I’m restarting my personal blog, and in the spirit of downsizing I think I might shut down some of my other websites and focus my attention here.
Back in 2008 I started blogging about the Tiny House Movement – mostly as therapy as I watched the real estate market tank. Until then I never thought a home’s value could plummet so far, so fast. The whole experience really changed the way I thought about housing.
I’m a designer, so it was natural for me to start dreaming up tiny house plans. Soon I had a lot of people following my blog who were also interested in tiny house design. My tiny house blogs became a business and I began to rely on it – but like most businesses you either adapt to the changing marketplace or you fail.
At about the time tiny houses began showing up on television shows I noticed a major change in the Tiny House Movement. Everyone was writing about it, shooting video, and more and more professionals started their own tiny house businesses.
Today tiny houses are big business and those of who chose to remain small have not been able to keep up.
So today is a new day when I’m going to sell off my tiny house websites and go back to blogging from my heart and not as a business. So far this decision feels incredibly freeing and I hope it reignites my creativity. I figure sometimes you have to burn something down to begin a new.
I will keep this one blog, michaeljanzen.com to record and share my current thinking, designs, and thoughts. If you’re curious to see what I have in mind, I hope you’ll stick around and subscribe to my new email newsletter – see subscription form at the bottom of the page.
Good luck, Michael. Although I don’t currently live in a tiny house I’ve enjoyed your reading posts and learning about them. I’m hoping that I might build my own someday. Looking forward!
Aloha, Richard
Thanks Richard!
Best wishes for your future endeavours, Michael. In the Australian state I live in it is only very recently that Tiny Homes have been seen as a valid option for housing so while I have always enjoyed viewing your designs they have never been a possibility here.That appears to be about to change. Cheers!
Hi Michael as the previous comments I have enjoyed your posts and plans for many years . I’m in Australia and did build a tiny house but it was too early in the movement for it to be a viable business .People didn’t understand that bathrooms cost the same for a tiny house as a big one and tradesmen cost the same . So given the expectation of price was unrealistic I didn’t go any further with more models. However I still love the concept and always watch what is happening. Good luck with your new venture.
Thanks Katrina! I think the costly tiny houses we’re seeing now are due to those reasons. For a professional to build one is expensive. I think it’s still possible for owner builders to do it on a budget though.
Michael, I am really struggling with this loss as it comes at a time when I want to burn everything down and start over too… only with no resources and failing health… I don’t know how to manage the uncertainty of losing my home and I have little to no support or encouraging words to embrace the van life or lack of property for a tiny house to be truly mine…
I’m definitely going to continue to follow you and can only hope that this have and have nots world can change back to one of kindness and community!!
I admire your passion and dedication and you are a great voice that I will miss!
Namaste- Christina
Thanks Christina! So far it feels freeing and motivating. I think what it takes to be successful is a mind shift. We’ll see it it works. 🙂
Hi Michael, a friend and I built a “Tiny Solar Saltbox” from your plans, several years ago. I would love to find somewhere I can buy another set of those plans, as I want to build one now for myself. Thanks
Hi Jim. Thanks! You can find it here: https://michaeljanzen.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=111808&method_id=118104
Thank you so MUCH Michael!!! Is it okay to share the purchase link if someone asks?
Thank you! Yes, that’s fine.