No matter how big or how small we can build it all!
We Specialize in Mobile on or off grid Tiny Homes and can also Build any kind of Tiny Home you desire... your back yard... on secluded land... in a garage or even a custom shed. Either way the choices are many!
We Specialize in Mobile on or off grid Tiny Homes and can also Build any kind of Tiny Home you desire... your back yard... on secluded land... in a garage or even a custom shed. Either way the choices are many!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ONE POPULAR REASON PEOPLE GO TINY, BUT IT’S NOT THE ONLY REASON.
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"So... WHY DO PEOPLE GO TINY?"
Here are a few examples of why people go tiny. Your reason for buying or building a Tiny House will make a huge difference in the overall cost. No one fits into every single category, and that’s okay. - Affordability - Reduced carbon footprint - Mobility - Flexibility - Minimalism - Off-grid capabilities - RV with year-round comfort for all weather - For temporary housing, guest home or a vacation house - Survivalist house in case of emergency - Exemption of property taxes - Non-toxic or chemical free home - Ability to design an artistic home with quality materials - Ability to build your own home in short amount of time - Freedom to travel and visit multiple locations anytime TINY HOME - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Q&A "ARE TINY HOUSES TOO EXPENSIVE TO BUY?" Let’s compare the price of standard homes, RVs, and mobile homes (or trailers). Tiny Homes fall somewhere in between these categories. Standard homes: The average list price for a home in the United States is currently $324k RVs: The average price of a new full size RV is $122,500 Mobile homes: Basic single section models sell for $45,000-$95,000. Customized models sell for up to $135k+. Tiny Homes: New tiny homes are priced anywhere in from $35,000-$95,000. Almost all are customized in some way or another. According to the above resources, Tiny Homes are less expensive to purchase than regular homes and full size RVs. They are about the same price as mobile homes but far superior in quality. And don’t forget, you don't need to pay for a lot (or high utilities in most cases) and that saves a lot more money! THE AVERAGE COSTS FOR MATERIALS IS TO BUILD A QUALITY TINY HOME IS ONLY ABOUT $20.000-$35,000. You may not agree, but this is my educated estimate after speaking with dozens of happy Tiny Housers. * Built with high-end materials and appliances * Unique and custom in design * NOT concerned with building the cheapest home possible. Instead, they want an affordable lifestyle. * There is a difference. The fact is, the average tiny homeowner would rather spend $55,000+ than $20,000 to build the home of their dreams. That extra $15-25k might afford them better appliances, spray foam insulation, more efficient windows, skylights, solar power, a snazzy wood stove, off-grid capabilities, custom fixtures, countertops and cabinets, etc. “MY 1,500 SQUARE FOOT HOME ONLY COST $150K! HOW DOES A TINY HOUSE COMPARE?” First of all: LOCATION. If you purchased a home in Los Angeles it would cost more than if you bought the same home in the rural midwest. Tiny homes cost the same amount regardless of location. Secondly, the maintenance, insurance, taxes, the cost of heating and cooling would be far greater in a 1,500+ square foot house than a tiny house. You need to take that cost into consideration. Not to mention the cost of your own time. Cleaning and repairing a large home is time-consuming. Time is money. “I COULD BUILD A TINY HOUSE FOR $10,000-$15,000 IN MATERIALS!” Fantastic, you must be a very resourceful and skilled individual! That being said, there is a big (no-pun intended) difference between a $15k tiny house (plus your sweat equity) and a $50k tiny house (in the appliances for example). And, unless you have a warehouse of bulk construction materials, you will probably spent a lot of time gathering and repairing reclaimed items. Nothing wrong with that, but again, time is money. “WHY IS THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT IN A TINY HOUSE MORE THAN A REGULAR HOME?” Price per square foot does not work when comparing small or Tiny Homes. Think about it, the empty space in between necessary space is not the expensive part of a house. Adding square footage is cheap! A 125 square foot tiny house will most likely have all the same systems (kitchen, bathroom, heat, etc.) as a 2,000 square foot house, just in a smaller package. As square footage goes up, the cost per square foot goes down. Every inch matters in a tiny house. Who can say that about their 2,600 square foot home (which is the average size of new homes being built in the USA today)? To properly design a tiny home you will need to purchase compact, small, energy efficient appliances that are more expensive. In a standard size home, you can purchase the cheapest appliances on the market and you will hardly notice the difference. Here are some examples of standard construction methods we use, for not only efficiency but light weight for easy towing and rock solid durability and reliability!
5 TINY HOUSE DESIGN TIPS FOR TRAVEL:
Tiny House Towing: 1). THINK ABOUT YOUR OVERALL WEIGHT Seriously, think about it. A tiny house can weigh an average of 8,000-10,000 pounds when fully loaded with fresh water and my belongings. That’s 4.5 tons! So, trailer axels should be rated accordingly. Your tow vehicle should be at least a 3/4 Ton truck (or SUV) with a good towing package and a heavy duty hitch sytem. (diesels tend to be a better option). Consider the weight difference between your chosen materials and the materials typically used in tiny house construction. The lighter and smaller the tiny house, the easier and cheaper it will be to tow. 2). THINK ABOUT YOUR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION The overall weight of your tiny house design is important, but don’t ignore your weight distribution. Tiny houses tend to be tongue heavy. This is due to the fact that many designs have the loft and kitchen over the tongue. Make sure your tow vehicle can support the overall weight AND tongue weight of your trailer. This is very important. Purchase a weight distribution system, which I suggest doing regardless of your tongue weight. It will helped immensely with towing. The sweet spot for tongue weight is between 10-15% of your total weight. (example: tiny house = 10,000 pounds / tongue weight = 1000-1500 pounds). 3). CREATE A SPACE THAT IS EASY TO SECURE FOR TRAVEL Tiny House Design: Who wants to spend more than 30 minutes setting up every time they park? Not me! Designed your interior to have shelves with ledges, hook & eyes, or bungie cords so all belongings can be secured in 30 minutes or less. Consider your light fixtures carefully – will they swing? Hanging plants, sports gear and musical instruments should have clamps or bumpers to prevent damage or spills. THINKING AHEAD BEFORE HITTING THE ROAD WILL SAVE YOU A FEW HEADACHES. . . (AND BROKEN POSSESSIONS) It’s also a good idea to design your tiny house to be both off-grid and on-grid. This will increase your flexibility when finding parking options. For example, a tiny house design that can be off-grid require: composting toilet, fresh water tank, grey water tank and solar power. 4). BUILD WITHIN HIGHWAY RESTRICTIONS Tiny House Height: Make sure your tiny house design does not exceed 13’6″ tall and 8’6″ wide, including fenders, solar panels and chimney pipes. As far as I know, there is no restriction for length. If you build wider or taller you will be forced to get a special permit to tow in many states. Also, you may end up with a convertible tiny house. Even if you build within the parameters, you still need to keep an eye out for Low Bridges, Wires and Branches. I’ve also seen many tiny houses built on very low trailers to increase living space. While this is a great idea, it will make towing more difficult in some areas. 5). ATTACH OUTDOOR LIGHTS FOR NIGHT DRIVING Aside from the standard lights required for towing, I suggest attaching a few mounted solar lights to your tiny house. Not only will this make your home look super cool on the road, it’s a safety factor. |
7 TRICKS FOR BUILDING A MORE AFFORDABLE TINY HOUSE
1). REFURBISH A USED TRAILER Refurbish an old gooseneck or travel trailer. If you have the skills, structural knowledge, and time to refurbish a used trailer, go for it! You could save thousands of dollars on your build. 2). SOURCE RECLAIMED MATERIALS You could spend A LOT of time sourcing and restoring reclaimed materials. Refurbishing old items can save your budget and add character to your home. Useing reclaimed materials on your Tiny House, such as reclaimed crates, pallets, cabinets, ect. Salvaged items can be great for saving you money, but they won’t save you time or labor. You’ll pay for it with sweat! 3). BUILD SMALLER This should be obvious, but I’ll say it anyway. The smaller you build, the less money you will spend on materials. Do you really need a 26-foot Tiny House? Perhaps an 16-foot Tiny House is better for your shoestring budget. A true saying: “If you build it, you will fill it.” The larger the house, the more belongings you will have. Building smaller will save you more money in the long run. * FUN FACT: THE FIRST TINY HOUSE THAT WAS EVER BUILT WAS ONLY 14 FEET LONG! 4). INSTALL LESS Question everything you want to put in your Tiny House. Do you need an oven? A bathroom sink? Should your design have 10 windows, or will 4 be enough? Can you live with a DIY composting toilet ($25) or do you need a manufactured compost toilet ($900+)? Appliances can blow your budget, especially smaller and more efficient appliances. Do you really need a full size fridge, a dishwasher or a big screen TV? If you really want to save money on your build, opt for used appliances or live without some. 5). SKIP THE FANCY WOOD STOVE or FIREPLACE, SOLAR POWER & SKYLIGHTS These three items can make up to almost $9k of the total budget. That’s a lot of money! These items aren’t “needs.” They are “wants.” we love them, but recognize they are splurge items. Choose where to save and where to splurge. Keep the balance to stay within your budget. 6). DESIGN OPENINGS TO HAVE STANDARD SIZES Tiny windows and doors can be mostly custom sizes. Designing plans to use only standard sized windows and doors can save hundreds of dollars in material costs. A custom door or windows will cost you a lot of money, while standard size doors are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. Entry doors are generally 30-36 inches wide. Mayby even concider salvaging reclaimed old doors or windows. 7). FIND FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SHARE THE PROJECT Many times people use Tiny Homes simply for vacations and/or other recreational activities that the whole family is involved in. It never hurts to ask if someone you know (and trust) may be interested in going in on the project so all can share or take turns in the fun! ONE THING YOU SHOULD NEVER EVER SKIMP ON … Structural integrity. Unless you are an engineer or expert carpenter, you should choose a high-quality build that will withstand forces on the road. Tiny House construction can be different from regular construction. There is no point in building a cheap Tiny House if it falls apart. Be safe and build a safe Tiny House. |