180 Square-Feet & 100 Inches of Rain a Year for $108K

Welcome to Tiny Homes, an idea that is more popular with minimalists than with neighborhood associations and zoning boards. We'll point out the fun parts. You'll have to check out the logistics and legalities - but this one's been around long enough that it evidently fits in.

If you move to Lake Cushman are you moving away from the city or to nature? One's a push. One's a pull. If you like tiny houses, there are enough to pick from. A true tiny (though not on wheels) is up for sale. It is only 180 square feet, so the 1 bedroom and 0.5 bath are about all you can expect, but there's some style to what could've been a dreary cabin. Someone bought it in April 2014 for $50,000; and now it is back on the market for $108,000. Either real estate is appreciating phenomenally in Hoodsport, or someone got a good deal, or someone did a lot of work. It looks like the latter.

The metal roof and siding are actually clean, which is a surprise under those trees, but it isn't all steel. The woodwork inside and out was done with live-edge wood, where the edges maintain the organic contours of the tree, minus the bark. A brick deck out front is low maintenance, except for the inevitable moss in a place that typically gets 100 inches of rain per year.

Inside, a repurposed window acts as a door for the space beneath the sink. The 'dining room' table, or counter, or bar, is a slab of tree supported by a polished chunk of trunk. The woodwork around the bathroom sink is much more refined, maybe to make it easier to clean. Even the cabinet shelves use wood that reminds that it was alive.

Outside, there's a lot to pick from. Well, the lot is a third of an acre, which is a good start. Lake Cushman has its own resort for boating and fishing. There's a golf course in the neighborhood. And, up away from the town of Hoodsport is the Staircase entrance to Olympic National Park. Living in such a tiny house can sound like a retreat, but it only has to be as quiet as you want. A tiny house takes less time to clean, leaving more time to play. Go play!
· Olympic National Park [NPS]
· Lake Cushman Resort [LCR]
· 30 N Divot Pl, Hoodsport [Zillow]
· All Tiny Homes coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath