New England Ranks As A Favorable Region For Tiny House Living

LawnStarter explores ways in which the green earth works in conjunction with you to fully enjoy and maximize your surrounding elements. Recently, they detailed the best states for tiny house living, and New England states were at the top of the rankings.

First, what exactly defines a tiny home? With their increase in popularity over the past few years, Quicken Loans provides some market research on the topic. Of course, it starts with the actual footprint. Tiny house living is specific to a home that by measure is 500 square feet or smaller. "They can also be built on either a mobile platform or a permanent house foundation," Quicken Loans states.

LawnStarter looked at the parameters surrounding the construction of such homes across the country. This was in an effort to properly analyze what are truly the best states for tiny homes.

"We also looked at the suitability of building in an urban setting based on average yard acreages and in a remote environment based on off-grid lifestyle-friendliness," they said. As a result, legality, space, and lifestyle were determined to be the key factors.

The results show that Vermont finished as the best state, and New Jersey ranked as the 50th (worst). In between, everything from states that ban tiny houses and states that require strict permits was considered.

Urban lifestyle and remote lifestyle considerations helped our region produce well here. In addition, the fact that tiny homes of this nature are legal was also an essential ingredient. Here are the other New England states that are ideal for tiny house living.

In addition to Vermont being the best, Maine also cracked the top five. Appropriately nicknamed the Pine Tree State, Maine ranked fourth best. While these two northern areas clearly carried the region, New Hampshire and Connecticut were also in the top 25. Massachusetts and Rhode Island were 31 and 40, respectively.

Great Lakes Tiny Homes specializes in the construction of modern, tiny living. They have detailed which counties in Georgia allow such residences. In addition to the counties to look at, they detail that RV parks, national parks and campgrounds are ideal location in the Peach State. Furthermore, there are also tiny house communities and private properties that can accommodate this style, if you are interested in downsizing.

As much as I love my south shore area of the Northeast, sometimes there is nothing better than a quick pause. We are fortunate in New England that there are so many great options that are a short drive away. It's not hard to embark on that perfect weekend getaway escape.

With summer coming to a close and the hustle and bustle of all the fall activities kicking into overdrive, here I will look at some of the best places for a weekend getaway in New England based upon all of those I have visited.

Many factors can be considered when nailing down that perfect two-day plan. We, of course, are graced with all four seasons of the year, so depending upon when you are traveling, different activities may be available to you. Then again, perhaps you don't want any activities at all.

Food options are important to me. However, I don't make trip plans based around what place has the best restaurants. I tend to lean towards exploring the local area in hopes of tripping across a local gem.

Driving distance is another thing I heavily weigh. Although I don't mind the occasional long road trip, my preference is to maximize my time on a weekend adventure. Therefore, time in the car is ideally under four hours. Cost is always a factor.

Lastly, I must preface this list by stating I am an outdoorsman. A good book or movie can certainly do the trick. I always opt for great ocean waves, a rope swing, or mountain over an extra hour of sleep.

In recent years, I have been to each of the places on this list over various months of the year. They each have their own unique characteristics. Their common bond is that they are all great destinations for a New England weekend getaway.

Cape Cod is an obvious location. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend, there is perhaps no place that is more popular in Massachusetts. To me, it's about finding that specific corner of Cape Cod that is right for you. You can camp or find cottages along Cahoon Hallow Road that will enable amazing trips to the beach. Trekking those sand dunes, hitting the three-foot waves (yes, sometimes there are shark warnings), and then getting food at the Beachcomber while listening to the great live music, is my perfect day.

There is never a bad time to visit this charming town. You can ski Cranmore in the winter. Hike, hit the waterfalls, or visit Storyland in the summer. Either way, you will be graced with some amazing local restaurants. In fact, North Conway flies under the radar as one of the best pizza towns in New England. The hotels like Eastern Slope in accommodate any season, and are right in the middle of town where all the bars, restaurants and stores are. This weekend getaway is probably the least "quiet" but has the most amount of options at your fingertips.

The river that runs through Woodstock has a way of speaking to you. It's serene but can also provide a thrill of pushing you down stream. It's calming to provide that fresh water cleanse to rid yourself of all that comes with the lights on the city. Lastly, the various rope swings scattered around the town provide a liberating rush. From the climb up the rocks to the swing, to the plunge, you focus on nothing but the joy of that ride. Ramunto's Brick Oven and Brews is also an essential stop upon each visit.

Lake life just hits differently. Depending upon where you go around Lake Sebago you get the feeling that nowhere else on the planet exists while you there. Frye Island has the magic of no public cars, local watering holes, and the ability to bike incredible dirt roads. There's a history there to learn about and local taps to enjoy. It's common to see jet skiing or pontoon boating anywhere you look within the glistening waters. Furthermore, certain towns offer that one and only general store that has everything you can imagine, from household cleaning supplies to steaks to grill for dinner.