Costs – Page 2 – Tiny Home Lives

Tiny house prices are surprisingly low when put side by side with a regular house. So why haven’t you downsized yet? The idea of tiny houses is gaining traction all over the country, and they’re becoming more popular for families, retirees, and singles alike. Building a house can be expensive though -- unless it’s tiny. Tiny houses have surprisingly low price tags depending on your situation. So you could have your dream house, for a fraction of the cost of a regularly sized home. With tiny homes of all shapes sizes and designs, there are options for just about anyone. Being a homeowner doesn’t have to break the bank or put you in tremendous debt. What exactly is a tiny house though? What Are Tiny Houses? With the average house clocking in at about 2,600 square feet, a tiny house is a fraction of the size. With a maximum of 400 square feet, these homes are built to be minimalistic. They are each designed, so you only bring the bare minimum essentials along with you. These houses have become more and more popular, and with a growing interest in them, some people have even started to sell them for profit. They're built to make use of the possible space in one home, and they're great for people who want organization and efficiency in their lives. They can be set on a foundation or built on wheels for travel, and you can purchase them already completed or just a shell so you can design them yourself. Regardless of the tiny house you choose, your home is usually about a third to a half of your total income, making it the most considerable of your expenses. Prices: Building Vs. Buying When it comes to getting a tiny house you have two solid options. Build one yourself, or buy one. Each of these options has their difficulties. Building a tiny house yourself would save you a lot of money, but would cost you quite a bit of time. Having a tiny house built for you takes a lot of money, but is much faster than the building option. With building, you can hire help for electrical and plumbing work -- which sure would be a little expensive, but not likely as expensive as buying, or having a tiny house built for you. You're going to have to sacrifice time or money; this decision just depends on which you can spare more. Tiny house prices, either way, can be relatively low if you know where to look and what you want. Different Tiny Home Styles to Fit Your Needs There are dozens of different styles of tiny homes to fit your needs. A lot of them, especially ones that have delivery options are built right on trailers so you can travel with them. Foundation based homes settle on a concrete slab instead of on a trailer. Even within these two basic ideas of tiny homes, there are still plenty of different designs and solutions available. Every single one is beautifully designed and beams with a luxurious and elegant feel, even in such a small space. Thankfully we can break down these homes to help you make the decisions that accompany tiny home building, such as do you want it on a trailer or mounted on a foundation? Foundation vs. trailer-mount There are two different ways you can overall build a tiny home. Built into the ground on a foundation, or built upon a trailer so you can move it later. Both pros and cons, and they both are feasible to live in. Foundation based homes are stationary just like the majority of traditional houses. They are unmovable, and you can't travel with them, though they do usually have bathrooms and depending on the design more space to use. Trailer based homes are much more compact, with every single inch used. A foundation based home might be a little more relaxed about the space used and may not take advantage of every inch. Neither build is right or wrong per se, but one may be right or wrong for you. Not looking to travel very much? A foundation based home is probably for you. Looking to travel all of the time? It would be best to look into a home built on wheels. There are also some legal issues you have to get into when building a tiny home, such as does your state allow them? Do you have a building permit? Do you have the land available? What are the zoning laws in your area? Trailer based homes have smaller tiny house prices because they only need a trailer. Foundation based homes need to have a foundation poured. Shell vs. finished product If you're looking to buy instead of build, you still have a few options. Firstly you could buy a shell, which is just the basic walls of the house. That allows you to customize the inside as much as you want -- though sometimes there are some design limitations such as where the bathroom will go. These tiny house shells are more expensive than building a tiny house plan yourself. The shells alone come in between $5,000 and $60,000. With that in mind, you can figure out if money or time is more important to you. If you have the money but still want to customize the insides yourself the shell might be the right option for you. A finished tiny house has some crazy money tied up in it. Some run more expensive than $70,000 just for the tiny home itself -- not including delivery or additional options you may want. Thankfully some tiny house builders do accept financing if you've got good credit. The only negative with this option is that you're usually buying something already completed, so you can't input any design aspects at all. You don't have a say about what is where. Thankfully you do get to see the floor plan, and usually has pictures of the home before you buy it. The shell and the completed tiny houses have some pretty big tiny house prices associated with them. If you have the money though and don't have the time to build a tiny house, buying is a great option. Factors Affecting Tiny House Prices You have to consider dozens of factors when you start your tiny house journey. Tiny house prices are one of the choices. Once you have decided which of the above options is best for you and your financial situation you can get into more complicated details. The first question you should ask is can you legally even do this? Some states and even some counties have very strict rules and regulations on zoning, square footage and more. You'll need to check with your local building department to be sure this is even legal, and if it is you may have to pay quite a bit for permits and zoning fees. These will all affect the cost of the tiny house market in your area. Our Favorite Tiny Houses And Their Tiny House Prices Tiny houses are quaint, beautiful and elegant, no matter if professionals build them, or if you build them with your own two hands. Some tiny houses though just come out so wonderfully that we can't help but be a little biased by adoring them. These tiny homes have great tiny house prices and were all built by the individuals that inhabit them now -- which is why the prices are so low. Each one has it's own pros and cons and a price tag that just might make you think about downsizing. There are a wide variety of different kinds of houses available, and none of them are like the others. Arched Cabins Arched cabins are shells, and come with the installation of the cabin. These homes do not come with anything inside of them, the prices on their site are for the build itself and installation fees. The inner workings are all up to you. A good portion of these arched cabins fall under the 400 square foot range, officially making them tiny homes. Which one you choose though is totally up to you and your needs. Sturdy and quaint these homes are elegant tiny homes. One even has a rustic feel to it. All of that doesn't get these tiny houses on a list of our favorite tiny houses though. The price tag does. Prices for these arched cabins, which includes installation and the entire cabin go from just over $1,000 to $10,000 depending on the model you pick to have built. This business is family owned and operated, and with tiny house prices like these, there isn't much more you could ask for. These houses can even be used on wheels if you want them to, and they're incredibly sturdy and versatile. Pin-Up Tiny Houses These tiny houses make our list because of the low price of the designs. They're pin-up tiny houses, and they're designed to keep building plans about just a few hundred dollars -- which is much less than several other companies. They also try to keep the total build cost at around $10,000. Some of them, of course, go over that mark, but many of them are under that price tag. These homes are crafty and quaint, and with different styles to choose from, there's sure to be one that's right for you. The site has in-depth 3D models to show you just what each home would look like and where everything is laid out in the home. With such in-depth information, you can easily find the best house for you on this list. They even have full-length books to help you along with the process just in case this is your first tiny house build. These tiny house prices are hard to beat, and that's not all that they sell. Pin-Up Houses also sells regular sized houses in just about every size. They craft beautiful and elegant tiny house homes that are easy for anyone to handle. Wesley's Tiny House This tiny house is possible on the teeny tiny budget of $8,000. Beating out tiny house prices like that is hard. They built a twenty-four foot long eight foot wide home with a full kitchen, bathroom, and living room completed with a couch you could sleep on if you had to. With ceilings at about thirteen feet tall, this house is a giant. They didn't forget a single luxury at all, and it even has a fully functional dishwasher. Designed for comfort and delight This tiny house is the home that people dream of. A house on a trailer that you can cart around or just park and live on your land. This tiny homeowner had some serious resourcefulness in mind when they built their home -- which allowed them to build a great space without shelling out over $20,000 for it. They even give you a video tour of the home and tell you all about how they kept prices down so much all without negating any luxury items. With the same kind of resourcefulness and determination, a tiny house doesn't feel impossible to build any more. Are These Tiny House Prices For You? All of these tiny houses are incredibly cheap for the additions they provide. Some are mobile; some are stationary. Either way, tiny house prices have never been cheaper. Especially if you know where to look. Some you can buy the shell too, and you can buy a fully completed tiny house. With so many options it becomes surprisingly simple to become a homeowner. Tiny houses are popping up all over the country, and people are reaping some serious rewards. From building up their finances to working on what they're passionate about. Some people who already live in tiny houses believe they've given them more freedom, not less. Do you live in a tiny house? Are you thinking about building or buying one? Leave a comment below with any questions you might have.