When we bought our farm, is was just bare ground. We don’t live on the farm full-time, since I’m in the military, but we spend as much time as possible there. The first year we stayed in a tent when we would visit. For the last 2 years, we’ve had “the shack.” It started out as a 8′ X 10′ shed kit from Lowes, and it’s still 8′ X 10′, but we added two windows, a little porch out front, a set of bunk beds, a small fold down table, and a small wood stove designed for an ice shanty. All in all, it has been great! Not a lot of room, but definitely better then a tent! I’m in the Coast Guard, and my wife was. We’ve both spent a lot of time on boats, and for anyone looking at building a small house, it’s worth looking into what boatbuilders have done to maximize space.