, then back to my vardo concept. I realized I really wanted to marry the two ideas. Who said that my tiny house could not be a vardo? I mean, that sounds like a fantastic idea! Then realized I put myself almost back at square one.
As much as I would like to be a fabulous DIY’er (do-it-yourself), I knew I did not have the tools, time or money needed for such an epic project, or did I?
~Kera~
Gorgeous little vardo! Of course, we po’ folk are wondering what it cost? I am assuming it was pricey because of all the custom work….making it road-worthy, for example. I will be interested to know how you do deal with moisture build up…as I am really allergic to fungi and mold and mildew and it’s a big concern of mine. I suppose much of that could be mitigated by living in a dry climate, which is my preference (NM!) but right now I am in N. Ca. with lots of trees and plenty of humidity. I suppose I could park on a sunny knolltop when I find one. The parking spot is the hardest when land is so expensive and septic/well laws so stringent. Who can afford to buy land at $30-50k per acre, install a septic and drill a well and still have money left over for a tiny house? Surely not I! So I am constantly researching how to build cheaply but elegantly (your Fortune Cookie is radically elegant)…I don’t mind a rustic look one bit, so the custom woodwork might not be at all necessary for me. I DO dream of a clawfoot tub though…sigh…could take up a lot of room, eh? I enjoy your blog!
Naima:
You can see what Abel has for pricing costs here: http://zylvardos.com/models-pricing/
It all depends on what features you want.
I recommend reading the book Humanure (http://humanurehandbook.com/) for the easiest solution to the septic question. I agree that property is expensive. That is something I will look into acquiring later down the road.
What I have found, is that many people are open to the idea of letting you park for free if you help them around the house, property or farm. Another option is http://www.Tinyhouselistings.com. This gives you the option to list a request to park somewhere and name your price, or find who is offering space for tiny house parking.
I do love a good bath. I have found that since I started living in my tiny home, I am usually parked at a friends house. This allows me access to a bath, on the off chance I decide to take one. I knew for me, I wanted a stand up shower (eventually) as they use way less water. I also would rather vertical space gets used versus horizontal space.