If you made it to this post, you’re in good company. ‘How do I get one?’ and ‘Where do I start?’ are the questions I get daily on my instagram account. While I don’t know all of the answers, I did learn quite a bit on my own journey so I decided to put together a bit of a guide to share.
This post is all about how to buy a tiny house. Let me know if it helped or if you still have questions I could answer in the comments below.
Expect obstacles
The path to tiny house living isn’t clear. Or easy. But if you keep a positive attitude and have a resourceful spirit you can make it happen. Tiny house parking is by far the biggest issue, as most areas don’t allow legal tiny house parking. I found my parking spot using Facebook buy/sell groups, but you should know that I’m not technically parked legally.
I rent a space on someone else’s property, but we did everything we could to make sure I didn’t get evicted. The land owners spoke to all of the neighbors and I spoke to some contacts from the city who clarified that while it isn’t yet legal in my area, they would love to see tiny homes allowed here eventually. So basically, everyone knows I’m here, and no one cares. This was my biggest fear going into tiny house living but thankfully this location has worked out great. This was a risk worth taking to me because it was the only affordable option I had.
Find a certified builder
If you’ve been thinking about getting a tiny house for a while, chances are you already have an idea of the size, style you want, and maybe even a particular builder you like. I suggest you start there. Find a builder who has a solid portfolio of great homes, and give them a call. If you have a good feeling on the phone, schedule a tour of their facility. An in-person tour is so important in assessing their quality and craftsmanship.
In my initial 1 hour phone call with my builder, I already knew I wanted to hire him. The tour of his facility just solidified my decision to hire him. If you find a great builder with a lot of builds under their belt, they can really help you maximize every inch of the space.
Most important, when you find a great builder, make sure they are either NOAH or RVIA certified. Here’s a great website that explains the differences and importance of these certifications. In a nutshell, a certified builder will make sure your home is inspected and built to standard building codes which will not only make it safe, but also give you better insurance and financing options.
It won’t be cheap
Most people choose to go tiny because they can’t afford a regular home in the area where they want to live. At least, that was my case. Homes in the Colorado front range were averaging $600k when I started my tiny house journey. And most, like me, expect to pay around $100k or less for a tiny house. I made some poor decisions, had to hire a second builder to finish my home, and paid closer to $170k in 2020 due to the rising cost of supplies during the pandemic.
That said, $170k was still way more affordable than anything else in my area. Today, my exact same house would be $225k, which would be out of my price range… but STILL the most affordable option. So if you’re thinking you can get a tiny house for $50k, brace yourself for an average well over $200k to hire a company to do it for you. Doing it yourself would definitely save you tons of money, but that’s a topic I unfortunately know nothing about!
Expect to put 1/4 to 1/2 down
This part makes me physically ill when I think of all of the single moms who reach out to me asking how they can go tiny. Unless you are selling a house, chances are this is going to be a difficult task for you. When I was pre-approved by my lender, who was partnering with my builder, I had to put 1/4 down and I had to have a signed lease for my parking spot. With the sale of my home, I was able to do that. I’m guessing the signed lease was to prevent me from backing out if I got frustrated trying to find parking.
Have a backup financing plan
Here’s why. (And I’m not the only one this has happened to.) Just one week before my home was scheduled for delivery, my bank pulled out. I was pre-approved and they still pulled out due to an issue that they 100% new about when they pre-approved me. I’m still not sure if it was even legal for them to do that. Thankfully I had a friend who told me that if I couldn’t find funding through the proper channels, they would lend me the money. And that’s the route I had to take, which I was thankful to have.
So as you can see, there are many obstacles that make the route to tiny house living difficult. You can look at this as all of the reasons to not go tiny. But if you’re like me, and this is the only affordable or appealing option, at least now you have an idea of what to look for and expect. Good luck on your journey!
I hope these tips helped you to decide whether tiny house living is for you. If it is, please keep me posted. I would love to hear about your journey!
