The tiny house movement has come a long way; from the humble wooden homes to homes with lofts, chef’s kitchens, and master bedrooms. The tiny house is no longer just for those seeking to downsize, it is also for those seeking a getaway, vacation home, a place to write their first novel, a luxury that the whole family can enjoy.
Tiny homes now have kid’s bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, luxurious tubs, and huge open showers. Many of these features used to be saved for big suburban homes and now the tiny house movement is creating a line of its own luxury housing.
From the traditional wooden house to renovating a school bus, there are so many different varieties of tiny houses from which to choose these days. Many are shaped like Tudor homes, mini-mansions, modern art designs, tree houses and much more. The creativity of the tiny house has no end. These houses are truly a movement and designed to suit their owners’ unique personalities. People are finding that the old saying, “less is more”, is true for them and they are getting everything they want inside and outside their tiny house design plans.
Here is a gallery of the some of the most luxurious rooms and spaces in tiny homes today:
We have heard so much about the “tiny house movement”, it is an ever evolving subject. Many people choose to move into a tiny house because they feel that they will save money, if not right away, definitely in the long run. Is it cheaper to move to a tiny house and if so, what are the forgotten costs of making this decision?
Buying or Renting?
Does it make more sense to buy or rent a tiny house? It depends on your financial situation. Many older people find it to be a great investment and a worthwhile move, even those still raising one or two children, because they ususally have the savings or a property they already own to use as collateral or sell, in order to make the move easier and cheaper. It can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 to build a tiny house from the ground up. Many buyers put down a very significant down payment or pay for the entire home at once. Many Millenials (the latest generation) find it simpler and cheaper to rent a tiny home because they haven’t yet built up enough savings or collateral to purchase one.
Renting or Buying Land?
Most Millenials rent land even if they buy or build their homes themselves. It is simply much cheaper to pay a price each month for your land than to buy it outright. Most land is too expensive for that, costing in the tens of thousands of dollars to purchase. Particularly when you rent a tiny home, it is often inside of a community and you pay a fee for the land that is yours. These types of tiny home situations often have a main house for cooking, showers, and the use of computers.
Live in a tiny home or rent it out?
For those who want to own a tiny home as an investment, you have a couple of choices. You can live there for a while to have the tiny house experience or you can rent it out right away. If you are the owner of a tiny house with land that you also own, it can be a good investment. By renting it out you give yourself a monthly paycheck that will be able to pay off the purchasing and/or building of the home or to use as you please if those bills do not exist. Purchasing a tiny home to rent out can be a lucrative project if you’ve already got a home of your own.
Very very proud to present the long awaited Helga in all her finished glory. For those that are new to our page, when Helga first arrived she was still very much a horse-box (complete with hay and poo!) We fully stripped the box, planed the timber back and blasted and repainted the frame. With the addition of lots of engineering and customisations, we built her back up from scratch and added heaps of off-grid wizardry behind the scenes so that her owners can truly be home, wherever in the world they choose to park up.
Special thanks to Simon and Gemma who have literally been an absolute dream to work with on this project, and their eye for style and design has spoilt us with fresh ideas and inspiration for this build. We hope you both enjoy having her as much as we’ve enjoyed building her for you. Thanks also to all our suppliers and friends who all too often go above and beyond to help us facilitate this crazy thing that we somehow have managed to carve a living out of doing.
Finally massive love and thanks to our old friend and photographic genius Will Bunce, who has managed to really capture and document Helga in a fashion that does her justice (www.willbunce.com) and we also had a blast having him over last Saturday for the shoot (hangover has just about subsided!)
Also there will be a full (and well made!) video tour coming soon as we were lucky enough to have a visit from The Indie Projects on Sunday so are really looking forward to seeing what they come up with. There’s a little trailer for the full tour available here…
We have no less than 3 new conversions about to begin at our workshop near Glastonbury so stay locked to witness the process we go through on here, on our new instagram (@houseboxhousebox) and also on our (in much need of an update) website (www.house-box.co.uk) Exciting times! Finally a big thanks to everyone who takes the time to look at, ‘like’ and share what we do with the people they know. It’s truly humbling for us that so many people seem to care what we get up to.
Hope you all enjoy the pics. Cheers now,
Dean, Jake and Zack House-Box
Check out the gallery of photos below (all images on our site are expandable, even the featured image at the top).
More and more people are becoming attracted to the idea of living in a Tiny House, and it’s true that the Tiny House Movement has become quite a phenomenon worldwide. But even the most gung-ho of those whose interest in the tiny house has been peaked express concern about the things they might have to give up besides space. Things like losing convenience, interior design, and their personal style worry many of those folks. The reality is that living in a tiny house does not mean you have to sacrifice your style of decor.
When decorating any house, but especially a tiny house, most people put their attention to communal areas like living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens. The bathroom is often overlooked as a purely utilitarian space, but if you care about your well-being, the bathroom should be given a lot of thought. Tiny bathrooms can still be a place to relax, unwind, and chill out. With a little care, imagination, and minimal expense, you can make your tiny bathroom into your very own spa with the right accessories.
Scents Keep your bathroom smelling inviting with essential oils and soaps. A bathroom that smells of cleaners and industrial products is not alluring to anyone. Pleasing aromas are much more conducive to relaxation and that spa feeling.
Lighting Put electrical lighting on a dimmer switch. Dimmers are very easy to install and you can regulate the light as you desire. When you can light pillar candles and place them strategically around the bathroom.
Textures Treat yourself to some thick fluffy towels and wash cloths. Also some sea sponges and loofahs to smooth and buff your tired skin. Dried flowers go a long way to beautify the space, and add an interesting texture.
Sounds Get out your trusty boombox or a radio and put on some soothing music. A lot of folks use New Age music which is very ambient and unintrusive. Music gets your mind off the tapes that play in your head.
You may not be able to fit a sauna in your tiny house bathroom, but with a bit of creativity you can make your bathroom into a spa. Treat yourself well. The images below are intended to inspire and excite you. All images and resource material are courtesy of Pinterest, and images can be enlarged on our website.
The Tiny House Revolution has taken the world by storm as an uncluttered alternative to traditional living. More and more people are looking to make their lives more simple and to down-size from large to small. Enter the Tiny House. Without giving up anything in the way of comfort, lots of folks are finding tiny living a happy change from living in a big home.
The kitchen area of any home is usually the hub of activity, the place people hang out and chat and joke while food is being prepared. And so it is with the tiny house kitchen area. And here are some examples of the typical tiny house kitchen – both convenient and elegant.
(All images courtesy of Pinterest)
This beautiful tiny kitchen is the epitome of space efficiency, with everything a cook could possibly want or need to make a scrumptious meal. And you will notice the handy book shelves where favorite cookbooks could be kept. With stainless steel appliances, this is a kitchen whose maintenance is quick and easy.
This lovely, warm and rustic tiny house kitchen is inside a tiny house log cabin. Wood is such an inviting material, and this kitchen is a perfect example of cozy and efficient. And the experience in this tiny house kitchen is one of spaciousness as opposed to feeling cramped.
This tiny house kitchen is a wonderful example of the sleek, modern style with all the conveniences of a large kitchen. With a double sink, stainless steel fridge, and gas stove this is a design that is both elegant and efficient.
Butcher block counter tops are featured in this tiny house kitchen, and the effect is a wonderful combination of rustic and traditional. Not lacking any modern convenience, this kitchen shows you how much can be done in a tiny space.
Color and clean lines are what make this tiny house kitchen so inviting. Wooden counter tops add charm and texture.
This tiny house kitchen is another example of how a modern color palette and a sleek style does not have to dwarf an already small space. On the contrary, this kitchen gives the feeling of being spacious and open.
No one needs to share the news that the tiny house has become extremely popular due to its level of creativity and economics. You can make a tiny house out of just about anything these days, and this is another reason why they have become so popular. There are a multitude of tiny houses built solely from salvaged materials. So it would make sense that there would soon be communities full of tiny houses. All over the world there are tiny house communities, some have a main house where everyone shares the kitchen and showers, and often the WiFi. Here we share tiny house communities where all the residents have decided to take advantage of this new trend, which is a trend that is not going anywhere.
From Washington, DC, America’s capital, to Portland, Oregon, there are tiny house communities where the residents act as a huge family by helping each other with food, cooking, communal showers and WiFi sharing. In these communities there are also people who are the DIY crew that assist in keeping everything working and also act as help when other tiny house dwellers want to add-on or change the construction of their house. For example, Some tiny homes in a community are not built as mobile homes and then choose to become mobile. And it also works the other way around. Some dwellers in a community begin their tiny house lives wanting the freedom to move around and then enter a community they love and decide to stay. Either way, tiny house communities are a great way to live because you always have the support of others who know exactly what the pros and cons are of tiny house dwellers.
Boneyard Studios in D.C. are proving that a tiny house community can exist in an urban environment. This community now acts as a model of what this type of community could be in an urban setting.
Community First, in Austin, Texas
Community First is a part of what is being called Tiny Austin. The people in Austin, Texas have embraced the tiny house lifestyle and they know how this type of living can assist us in becoming a green planet again. Community First is 27 aces of tiny houses, mobile homes, and RV living.
Quixote Village, Mt. Olympia, Washington
Mt. Olympia is a beautiful area of the States and a perfect place for a tiny house community. Quixote Village used to be a group of self-governed tiny house dwellers. Now it consists of 30 homes, a communal space with showers and a community garden.
Caravan Tiny House Hotel in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon, the “keep Portland Weird” town has fully embraced the tiny house community. Caravan Tiny House Hotel is a gorgeous community of rentals One purpose of this community of rentals is to show others what tiny house living could be like if they chose to live that way permanently.
Second Wind in Ithaca, NY
Second Wind is a growing tiny house village that was designed by Carmen Guidi. The motivation was to help the homeless. Volunteers built a group of six tiny homes and shortly afterwards, the residents moved in. This was in 2014. Second Wind is seeking to expand the village as they continue to receive funding.
The tiny house experience is exploding around the globe and every day people are finding different uses for these gorgeous little, but fully equipped, tiny homes. Airbnb is an innovative company in its own rights to think of the idea of renting real homes and cabins as vacation spots. It works out great for the vacationer and the home owner. We are still in the midst of hot summer weather and many people are still wondering where to go as a nice luxurious getaway. We will show you 10 Airbnb homes on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, to inspire your fabulous summer getaway.
1. The Malibu Dream Airstream
Malibu, California has one of the most beautiful beaches and natural scenery in the world, and this Airstream tiny dwelling fits perfectly against this gorgeous backdrop. The Airstream camper comes equipped with all you need to enjoy a fabulous vacation. It even comes with a large deck for bbq beach parties or just for enjoying each other to watch the sunset.
2. Small Cottage in Norway
This charming small cottage house in Norway does not just come with a beautiful beach but instead comes with that and its own lovely green island. You will feel like a star during this getaway, taking in the quiet and peace of a Norwegian island, while enjoying all the amenities that comes with this quaint tiny home in Vesteroy, Ostfold, Norway.
3. A Bamboo Treehouse in Fern Forest, Hawaii
This tiny home fulfills two dreams, one is to visit the beautiful state of Hawaii, but to also do it by living in a treehouse tiny home. Hawaii is well-known for its beautiful waters and friendly open people and atmosphere. What a spectacular getaway, to stay in this tiny treehouse in one of America’s most beautiful states.
4. Tiny Home in the Philippine Islands
The Philippine Islands is known for its fantasy scenery and this lovely and quaint tiny home fits right in with the backdrop. You will feel as if you have left all your cares at home and are now experiencing, at least for a few days, a carefree and beautiful getaway.
5. Carolina Beach, NC
This cute tiny house brings us back to the States to North Carolina, one of the country’s friendliest states, with all of its natural southern hospitality. You can stay and enjoy Carolina Beach, the delicious food that is in the area, because most Carolinians love to cook and share. The home itself is wonderful for a quiet vacation weekend.
6. Bird Island, Placencia, Belize
Belize is becoming more popular these days as a vacation spot and also a place for expats to get away from the busy life. If you’re not ready to be an expat of the U.S. or the U.K. then a vacation should be enough to inspire and energize you. Do you see that water? It is remarkably clear and glistening. You will feel as if you are in paradise.
7. An Eco-lodge in Popa Island, Panama
This lovely community of eco-lodges on Popa Island, Panama, is a spectacular site. Not only do you get to enjoy the sparkling beaches but you may meet some great people along the way. These tiny homes sit right in the water and you will feel as if you’ve found an oasis of your every own.
8. Tiny Home in Cape May, NJ
Cape May brings back a lot of memories for those who grew up in this area. Now, more people are discovering its beauty as a vacation getaway for themselves and their families. If you want to be reminded of childhood walks on the beach and locals gathering for bbqs and picnics, then Cape May is your place. This lovely home is reminiscent of an old log cabin.
9. Mt. Martha, Victoria, Australia
Equipped with your own outdoor bar area, this tiny home in Victoria, Australia is the perfect vacation area for those who love clean and brilliant sandy beaches and a bit of that Aussie hospitality. The home is equipped with the right amenities and most importantly, sits near the beach where you can get your tan while having some peace and quiet as well.
10. Balmain, New South Wales, Australia
We end this list with another beautiful place in Australia, but this time it is in Balmain, located in New South Wales. This tucked-away tiny house is glorious. It makes you feel as if you are in an old classic film. And again, Australian beaches are hard to compare. They are still not overcrowded and the water is as pristine as ever. Enjoy any of these tiny home beach getaways if you can. It is a wonderful and rare experience.
CBS national show, Money Watch News, has shared an article on using the tiny house revolution to help solve the homeless crisis in America. America’s homeless number is at an epic high. The amount of homeless women and children continue to rise in the country. There are many organizations trying to come up with a solution to this devastating problem and so far nothing has made a huge impact. In the city of Chicago, tiny houses that range in size from 100 to 400 sq. feet may just be what a big city like Chicago needs to get the homeless off the street. CBS Chicago reported that there are approximately 6000 homeless individuals in the city presently.
A local homeless advocacy group called the Pride Action Tank, took CBS Chicago staff on a tour of a tiny home. The home was the size of a studio apartment in the city with everything a dweller would need to live a comfortable life. The house had a kitchen area, a small bedroom area, full bath, and storage. There are homes this size in big cities that many working people cannot afford. Eithne McMenamin, spokesperson for the Pride Action Tank, stated that the tiny house revolution can help the homeless find affordable housing, though it’s not a complete panacea for the issue. However, McMenamin does feel that this would be another option on the list of options, of which many are not working.
The Tiny House Summit was held in Chicago and it was shown and proven that a tiny house that is filled with every necessity and a few extra amenities, can be built for under $30,000. The Summit wanted to prove that maybe in the future it could be a realistic idea to build a section of tiny homes for the homeless in the city. There are a few issues that the tiny house movement cannot fix. There is a different story from every homeless person that is on the street and many of them do not want the interference. There is mental illness, alcoholism, and rebellion against the current society, that keeps many homeless in the streets and shelters. So we are talking about a small group of homeless people and families that would qualify for this solution.
McMenamin says he just wants to add to the menu of choices and solutions. He does not expect one idea to solve the country’s homeless problem, but it could be one of the choices that will suit some of the homeless population who are homeless due to loss of income, lack of education, and a lack of family support. Utilizing the tiny house movement in this way is a great start. In Philadelphia, there was a project to rid the city of all of its public housing, most of which was not safe, and build simple attractive homes on the same land and offer these homes to those who were willing to look for work. These homes were only made available to people making less than $40,000 per year. The project so far has been a success.
Not everyone is looking for a sprawling condo in Florida once they retire. More and more as the tiny house revolution is spreading across the globe, many retirees are seeking to downsize their lives to something much more manageable, and the tiny home is on their list of options. Another reason the tiny home is becoming a popular idea for retirees is that you don’t have to leave the state unless you choose to, because there are many ways to have a tiny home built somewhere near where you already are. Often, if you are a land owner, your tiny house can be built in your backyard. These are issues that need to be discussed with your county and all of its rules and regulations.
Here are 6 reasons you may want to think about retiring to a tiny home:
1. You Get Rid of Your Mortgage
Getting rid of their mortgage is normally the number one perk when it comes to downsizing to a tiny home. You can sell whatever property you have and use those funds to build your tiny home or to buy one that is already built. Most likely you will have money leftover from this process.
2. You Can Travel the Country
If you want to build your tiny house on wheels or turn a camper into a tiny house, you can use it to travel and never really leave home. For many this is a plus, to be able to see the country, enjoy freedom of travel and still be able to live in your own comfortable surroundings. You will also save money on hotels, so gas will be your most important expense, but you can sleep in your own leisurely and familiar space.
3. Less Stuff, Less to Clean
The practical reason to downsize to a small home, is that if have less things, there is less to clean and care for. Living a minimalist life doesn’t need to be boring. You can always add a lot of color to your tiny home instead of a lot of furniture. As retirees, it would seem like a great idea to lessen the amount of chores and work that a regular sized house would require.
4. Lower Utility Bills
Lower utility bills is another great practical reason to retire into a tiny home. Lower utility bills is another perk that will help you save you money and the more money you save, the more you can travel with ease, should that be your desire. If you’re not into travel and are simply looking for comfort, lower bills are still one of the best reasons to downsize.
5. You Can Retire Early or Work Part-time
Having lower bills and no mortgage, frees you up to either retire early or work only part-time. The pressure to make a certain amount of money a month will change drastically. You will feel more freedom in your life especially if you ran your own business. You can cut your hours down to the minimum, if you choose.
6. Create a Super Fun Retirement Project
You can also create your own tiny house plans and begin a project together building your own home. You can design it just the way you want to and create a home that is specifically catered to your needs and wants. It can also be a lot of fun watching your tiny house come together, particularly if you are a natural DIYer. There are endless reasons why retiring to a tiny house is a great idea for retirees, but what is most important is that you enjoy the process.
One of the major reasons why so many people are downsizing and trying out a lifestyle with a smaller carbon footprint on our planet is because of the lower cost of the tiny home. You can basically have all that you need in a tiny home and many things you actually desire as well, with a much lower cost than the average home. Of course, the idea of a tiny house can be overwhelming, not knowing where to begin or how much you will need financially to finish your dream, but maybe these tiny house dwellers and builders can inspire you with their tiny homes that were all made for under 20K! Amazing!
1. The Hawaiian Tiny Dream House for $11K
Kristie Wolfe of Boise, Idaho followed her dream of having a home in Hawaii and built her fabulous tiny house for $11K, way under $20K. What inspired this Hawaiian dream vacation house? Wolfe already lived in a tiny home in Idaho and saw how much money she saved by living in a tiny house and decided that this revolution has made it possible to have a dream off-the-grid, tiny home in one of her favorite vacation spots. Wolfe has build two homes for far less than the price of one average house.
2. A Romantic Forest Home Built for as Little as $4K
That’s correct, there’s no zeros missing here. This gorgeous little house is built on wheels and was built by a gentleman and his fiancee in 6 week’s time for $4K. It appears as a small log cabin with the view of the century. You can enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest right from a small deck that was built facing the forest. This tiny house is a treasure for this couple and just the savings alone is enough to warrant a celebration.
3. A Tiny House Built in the Trees for Only $8200
Growing up, I don’t think there were too many kids that didn’t want a fabulous tree house and many of us had them and we thought they were great, but this tiny house built in the trees is one of a kind. Graduate student Geoff de Ruiter built this amazing tree house with salvaged materials and by now we know that salvaged materials can save a home builder of any kind, lots of cash. And that is exactly what it did for Ruiter, but it also gave him the tree house anyone would have loved to have as a kid, except this tree house is a tiny house for real living.
4. A Texas Couple Builds Their Tiny Home for $7000
Physical Therapists for Veterans by trade, Ethan and Kelsey built their tiny home for $7000. They utilized Craigslist and found an old trailer. For many DIYers building tiny homes, Craigslist seems to be a bounty of goodies. The two work full-time, so though it took them 6 months from start to finish, the actual work only took 20 days out of that 6 month period of time. Remarkable. The home is 100 sq. feet of living space.
5. Tiny House Builders in New Zealand build their home from 80% Recycled Materials
New Zealand is a gorgeous place to live but it is becoming known for earthquakes and these quakes have destroyed a lot of homes, so many people are thinking that they would be better off spending less money on a home and also making it mobile. That’s what American ex-pats Patrick and Cori decided to do. With their labor and salvaged materials, Patrick and Cori built their tiny home for $10,000 American dollars.
We hope this inspires you to build your own tiny house if that has been a dream of yours. As you can see, there are many ways to follow your tiny house dream without worrying about about financing a huge loan for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Please check out our gallery and be inspired!
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