Designing and building tiny houses and small living spaces might not be for everyone, but if you love being outside, traveling frequently, or practicing minimalism it could be exactly what’s needed to fulfill your lifestyle needs.
Before beginning construction of your THOW, take some time to plan its layout to scale in either your driveway or garage – this can help prevent costly mistakes from cropping up during assembly!
1. Identify Your Needs
Your comfort with living in a tiny house depends heavily on your lifestyle, which could include outdoors activities, traveling often, exercising regularly and practicing minimalism. Living this type of lifestyle could suit those who love being active outdoors as well as minimalists who like minimizing costs by living within budget and minimalism.
Recognizing your individual needs will enable you to design a tiny house tailored specifically to your lifestyle. For instance, adding additional storage in the form of a loft space may be ideal. Also consider opting for sliding door instead of hinged door designs in order to save on space.
Before embarking on this endeavor, it’s essential to consider zoning laws, utility costs and whether you will be able to connect to utilities. If your tiny home will be constructed on a trailer, make sure it has sufficient tongue weight and use lightweight materials if possible.
2. Identify Your Style
As part of designing your tiny home, it’s essential to first determine your personal design aesthetic. Finding inspiration may come from searching Instagram hashtags, visiting tiny house websites or videos or simply visiting houses constructed by small living companies.
Utilize a free tool such as Floor Planner to draw out a functional floor plan of your home’s space. This will give you an idea of how it will function, as well as help ensure nothing important has been forgotten!
Always pay careful consideration to how the doors and windows will fit together; this will save a great deal of hassle later. Make sure your doors can swing open smoothly, with any standard window sizes; otherwise you might end up redoing placement just because something doesn’t work!
3. Identify Your Budget
Building a tiny home may cost less than conventional house, but the upfront costs associated with land, zoning laws and utilities still add up significantly.
Consider how much living space you require as well. For instance, if entertaining guests is part of your routine, then a smaller space may not be ideal.
If your home contains items that don’t serve any specific function, finding creative ways to get rid of them may help make your space more functional and comfortable. Deliberately clearing away unused items can often be cathartic; doing this will allow your space to feel more open and welcoming.
4. Identify Your Land
Step one in building your tiny home is choosing its location. Some opt to build their tiny homes on family land or private property, while others prefer RV parks as their place of choice. Furthermore, make sure there is access to electricity and water services before beginning construction on your tiny house.
Tiny homes offer an ideal solution to anyone seeking to reduce housing expenses and debt burden. Many also find that living smaller is more sustainable; reduced waste and environmental impact, along with learning to consume less – leading to decreased household expenses and extraneous purchases are some of the many advantages associated with small living.
5. Identify Your Materials
Finding materials can quickly add up in cost, so shopping at nonprofit stores or garage sales for lumber to build the structure’s frame at much reduced rates may be wiser.
Once the framing is completed, you can proceed with installing plumbing and electricity connections. This can be a difficult process that needs expert guidance to prevent fire or electrical shock hazards from occurring.
Before placing the house into its permanent home, be sure to encase it with durable material to protect it from the elements. This step is particularly essential if you plan on transporting the tiny house between different locations as protection will help lower energy costs while simultaneously helping keep moisture and humidity at bay in your living space. For added peace of mind and improved energy savings, using breathable fabrics could also help lower energy bills further.