Home Blog Archives for William C. Page 17

Are Tiny Homes Expensive?

By:

William C.

July 22, 2023

1 minute

The list price of the Tumblewood Tiny House ELM is $75,959 without extras (and some extras are quite handy/required, such as a composting toilet, which all-together can take the price above $80,000), whilst Rocky Mountain Tiny House say that their 34 foot long trailer builds will be “$70-100k”. Whilst the average American home is $275,000+ (making tiny houses look cheap), you can buy a house which is 2-3x bigger than a tiny house for around $80,000 in some states. Plus standard houses cost $125/square foot, compared to $200-400/square foot for a tiny house. So are tiny houses simply a rip-off which are too expensive for the average joe to own?

Whilst tiny homes do cost more per square foot to build (usually more than double the cost/square foot of a standard house), you can still be a lot better off financially living in a tiny house. It is therefore a myth that a tiny house is ‘too expensive’ for you to own.

This article explores the typical prices and costs of building a tiny house, and also how much better off financially you can be living in a tiny house compared to a standard house. We have written a separate guide on methods of paying for a tiny house, if that is what you are looking for instead.

The list price of the Tumblewood Tiny House ELM is $75,959 without extras (and some extras are quite handy/required, such as a composting toilet, which all-together can take the price above $80,000), whilst Rocky Mountain Tiny House say that their 34 foot long trailer builds will be “$70-100k”. Whilst the average American home is $275,000+ (making tiny houses look cheap), you can buy a house which is 2-3x bigger than a tiny house for around $80,000 in some states. Plus standard houses cost $125/square foot, compared to $200-400/square foot for a tiny house. So are tiny houses simply a rip-off which are too expensive for the average joe to own?

Whilst tiny homes do cost more per square foot to build (usually more than double the cost/square foot of a standard house), you can still be a lot better off financially living in a tiny house. It is therefore a myth that a tiny house is ‘too expensive’ for you to own.

This article explores the typical prices and costs of building a tiny house, and also how much better off financially you can be living in a tiny house compared to a standard house. We have written a separate guide on methods of paying for a tiny house, if that is what you are looking for instead.

The list price of the Tumblewood Tiny House ELM is $75,959 without extras (and some extras are quite handy/required, such as a composting toilet, which all-together can take the price above $80,000), whilst Rocky Mountain Tiny House say that their 34 foot long trailer builds will be “$70-100k”. Whilst the average American home is $275,000+ (making tiny houses look cheap), you can buy a house which is 2-3x bigger than a tiny house for around $80,000 in some states. Plus standard houses cost $125/square foot, compared to $200-400/square foot for a tiny house. So are tiny houses simply a rip-off which are too expensive for the average joe to own?

Whilst tiny homes do cost more per square foot to build (usually more than double the cost/square foot of a standard house), you can still be a lot better off financially living in a tiny house. It is therefore a myth that a tiny house is ‘too expensive’ for you to own.

This article explores the typical prices and costs of building a tiny house, and also how much better off financially you can be living in a tiny house compared to a standard house. We have written a separate guide on methods of paying for a tiny house, if that is what you are looking for instead.

Screw Pile Foundations For Tiny Houses And Backyard Offices

By:

William C.

July 22, 2023

1 minute

If you have not heard about screw pile foundations, imagine getting a gigantic screw (with a flat head) and screwing this into the ground. If the screw is thick enough, and goes into the ground deep enough, logically this will provide a fairly stable base for building on top of – especially when you have lots of them at regular intervals:

If you have not heard about screw pile foundations, imagine getting a gigantic screw (with a flat head) and screwing this into the ground. If the screw is thick enough, and goes into the ground deep enough, logically this will provide a fairly stable base for building on top of – especially when you have lots of them at regular intervals:

If you have not heard about screw pile foundations, imagine getting a gigantic screw (with a flat head) and screwing this into the ground. If the screw is thick enough, and goes into the ground deep enough, logically this will provide a fairly stable base for building on top of – especially when you have lots of them at regular intervals:

Tiny Houses With 2 (Or Even 3) Bedrooms: Is It Possible?

By:

William C.

July 22, 2023

1 minute

There are many benefits to a tiny house, including massive flexibility, a less commercialized lifestyle and the fact that they are cheaper than standard houses. However the majority of tiny homes only have a single bedroom, which means that you could start to outgrow your tiny home if your family expands. If you are expecting a child, or you have recently had one (congratulations, by the way!), then a separate bedroom will become increasingly important. Equally, you might want a friend or family member to stay for a few nights.

So is it possible to have multiple bedrooms in what is – by definition – a tiny house (i.e. one that is designed to be tiny)? Thankfully the answer is yes. You could ensure that any second loft area is big enough for a bed, or add a pull-down bed (or convertible couch) in your living room area, for example.

There are other options too, along with some considerations you need to be mindful of, which this article explores.

There are many benefits to a tiny house, including massive flexibility, a less commercialized lifestyle and the fact that they are cheaper than standard houses. However the majority of tiny homes only have a single bedroom, which means that you could start to outgrow your tiny home if your family expands. If you are expecting a child, or you have recently had one (congratulations, by the way!), then a separate bedroom will become increasingly important. Equally, you might want a friend or family member to stay for a few nights.

So is it possible to have multiple bedrooms in what is – by definition – a tiny house (i.e. one that is designed to be tiny)? Thankfully the answer is yes. You could ensure that any second loft area is big enough for a bed, or add a pull-down bed (or convertible couch) in your living room area, for example.

There are other options too, along with some considerations you need to be mindful of, which this article explores.

There are many benefits to a tiny house, including massive flexibility, a less commercialized lifestyle and the fact that they are cheaper than standard houses. However the majority of tiny homes only have a single bedroom, which means that you could start to outgrow your tiny home if your family expands. If you are expecting a child, or you have recently had one (congratulations, by the way!), then a separate bedroom will become increasingly important. Equally, you might want a friend or family member to stay for a few nights.

So is it possible to have multiple bedrooms in what is – by definition – a tiny house (i.e. one that is designed to be tiny)? Thankfully the answer is yes. You could ensure that any second loft area is big enough for a bed, or add a pull-down bed (or convertible couch) in your living room area, for example.

There are other options too, along with some considerations you need to be mindful of, which this article explores.

How Tiny Houses Can Have Basements And Crawl Spaces

By:

William C.

July 22, 2023

1 minute

Many American houses have basements or crawl spaces, which are handy for extra storage, giving access points to natural gas and water plumbing, and making it easier to carry out future pipe/cable runs. These would all be clear benefits to a tiny house too, especially having an extra storage space – so can these useful additions to houses be added to tiny houses too?

THOWs (Tiny Houses on Wheels) naturally cannot have basements, although they can potentially have crawl space access under the trailer. A tiny house on a fixed foundation can have either, however, since they are constructed in a similar way to standard houses.

Many American houses have basements or crawl spaces, which are handy for extra storage, giving access points to natural gas and water plumbing, and making it easier to carry out future pipe/cable runs. These would all be clear benefits to a tiny house too, especially having an extra storage space – so can these useful additions to houses be added to tiny houses too?

THOWs (Tiny Houses on Wheels) naturally cannot have basements, although they can potentially have crawl space access under the trailer. A tiny house on a fixed foundation can have either, however, since they are constructed in a similar way to standard houses.

Many American houses have basements or crawl spaces, which are handy for extra storage, giving access points to natural gas and water plumbing, and making it easier to carry out future pipe/cable runs. These would all be clear benefits to a tiny house too, especially having an extra storage space – so can these useful additions to houses be added to tiny houses too?

THOWs (Tiny Houses on Wheels) naturally cannot have basements, although they can potentially have crawl space access under the trailer. A tiny house on a fixed foundation can have either, however, since they are constructed in a similar way to standard houses.