Developer · Houston, TX · Member since 2008 · 488 posts · 121 votes
Has anyone taken interest in "Tiny Homes", less than 500 sq ft homes.
I've been reading up on these, and it looks like people are building them ground up for less than $15k. Some people are claiming to live here for 10-15 years happily.
In my opinion, it seems like this could be an up and coming trend in real estate.
There are certain areas where property values are very high, and people choose to live in tiny home.
Has anyone considered developing a community of 25-50 tiny homes? Based on my calculations, you could fit 50 tiny homes at 500 sq ft each on a 1 acre plot, with enough room for landscape, sidewalks, etc.
These are the guys who started it all (I believe): http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/
This is what we learned on our last visit checking out their models:
1. In Sonoma county (Northern CA), these are considered RV's and can not have permanent utility connections - with the exception of as an assisted living unit where home healthcare workers may visit (so you could put one in your backyard for Grandma if you were taking care of her there and leave the utilities permanently connected). If someone reports you, they will come out and verify you have disconnected the utilities and then come at random intervals to check on you. The office manager told us they have exhausted the market for people who will set up technically "illegal" housing in their back yard.
2. Regulation can be local/county/state specific but generally in CA RV's can't become stationary, and tiny homes are classified as RVs (at least in CA). The minimum sq. ft. for a permanent structure (e.g. granny unit) is 640 sq. ft. in our county. They continue to petition the State of CA to try to get tiny homes reclassified, and no local politician wants to remove the ordinance banning stationary RVs (we all know where that might lead).
3. They said Jay Shafer has sold the Tiny House business to Champion Homes (large producer of manufactured homes) and he now focuses on designing/building structures around 800 sq. ft. (supplied by Champion) because they are considered manufactured homes (e.g. fancier mobile homes). We toured an 840 sq. ft. 2br/1ba home that cost $60k (base) and came in at around $90k as constructed. It had stainless appliances/tile/concrete countertops and was mostly bare wood (aesthetic) or sheetrock, and had a minimalist/vacation home feel to it. It also had a nice front deck bolted on (we were considering something like that for a vacation home on a bare lot near the coast). You can custom-order them with whatever features/configuration/materials you can think up and they prepare a custom quote. The permits run about $9k where we live, and they will level the ground and bring utilities from the lot line to the structure for $15k. The price of the home includes delivery/assembly.
The overwhelming concern, as pointed out by many in this thread, is zoning and costs in your area. They don't make sense in the town where we live, but if you can build them yourself and have raw/cheap land with access to utilities then they might be more interesting as an investment.
I like the concept of it. Especially marketed to young people or boomers looking to downsize. These are called pocket neighborhoods and have been around for some time. There is even a book called "Pocket Neighborhoods" that gives a lot more information if you want to pursue this.
A local builder was trying to partner with me to do this same thing. One issue I could not get past was parking and vehicles in general. Where do all of the people park? In my area, public transportation is very under developed so vehicles are a necessity. Any ideas?
My vision would be a close knit community living a "greener" life than most.
I would incorporate a community garden, lots of landscape design, and individual front porches. I would stay with color schemes that are loud and visual.
I feel it might work near a university, metro station, or close to an urban environment. I've got some places picked out in Houston. Obviously there are good and bad spots for this.
Ideally I would like to create an open environment, where neighbors can hang out with each other, enjoy the company of each other with the same ideals and living standards.
There are other ways to incorporate the "green" side of things, such as a rain water collection system, or solar panels on each house for power...
Parking would be an issue. Most likely you might have to build a 2 story parking garage, or asphalt a lot for enough cars.
Some of these units have washer dryer combos. It might be feasible to build them in with the over/under idea.. or it might work better for a washateria.
Thinking outside the box as much as possible on this one.
Interesting. Certainly something that would have an appeal to particular socioeconomic subsets. I know it would appeal to all of those living permantently in RV trailers or worse.
Have to compare it to a manufactured home in price etc - seems an MH is cheaper (park models, "guest units" etc) depending on how much you see being built for that $15K quoted above. Certainly the glorified sheds with kitchen and bathroom he has on the website would come in at less than $15K to build. Seems like, for just a little bit more $$$, you could push it out to 1000 sqft. But maybe that is not the point.
Put those babies on septics, with a community powered solar well, and a natural gas capture system on the septic tank for the gas appliances and you will be plenty green.
Interesting. Though the market demand for something too small has to be limited - but push it out a little, maybe there is something to it. Hard to say.
I was getting my prices off a builders site looking at blue prints. They have plans from $10k-25k from what I've found. Its all what you want to put into it I guess.
Didn't see this earlier. In response to Jason's question about DR Horton's microhomes: the larger units are quadplexes-all appear to be attached housing.
I had to say I was surprised by this post. I was curious if this size home on a production level is even allowable by the dept of public health and safety, and what an underwriters guidelines are. How would you appraise a property like this with no comps, what sets the standard value. I have learned that a manufactured home has minimum requirements. Would these homes fall into the same catagory? XI, 304.01: Manufactured Homes (06/15/07). Interesting concept In the south raised home this size would allow for parking underneath, the same size as a standard 2 car gagrage with a stairwell. Great post, Im will follow this.
The manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide and have a minimum of 600 square feet of gross living area.
@Danny Day Actually I have looked at those, but for a different use. We own 20 acres in Redding, CA, which has a huge pond on it, plus a 4600 sq. ft. farmstyle house and 2100 sq. ft. guest house. When we decided to move from Shasta County to So Cal, I looked at rezoning the property to commercial and putting some of the small houses on the property turning it into a country inn. I haven't done that yet, but still considering it! I think those small homes are a great idea for certain uses.
There is a big trend around for people wanting to simplify their lives, and downsize. The Tumbleweed are very tiny though. There is another site that has small homes, a little more features, etc., and there have been pocket neighborhoods built in Oregon using them. It's a great idea I think. Check it out:
http://www.rosschapin.com/Plans/Cottage/Lisette/Lisette.html
Greg P. You would have to check with your local planning department to find out if something like that works in your area. It would be a PUD. As for sales price, you would need to figure out all the costs for land, development, construction, marketing, financing, etc. to see if it's feasible, and you'd want to make sure there's a market for such a product in your area, etc.
Wow, Danny! That's an idea I'm mulling over, too. I want to start off with a half acre or quarter acre land and start with 4-5 mobile homes. Then later build some tiny houses with solar power for electricity/water heater and somehow collect rain water for recycling/filtering/growing food. Is there anyone in the NYC/NJ/PA/CT or Florida area that could give some advice for this? I'm not sure how to go about preparing the land for this, zoning, permits, septic, sewer, etc.
I've seen on the news recently that someone in NYC is planning an apartment complex with very small square foot apartments. It's about time!
Jason S. I don't you could do anything like this in California, except for use as an in law quarters, cabns, or something like that. Cost of land is to high to justify the infrastructure needed, and would never be able to sell them for a high enough price to recoup.
In areas with less regulation than California, low land costs, etc. it may make sense. Also check out the link on the post I had above, those are a little larger.
Thanks for that article, Karen. I've even seen one on video that is a collapsible house where the walls/doors can be moved. I think it was from a company in Canada. There are more and more of these micro home/apt sites being built. I do hope they catch on and w/ population increase every year, I think they will and if they don't, the over-populated society will eventually be forced to accept it...that's in the far future after I'm long gone, of course.
Jane N. You know, I think I saw what you're talking about on a television show. The ones on there were delivered on a truck and basically unfolded. Then the other night I watched a program where they were using shipping containers and converting them to housing. Some were very upscale. Because of the trade deficit, we have far more containers coming into the country than going out, so they're using them creatively.
I have taken huge interest and action in the tiny home movement! Being 23 year's old and having a one in a million shot of funding froma VC or any kind of project backer, I've beat the system by using upcycled material that portrays a beautiful tiny modern day home that is strictly off grid with solar, thermal, hydro power as well as wind power! Which is gaining exposure incredibly fast with the approach I have took! :)
@Jon Faulconer You'll have to take some pics and keep us posted on your progress. From an investment standpoint it's probably not a workable solution, but for someone wanting to live off the grid, it would work!
See if there's any crowdfunding sources for alternative housing, eco homes, etc. Good luck!