[sliverstorm]

That's really cool! I want one :)

In all seriousness though I think if my property was 6' wide my first move would be build a basement and sub-basement and sub-sub-basement. The ground floor would be for my motorcycles, kitchen on the 2nd floor, den in the basement, sleeping in the sub and storage in the sub-sub. You'd barely need any square footage, especially if you use ladders instead of stairs.

I guess you could say I'm thinking like a submarine designer?

[loup-vaillant]

Just mind the air flow. If you don't actively bring in clean air from the surface, sleeping in a sub-basement is unhealthy in the long run.

[electromagnetic]

Run a forced air line to the lowest level and run regular central air from the lowest level (rather than simply the basement, you'd be running it from the 2nd or 3rd sub-level).

It would also be ideal to ensure the basement is fully sealed (IE the moisture wrap they bury after you've had a leak can actually be laid before the foundation) which will help dramatically with the moisture in the basement levels.

I would imagine a house would become more vertical in narrower confines. I know my friend had a house that was only 12ft wide but long. The ground floor was kitchen and dining room, 2nd floor was a huge living room with a small bathroom, 3rd floor was 2 bedrooms, 4th floor (attic conversion) was the master bedroom with a huge en-suite bath.

I don't understand why you'd build a single story home on a <500sqft lot. A spiral staircase doesn't have a significant impact on square footage and a second or third level would dramatically increase the usable area rather than keep at the limit of ground level.

[mikecane]

>>>especially if you use ladders instead of stairs.

Unless you break a leg or ankle or even an arm.

[gwern]

He could put in an elevator, lift, a paternoster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster), or really anything in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Vertical_transportatio...

Given real estate prices, it may make more sense to build on a small lot vertically, and then install a device if necessary, than to buy a bigger lot.

[sliverstorm]

Unless I break both arms, or both legs, or an arm and a leg, I'm not letting that stop me!

[mikecane]

I almost broke an ankle once and lived in a place with stairs. Doing stairs with crutches was bad enough. I don't think I could have handled a ladder! Good luck.