Less Is More: The Tiny House Movement

The tiny house trend is on the rise with more and more individuals, couples, and families choosing to
trade in space for simplicity. And from college grads to retirees the appeal of a miniature home spans the
ages. Shrinking square footage not only cuts down on chores its a lifestyle change all about living with
less and decreasing environmental impact over time.

What Is The Tiny House Movement?

What are tiny houses? The tiny house movement? Tiny living?
Simply put, it is a social movement where people are choosing to downsize the space they
live in. The typical American home is around 2,600 square feet, whereas the typical small or
tiny house is between 100 and 400 square feet. Tiny houses come in all shapes, sizes, and
forms, but they enable simpler living in a smaller, more efficient space.
People are joining this movement for many reasons, but the most popular reasons include
environmental concerns, financial concerns, and the desire for more time and freedom. For
most Americans 1/3 to 1/2 of their income is dedicated to the roof over their heads; this
translates to 15 years of working over your lifetime just to pay for it, and because of it 76%
of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.

So what is the alternative? One solution might be to live smaller. While we dont think tiny
houses are for everyone, there are lessons to be learned and applied in order to escape the
cycle of debt in which almost 70% of Americans are trapped.

This is a growing movement, that is for sure! With international attention on CNN, AP,
Guardian, Huffington Post, NBC, Oprah, PBS and so many more, the tiny house movement
has helped people learn about another way to live their lives. Every month I have thousands
and thousands of readers come to my site and I know other sites experience the same.
This site focuses on tiny living or living The Tiny Life. Tiny houses are the focal point in a
broader system to address issues, concerns and problems of the current day.

Tiny house movement

The tiny house movement (also known as the "small house movement"[1]) is a description for
the architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in small homes. There is currently
no set definition of what constitutes a tiny house; however, a residential structure under 500 square
feet (46 m2) is generally accepted to be a tiny home.

A tiny mobile house in Olympia, Washington, United States

Background[edit]
In the United States the average size of new single family homes grew from 1,780 square feet
(165 m2) in 1978 to 2,479 square feet (230.3 m2) in 2007, and to 2,662 square feet (247.3 m2) in
2013, despite a decrease in the size of the average family.[3][4] Reasons for this include increased
material wealth and prestige.[3]
The small house movement is a return to houses of less than 1,000 square feet (93 m2). Frequently
the distinction is made between small (between 400 square feet (37 m2) and 1,000 square feet
(93 m2)), and tiny houses (less than 400 square feet (37 m2)), with some as small as 80 square feet
(7.4 m2).[5] Sarah Susanka has been credited with starting the recent countermovement toward
smaller houses when she published The Not So Big House (1997).[3] Earlier pioneers include Lloyd

Kahn, author of Shelter (1973) and Lester Walker, author of Tiny Houses (1987). Henry David
Thoreau and the publication of his book Walden is also quoted as early inspiration.[6]
Tiny houses on wheels were popularized by Jay Shafer who designed and lived in a 96 sq ft house
and later went on to offer the first plans for tiny houses on wheels, initially founding Tumbleweed
Tiny House Company, and then Four Lights Tiny House Company (September 6, 2012).[7][8] In 2002,
he co-founded, along with Greg Johnson, Shay Salomon and Nigel Valdez the Small House Society.
[9]

Salomon and Valdez subsequently published their guide to the modern Small House

Movemnent, Little House on a Small Planet (2006) and Johnson published his memoir, Put Your Life
on a Diet (2008)
In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, Marianne Cusato developed Katrina Cottages, that start at 308
square feet (28.6 m2) as an alternative to FEMA trailers. Though these were created to provide a
pleasant solution to a disaster zone, Cusato received wider interest in her design from developers of
resorts, for example.[10]
With the financial crisis of 200708, the small house movement attracted more attention as it offers
housing that is more affordable and ecologically friendly.[11] Overall, however, it represents a very
small part of real estate transactions. Thus only 1% of home buyers acquire houses of 1,000 square
feet (93 m2) or less.[12] Small houses are also used as accessory dwelling units (or ADUs), to serve as
additional on-property housing for aging relatives or returning children, as a home office, or as a
guest house.[12] Typical costs are about $20,000 to $50,000 as of 2012. [12]
In Oakland, California, Gregory Kloehn builds small houses out of found materials, for an estimated
cost of $40.[13][14]
Small and tiny houses have received increasing media coverage
show, Tiny House Nation,

[16]

[15]

including a serial television

in 2014 and Tiny House Hunters. The possibility of building one's own

home has fueled the movement, particularly for tiny houses on wheels. Tiny houses on wheels are
often compared to RVs. However, tiny houses are built to last as long as traditional homes, use
traditional building techniques and materials, and are aesthetically similar to larger homes. [17]
Some companies have put into motion plans to create tiny home developments.

Outside the United States

While the movement is most active in America, interest in very small homes has been revived in
other developed countries, as well. For example,

In Japan, where space is at a premium, Takaharu Tezuka built the House to Catch the
Sky in Tokyo, a 925-square-foot (85.9 m2) home for four;

In Barcelona, Spain, Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores presented the 300-square-foot
(28 m2) House in a Suitcase;

In Britain, Abito created intelligent living spaces apartments of 353 square feet (32.8 m2)
in Manchester; Tiny House Scotland has created the prototype Nesthouse

[19]

- a 23m2 (250 sq ft)

modular moveable small eco-house to explore the possibilities of sustainable small scale
living [20] in a highly insulated timber framed structure with somePassivhaus principles ensuring
very low energy usage.

In Germany, British architect Richard Horden and the Technical University of

Munich developed the Micro Compact Home (M-CH), a high end small[3] (76-square-foot
(7.1 m2)) cube, designed for 12 persons, with functional spaces for cooking, hygiene,
dining/working, and sleeping.[21]

In Russia and Germany, architect Maxim Kurennoy from Futteralhaus GmbH developed the
"Futteralhaus Modell FH_25" (25 m2), designed for family with 1-2 children, a studio with bath,
kitchen, sleeping nook, living area and terrace space.

Issues[edit]
This increase in popularity of tiny houses, and particularly the rapid increase in the number of both
amateur and professional builders, has led to concerns regarding safety among tiny house
professionals. In 2013, an Alliance of tiny house builders was formed to promote ethical business
practices and offer guidelines for construction of tiny houses on wheels. [22] This effort was carried on
in 2015 by the American Tiny House Association. In 2015, the nonprofit American Tiny House
Association was formed to promote the tiny house as a viable, formally acceptable dwelling option
and to work with local government agencies to discuss zoning and coding regulations that can
reduce the obstacles to tiny living.[23]
One of the biggest obstacles to growth of the tiny house movement is the difficulty in finding a place
to live in one.[24] Zoning regulations typically specify minimum square footage for new construction on
a foundation, and for tiny houses on wheels, parking on one's own land may be prohibited by local
regulations against "camping." [25] In addition, RV parks do not always welcome tiny houses. DIYers
may be turned away, as many RV parks require RVs be manufactured by a member of the
Recreational Vehicle Industry Association "(RVIA)".

Tiny houses on wheels are considered RVs and not suitable for permanent residence, according to
the RVIA. From RVBusiness, "The RVIA will continue to shy away from allowing members who
produce products that are referred to as 'tiny houses' or 'tiny homes'. (However, the RVIA does allow
tiny home builders to join as long as their units are built to park model RV standards.)"

[26]

In 2014, the first "tiny house friendly town" was declared in Spur, Texas; however, it was later
clarified that a tiny house may not be on wheels but must be secured to a foundation. [27]
In July 2016, Washington County, Utah revised their zoning regulations to accommodate some types
of tiny houses.[28]

Communities for the homeless[edit]

The financial crisis of 200708, fueled the growth of the small house movement. For thousands who
lost their homes due to foreclosure or unemployment, tiny houses became an attractive option. With
their low cost and relative ease of construction, tiny houses are being adopted as shelter for the
homeless in Eugene, OR, Olympia, WA, Ithaca, NY and other cities. Communities of tiny houses can
offer residents a transition towards self-sufficiency.[29] [30][31]

Pros and cons[edit]

Smaller homes are less expensive than larger ones in terms of taxes and building, heating,
maintenance, and repair costs. The lower cost of living may be advantageous to those 55 and older
with little savings.[32]In addition to costing less, small houses may encourage a less cluttered and
simpler lifestyle and reduce ecological impacts for their residents.[33] The typical size of a small home
seldom exceeds 500 square feet (46 m2).[34] The typical tiny house on wheels is usually less than 8 ft
by 20 ft, with livable space totalling 120 square feet or less, for ease of towing and to exempt it from
the need for a building permit.
Small houses may emphasize design over size,[10] utilize dual purpose features and multi-functional
furniture, and incorporate technological advances of space saving equipment and appliances.
[3]

Vertical space optimization is also a common feature of small houses and apartments.

As small houses may be attractive as second homes or retirement houses, two out of five people are
over 50, their increased utilization may lead to development of more land. [34]People interested in
building a small home can encounter institutional discrimination when building codes require
minimum size well above the size of a small home.[25] Also, neighbors may be hostile because they
fear negative impacts on their property values.[35] There has also been opposition based on this fact,
due to concerns about increased taxes.

Benefits of Living in a Tiny House

1. You can take it traveling

Nicols Boullosa

One of the biggest benefits of having a tiny home is the ability to just
hitch it to a truck and drive it to a new location.
Whether youre trying to move to a new spot of land or just go on
vacation without having to pack up some suitcases, having a tiny home
makes it surprisingly easy to see new places.

Different tiny homes are built in different ways. Some are equipped with
rainwater collection and solar panels. They are designed to live
completely off the grid and can be parked just about anywhere you want.
Other tiny homes are built more traditionally, needing power and water
hookups. They are better suited to dedicated plots of land or RV/mobile
home parking.
No matter how you design your tiny home, its potential mobility is a
huge benefit.

2. You dont have to spend a lot of money

building it

Tammy Strobel

If you have the time and ability to design and build the house yourself,
you can only spend your money on materials. There are tiny home
designers out there who will create and build it for you, but that
obviously costs more as youre paying for
material and manpower and that companys overhead.

That said, tiny homes are just a fraction of the price of traditional homes,
and you can have everything designed specifically for you. Prices for tiny
homes can range from less than $19,000 to around $50,000 depending
on its size and the kind of finishes that you want.
The low price also means that you can potentially pay cash for it if youve
spent enough time saving up. If you cant pay cash, the loan payments
will be much smaller than a traditional mortgage. No more $2,000 house
notes for you!

3. You dont have to worry about future moves

Nicols Boullosa

One thing that often holds people back from purchasing a traditional
home is its permanence. Youve invested a lot of money into this
immovable structure and the land surrounding it. What happens if you
get a new job in a different city, state, or even country and have to move?
Or if you just get some super annoying neighbors?

Unless you actually buy a plot of land to park your tiny home on, youre
not tied to any property. Your only permanent tie is to the house itself, so
if you get a new job somewhere else you can just hitch it to a truck and
drive it to that new place! You still have to find a place to live, but the
actual house itself will never be in question.

4. You can be extremely environmentally

friendly

Tomas Quinones

Because your house is going to be so small, you can make a lot of it out of
recycled, re-purposed, and salvaged materials. In addition to making
your house look cool and unique, it also saves that same amount of new
materials from being made.
Like I mentioned in the first point, you can also set up your home to live
off the grid. Using solar or wind resources to give your house power,
using a rainwater catch and filtration system, and installing a
composting toilet are all steps to enabling your tiny house to be
functional anywhere in the world.

5. You can be extremely energy efficient

Nicols Boullosa

Whether you use solar power or hook your house up to a power line, the
energy needs of such a tiny space are much smaller than the energy
needs of a traditional home. Smaller appliances work more efficiently
and a smaller space uses less power to heat and cool the air.

If you need to connect to a power source, youll still have to pay your
electric bill, but it can be a quarter or less of your traditional houses bill.
On top of everything youre saving on your mortgage, think about all the
trips you can take with that money youll be saving!

6. You can de-clutter your life

Matt Harriger

Well you have to de-clutter your life. After living in a traditional home
for a few years, stuff just piles up everywhere. You cant stuff everything
that fits into a 2000+ square foot home into a 200 square foot home, so
by necessity youll be donating or selling a lot of things.
This gives you a chance to really look at your possessions to see what
honestly matters to you and what you just have around because its
always been there or it just looked cool so you bought it.
Once youve pared down your possessions, youll only have meaningful
and really necessary things. Plus, itll make your move much easier.

7. You can spend less money on decorations,

even if you love to change things up

Tammy Strobel

If youre the kind of person who loves to redecorate a traditional home

every year or two, a tiny house might be the best canvas for you. Even if
you wanted to repaint the whole thing, it would be done in a single
afternoon with just a can or two of paint. New flooring? You only have
200 square feet to recover!

If smaller pieces of decor are more your thing (pictures, throw pillows,
rugs) the same thing applies here too. You have such a smaller area to
coordinate that its much easier and cheaper to redo the entire house.
You wont have to go just one room at a time since you have extra money
in your budget the whole house is yours to play with.
Maybe thats where your energy bill savings can go.

8. You can spend less time/money on cleaning

Bill Dickinson

Another benefit that comes from having less space is you wont use as
much cleaner since you wont have to buy it so often. Sweeping will only
take a couple of minutes. Dusting? Even less time.
Some people love cleaning, so this might be a disappointment.
However, if you hate cleaning, then this is a definite plus of tiny homes.

9. You can stay tidier easier

Tomas Quinones

This follows naturally from having to de-clutter to move in to a tiny

home. You have less stuff, but everything actually goes somewhere.
Youll never let stuff pile up on the floor just because you dont know
where it goes or because that back closet is just too full.
What is it your mom always says? A place for every item, and every item
in its place.
Again, if you love to clean, this wont really mean anything to you.
However, if youre perpetually cluttered and untidy, this will be a great
bonus to you because you can finally quit worrying about tidying before
guests come over. Even if you let things get a little untidy, cleaning
becomes much, much faster than before.

Pros And Cons Of The Tiny House Movement

PRO

o Paints inability to afford a real home as positive life choice

o Allows you to live the simple life your ancestors did everything in their
power to escape
o Likely too cramped for ghosts to bother haunting
o Refrigerator as close to bed as youve always dreamed
o 4-by-3 velvet Allman Brothers Band poster gets the decorating job done
on its own
o Home comes fully supplied with 20 years of small talk

CON
o Anxious pacing route severely restricted
o Spending quality time with family members all but unavoidable
o Meticulously charting out who gets to use the electrical outlet each night
can be somewhat draining
o Most documentaries on the subject already wrapped
o Lack of diversity in a neighborhood composed entirely of other people
whose novels didnt sell
o Have to live there

Top 5 Biggest Barriers To The Tiny House Movement

Land
One of the largest hurdles for people wanting to live in a Tiny House is access to land.
Land is expensive, in growing short supply and people want a balance of having land and
being close to city or town centers where they can access services, entertainment and
employment. These things are often in conflict with each other. The closer to the city
center, the smaller and more expensive the lots. To have a Tiny House, you dont need
much land for the actual house, but you do need enough to be able to obscure the house
from prying eyes in order to fly under the radar of code enforcement and curmudgeons.

Loans
At this point, banks dont feel that Tiny Houses are a viable option because they dont have
a good resale value. This means their loan isnt secured with collateral. It is this dynamic
that means for us to get access to loans, we need to get creative. Some borrow from a
family member, some save up years to pay with cash, others use credit cards and carry a
balance. There isnt a good answer in this area yet, its a tough problem to crack.

Laws
Despite the approach of putting a tiny house on trailer, this isnt the magic bullet that it is
often claimed to be. The issue comes when you look at your municipalitys minimum
habitable structure definition. These definitions almost always exclude Tiny Houses from

being a dwelling and give code enforcement a strong leg to stand on when it comes to
condemning your Tiny Home and/or levying fines. This code does serve a good purpose; it
prevents abuse on the part of slum lords and gives a mechanism for the courts to hold slum
lords accountable.

Social Pressures
In our society today, bigger is better, more is better, we are conditioned to want more and
more stuff. These cultural norms are a very strong current in maintaining the status quo.
Tiny Houses fly in the face of such things, questioning much of what people hold dear.
People can react in a very visceral way when we suggest there is a problem with the way
things are. People work their whole lives to get as much stuff as they can, to suggest that is
wrong, in a way, is to suggest their lifes work is wrong. People can get very defensive and
social pressures can make the shift to living a simple life in a Tiny House very difficult with
some people. We need to be sure not to come off as judgmental or preachy, we want to
present it simply as an alternative.

Fear
This ties into a few of the above points, but is none the less a real barrier. When faced with
the prospect of bucking the system, initiating a radical lifestyle change, and spending a
good chunk of money to do it, it can be scary. I know from personal experience when you
are close to the moment where you must make the decision, where you have to take the
leap, a whole series of self-doubts come to the surface. You are left trying to decide if these
doubts are simply normal big decision jitters or if they are valid concerns your unconscious
is trying to make you aware of. The sorting of these thoughts and processing of them is
taxing, a little emotional, and of course scary. Even those of us who deal with change well
will struggle with this significantly, fear is a powerful emotion and we must face it to achieve
our goal.

Solutions To The Top 5 Barriers Of The Tiny House Movement

Land
Land is expensive no matter how you slice it, but there are a few things you can consider
when looking for land. If you are willing to live in very rural areas, you can pick up land at a

better price, but you trade being close to things and having more employment opportunities.
Since many Tiny Houses are off the grid, you might consider purchasing land that has
failed to pass the perk test which is way cheaper, but consider the implications down the
road.
Many people have found success in parking their Tiny House behind other peoples houses
or on a corner of their property in exchange for money or barter of services. I have seen
this particularly resonate with retirees as keeping up a lawn or things that need to be fixed
around the house becomes too daunting psychically. In this case you simply work out an
agreement and officially you state that you sleep inside their house, you just happen to park
a trailer in the back yard. Most zoning (but not home owners associations) usually allow for
a trailer to be parked out of view of the road as long as it has a market value over a few
hundred bucks.

Next option is cooperative purchasing, co-housing, or intentional community models. These

are a huge topic in and of themselves, but in short, you find a group of like minded
individuals that pool their money to purchase some land.
Mobile Home parks, RV parks and campgrounds are the next option, the two big caveats on
this is that some places require that an RV or mobile home must be legally designated as
such in order to be allowed into the park. This can good and bad in some ways; you can
operate in a box that municipalities know and understand, but also you might be limited by
that box. With Campgrounds you will have to be sure that they dont have a limit on stays,
many do.

Loans
Loans are a tricky one; banks inherently want to manage risk, which means they dont want
to step outside the box. Some people have had luck with securing personal loans, but this
option has had limited mileage. The kicker is if you build a Tumbleweed style house
yourself then you are often looking at what is normally 2-3 years worth of rent.
The solution I advocate for is to be self funded, aka save up and pay with cash. This is not
what many people want to hear, but philosophically I feel that it is very much in line with the
Tiny House movement. We have recognized that how our society currently conducts itself
isnt always the best approach. Part of the philosophy of living in Tiny Houses is to reduce
the things you have to remove the clutter and stress from your life. Entering into a Tiny
House without debt is essentially removing stress from your life so you can enjoy it more
and focus on what is important. A Tiny House is not inherently the solution, it is the process

and change in living that brings it.

Realizing that no matter how much I try to convince others that saving up is the solution,
many will not heed my advice, there are other ways to get there. Some people found a low
APR credit card (all things relative) and used that to pay for the house, then treated the
monthly credit card bills as their mortgage payment.
Some have been able to have family or friends loan them money and they work out a
payment schedule. Some even pay interest to them. The downside to this is that it can put
a strain on relationships and change the dynamic, so proceed with caution.

Laws
When it comes to laws you need to make a decision, are you going to abide by them or not
and understand that there are very real consequences to both sides. It is a tricky

problem.
For those who want to be above board on everything, the best advice I can give you is hire
a contractor/developer who is sympathetic to your cause. What you are buying is their
expertise and knowledge on how to navigate the codes and permitting process. They know
how to get variances, they speak code enforcements language and might even have
relationships they can use. When approach them, make sure that your homework is well
done, you should have sample drawings, plans, photos, and copies of sample codes that
other municipalities have used to deal with Tiny Houses.
For those who wish to do it under the radar, understand you are technically breaking the
law, it could have criminal consequences. I personally havent heard of people getting in

trouble, but there is a potential and legally they have the right to pursue criminal charges.

When it comes to skirting the law, there are some things you can do to mitigate the risks.
First off, be a good neighbor, this will go a long ways. This is because most municipalities
are complaint driven, meaning only when code enforcement gets a complaint, do they
investigate. The other thing to add to this is, dont be obvious. Have your house be out of
sight of the public and keep a low profile.
Next powerful tool to have in the tool box is know the laws, codes and speak the language.
I cant stress this enough, it take a lot of time and it is a frustrating process, but being legal
savvy is very helpful. For example, if you state your primary dwelling is, in fact, the normal
sized house you park your Tiny House behind, this means that you do not live in the Tiny
House and it is simply a trailer. By knowing the system we can exploit its weaknesses in a
legal manner, much as a shady lawyer would do to get his client off on a technicality.
Basically you want to legally show you live somewhere else, that no one lives in the
trailered Tiny House, and that it is a trailer that is compliance with zoning.

he last way to mitigate risks legally is know that many municipalities

now use satellite and or aerial photos to do tax assessments. Essentially they take photos
at different times and compare to look for changes in your land. If they find something has
changed, they will often send someone out to check it out. Usually this is a tax assessor or
they just send a letter, but you can usually settle their fears when they see that it is on
wheels and you can say that you are storing it here for a week, month, etc. in accordance
with zoning laws; at that point pull out a copy of the code and they will generally leave you
alone.

Again, knowing the legal speak can get you out of this.

Social Pressures
Social Pressures was something that Lloyd over at Treehugger took issue with because, as
he pointed out, much of the rest of the world lives in small houses. I guess I need to clarify
that these pressures I speak about are not on a macro level, but a

more

micro, person to person, local interaction

pressure. This fact certainly wasnt lost on me and ironically I had a moment of pause when
it came to this article because I know living smaller is pretty status quo for most people. But
ultimately I decided not to go into all that for a few reasons: 94% of my readers are from the
United States, an individual will typically get direct social pressure from their friends, family,

and those around them, not from someone in another country, finally we are talking about
Tiny Houses, not small houses; Building a small house typically can be done within the
current legal confinements and are more widely accepted as just being practical, frugal, or a
product of density. Ultimately in the US, Tiny Houses are an extreme and only serve to
spark a conversation about how much house and possessions do you really need.
As for dealing with these pressures I think it is very important first have a firm understanding
of yourself, from there understanding the issues and engaging in respectful dialogue with
opposing view points. In the end you cannot convince everyone, but knowing yourself, the
motivations, the convictions and gaining the support of those close to you can help you
manage this. Most often this is a pretty moot point because those you socialize with are of
the like mindset, the rest are often fascinated by how cool your Tiny House is. Just keep in
mind that it isnt for everyone.

Fear

The final point kind of extends the points from the previous heading, but understanding that
to build a Tiny House you must pay a good chunk of change to do it is stressful in some
ways. I guess for me, spending $30,000 in one shot is very stressful and evokes doubts no

matter what. When purchasing my first new car, I remember just before signing the line I
had a brief moment of fear hit me, what if I crash the car, what if its a lemon, what if, what if
what if. Simply put, for me, spending that sum of money is scary no matter how sure I am,
because you are taking the leap.
Things that help with this is to be intentional about what you do, do your homework, think it
through, look at ways to mitigate risk. I always try to put it in perspective, that if I were to
live in my Tiny House for 2-3 years, I could walk away after that because I would have broke
even when compared to paying rent.

Tiny House Frequently Asked

Questions

Q: What is a tiny house?

When most folks use the term tiny house, they are often referring to a
home built using conventional methods but on the scale of an RV
travel trailer. These homes are often built on flatbed trailers and are
owner-built. Their square footage usually does not surpass 300
square feet. But small cabins, cottages, and other small residences
can also be considered tiny houses. So the term is not so much an
exclusive definition, but an inclusive category of extremely small
residences.

Q: How much does a tiny house cost?

Many people choose to build tiny homes themselves with their own
design or house plans they find online. When materials are chosen
carefully, the price of a home can be brought down significantly.
Anecdotal evidence shows us that owner-builders typically spend
between $15,000 and $25,000 on their homes, not including their own
labor. Weve seen projects that come in under $10,000 too.
Professionally build tiny homes are typically priced between $30,000
and $50,000. Tiny houses can go over $50,000.

Q: Can I finance a tiny home?

Most folks dont borrow money to build their tiny homes. A more
common path to tiny home ownership is to first downsize expenses
and possessions, save money, secure a place to build the house, and
then start the build. Its a slower path into a tiny home than taking out
a loan, but seems to be most common.
Some tiny house companies have been able to secure financing
options by joining the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association
(RVIA) and building their homes to those standards. This route can get
you into a tiny home faster, albeit with a mortgage. The Tumbleweed
Tiny House Company is an example of a company that builds homes
that meet RVIA standards.
Another option that may work for you is crowdfunding your project
through a website like Kickstarter or Indiegogo. A crowdfunding

campaign typically offers rewards that are produced by the project to

backers that contribute money.
A successful crowdfunding campaign typically depends on the
perceived value of the rewards by backers and the effectiveness of
your marketing. In other words, if you offer great stuff to backers at fair
market prices, and you are able to tell a lot of people about the
project, the potential of success increases. If you decide to go this
route feel free to let me know and Id be happy to post news of it. Just
send an email tomichaeljanzen@tinyhousedesign.com.

Q: Where can I buy a tiny house?

There are many builders around the world. Check the Tiny House
Map and select Builders on the search bar. Also be sure to
check Tiny House Listings for owner-built & professionally-built tiny
homes.
You might also consider looking at sheds and shed builders. In many
towns youll come across roadside businesses that sell tiny sheds,
barns, and cabins. You may also see these at your home improvement
stores. Not all sheds are built in such a way that they can be finishedoff as a tiny home, but with some clever tinkering many can.
Sometimes these sheds can be financed, depending on the seller.
Another consideration is to simply find a good contractor near you
thats willing to build a tiny home for you. Not all contractors have the
skills or knowledge to build a house from start to finish but many can.

The disadvantage of this route is cost, the advantage is you get what
you want and if the contractor does good work youll end up with a
quality home without breaking a sweat.

Q: Where can I buy plans to build a tiny

house?
Many of the builders also sell tiny house plans. Check the Tiny House
Map and select Builders on the search bar. Here are a few other
places to get plans. Feel free to suggest more, just send me an email
atmichaeljanzen@tinyhousedesign.com.

Tiny House Design

Tiny Home Builders

Sonoma Shanty

Sheldon Designs

Four Lights Tiny Homes

iStockHousePlans

FreeGreen.com

Yes Wee Cabins

Tiny Green Cabins

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

Q: Where can I learn more about tiny

houses online?
The Internet is a great place to learn. Here are a few websites to start
your search. Feel free to suggest more, just send me an email
at michaeljanzen@tinyhousedesign.com.

Tiny House Design (you are here now)

Tiny House Blog

Tiny Home Builders

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

DIY-Prefab

The Tiny Life

RelaxShaxs Blog

Shedworking

Small House Society

Lloyd Kahns Blog

Project Rolling Freedom

Q: Where can I park or build a tiny house?

Most people park their mobile tiny homes on their own property or at
friend or relatives place. Some folks travel and move around from
place to place. RV trailer parks may be an option too, especially if the
tiny home has RV or conventional plumbing.
The truth is that tiny houses are still in a grey area and zoning &
ordinances dont really account for this type of alternative housing
but this is changing. Some communities are adapting as the popularity
of tiny homes increases. To find out if your community allows tiny
homes check with your local planning department. It may be wise to
use words other than tiny house and instead tell them what you want
to do.
For example, if you want to build a tiny house on wheels, you might
tell them youre considering building a house on a flatbed trailer that
you hope to live in and tell them where. Then ask if there are any
allowances for that in your community like that. For example would
your community consider that an RV, or an ADU (accessory dwelling
unit, a.k.a. granny unit), and is it legal to use it as a dwelling in your
community. Every community has different codes, zoning, and
ordinance so it pays to do some research.

Q: Are tiny houses legal?

It depends where you are and how you use it. Some communities
have few building restrictions and are very friendly to alternative

housing solutions. Other places have rules coming out their ears plus
oodles of uptight neighbors that dont want people living in their
neighbors backyard.
People who are motivated to find solutions to their housing challenges
will find the ingenuity in themselves to make it happen. The best
advice I have on this is to research and learn as much as you can
about the community you want to live in, and look for zoning loopholes
and alternative housing friendly neighbors.
Tiny houses can also be built on foundations with permits if you want
to go that route. Not all communities have minimum dwelling size rules
but often the biggest hurdle is getting an exception to the minimum
square footage requirement.
One common loophole for this is to look for land zoned for multi-family
housing (i.e.: apartments) and then get a permit to build a tiny house.
Its common for multi-family zoned areas to have no minimum size for
dwellings because these zones must allow for small apartments.
Another option is to look into the ADU (accessory dwelling unit, a.k.a.
granny unit/mother in law house) allowances. Many communities allow
a small house to be built in the backyard of a larger home if the
dwelling is to be used for family or caretakers and not rented out.

Q: Do I need building permits to build a tiny

house?
If a tiny house is built on a trailer it typically falls into the category of
travel trailer and building codes dont normally apply. But it is best to
build to standard building codes and make sure your house is strong
enough to withstand highway speeds. A good approach is to build the
house with the same materials & methods used in locations subject to
hurricanes.
If a tiny house fits the definition of a shed it may not need permits,
although it also may not be legal to use as a dwelling. Its always best
to check with your local planning department before building anything,
look for the loopholes and know your local laws.

Q: What kind of toilets do people install in a

tiny houses?
Most people are using composting toilets or RV toilets with waste
tanks. The most popular composting toilet seems to be the lovable
loo, a sawdust toilet developed by Joseph Jenkins. Once you get over
the idea of doing your business in a bucket and covering it with
sawdust youll realize this simple solution is far more sustainable,
sensible, and environmentally friendly than other choices. Its virtually
free too, which is always a plus.

The main advantage of commercial composting toilets is that they

break down the waste faster by adding air, movement, and heat. All of
this extra help composts the material faster requiring less storage. A
simple sawdust toilet also requires a compost bin/pile so it can cook
for a couple years. After that time the compost is safe for the garden.
If you build a mobile tiny house and plan to move it from place to place
a commercial composing toilet is probably a better choice. If you stay
on your own land a sawdust toilet may be the way to go.

Q: How do I heat and cool a tiny house?

For heating, most people use small propane heaters or electric space
heaters if they have a utility grid connection. There are many marine
propane heaters on the market. Some people use wood stoves but
they tend to overheat such small spaces.
For cooling, air conditioners are the most common choice. A very
small window unit is often ample for a tiny home thats on the grid. If
youre off-grid its not practical due to the high energy requirements
in other words it would take a lot of panels/batteries to keep a place
cool with an air conditioner in a hot environment.
One clever off-grid option Ive seen is the Pepino, a low voltage
homemade swamp cooler build by John Wells at The Field Lab.

Q: How do I deal with waste water (grey

water)?
Many people setup their homes with grey water tanks like an RV but if
you are living in one place setting up a grey water system seems
ideal. If you have access to a sewer system and have the proper
plumbing your waste water can go there just like a conventional home.

Q: What are the size / weight limitations for

tiny houses?
Each state/region has different rules. Typically trailers arent much
longer than 38 or 40, and tiny homes dont often get longer than 24.
Weight considerations for tiny houses dont typically push the oversize
road limits; but they do push the limits for height and width. Typically
13 6 in height and 8 6 in width are the maximum dimensions without
requiring a special move permit.
To give you a better idea of legal road limits for trailer, heres a quick
guide for truck lengths in California.

Q: How much does a tiny house weigh?

The final weight of a tiny house depends a lot on how the house is
finished. As a general rule of thumb you can estimate the final dry
weight by multiplying 450-pounds by the length. For Example:

16-foot = 7,200#

20-foot = 9,000#

24-foot = 10,800#

28-foot = 12,600#

Q: What kind of trailer should I build my

tiny house on?
Unless you have a lot of experience building or restoring trailers we
suggest buying a new trailer. Flatbed car hauling trailers are
commonly used for tiny houses but some modification is needed.
Ideally buy a trailer build specifically for tiny houses or have a trailer
custom built. Visit Tiny Home Builders to see what purpose-built tiny
house trailers look like.
Many tiny house companies use triple 7000# axle trailers for 24-foot
and longer homes. But you could also use two 10,000 pound axles.
Two 7000# axles would not leave a lot of room for possessions on a
24 or 28 foot house.

Q: Can a family live in a tiny house?

Sure, and there is no one-size-fits-all for housing. A family will need
more space than an individual or couple. People that work from home
will need more space. The whole idea of living simply in small spaces
is that the true value of the home is realized, and the home doesnt
become a burden. In other words its about finding balance and the
first step is reducing the number of possessions.

Q: Land is so expensive, how can I live

mortgage free?
In some places land is expensive, probably due to too many
regulations and demand. But there are still many places where land is
cheap. The trade-off is usually location or the quality of the land.
Lamar at Simple Solar Homesteading has done a great job showing
people how to live mortgage free and find cheap places to live. This is
in fact one of the main reasons I blog about tiny houses. Im really
searching for the true value of a home and I dont think homes should
cost any where near what they do.

Q: Where can I learn to live more

sustainably?
Tammy at RowdyKittens writes a lot about living a minimalist life and
regularly shares her learnings. If you want to peek into other extreme
sustainable lifestyles investigate places like the Dancing Rabbit
Ecovillage, and the Pickards Mountain Eco-Institute.

Q: Are tiny houses off-the-grid?

Any tiny house can be powered by off-grid electricity, but like any offgrid house choosing to use less power will get you the lowest cost
system. Giving up things like microwaves, electric heaters, blow

dryers, and electric clothes dryers, will allow you to really scale down
your electricity needs.

Q: How do I insure a tiny house?

Check with your insurance agent, and put it in terms they can
undertand. Typically calling it a custom travel trailer, or cabin, will
help them undertand what you are talking about.

8 FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE JOINING THE

TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT
When life seems too complicated, some people advocate this solution: Move
into a smaller home to have a bigger life.
For some, the tiny house movement has become a way of life, adjusting to a
smaller space and fewer possessions, with a goal of saving money and
focusing on relationships and experiences.
"It's just a tool to do what you want to do and get done in life," says Ryan
Mitchell, who lives in a 150-square-foot home he built himself in Charlotte,
North Carolina. He decided to go tiny as a way to cut back on expenses and
have more control over his life after being laid off from his first human
resources job more than five years ago.
"I realized at that moment that hard work, a master's degree and working
hard and meeting my goals were not going to give me job security," he says.
"I didn't want to be that vulnerable again." He is now self-employed, has
published several e-books on tiny houses and runs the website The Tiny
Life and a co-working space in Charlotte.
Like others, he has found that the greatest challenge of tiny house living is
finding a place where tiny houses are allowed. Building codes in most
municipalities set a minimum size for dwellings. Some tiny houses on wheels
function as RVs, but most areas also ban full-time RV living outside of an RV
park.
The average size of a new home built in 2014 was 2,453 square feet, up from
1,660 square feet in 1973, the earliest year for which U.S. Census data is
available. Only 8 percent of homes completed in 2014 had fewer than 1,400
square feet, according to census data.
Despite the trend toward building larger homes, interest in tiny homes is still
growing, says Elaine Walker, one of the founders of the American Tiny Home
Association and publisher of the Tiny House Community website, which
includes links and information about how and where to build a tiny house.
Financial freedom is one reason for the growing popularity of tiny homes, and
a significantly lower price tag is a big part of that appeal. Walker paid about

$45,000 to have her tiny house built, and Mitchell spent about $25,000 to
build his own home.
"People aren't going to foreclose on it because you've paid for it," says
Walker, who owns a 117-square-foot house that was built in New Hampshire,
traveled to California and is now in an Orlando RV community of tiny houses.
"As we see the aging of the population continue, it's going to become more
of a necessity."
The small home movement takes in people with a variety of motivations:
young people who want to get out from under student loan debt, people who
want to have less impact on the environment, people who can't afford more
and older people who seek to downsize in retirement.
There are really two kinds of tiny houses, and some are bigger than others.
The tiniest houses are less than 200 square feet and are, in effect, stylish
recreational vehicles, built on wheels and able to move from place to place.
There are also a handful of tiny house "eco-villages," which are essentially
communities of small houses clustered together.
The movement also encompasses homes of less than 1,000 square feet, built
in a conventional manner and meant to stay put. Some of the most
appealing versions of these small homes include ingenious design features to
maximize the use of the space.
These smaller homes, along the lines of those popularized by Sarah Susanka
in The Not So Big House series of design books, aren't always cheaper than
existing, larger houses, particularly if they use high-end materials or custom
design features. Still, smaller homes usually mean lower utility bills and less
money spent on stuff you buy but rarely use.
In fact, living in a small space requires you to rethink your entire relationship
with stuff.
"Living in a small house is challenging because you don't have as much
space to hide your clutter," says Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, author of "Living
Large in Our Little House: Thriving in 480-Square Feet with Six Dogs, a
Husband and One Remote and How You Can Do It."
She and her husband, Dale, moved from a 1,100-square-foot house in Kansas
City, Kansas, to a 480-square-foot vacation cabin in the Ozark Mountains in

Arkansas with their six rescue dogs eight years ago. They had intended to
build a larger house on their land, but financial setbacks spurred them to
rethink their plans.
"It's never been our thing to decorate a house," Fivecoat-Campbell says. "We
like to be boating and fishing and hiking and kayaking."
Here are eight factors to consider before you build or buy a tiny house:
Where will you put your home? This is the biggest obstacle for most
people. You might be able to build a cottage as an accessory unit on a lot
with a larger home or in a rural area with a liberal zoning code. Or, you might
need to build it on wheels and keep it in an RV park. "People should really
know where they're going to keep it before they build it," Walker says.
Do you want to build a home with a foundation or a house on
wheels? A traditional home will have to conform to the building codes for
stick-built homes. A mobile home should meet the standards of the
Recreational Vehicle Industry Association if you want to tow it or put it in an
RV park.
Consider your family size and lifestyle. While Walker and Mitchell both
live alone, neither recommends a home as tiny as theirs for a couple or
family. Walker, who has three adult children, estimates you need at least 100
square feet per person. "I wouldn't want to be in a tiny house with a husband
and children," she says. "Teenagers want to be able to have a friend over and
still have privacy. Parents need some alone time." Fivecoat-Campbell decided
they needed a bedroom separate from the living space because her husband
stays up late and watches TV. The couple eventually built a 320-square-foot
building for her to use as an office. Don't forget about space for pets. Walker
found her tiny house was not big enough for two dogs and two cats.
Try before you buy. Fivecoat-Campbell recommends renting vacation
cabins of various sizes and designs to see how you like living in a small
space. Camping is another way to determine what you really need to get by.
Know that outdoor space is important. Porches, decks and room to roam
outdoorsbecome more important when your indoor space is limited. FivecoatCampbell has a covered front porch, a large deck and acres of land. "The
winter times are harder because you can't get outside," she says.

Plan for utilities. If you park your tiny house in an RV campground, you
likely will have access to electricity, running water and sewage disposal. If
you build or park on your own land, how will you handle sewage disposal,
water, power and Internet access? Mitchell uses city water and generates
electricity from solar panels. He uses a composting toilet, but on his blog he
lists some of the challenges with that technology. Many municipalities have
rules about required utilities, so consider the cost of incorporating them into
your home when crunching the numbers on housing expenses.
Build to standards. Building codes exist for a reason, as do the codes for
recreational vehicles. Any home you create will need to stand up to
hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes or the stress (and cost) of towing it on
the highway. Find out what codes are required in your area and build to
those.
Consider your goals. If your motivation is strictly to save money,
investigate other alternatives as well. In some areas, buying or renting an
existing house or apartment may be cheaper. Before you commit to living in
a tiny home, know it's a financially sound decision and you're doing it for the
right reasons.