10 Things To Think About Before You Join The Tiny House Movement

Living Tiny is the greatest--how ready are you??

1. Wait, how tiny is tiny?

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Tiny houses look adorable in pictures. But it can be hard to have a sense of the size. If you haven’t gotten the chance to tour an actual tiny home, we recommend taping out dimensions and standing inside to help you conceptualize. If you aren’t ready to go full on tiny (think less than 200 square feet), there are a lot of really cool small homes out there that are still about downsizing.

2. What do I need versus what do I want?

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Before you design, you should make a list prioritizing all the features you’d like to see in your home. Keep in mind the tiny size. If your list includes a full size pool table, you might want to rethink this whole tiny living thing. Look at other tiny houses. You wont see many that have five full sized appliances.

3. What’s my tiny house for?

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Some people plan on living in their tiny house full time. But, others might plan to use it as a vacation cabin, guesthouse, or some other creative use. This plays a big role in the design process.

4. Where do I put a tiny house?

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This is a big one. Regulations can make it challenging to park a tiny home. Where you park it can dictate things like your energy and plumbing choices. While it’s fun to pick out colors and designs, you’ll want to do your homework on where you’re going to put your tiny house first. You don’t want to be disappointed or surprised by rules you didn’t know about.

5. What are my building capabilities?

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Don’t get us wrong—DIY is awesome! Just make sure you’re realistic about your own capabilities. The last thing you would want is for you’re tiny house dream to be crushed (literally) due to lack of structural soundness. You can seek professional help with certain aspects of the building process (like finding the right trailer or installing electricity), and still have ownership of your own project.

6. What’s my design?

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This is the incredibly fun part! There’s no shortage of innovative design options out there! Here’s where you get to think about everything from color palate to a composting toilet. Check out sites like Tiny House Talk, Tiny House Design, and Tiny House Blog to see examples of tiny houses. Tiny House Community also has a list of builders.

7. What’s my budget?

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One of the biggest fallacies about tiny homes is that they’re cheap just because they’re small. But, if you think about it, a tiny house includes some of the most expensive aspects of standard sized home fit into a smaller area. If you’re building your own, there are a lot of really cool ways to save money—which is awesome! But, before you leave some poorly thought out comment about tiny house builders’ prices just remember: in addition to materials, you’re also paying for the labor and expertise of a small business. Consider that you may not be fully aware of the costs involved in a build. Be kind and polite.

8. How often will I move my tiny house?

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If you plan on moving a lot there are things to consider, like tagging the trailer correctly and making sure you have a vehicle capable of hauling your tiny home, and making sure your tiny home is road-ready (from both safety and permitting perspectives). If you aren’t planning on moving you can look into options like lowering your tiny home and skirting the trailer to create a more permanent feel

9. Is it conducive to my lifestyle?

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We think anyone can live tiny. There are a growing number of stories about singles, couples, and families successfully transitioning from a standard size dwelling to a tiny home. However, there are certain stages of life where maybe it isn’t the best idea. Be realistic with yourself, and know that there can always be a tiny house in your future! And it’s never too soon to start planning.

10. How totally EXCITED am I to live tiny?

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SO EXCITED GET EXCITED SO EXCITED GET EXCITED