In the current housing climate, there are many aspects of a tiny home that are appealing as an alternative to a traditional single-family home or condo. The most obvious is that tiny homes are both immediately more affordable and more cost-effective beyond the initial purchase (or build).

This is pretty self-explanatory, so we don’t need to go too deep into it, but less square footage equals less material, which also means it’s cheaper to build. Then, once the home is built, living expenses are minimal compared to a normal-sized house, with power, water, and other energy usage drastically reduced.

All in all, with fewer people able to afford homeownership and the cost of living skyrocketing, tiny homes make homeownership more accessible all around.

Another factor people often bring up is that — while our culture tends to covet having more space than in other countries — the “tiny” part of tiny homes is actually appealing in its own right to many.

While the idea of having a larger home and the space for your things is theoretically “better,” many people who end up in a tiny home do so because they realize that a lot of space can be as overwhelming and stressful as it is beneficial. More space to live in means more space to maintain, more stuff to accumulate, and more upkeep that can start to outweigh the supposed freedom of a bigger house.

That’s a lot of words to say, but here are the main benefits of owning or building a custom tiny home:

• Great for people who want to simplify their lives, streamline their living and possessions, and enjoy the freedom that comes with that.
• Can be easily transported if you want to move locations.
• Tiny homes support a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
• Reduced materials, energy, and resource usage, slashing utility costs in half.

Really, all these appealing aspects of a tiny home go together. With a tiny home, you waste less, use space more intentionally, and have a home that both reflects and facilitates that.

What Are Your Tiny Home Options?

If you’re feeling like a tiny home is right for you, there are three main options:

• On wheels
• Park model or RV style
• With a foundation

We’ll start with the last one: with a foundation. A tiny home built atop a foundation is also known as an accessory dwelling unit or ADU. These, of course, have the benefits of being fully customizable without having to take into consideration other factors that you’d have to plan for in a mobile tiny home. Because the home is stationary with the foundation, you can also consider more permanent utility infrastructure if that’s what you’re looking for.

On the other hand, there is a tiny home on wheels

These are quite popular because of the possibilities mobility brings, but there are of course other considerations here. For example, you have to think about the quality of tires and potential weight restrictions for towing from a car, truck, or trailer if/when you want to transport it.

Also, unlike a permanent ADU tiny home, your power and other utilities will have to be portable; you might want to consider a solar panel installation, too. While that’s popular with many tiny homeowners regardless of build type, it’s especially useful for generating your own energy if you’re on the move and subsequently unable to have permanent energy hookups.

Lastly, there is a park model or RV-style tiny home. As it’s quite similar to the above, you’ll want to consider factors we mentioned above like tire quality, portable utilities, and weight restrictions. The primary difference between just a normal tiny house on wheels and an RV style is that an RV tiny home is compliant with the American National Standards Institute’s code for RVs.

Materials and Floor Plan Options

We alluded to this above in the appeal of a tiny home, but the key to any floor plan is using space far more intentionally than in a normal single-family home. Even the most minimalist will still need to consider “hidden” storage options and ways to make the most of space that would, in a larger home, be unused.

For this reason, lofts and other floor plans that utilize vertical space and stacking can be fantastic for your custom-built tiny home to feel larger and be more utilitarian. This could mean putting the kitchen area or storage under stairs, a reading or workspace under a loft bed, etc.

Otherwise, when planning to build a custom tiny home, consider the materials you’ll need for the basics:

• Siding
• Roofing
• Windows and doors
• Flooring
• Insulation
• Countertops and other hardware

Furthermore, you’ll need to consider materials for other necessities like:

• Plumbing
• Lighting
• Portable energy
• Appliances

The last one can be especially tricky; having less kitchen space means you’ll have to forgo some appliances or at least have smaller ones, including the fridge, stove, and other cooking mediums. As Alton Brown says: “No unitaskers.”

Intuitively, this is a huge portion of the cost of your home. For a custom-built tiny home, you can expect to spend anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 or more depending on the price of materials, labor, and the complexity or size of your build.

Other Things to Consider for Custom-Built Tiny Homes

Of course, zoning laws and building codes are a huge thing here. Obviously, make sure you’re A) not building anything where it’s illegal and unpermitted, and B) have the necessary permits. If your tiny home can be classified as an RV, that opens up some possibilities for where to “park” it, but you need to research where that’s allowed.

At the same time, a tiny home won’t accrue value over time if it’s not located on land you own, unlike a standard home which is, by necessity, integral with the lot it’s on.

Whether it’s for the cost-effectiveness, lifestyle, or environmental benefits, there are a lot of reasons to love a tiny home. (We suppose we should do a plug here: if you do want to make that lifestyle switch and live in the Puget Sound area or elsewhere in Washington or the Pacific Northwest, we’d love to help you make your tiny home dream a reality!)

The freedom a tiny home brings, both financially and to your lifestyle, is something many are discovering, and we love to help bring that to life.