Appliances and Storage.

In a micro home,  you don't have a lot of storage.  So having a lot of appliances will not be possible.  you need EVERYTHING to do double or even triple duty.  so think carefully about what you "need".   Kitchen really depends on what you have available for power.   If you think you will live "off the grid" then electric hot plate and toaster oven are not possible, you need a Gas oven/range from an RV.  If you will have electrical service,  then going all electric is a LOT easier.   I know people that cook everything in a George Foreman Grill, and you would be surprised what you can bake in a toaster oven.  But realize, you will not be cooking grand multi course dinners for 4.  Your kitchen is there for basic needs, cooking very small and easy meals for you.  I honestly would forgo the toaster oven, as it takes a lot of space.   I would personally get a panini grill that can be used as a griddle, and a hot plate.  This will let me make coffee, hot water for tea, etc as well as gook smaller things. as well as have the ability to make sandwiches and burgers.  No I won't be baking cakes or roasting a turkey, but I won't have the space for the pans to do that anyways.  The micro home kitchen should have a maximum of 1 saucepan, 1 skillet, 1 spatula, 1 mixing spoon, and a single lid that fit's both pans. (universal lid) I would splurge and waste space for a small tea kettle and a funnel type coffee maker.   That would be it for the kitchen outside of dinnerware.  You can make anything with only that.   Yes you will have to wash things frequently, but that is expected in a micro home.  Cleanup on the griddle/panini is made easier by using aluminum foil when you can. (pancakes on aluminum foil ends in misery, you need the non stick griddle surface for pancackes.)

Your Fridge is going to be small and probably will not have a freezer or only a tiny one. This means you will shop for food regularly.  the fridge you really want to splurge on and get the highest efficiency one possible.  If electric,  make sure it's energy Star.    If you do it right, you can run for days with no power if you keep it closed.    Cleaning will be required, and if you have carpet, you must have a vacuum.   This is why I recommend AGAINST carpet, get a rug you can take out and shake or beat outside for cleaning as you don't really have the space for even the smallest stick vac.

Alarm clock,  if you get a nice one, it can be your home stereo as well.  The Bose wave radios are very nice and will fill a micro home full of your favorite music.  Get a nice clock radio that you can use as your stereo.  I really like my Sirius Internet radio. It sounds great, works as an alarm clock and has my luxury of Satellite radio (over internet only)

Lastly your TV if you want one, can double as a computer monitor if you cant handle always using the small laptop monitor.  Having a TV is a great thing for when the weather is bad or you are stuck at home sick.   Just remember, in a micro home a 32" tv is Gigantic.  you could get away with a tiny 22" set because you will be sitting less than 4 to 6 feet away from it.  A lot of people argue that a TV is not needed, and they are right if they are fine with watching movies on a tiny laptop screen or iPad or other tablet.  For the single person most of the time this is great.  It's when you have more than 1 person that the larger screen becomes very useful.  Plus the ability to pull in free over the air TV signal is a major bonus.

When you go to a micro home, you really reduce what you use in life.  This is a thought process that people really need to get used to and understand way before they even think of a micro home.   Even someone that lives in a 650 sq foot apartment has far too much stuff for a micro home.  Think as if you need to put everything you own into a car.  THAT is how much of a reduction you need to think of when thinking micro home.  Having 10 books is OK.  100 books is wasted space,  get a kindle,ipad,nook Decorations are wasted space, no pretty vase for just looking at.   Get some pretty drinking glasses you can use a s a vase when you need to have fresh flowers.  Everything must have a use, and when you buy something new you must think of what you will get rid of.

Remember it's not just smaller,  it's a change in lifestyle and thinking.

Quick Links : Shipping container homes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=trsZ-PD-TMA

http://www.homedit.com/22-most-beautiful-houses-made-from-shipping-containers/

http://www.residentialshippingcontainerprimer.com/Prefab%20Single%20Family%20Shipping%20Container%20House

http://www.jetsongreen.com/design/container-design


Here are a few links to some very cool shipping container homes.   Shipping containers reduce a lot of work you need to do to build your home, but it's certainly not a "micro home" that can be moved.   the 20' long units are closer to micro, but most are 40' and more than one stacked or assembled.    It is an interesting idea on how to recycle these boxes.

Reality though is that getting one of these shipping container to your lot is very expensive.  they will cost you upwards of $10,000-$15,000 per box to buy it and get it shipped to your building location and set on it's foundation.  A lot of people are claiming far lower prices,   but they are not including the price of delivery and the crane to lift it off the truck and set it in place.  I have seen people build a standard home the same size for the same price as just buying the shipping container and having it delivered.