Renovated Airstream by Wind River Tiny Homes

Renovated Airstream by Wind River Tiny Homes:



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Young Man Building Mortgage-free Tiny House (He Started at 18!)

Full post at Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

This is the story of a young man who started building his own mortgage-free tiny house at age 18. Now, at age 21, Josh and his girlfriend Lindsay are almost done building it and getting ready to move in. In the beginning, he started the project with a summer job to save money for the trailer and building materials. […]

Earthbag Building 101

Full post at Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

Ever wonder how earthbag building works? Well, you can consider this a 2-minute Earthbag Construction 101 video course presented by GoPro for a Cause. Earthbag [building] is an alternative, environmentally friendly, and amazingly simple construction method that can help build a more sustainable world. Andrew Mugford, of Permaculture South Africa, will be using earthbag [building] to […]

The Pros and Cons of Reusing Materials

Full post at Tiny House Blog
I’ve been around this tiny house block for some time; years, in fact. I remember reading my first post by Kent. The year was 2010 and the article was about a guest cabin somewhere in North Dakota or Colorado or somewhere like that. (I have since found out it was Paul’s Guest House in Ennis, Montana

Handcrafted Movement Tiny House

Full post at Tiny House Swoon


Handcrafted Movement makes everything from scratch, including their tiny homes.

Book Review: Tiny House Design & Construction Guide

Full post at The Tiny Project | Mini Houses. More Life.

Dan Louche’s Tiny House Design & Construction Guide is truly one of the most important tiny house resources you can buy. From my personal experience, I can say it’s the best “how to build a tiny house” book I know of, and one that I referenced a lot when building my tiny house. (I’d say my house turned out really well, thanks in part to this book!)

I’m writing this review because Dan has recently released an updated 2nd edition of the book that contains 50% more content including 38 more images and illustrations! The book was great before, and it’s even more invaluable now.

This book includes information about each stage of tiny house design and construction, including:

• Preparing to live tiny & downsizing
• Design & plans
• Required tools & building materials
• Trailers
• Subfloor framing, insulation & sheathing
• Wall framing and sheathing
• Roof framing, strapping & sheathing
• Windows, doors & drying-in the house
• Exterior siding & roofing
• Insulation options
• Plumbing & electrical how to’s and diagrams
• Interior trim, flooring & cabinets

You can download a preview of the book here. Below are some sample pages to show you the level of detail provided. The 2nd edition includes greatly expanded framing, plumbing and electrical sections answering many of the questions Dan has received since the 1st edition was published.

I really love how comprehensive this book is. It covers nearly every tiny house building topic there is. I particularly benefited from many little construction tips and tricks used to build correctly and safely. I never would have found out about some of these things on my own. I also got a lot of guidance from the suggested materials — It felt great having a solid starting point so I knew what to look for when sourcing items for my build.

What’s great about a book like this is that it pairs perfectly with the tiny house plans you are building from (if you don’t design your own house). A set of tiny house plans will never tell you in detail how to actually build a tiny house, and that’s where I guide like this comes in.

No one should start building a tiny house feeling totally lost and unprepared. That’s why I highly recommend this book. Dan’s many years of tiny house construction experience will leave you with the knowledge and confidence needed to start building your own tiny house.

Get your copy now!

 

Whisky Jack Tiny House by Rewild Homes

Full post at Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

This is the Whisky Jack custom 28′ tiny house on wheels by Rewild Homes in Vancouver Island. The tiny home is built right onto a tri-axle utility trailer and it features a shed sloped tin roof. When you go inside, you’ll find a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and two sleeping lofts. Please enjoy, learn more, […]

1956 Flexible Vistaliner Motorcoach VL100 For Sale

Full post at Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

This is a 1956 Flexible Vistaliner Motorcoach VL100 for sale in Athens, Georgia. From the outside, it features a retro look and seems to be in excellent condition. When you step inside, you’ll find a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and more! Asking price is $50,000 USD. Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share below. Thank you! […]

Sustainable AVAVA Systems as Tiny Houses

Full post at Tiny House Blog
What first began as an art project at Burning Man 2006 (the Sugar Cube) is now becoming another option for an efficient tiny house. AVAVA Systems, a San Francisco company, engineers buildings for the future that are simple yet beautiful. The AVAVA prefab Britespace house was built in a factory in California with essentially no

Hardy Tiny House by Wishbone Tiny Homes

Full post at Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

This is the Hardy Tiny House by Wishbone Tiny Homes. It’s an 8′ x 12′ tiny cabin on a trailer. From the outside, you’ll notice how the loft overhangs above the front door. When you go inside, you’ll find a living area, kitchenette, bathroom, and double upstairs sleeping lofts. Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share below. Thank […]

TH2 Tiny House Lumbec

ORIGINAL POST AT Tiny House Talk - Small Spaces More Freedom

This is a 24′ TH2 tiny house on wheels by Tiny House Lumbec. From the outside, it features a side entrance and you’ll notice a slanted, shed-style roof with dormers in the loft area. When you go inside, you’ll find a kitchen, living area, bathroom with a tub, a spacious upstairs sleeping loft, and more. Please enjoy, learn […]

150 Sq. Ft. Tiny Drop Tiny House on Wheels

ORIGINAL LINK

This is the 150 sq. ft. Tiny Drop tiny house on wheels by Tend Building and Architend. From the outside, you’ll notice it’s like a teardrop camper and a tiny house on wheels combined! When you go inside, you’ll find a beautiful interior with a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping loft. Please enjoy, learn […]

Cheap Storage Shed Homes for Sale

ORIGINAL LINK

An unfinished, pre-built storage shed could be the fastest and cheapest way to realize the tiny house lifestyle of your dreams. Crazy? Like a fox.

So, what’s the difference between a storage shed and a tiny house? Labels. You might be surprised how much money you can save with the economies of factory production and mainline distribution working in your favor, in comparison to having the pros design and build your home for you from the ground up. (Check out this article to learn more about how much a tiny house really costs.)

There are scads of online retailers who offer some primo models that you can have shipped to your homestead location, often with lots of customizable options – so before you hop in the car and head to your local home improvement store, check out the Tiny House Blog’s top five sources for affordable storage shed homes.

Top 5 Sources for Cheap Storage Shed Homes for Sale:

5. Hill View Mini Barns

Hill View manufactures a huge array of high quality structures, and any of them can be shipped to your ideal location. They manufacture modular homes, but the most applicable models for tiny house folks will be in the camper section.

While you’re at it, make sure to get a coop for your egg-laying hens, and a playground set for the kiddos.

You can glean more insight into how the process works by watching their splendid demo video.

4. Pine Creek Structures

If you happen to be homesteading within 20 miles of one of their stores in Pennsylvania, Connecticut or West Virginia, these folks will deliver your new tiny home for free.

They have lots of options for tiny house conversion, including a number of styles of shed and what they describe as getaway cabins.

You can also choose from dog shelters, hunting blinds and anything else to enhance your new life, sans-mortgage.

3. American Storage Buildings

Check out their specialty sheds section – if I didn’t know better, I would say they had people like us in mind…

You’ll find everything from screened structures for summer camping to mini Victorian style plantation homes.

2. USA Portable Buildings

The folks at USA Portable Buildings recently won a 2015 award from the Better Business Bureau for marketplace ethics, so rest assured that you’ll be treated like family if you choose to opt for one of their many beautiful designs.

My favorites are in the Amish Cabin section, but you won’t miss out if you look strictly through the sheds and storage buildings.  What I like most about their business model is the degree to which they will allow you to customize your structure, from body and trim color to roofing style and material.

1. Weaver Barns

No matter your style preferences or price range, Weaver Barns has what you’re looking for.

You can choose from a wide array of gorgeous storage sheds, including a DIY kit they will send you with the click of a mouse.

While you’re on their website, make sure to scope out the cabins they have available as well. They even have a tiny timber framed lodge, if that suits your fancy.  You can see more top notch Weaver craftsmanship in this video below.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Getting started with this route to tiny home ownership could be as simple as stopping by your local home improvement store and talking a walk around their shed lot. If you know your way around a toolbox, you could have your new digs insulated and tricked out to your own satisfaction before work on Monday morning.

But converting a storage shed into a tiny house still requires that you set aside part of your budget, along with a chunk of time, to make it comfortable and cozy.  Let’s start with the pros and cons you’ll need to bear in mind.

Pros:

•  Cost: the manufacturers listed in this article get their materials at wholesale prices, and they’ve perfected efficient, streamlined systems to keep up with their competitors. This means they can offer high quality products at prices that average folks just can’t match on their own.  You’ll get a similar price advantage from the big box retailers if you just want to jump in head first and pick up something locally.
• Financing: oftentimes manufacturers offer financing options as a service to their clientele, which could open the door to tiny house living for you, even if you don’t have thousands of dollars stuffed under your mattress.
• Speed: you just can’t beat the pace of a manufactured structure, since these buildings are pre-built and designed to be shipped to you in a state ready for assembly. You’ll want to have a concrete contractor lay down a pad foundation for you first, of course, but that’s a cinch.
• Ease: manufactured structures are perhaps the most accessible option for folks who want to have a tiny home at an affordable price. Most able-bodied adults can handle assembly themselves, and even if not, a local contractor certainly can, and paying someone by the hour isn’t so bad when the project can be wrapped in a weekend.
• Warranty Coverage: some of the buildings provided by the companies listed above are covered by warranties, in case something is damaged in shipping, or in the rare event that a component fails after installation. Try asking your local tradesmen for a deal like that.

Cons:

• Loss of Mobility: all of the structures mentioned in the article are static in nature, designed to be put in place on a foundation and allowed to grow roots. If a tiny house on wheels is more your speed, check out this list of sources for used tiny mobile homes.
• Shipping Costs: depending on where you live, what the micro-conditions are in the area immediately surrounding your homestead, and where you purchase your manufactured structure from, shipping could add up to as much as double the cost of your new tiny home. If you’re living in the remotest part of the Alaskan woods or something, and this turns out to be true for you, you might want to consider buying an established tiny home for sale by owner. Go here for a list of resources.
• Insurability: unless you know about a loophole that I don’t, you can probably forget about getting insurance on any of these tiny homes.

Extra considerations:

• Insulation: if you’re planning to live in a cold climate, make sure to get a model with at least 2×6 framing, to allow plenty of room for insulation.
• Sheathing: are the walls, ceiling and floor sheathed with plywood or OSB, inside and out? If not, you might want to ask for the company to upgrade your purchase for you. This will help protect your new home against the weather. You’ll also want to make sure that the sheathing is connected directly to the framing for overall strength and durability, instead of simply to so-called ‘nailers’, which are often used to speed up construction.
• Glazing: are the windows and doors up to snuff? Your tiny house will be cold and drafty in the winter, if your windows and doors aren’t weather tight. You might want to request an upgrade here too.

Are you interested in the tiny house lifestyle, but you still have tons of questions? Worry not, because there is a village of more than a dozen different styles of tiny home in northeast Missouri where you can see a plethora of materials and construction methods in use within a short stroll of one another. Check out this website to learn more about you can visit!

Check out the Dancing Rabbit Website —

The Tiny House Real Estate Market

ORIGINAL LINK

“How do you even know if it is a good house?” My friend’s question rang through my ears with a deafening noise. I had no answer. “I don’t know, man.” It was all I could muster. I never had to think about it before I guess. I built my tiny house. I bought a travel trailer that I had visited as a guest before buying. I have anchored down in a small house that we knew needed some TLC so we had no real surprises. It is a very interesting time we live in and are part of a very interesting real estate market. When before in history has a buyer had to look at the condition of the house, the trailer it is fastened to, the legal issues surrounding actually living in it, as well as a laissez-faire market price.

I actually don’t even know where to start with this conversation. I see on social media daily people looking to buy a tiny house and I see people looking to sell a tiny house. For some reason though they can’t seem to find each other.

I see people asking who a good tiny house builder is, quickly followed by how much they charge, as if the adage “you get what you pay for” no longer matters. And what I am finding out is you don’t. You don’t get what you pay for any longer. To quote Mr. Kenny Rogers, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em / Know when to fold ’em / Know when to walk away / Know when to run”. Somehow in this tiny house world we as buyers – young, old, black, white, educated, and not-so-much – are supposed to know when to walk away and when to run.

In the old days when houses were built on foundations and they only time they moved was when the wind kicked up from the Northeast, real estate agents helped sort all of this out. So far though the only tiny house real estate agents that seem to exist are those on popular television shows that want to paint a picture of a world where a 167 sq.ft. house sits right next to a 2,700 sq.ft. house, and the two owners meet each afternoon to discuss politics over a glass of sweet tea.

“How do you even know if it is a good house?”

“I don’t know, man.”

Just shy of submitting himself to the TV limelight the only thing I could suggest almost at once seemed like the best answer.

“Check out Tiny House Listings. It is a sort of real estate site for tiny houses and unconventional homes. In fact, it is where I first turned to sell my tiny house back in 2014.”

I mean, why wouldn’t there be a website dedicated to the market surrounding one of the most unconventional real estate movements in the last 100 years? It only makes sense. A quick search of Airbnb will show you tiny house rentals. You can purchase a turnkey tiny house on Craigslist. Heck, even lumber yards are prepared to sell you your own tiny house. This buying and selling of tiny houses is a real thing. There is interest everywhere. But how do you know if what you are getting is a good thing? How do you know if……(fill in the blank). Here are 5 quick tips to help you guide this new market.

1. Establish your budget and stick to it.
2. Consider what, if any, financing options are available to you.
3. Downsize before you buy so you know what kind of space you need and what kind you want.
4. Visit as many tiny houses as you can prior to making a purchase decision.
5. Decide if you want to build, have it built, or outright buy!

So how do you feel about the tiny house real estate market? Are you currently in the midst of it? What has your experience been and what do you expect from it all?

By Andrew M. Odom for the [Tiny House Blog]

Cyrus Sutton’s Van Life

ORIGINAL LINK

This is Cyrus Sutton’s Van Life. He and his friends took his Sprinter van and turned it into a beautiful camper. From the outside, it looks sort of like an ordinary work van. But when you go inside, you’ll find it offers a custom solution for living and traveling. Please enjoy, learn more, and re-share […]

Celebrating Our New Book: Tiny Houses Built with Recycled Materials

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We’re proud to announce the official release of The Tiny Life’s second print book: Tiny Houses Built With Recycled Materials! If you’re looking to reduce your environmental impact, save some money, and add some character to your tiny house, be sure to check out this book. It’s […]

360 Degree Rotating Micro Cabin

ORIGINAL LINK

This is a 360 degree rotating micro cabin in designed by Telmo Cadavez in Portugal. From the outside, you’ll notice it’s a simple but beautifully built micro cabin with a large window that can be used for passive solar. When you go inside, you’ll find a bare bones interior with multi-functional furniture that gives you […]