How tiny is too tiny? …An Excerpt from Tiny House Decisions [Book Giveaway Has Ended]
The following is a guest post by Ethan Waldman and an excerpt from the guide Tiny House Decisions: Everything I Wish I Knew When I Built My Tiny House, by Ethan Waldman.
If you are interested in building your own tiny home, this guide will walk you through each and every process, step by step, and ultimately help you build the tiny house that’s right for you.
Make sure you read until the end to find out how you can win a copy of Ethan’s new book.
What should the overall size be?
A lot can be said about the overall size of your tiny house. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to this: The smaller it is, the harder it’s going to be to live there. I know, that’s a bold statement, but think of it this way:
When you build a tiny house that you intend to live in, there’s no question that you are going to have to get rid of a lot of stuff. Most or all of your furniture will definitely have to go. Giant wardrobe? Forget it. Large specialized appliances? Find a different home for them.
Regardless of how big or small your tiny house is, you’re going to need to downsize. However, you don’t have to go as micro as possible. You can have a tiny house that’s still livable. A foot or two might not make much difference in a traditional house, but in a tiny house, it can be huge. Having a slightly larger 22-foot tiny house could mean the difference between you being able to have a kitchen sink of a usable size or not. Or it could mean the difference between being able to have a guest sleep in your “great room” or not.
You’re downsizing either way, so why not make your house as livable as possible?
In the end, this is just another one of those trade-offs we talked about back in the Introduction.
Pros of a Bigger Tiny House
The bigger your tiny house is, the more storage space it has.
When it comes to tiny houses, you may be required to put quotes around the word “storage.” However, you’d be amazed at how many creative ways you can sneak storage into a small space.
For instance, my main seating in the tiny house is a long structure that we called “the bench” during construction. Because my house is long, the couch is long — over 8 feet — and big enough for a guest to sleep on. And what’s underneath? “Storage” space! I have baskets with felt pads on the bottoms so they easily slide in and out under the couch.
Here’s another example: I like to cook, so I made storage space and functionality in the kitchen a priority. Despite the fact that I’ve been living in my house for over a year, I still have not filled up all the drawers and cabinets in my kitchen.
Some may consider empty unused space in a tiny house to be a bad thing, but I do not. The process of moving into the house and living there has never really felt limiting to me. I know that my house has room for me to expand into it.
Your house is more “livable.”
My tiny house is definitely on the larger side of the average tiny house on wheels. However, the 21 feet of interior space enabled me to include things like:
- a bathroom with a separate shower and toilet (no wet bath)
- a double kitchen sink and ample cabinet and counter space
- a 3-burner propane range (including an oven)
- an 11-foot loft with two closets and room for a queen-size mattress
I’ve seen other tiny houses that include such luxuries as a washer/dryer combo and even a tiny bathtub.
Cons of a Bigger Tiny House
You’ll need a bigger (and more expensive) trailer.
As I said earlier, my trailer was over $4,000. Trailers have weight capacities; most are 7,500 pounds. When you move up to the 10,000-pound capacity trailers, you add at least $1,000 because they require completely different (bigger) axles, more powerful brakes, and a heavier-duty hitch.
It’s more difficult to tow.
Tumbleweed estimates that its 89-square-foot Epu weighs just 4,700 pounds when empty. That is towable by most medium to large pickup trucks and large SUVs. However, a tiny house in my size range weighs close to 10,000 pounds, which is towable by only the largest pickup trucks on the road — trucks which would be highly inefficient and impractical to own.
You’ll spend more on materials.
It takes more materials to build a bigger house, and materials cost money. For instance, consider how many windows you’re going to want. My house has 12 windows. If it were half the size, I could probably have gotten away with four or five windows total.
On the flip side, building a very tiny house — one less than 120 square feet, in my mind — will yield you the opposite of the pro/con list above. Such a house will be easier to tow, need fewer building materials, and require a less expensive trailer. However, you’ll end up with a less “livable” space with less storage.
My Decision
Despite the fact that it is heavy and difficult to tow, I would not make my tiny house any smaller. I’m so happy every time I use the kitchen, and every time I move around the house without bumping into anything. I definitely wouldn’t change that. For me, the trade-offs of a slightly larger tiny house are worth it.
That was one small excerpt from over 180 pages of Tiny House Decisions. Waldman’s guide presents all of the choices you’ll need to make in order to go tiny, along with the pros and cons for each. This is truly a valuable resource!
Enter to Win the Complete Digital Edition
Ethan is giving away one copy of the complete digital edition of Tiny House Decisions to one of our readers. This includes the book, 2 hours of interviews with tiny house experts, and 12 video system tours from Ethan’s tiny house.
To enter the contest simply leave a comment below and tell Ethan why Tiny House Decisions is the perfect resource to help you go tiny. One comment will be chosen by Ethan at random on November 24, 2014.
This book would help me because I need any help I can get to make my tiny house dream a reality.
My goal is to one day live in a tiny house with my partner & a cat or two. Any tips we can use to make our dream of tiny house living easier would be amazing. We know what we want – now we just have to get there.
Good read.. I’m interested in your take on this stuff, the excerpt actually brought up some ideas I hadn’t been able to find info on… And the bigger trailer isn’t something I had even considered, but makes total sense for me.
This will be a very helpful resource for us to be able to draw from your real life in a tiny house experience. Hopefully, it will point out important design factors that may have been overlooked by our lack of prior extreme downsized living!
My husband and I are currently building a tiny house! We are at the stage where we could still make design changes, and this book would be very helpful with those decisions. Thanks!
Spend time looking at sailboat cabins. Many ideas adaptable to tiny homes.
This would be so perfect for me. Every time I talk about 2015 I call it the year of the tiny house! It’s going to be great!
Look like a great read before deciding on how big to my our new house.
Exciting read so far. Tiny house is dream of mine.
This book is a valuable resource as it is a firsthand account from a person who went through the decision making processes involved in planning, constructing, and living in a tiny house!!
This sounds like a great resource of things to consider! I often think that just going a little bigger will yield exponential returns. I know that I need more than an under the counter fridge (ice cream is non negotiable) which won’t fit in the ultra tinys, and Tiny House Decisions should lead to many more eye openers like this for me.
Sounds like a wonderful book…just what I was looking for… a guide to help us navigate our move to tiny when we retire in a few years.
My current house is my home and business for over 20yrs. I am at a stage where I want to sell and use the $ to have a tiny home and live minimally. To experience new adventures and ride my bike on new trails. I want every bit of advice BEFORE I make the final choice of what to build.
I like the fact you went larger than most with your tiny home!
tiny house situations is a perfect guide for me because I am a young inexperienced builder and just turned 20.I’ve been interested in tiny house building for the past couple of years and it is now starting to become a reality because of the savings I have collected over time. I’ve done my best to be diligent and save to make my debt free lifestyle reality. I would appreciate the opportunity to read this book and have the interview experiences so that I could prevent unnecessary expenses by learning from professionals.
I enjoyed hearing about Ethan’s real-world experience with his tiny house. I liked the idea of felt runners on the baskets to slide in and out from under his “bench”. I had not heard that before. I also liked that he built the “bench” with the purpose of using it as a spare bed for guests. This was interesting as too many folks just throw in a standard couch or fouton for guests. In his design, you get a comfortably long enough guest bed, extended couch for guests, AND storage! Love it.
I have lived in a college dorm for the past four years and have become quite accustomed to living small. I actually feel happier about the idea of not having excess space to either waste or use as storage for things I’ll never use again. Continuing to live small after graduation would allow me to simplify my life, build a home custom to my own needs without busting the bank, save on heating and cooling expenses, and save time on cleaning and maintenance, all while being a little more environmentally friendly. Small homes also provide a sense of coziness and intimacy that, in my opinion, larger homes lack.
Despite how excited I am about the idea of a small home, my family and friends continuously remind me that I need to put more thought into this. In response, I have spent my fair share of surfing the web for insight to battle their feud, and in the process, I came across this blog post. The subtitle of your book is exactly what skepticism I am trying to resolve. I’m a software engineer by trade and have little experience with physical construction and design. I’m sure there are plenty of things that I just have not considered in the idea of building a tiny home, and I think your shared experience would be a great start towards becoming more comfortable and less ignorant with this decision.
Really nice! Exactly what I need to realize my tiny house dream!
everything I wish I’ll know before I build my tiny home.
Have been researching Tiny Homes for a while. Wanting to build something for a Buddhistretreat/ longtime living home…
Thanks for doing this!!!
That looks like interesting reading. I’ve been wanting to go tiny for a long time but I think I lack the information that’s needed to get started.
I showed my bf the Tiny Home website a few months ago. He’s caught the tiny home bug and is continually searching for ideas and resources to build his own tiny home. He has an old boat trailer, which he’s starting to clean out for a future build. We can use any and all help as we plan the design our our perfect tiny home.
I’ve been researching tiny homes for quite awhile, wanting to be sure that when I am ready to build it will be right-sized for my needs. So the more tiny homes I visit, the more I read books written by tiny housers, the more I talk with people who build tiny, the more my idea of my tiny house is refined.
We have just decided to down size and are getting the ball rolling on moving our soon to be family of 5 into a tiny house! We will be going on the bigger side of tiny but are still so excited about the decision we all made as a family!
Ethan, We would love to have a copy of the digital edition as we have many questions! We are a family of 7 looking into tiny homes and need many answers as to storage and layouts. It would hopefully help us out tremendously! Regards – Melissa
I have always dreamed of having a Tiny House on a remote piece of land in the forest with a meadow and a year round stream.
Problem is I don’t have the land nor the Tiny House. But I have a hand made cedar strip canoe and a lot of trout fishing gear for stream fishing.
Am looking in Oregon for this fantasy.
I’ve enjoyed following along on Ethan’s FB page, “Building the Tiny House”. I told my husband a few weeks back, that when the kids are out of high school (maybe college) that I would LOVE to build (with help) & live in a Tiny House. I would LOVE to win a copy of this book so that I could start seriously thinking and planning about the Tiny I hope to someday call my own!
TINY HOUSES ARE MY NEW OBSESSION!!!!
I recently stumbled across a Tiny House blog and was hooked!!! I’m positive I’ll have one of my own someday only problem is I have no idea how or where to begin!!! Do I buy land first? Should I use repurposed materials or new? What kind of toilet is best for my needs? How do you figure out how much space you need? I’ve so many questions PLEASE HELP BY PICKING MY COMMENT 😀
its great having a place to go to so you don’t make the mistakes a first timer might….
I would love this book, because I’m just starting to really think about what I would want and need in a tiny house, and this would help me see all the pros and cons. Thanks!
I think this would be perfect for me since I’ve been on the fence for a while now about building tiny – I think this might help me take the last few (somewhat scary!) steps!
i have been wanting to “downsize” now for about 2 years. i had bought a trailer, but realized it was too small. the book would be an awesome resource to determine many aspects of tiny living.
We want to build the best tiny home ever, but we’ve never built anything. I feel like your book will allow us to think critically and logically in order to achieve the best tiny home possible for us. I’d really like to read the rest!
Ethan, I’m so happy to know this book exists! My boyfriend and I have been making plans to build for over a year. We could really use a hand on all the decisions that need to be made. Tiny looks so finey!!
I am so tired of the rat race and need to simplify my life. Downsizing and getting out of collecting things is the key to freedom. I seek to leave a much smaller footprint and find peace.
Looking to leave my job and downsize my life for happiness and this looks like a perfect guide to move me in the right direction.
I am a 54 yr old single mother if two daughters who I’ve raised alone for 17 years. I kept the 1800 sq ft home in the divorce because my kids were do young I wanted them to keep at least that stability. Over the years with having no other family I’ve had to do all maintenance by myself. Not only wanting to spend the remainder of my years with less house stress due to size, we live in Cincinnati Ohio but the UP if Michigan is where my soul is. I want a tiny home in nature, and having a much smaller footprint on this earth than I currently have. I want to work with living with the land and get out if this suburban ever growing witnessing of destroying nature.
I’ve made many of the decisions I’m aware I’ll need to make, but I know that there are *so many more* that I haven’t even thought about, yet. I’m embarking on the biggest, tiniest, change of my life, and I plan to take it national, using these decisions to help others less-fortunate. I look forward to featuring your book as a helpful guide through this process!
Awesome title!
I’m always interested in finding stories of people who had some difficulties, or got into problems when building/living in a tiny house. Because i’d rather know, and prepare for the worst, than sugar coat everything about living tiny. I’d most likely buy your book, if i don’t win it before 😉
I have been getting more goggle-eyed over the idea of designing and building my own tiny house. I like the idea of it being slightly larger for all the reasons your excerpt mentioned, and more! I like open space and a larger space provides that sense of openness. I’d love to read all you have to say as I embark on the design and finally building of my own tiny house! :DDD
I love the idea of going longer for more storage. We will only be 23 when building ours so having ideas from his book will save us alot of longtime grief and regret. Not to mention if we decide to have kids, talk about needing better planned space.
This book would be a great resource for my husband and I because we just moved to WV to be near family and we want to build a tiny home. We would love to have advice ahead of time!
Dreaming and planning to go Tiny as soon as I can…your book looks like a great resource…thanks!
Ethan,
I would simply love to have a copy of your book. I have been working in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past 6 plus years. My last three have been spent in a “tiny home” of sorts by having a total of 50sf of space in a room shared with 6 other women. I can certainly speak for tiny living!. My home is in Texas, on 5 acres, a 5 bedroom 2 bath with 2 car garage etc! I have certainly under grown it and have a very hard time adjusting to such huge space when I am home on leave. Storage for me, like you is a huge necessity.
Please consider my comment in your selection when you give your book away. Otherwise I would be interested to know where I might be able to obtain a copy. Thank you for sharing your experience with us so that we may be able to learn with out having to go thru the learning process!
I have an obsession with tiny efficient houses and spaces. I am finishing architecture school and work full time at a design/build firm. It is a dream of mine to design tiny houses and live in one of my own. This book will be extremely helpful to understand the challenges of designing and living in a tiny home and understand the things you might not think of. I believe a space is not limited by walls or calculated square footage, it can be transformed to provide limitless possibilities.
I have just began my journey by day and night dreaming of living in a tiny house, this book will help me get closer to that dream coming true by 2017-18.
I feel a lot of research and planning is a requirement before downsizing to a tiny house, so this book would be a valuable resource.
I have recently started this journey to begin tiny house living. I’m still trying to convince my husband this is a good idea, this book will help!
So excited to get started on our project! Thanks for the insight!
Tiny House Decisions would help arbitrate between the ever-growing collection of voices in my head all urging one design, one size, one layout over another. Every time I see another good design it puts me into a tizzy. Is mine as good as this? Can I do this one cheaper (therefore sooner) than other plans? Though I pretty much have the basic layout set there are still so many questions over roof style and overall size. Then there’s various compromises on trailer choice – cheaper but needs more work? Pricey but ready to go? Ouch! My brain hurts!
Having the book would help put things in perspective and insights into the decision making process would definitely bolster my confidence. Now that I have just about enough money saved to get the project going it could be the very thing that nudges me into action mode.
I wish we had your book when we started our build. We will probably do another one using information you have provided plus what we are learning along the way. We love telling people about our journey and sharing what did or did not work for us. I believe your book will be very beneficial to us and those we share it with.
We have been thinking about downsizing and I’m fascinated with tiny houses on wheels. Any info about the pros and cons of going tiny is greatly appreciated.
Looking to build a tiny home in the Canadian North country (Labrador), could really use some guidance on getting the most important elements right, would hate to have to listen to too many “I told ya so’s” from you-know-who!
I’ve been reading up on and planning for a tiny house for years now. With my last move I found a small apartment, and I know I can live small – 714 sq ft – but I know I’ll need help deciding between tiny and small. That’s why I’d love to get this book in the give away.
Thanks, regardless.
I want to live more simply and without all the “stuff” I have now… lol
This book gives all the information any tiny home prospective owner would need. Despite his own personal preference he gives pros and cons of different size houses. This book will help you create your home efficiently and the way you want it.
I’m tall 6’7″ any suggestions for tall people?
Make it square rather than narrow
“Simplicity is the glory of expression.”
Walt Whitman
Thanks, this sounds like a great read to action.
Gene R.
There are a multitute of resources and designs for a tiny house, and I would love to have an overview of the pros and cons of the design process. The viewpoint of lessons learned from the actual experience will be invaluable to help me create my own tiny house!
Hi Ethan, your book is the perfect resource for me! And I love the look of your tiny home. Last year I purchased a small tiny cabin on wheels that needs lots of work! The bathroom and kitchen need to be completed, the plumbing needs to be set up, The wiring is complete it but there are no lights installed yet, I need cabinets in the kitchen and a kitchen sink, a stove, and the entire interior needs to be painted. I am 69 years of age and I think your book “Tiny House Decisions” is the resource I need to help me on my journey towards living a better tiny life!
Tiny House Decisions would be a huge help to me because the choices surrounding a tiny house are a huge investment to me. I’ve built a lot of larger stuff with my dad, but I need help planning for efficiency, thoughtful design, and realistic expectations. As a graduate student working on my PhD, building a towable tiny house gives me much more control over my entry into the academic job market and allows me to be more flexible about the future. Even the small cost, though, will be hard on a student budget so wise counsel seems essential at this point!
Man, I need this!! I have about a million different questions from basic design layout/sizing, to plumbing or outhouse questions. Hopefully this would help me settle on some plans!
I have trouble with indecisiveness and second-guessing myself. Did I think of everything? Did I calculate correctly? Am I stuck on one, possibly incorrect, concept? A book to help me systematically work through the process would be the catalyst to get me moving from dream to reality.
My husband built his 14×40 “no room shack” bachelor pad in the Oklahoma boonies 30 years ago. It’s now falling apart, and we’re having a hard time keeping the bugs and vermin under control. We just need to burn it to the ground and start over 🙂
Would love the insight, my husband and I are going to be retiring in Arizona in about 7 years, we would love to go tiny and of the grid. I have been consumed lately by all the different sizes, floor plans etc. Would really love to have the book to help us with decisions making for our future retirement home! I’m going crazzzzy!!
I really like the emphasis in this post on finding what will work for you, and the idea that livability is actually more important in the end than seeing how tiny you can go. If the rest of the book is that realistic, I think it would be a really valuable read for me, as I’m not so much into the idea of a tiny house for living out in the bush without running water, but as a real alternative to student housing and renting while I’m at grad school. 🙂
I’m just starting my journey into tiny house-dom and I’m grateful for any resource that can help my process!! This book would be very beneficial in adding to the collected information and things I need for the future!! I hope to win a copy!! Every bit helps when trying to build as well and inexpensive as possible!!
I know that a tiny house is in my future, but I don’t even know where to start. Reading about someone else’s experience is enormously helpful in most circumstances; I’m counting on that to be the case here. Just in this excerpt alone, I found good answers to one of the biggest burning questions I’ve had: how big is big enough?
Interesting ideas, but I just have to add that a bigger truck isn’t always impractical. It depends on what ur work is. Oil fields demand bigger trucks & less stable living situations, hence I think a tiny house is the perfect solution & a bigger truck is already at my disposal. 😀 & it plays into the whole “go big or go home” attitude too, in a sneaky way. 😉 This way I can have my big truck, my big little home & travel from site to site & never loose my creature comforts.
Hello! We are a family of three with a small child of one year. My husband was recently diagnosed with insulin dependent, type 1 diabetes at age 26, and being active military, they are discharging him for that. It is our plan to build small so we can secure a future for our family, especially with the life changes we’ve had to make. He is losing his chosen career path, one that he believed would allow us a better life than we had previously. I feel that this digital edition would be an invaluable resource in our journey to building an environmentally sustainable home for our growing, little family! We want to live alongside nature, within nature, and in the most peaceful way possible. Thank you for this opportunity!
It has been my dream for the last 8 years, to live in a tiny house.
I have one child still living with me maybe for another year.
Then the tiny house build will start.
As i live in South New Zealand, I will have to rely on research, as i haven’t seen any tiny houses down this way.
I come from a large family that all own their own large homes, and i have been a bit of a outcast,
wanting to live this way, Ha ha.
So it is important for me to get my tiny house build right, to show them and welcome them to my comfortable space
Loved the exerpt!
i adore tiny houses but need ammo to convince my partner that is the way to go!
I’m still in the planning stages of hopefully my first home. I’ve got a lot of questions and ideas but need guidance on a bunch of it. I would like to see if this book could answer some of the questions, help me make decisions and bring up important decisions I haven’t yet thought of. Thanks!
If you’re young and building a tiny house you have time to recover from a “mistake”. When older and you know how you need to live a mistake may be something you have to live with due to limited time, resources and limited financial resources. Any method which walks you through your unique requirements for living and helps with the designing and planning stages for your lifestyle is priceless.
What a great introduction for reflection before beginning to build a tiny house.
Thank you from Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
As I’m just starting doing research about what kind of tiny home that I want, your book would be very helpful in determining the best way for me to go. Your descriptions about what prompted your decisions are very easy for me to relate too. Thank you for writing this book.
Very rational info, sounds like a righteous resource, thanks.
I can imagine to live in a tiny house by myself. But what about as a couple? Anyone?
This is what I love about the tiny community. Even though normal building code doesn’t directly apply to our shelters we keep giving each other feedback in a way so that the next generation of tiny houses keep getting better and learn from the previous mistakes. In a sence we are building our own “code” by using hindsight properly for once and not repeating others mistakes. This looks like it will be a great resource for our upcoming build in the Pacific Northwest.
Reading THD will allow me to benefit from the experience of someone who has been through the whole ‘tiny living’ process and worked out the things I need to know before I take the step into the world of tiny
houses.
After owning a 1400 sqrt house, I realized how little of it I used. My favorite apt. Was 400sqft and suited me well. Having a tiny home, best of both worlds. There does have to a compromise between too small and just right. This book would be a great resource. Definately plan to invest in it, either way.
this is great information I need a house that will have room for all of my canning supplies and canned goods they are as important to me as a small footprint!!!!
all the right questions considered in one place!
Living small would be great…I have found myself in a homeless situation and so for me would be ideal..Having a place to be out if the weather is all anyone could ask for…Thank you for your information and chance to win!
Because I am 54, my kids are grown and I WANT TO BE ALONE!!! And I LOVE Tiny Houses ♥♥♥ And I know in my heart that is where i need to be
My husband and I don’t really have the money for work shops and what not, so we’re trying to learn as much as we can from reading books and blogs.
I want a beautiful bathroom, it’s more important to me than the kitchen. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any tiny houses with a bathroom emphasis.
Your book can help me narrow down big decisions and give me insight for my future home.
Tiny House Decisions is the perfect resource to help me go tiny because it shares the lessons learned by someone who has already done what I hope to do.
I’m about to start a tiny house the more information I get before I startthe better…
There are five hundred thousand million decisions (at least!) to be made along the journey to building a tiny house. Your book sounds like a wonderful way to sort through some of these!
I am working toward going tiny for a 2nd home and property. This book would allow me and my wife to plan for our family of 4 without making fatal mistakes that could stop this project.
This is very interesting. I love hearing the viewpoint of someone who lives in a tiny house. The pros and cons presentation is great.
It would be wonderful to win the book as I have spent about 3 years now looking at tiny homes on the internet and trying to plan one for retirement. I would be on a limited income and want to know things that I should do before I spent money on it and realized I should have done something different. My budget would mean I am stuck with what I do the first time around. Some advice from someone who has already built one would be awesome.
I’m within 3 years of retiring and really want to downsize everything. This book would be a great help because you’ve already addressed a lot of the challenges (and frustrations) that go with a project this (tiny) size. Thanks!
Empty nest and time to downsize…planning to go tiny! ♡
It really is a case of learning from others’ mistakes. I may not have done that through my adolescence but I am more than happy to now.
I’m 63 and am looking into moving into a Tiny House over the next few years. Reading this excerpt has given me a lot to think about. It will be just me but I want to have room for my 5 kids when they visit. I’d like to add a shop onto one side.
I am also disabled and can’t use a loft.
From what I have read this book will answer or address a lot of my concerns.
I am already seeing it in my hands ready to re-after I have just printed it out.
I’m looking forward to reading your book, Ethan! Good for you for not only building a tiny house, but writing a useful book that will guide others in their decision-making! Blessings!
Thanks for sharing your experience with your book, no doubt it will be a great resource.
My son and daughter in law are planning a tiny home. I am so proud of the thought and practicality they are putting in to creating a dream home with a small footprint. I would love to be able to share these resources with them!
My husband and I want to retire to and travel in a tiny home. Having a resource like this book will prove invaluable in our planning and building stages. It’s one thing to like the way something looks, but getting first hand insight is amazing on a whole different level.
I am fascinated and intrigued by the tiny house movement. I have been in full exploration mode regarding what my life might look like in a simplified space. Kudos on the book. I hope I win!
I am a senior in high school and I am building a green, eco-friendly tiny house out of recycled materials. I would love to read all about your experiences…not to mention I do need all the help I can get!
I’ve been adding different ideas to build my own tiny house. In the next few years it will become a reality and stop paying for rent 😛
After the end of my 30 year marriage I think this is the only way I will be able to get out of apartment living and into my own home. As a child, I loved to build forts. As an adult, I like to be organized. My mom always said “everything in it’s place”. Perfect!!
This book would be a great resource for me to prepare for my first tiny living adventure. Lots of tips that can only come from first-hand experence!
Would love to have a book or guide like this that answers all the little questions that keep coming up!
I’ve had an interest in small living every since I was a teen and saw a plan for a space-efficient creative home, the size of a conventional 2-stall garage. Now 40 years later, living in a smaller WWII home for over 2 decades; I’m looking to putting my creative juices into a home of my own design .. a tiny home! This would be a great resource. It would assist me, down the right path, to make the design decisions necessary in obtaining my own tiny living. Thanks for the excerpt article.
I have been obsessed with tiny spaces since I was a kid. I cannot wait until I can get started on my own tiny home. I just have to get out of this lease and find a space to start building!
Looks like a well-reasoned look back at the process; hindsight is always very valuable!
Been thinking of doing the tiny house thing – this book looks like a great resource!
I am so excited to build my tiny house, but want to make all the right decisions along the way to eek out the maximum of happy!
We are making the decision whether to downsize again from condo to tiny home. Everything I have seen in this book a appears to be answering another question or verifying a guess. It seems to be the perfect resource.
I just purchased my tiny house, but I would love this book anyway as I am still dreaming up new plans and working out a maybe never to be built “perfect” design for two very good friends who are not a couple sleeping together. 😉
My wife and I have raised two children and sold two homes at different times in our lives. We currently rent a condo and I don’t like renting. We sold our homes because of “corporate restructuring” and becoming unemployed for a period of time. It has been tough but we are surviving. It would be nice to live mortgage/rent free at this point in our lives and this would likely be the way to go. Finding an affordable piece of land to have a tiny house on wouldn’t be too hard…I hope!
hiya, just being up in the middle of the night with this dream and possibility of converting a 20ft container into a tiny house. i lived/traveled in a 2berth caravan , 4m length so this feels like a huge space to arrange the way i want it and i need all the inspiration and advice i can get.
this seems a wonderful resource , thanking you for making it available.
aloha, b
It seems like a great resource to get help get all of my ideas in order!
My wife and I are looking at land in Georgia and seriously considering a tiny house. Hopefully this book will provide some good insights and help us avoid any mistakes when we start the process.
I’ve been living off-grid in a 200 square foot cabin that only has 5′ tall walls. I really miss standard 8′ walls on which I could put cupboards but I love my tiny house! Soon I’ll be moving to Texas and want to build another one, this time on wheels. I’m excited to be able to customize it this time!
My retirement home!!!! Right now I’m in Buffalo so I’ll just build an igloo.
A group of us just started the facebook group Tiny House Talk Michigan. We’re looking for a plot of land to develop a tiny town community. We could all benefit from your book!
Those are some interesting things to consider. I will begin building my first tiny house this April for my new wife and I. Although I do not intend on building my house on a trailer (I do not need to move it), I intend to use many of the different tiny house methods when building. I think the biggest challenge is convincing my bride how doable building a tiny house is. I would love to use the materials in the giveaway for the convincing and construction process of our new little home…
After years as a small boat live-aboard, I plan as I grow old to move up to a tiny home because I am losing my balance.
great article, lots to consider, thanks.
Great info, mine is 22 ft and it sounds like this is a great size to not feel too cramped.
So many things i could learn from this book. I need all the resources I can get my hands on before I start to build my TinyHouse next summer!
I can’t wait to live simply!!!
I have no idea how/where to start planning on my tiny house dream. I find that your information would be a great resourse. I am now living in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S., I know very soon that I will have to make major changes in my life, tiny house living is a direction that I would like to go.
I would love this book! In Holland there isn’t much to find about tiny houses…..and I really need some help with all the details. ….I drew a house of 6×2.5 meters for me and my two girls….that would be enough I guess 🙂
I’m still deciding on size, too. I think the way to help decide size is by deciding what you ‘need’ vs what you ‘want’ in a home. I didn’t know about truck size, so…. what else don’t I know?
Looks like a great little place. I’d love to see more pix for ideas to incorporate into my own. I like the big loft, planning the same thing for myself in a 24 footer.
I will build my own house, where i can live and be at home. and i will wake up in the morning thinking, “that was such a good idea”! and i will think of all those little inspirations on my way.
Perfect because it is challenging to shake off the perceptions of both a larger home and a smaller home. Having someone point out the reality means that we can think about a tiny house realistically, without hopefully any of the pre-conceived notions. Ethan is experiencing this life, while some of us are only in the beginning stages. Planning is everything. 🙂
Just what I need as I begin to seriously make plans for my future house.
I would love to win a copy 🙂 Your house i simply amazing and beautiful. I’ve fallen totally in love with Tiny Houses. Watching and following from Denmark 🙂
I currently live in a 15 ft vintage travel trailer so I can save to build a tiny house. This book is the bible for tiny house builders.
I Love these tiny homes. I’d like to make my barn shed That’s 10 x 19 1/2 long into a tiny home.
I think it’s awesome how tiny houses give you exactly what you need and not a inch more.
I think it’s just a perfect idea, to make us understand what is really important in our lives !! And moreover, it’s cheap and sustainable!!
We love tiny houses but not that tiny 🙂
The question is, how downsized do one’s hobbies need to be, if they are item-heavy? Grrr.
I can’t wait to read your book. My husband and I are “first time homebuyers” who are looking to NOT buy a conventional home. We both want to build a tiny home, but we just don’t know where to start. Your book seems like it will offer a REAL perspective.
I love living in shared spaces, and have done ever since leaving home, but as I dream into my future I want to create my haven, my personal retreat. I have begun to turn that dream into a reality by learning the skills to one day build my own space, a place that is mine. Taking the power back into my own hands and realising that you can do anything if you put your mind and your imagination to it.
I am in the process now and would love this book…
I hope you can send to Sweden? 🙂
Me and boyfriend are planning on moving to British Columbia to live off the grid! We’ve decided a tiny house is a perfect fit for our new lives. I agree that I don’t think we should go too small. I’d like to be able to grow into our home, possibly have children one day! This book could be an incredible resource for us 🙂
My husband and I are looking into building a “tiny” house that is eco friendly. We have been reading your blogs and love your ideas! People think we are crazy!!! But our goal is to live simple and not have to be bound by a big house and 2 cars and so fourth! We feel your book will help us out abundantly because you have “been there” “done that”. Being as I am 20 and my husband is 24 we know it will be about 2 years before this project will be finished but with your book we will be able to know what to do and what not to do!!
I’ve been scouring the Internets for as much firsthand experience that I can find. ‘Tiny House Decisions’ sounds exactly like what I’ve been looking for all in one convenient book.
I would love to get a better basic understanding of what I want my future tiny home to look like.
Ethan, this looks like a fantastic resource for first-time tiny house-ers (like me!). We could all benefit from someone else’s experience. Thanks for creating this resource!
I’m an architecture major who is fascinated by tiny homes and what it takes to build and live in them!
I am recently divorced and have an infant son. We had to move in with family when everything in life happened. Building a tiny house on a trailer would be my freedom. It would allow my son and me to have a place of our own while I repair my credit and give me the flexibility to move when I find a better job. I know I want to have a tiny house of my own but I have no idea where to start. I need all the help I can get!
My wife and I have a 2 year old and are thinking of the pros/cons of building a tiny house with a little one. The idea of a “larger” tiny house is definitely one of our considerations. Good to read your views of the pros/cons and would love to hear all your thoughts on the tiny house process.
Life Changes! Hearing from others about their experiences is so very valuable! Mom of six, now all grown, wife of 35 years, now divorced, working 40 acres on my own (nuts, right??) My challenges are different from yours. My desires for living are most likely different, but we all benefit from others. Bring it on! I need all the help I can get in the next stage of life. Thank you so much!
Coming at these questions as a family of 4, any and all experience and advice are priceless!
I’m looking forward to downsizing, and this book bundle will be the perfect start to that journey. Thank you!
I would like to start tiny/affordable house trend over here, in Osijek, Croatia.
I am currently planning for my future as a young person graduating from college. Stuck with debt and the fears of so few well-paying jobs in the United States, I am seeking for the best ways to live cheaply so that I can still follow my dreams.
With 6 kids I need all the help I can get to “go tiny!”
I have been reading about tiny homes/took an e course/read blogs by those that are going or have gone through the transition of living tiny. Your book is helpful in not only letting others know what worked for you or didn’t work but you give a detailed argument for both sides. It is an honest and direct approach which is what we that are still in the decision/moving forward mode need. Thanks.
As a female, at age 65, after keeping my promise that my 90 y.o. parents could pass away at home, I find my finances depleted. I have been “practicing” living in an old 20′ motor home as I prepare for my future in a tiny home. I need to get this right, perfect, for myself and my cats to live happily ever after. Thanks for giving us such great info.
Wondering if building tiny houses on our property would be a good idea for family members to use when visiting. Are they family friendly or mostly used for couples or singles? Is it better to make them portable or stationary? So many questions.
Hello, I believe your book would be the icing on my tiny house researcher. I have decided to build a tiny house for me and my little ones next year. I love the idea and it will enable us to friend ecofriendly, pay off debt, and grow our family relationships.
After dealing with a big house with lots of big house and old house problems, we are looking to downsize (both space and cost!) and fit two people and a dog into our perfect tiny house!
I love tiny houses.
A tiny house is my dream and I cannot wait to build mine. I just graduated from college and started working and I’m saving up. I live in a studio right now and I even consider it to be very spacious and way more than I need! My family and friends think I’m crazy 🙂 but I love it
I just started to get into finding out about Tiny Houses. The concept really intrigues me. I hope to learn more about the Tiny House movement throughout winning the giveaway.
It is so very helpful to have people share their feedback AFTER building. I hadn’t considered some of the points that were made and it has encouraged me to look at some of my decisions again.
Anything that can help us to decide where to compromise – what’s essential and what can be sacrificed would really help with our design process!
Want to win, want to win!
Thanks for the insightful and thought-provoking post! Whether it is a mid-life crisis, or simply a desire to put on the brakes and slow life down a bit, the notion of unburdening our lives is one that intrigues me.
I am now beginning my tiny house journey. After traveling for the summer my perspective has changed. A book about someone who has built their own house and is willing to share the knowledge I will gladly read and learn from.
Examples, justifications, personal opinions, possible other opinions; these are all the things I’m looking for to give me a more complete understanding of things I’m trying to learn; to clarify my own needs and escape poor decisions on my own future living situation.
I need something like this to help me make a decision about what size and type tiny house I want!
This book looks like an amazing source of ideas and advice! I hope I win it!
I want a tiny house so badly! Thinking of building one in the backyard at my daughter’s.
Finally, a person talking about the pros and cons of tiny houses! Well done, Ethan!
My husband and I are hoping to build a tiny house on our land in Colorado. This would be a great resource!
Why do tiny houses have to be mobile? Many post WWII house fit the definition of tiny house in my estimation. A 1,000 Sq ft house is by no means huge and can adequately be used to raise a small family. A towable tiny house is a vacation experience but not really a home for a family of four especially with pets.
Would love all my library patrons to read about going tiny!
We are in the (easy) planning stages of going tiny! Purging, selling, recycling and giving away superfluous stuff makes the path very real. Next step: plan the tiny house. That part is not as easy,
So we search for as many experienced resources as possible. Digital, of course, since it takes up no space!
I’ve got a huge house, and would like to get out of it in the next year. I’d love to build my own house, but there are a lot of size-related decisions that need to be made before then.
I believe that Ethan’s books along with the other resources I’ve gathered over the past 1.5 years will finally supply me the knowledge needed to build my dream TH!
I love looking at pictures of tiny houses. This is the first article I’ve read, though, that has critical information. Making your tiny house too tiny for you to be able to take living in it would be a huge mistake. The book would be fun to read and plan with!
I am currently building my first of many tiny houses. I am in the military and barracks life isn’t the life for me. I need freedom, room to kick back my feet. My tiny house is coming along nicely. I am working on the roof and siding right now. After that the inside will be the next task. I made a Facebook page called “live slowly” with a good friend of mine. The reason why I started the page is because we wanted a way to spread our support of the tiny house movement. In some ways its a way to get rid of dependency, and debt. In other ways its more spiritual, and a way to live in simplicity. Giving us all time to enjoy the things that should mean more to people, and to live slowly. I could use all the help I can get to give people more than affordable, and safe living. Thank you guys for your time.
I’m so excited to read this article! I love the concept of tiny houses, however I didn’t know how to customize for my needs of a bigger kitchen and storage space. Now I know it’s possible! I would love to read your book and materials so we can start creating our dream home <3 Thank you for this giveaway, so cool!
My husband and I are rebuilding an Airstream and are always on the lookout for ideas and advice!
I already live in a small cabin, that we built ourselves. However, I love seeing ideas on how to remodel and utilize the space that is already there. I have many ideas in mind, but I am looking for that perfect suggestion and instructions on how-to
My hubby and I are currently grappling with the floor size dilemma before starting construction next year. Over the past few years we have been preparing for tiny house living by moving into smaller, rented accommodation each year. From 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,, dining room and 2 living spaces we are now down to 3 rooms total. Divesting yourself of material “stuff” has been an added bonus but I think the next move is going to be the hardest yet. Would love this book for ideas and different opinions from someone who is already living the dream.
My son is planning a tiny house as his first adult home. There are so many decisions to make, and he could really use some expert guidance in the process. This book would be an enormous help for him!
I’m so excited about what’s in this book. I’ve been thinking tiny for a while, but in the last few months, I’ve started taking steps to downsize and make it a reality. Would love to keep this on my shelf as I finalize my plans.
The dream of the tiny house…I will be wanting a not so tiny workshop next to it though!
My husband and I had to develop a plan B for life. That plan includes a tiny home in my parents back yard. It will provide them with help as they advance in age and us with financial benefits of not having a mortgage. Deciding on size is so important as we will also be living in and working from our tiny home.
We want a tiny house. I tend to charge headfirst into things, my wife weighs the pros and cons and thinks about things. We both could use this book to help balance our opposing personalities.
I like small, complete, and useful. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist; this book should help me stay balanced.
So far this is most recommend resource for tiny houses. Wants!!!
I have struggled with debt and still do, this next summer I will have everything paid off, I even ended a 2 year relationship that was truly incredible because the other person simply couldn’t handle not spending money.. I have been broke, living paycheck to paycheck to paycheck.. not for too much longer, anyway I want to build a tiny house so bad, I have never had a home that was mine, I lived at my parents, (child) grandmother’s (caregiver) spouse (caregiver) and now with my brother.. I could rent an apartment, yes, but there is no ownership there. I really would appreciate the prize for this. It would get me out of this rut I’m in. I have changed the design so many times and could use a guide to help me get on the right path. Thank you
Ich bin seit Jahren am planen, habe auch schon mit einem Hersteller einen geeigneten untergestellt für Tiny hous …und die Planung für die richtige Größe bereitet mir ein ständiges umplanen ….Anfang des Jahres sollte es eigentlich losgehen .
I’m starting my tiny house build this coming spring and have been spending so much time researching the process! I’ve never undertaken such a huge project before, so I want to gather as much useful, relevant info before as I can before I begin. This book sounds right up my alley! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Thanks so much! You bring up so many of my concerns – which is so very helpful!
Hello from South America!! My name is Andrea and I am from Chile in south Patagonia, hoing one day to be able to buid and share my own tuny house! This would be an amazing resource for me in my quest. I am a bit lost and being lost with a tiny house would be so much better! jaja. Hope to win the book! If I do, I promise to share and help to mae things better for as many people as I can who would want to be involved in projects like this. Thank you! Muchas gracias!
Andrea
I’m going to build a tiny house and am looking for more ideas! This book would be great to have.
Hi wish I had some guidance!
cheers,
Steven
I’d like to retire early and have been looking to find more information on the pros and cons of tiny living. I have your found blog helpful.
I absolutely adore the tiny house movement. I cannot wait to start my adventure on creating a beautiful tiny house with my own hands. The journey is going to wonderful I just know it. This book would be a wonderful guide and resource. I can’t wait to to document the process of creating a tiny home and living in it. Thank you for all the knowledge you share! All my gratitude.
I have been going back and forth, mulling so many ideas around in my head about weight, structure, storage ideas, appliances etc. I feel this book would prove to be an excellent resource from someone with firsthand experience building a tiny home from an idea to a finished space. I am sure it would help point me in the right direction with all of the “what if/should we/can we” questions that are coming up daily!
Hi I’m looking to live in a tiny house when I get out of the military and I’d like all the advice I could get.
This sounds like a FABULOUS book! There are so many tiny houses out there now and so many books that show pictures and even how to build one but there is relatively little out there that talks about the decisions to be made in size, layout, etc. This book seems that it will fill that gap!
Thanks for sharing your thought process with us before we even know what questions to ask.
I burned my house down, along with all my stuff. Prodigious amounts of stuff. Oops. Now I must rebuild. Happily, without all the stuff, I find I crave a much smaller house. Right now I am in a 25′ travel trailer for the fall and winter (and spring and summer and who knows how long). Your book could give me guidance and inspiration.
This book looks like it would be an absolute must for anyone who is just getting to the point to be able to start to make all of the “big” decisions about downsizing to a Tiny Home. Someone like me. The topics covered make me feel like I would indeed be making a very workable list of the decisions I need before I find out that I have already made the wrong decisions when things start not to fit as I imagine they would.
A “bigger” tiny house is our retirement plan. We plan to buy land and build four of them, one for us and one for each of our kids for when they visit.
Hey! The Tiny-not so tiny house! It works… goosebumps over Stove & Bathroom description! Empty space in the kitchen drawers? Really? Keep your posts coming… inspirational! Thanks 🙂
We are planning for my retirement in the next few years & are both totally in love with the Tiny House idea. Because of our ages, we don’t want to climb into a loft, but are thinking of a slightly larger model (maybe up to 400 sq ft). We want to have one site built so a small land purchase may be the way to go. I would love to have this book of ideas!
It would be awesome!
A neat use of space. I have built barns, a garage with a hideaway upstairs. Little rooms for myself, my man cave have been with me since I was a teenager and now I am 74. I had a dream of building a log cabin which still has not be realized
“Everything I wish I knew when I built my house,” will help me pursue my dream..Buy land, put a tiny house on it, and continue saving the world, one patient at a time.
Melissa Rudy, Registered Nurse
My five year plan needs some decision making help! I know how to purge my current home and am actively doing it. I’m getting my finances and retirement in order. I have a few locations picked out and am doing my research. What I really need help with is my tiny home planning. Ethan’s experience, shared in his book, will help tremendously. What a great resource!
That’s my idea of future, so I guess I need that book that says how to build my future!
i think this strikes a chord with a lot of people. One the biggest expenses we have is shelter and the lack of a living wage this a valuable way to control costs and ones lifestyle. I love the fact that is can be mobile so you can follow your passions or the seasons. I know this book can help with practical side of building like design and materials and help make the leap from fantasy to reality.
That’s my idea of future, so I guess I need that book that shows me how to build my future!
i continue to work through the pros and cons of bigger vs smaller
This is the first article/book I’ve seen that weighs the pros and cons of living in a tiny/small house and walks you through some of the processes. I’ve been planning to build a ‘tiny’ house for years but have 3 children, so our home will need to be a little bigger than tiny…I’m looking forward to gleaning more wisdom from the book before I start building!
Before I invest in my tiny house, I am looking at as many options as possible, and I’m excited to see your book! I’ve collected pictures and newsletters, and when books are available for what I’ll need to create my special house.
Sharing experiences with other folks is also important, what works or doesn’t, what they wished they knew at the beginning and exploring creativity!
The truth behind this excerpt is so real. I can only imagine how truthful and helpful this book is! As we are building our tiny house we have asked almost every one of these questions. Opting for the “dry” bath I think is going to be quite the enjoyment. Thanks for sharing!
I am committed to living in a tiny house but it is very helpful to be able to reap the wisdom of those who have run through the process of building, buying deciding and moving! thanks for letting me enter to win the book!
I am going to have a Tiny House in my future and am researching all aspects.
I have been obsessed with tiny houses recently, and the question of “how small is too small” has been a huge theme in my process – thank you for the informative article! Hopefully I will have a tiny house within the year 🙂
I’ve always said that if you don’t ask the right question you can’t get the right answer. Rather than having someone just ‘tell me how they did it’ or try to sell me on their design, having a book that helps me ask the right questions would be invaluable!
Thank you for thinking of others ! My future is grand…..and tiny!!!
I’d love a chance to learn more of your insights!
A tiny house is my retirement plan.
Just turned 50 years old this month and I am still renting. I don’t see any sugar daddy’s in my future and my 25 year daughter with her 3 boys keeps getting evicted and coming back to live with me. I have always dreamed of having a house that I will own by the time I retire and a “tiny” house will do the trick. I live in Idaho and a dream of mine is to live in the mountains. Please pick me!
I stumbled upon tiny houses about 6 months ago, as soon as I saw one I started scouring the internet to find out what they are all about. There is so much information that its a little overwhelming but so fascinating. My goal is to build and own my own tiny home one day but I want to have all my bases covered before I start. I want a clear plan and I want to avoid some mistakes others have made. This book would be a perfect way for me to be able to compare the big issues and use it to form my plans. I am so excited but I want to make sure I have as much knowledge I can get!
Reading this has made me feel much better that I couldn’t seem to make a tiny space configure to livable space for me. It always got bigger! but still small.
Thank You!
I’ve spent the last 10 years living in a 500 sq foot house with my boyfriend, a very large dog, a double bass and 15 guitars. Not quite teeny tiny, but pretty small! Over the years I’ve learned a few things about small space living but now I want more…or actually less…and would like more information about living ‘even smaller.’ Hope your book can help me answer some unanswered questions!
This is exactly what we need to read! I Love to bake as well as paint and my other half is a future dentist who also records and plays his own music. We can minimize our clutter but need help with storage for our artistic instruments!
A tiny house has been a dream for my partner and myself for a couple of years now. We’ve been in the process of deciding what we should keep and donate and have been working on many different designs, trying to figure out what would best suit our needs. Your book would be a valuable resource and provide us with motivation to finish our tiny house dream!
Me, it’s all about my footprint on this amazing gift…earth. Small is synonymous with the things better left un-bought. The “Tiny Home”, like most understated concepts, provides a canvas on which we are able to realize our dreams.
I always like the gipssy life but seems like impossible until now…..tiny homes on wheel is the way to go…..adventure and simplicity
I will definitely be building a tiny house in the future. With a family of seven, right now isn’t the time to make the jump but I am seriously considering building one for each of my 5 boys when they leave home as their first homes. Wouldn’t that be an awesome gift?
Our darling daughter who is a sophomore in college wanted the tiny house video for her birthday. After receiving it, she has been campaigning for more information. She has been so gung-ho on this after college plan that she has now piqued the interest of her parents. This is a viable after college plan because she will be earning the big bucks (not) in the field of horticulture. But this fits beautifully wih her heritage because she comes from a clergy family, also not known for its revenue generating power, at least for those of us not in televangelism with big hair and foot long eyelashes. Please know that this book will help not only the debt ridden student but the parents of the same who are looking to downsize and retire without all those nativity sets (23) that we have been given.
Im a young student with limited job opportunities in the arts who has become obsessed with the tiny house movement over the last year. I live in Australia and wish to bring the movement over here and teach more australians how to live sustainably with less land space.
Digging in and learning as much as I can so when the time comes I am prepared to make a decision. Thanks for the great articles! Jim
I appreciate the info about the trade offs of size in the tiny home. This book is on my Christmas list! Thanks for your work!
Deb
I love this! My husband and I have been planning our tiny home for years now and can’t wait to start building!
What a great story, thanks so much for sharing. Can’t wait to start on our tiny house adventure in the new year
This book looks so helpful! I’ve been dreaming of building a tiny home–as a young single gal I think it would be perfect! With so many options in building a tiny home, I could use all the help with decisions as I can get. Would love to have this guide as inspiration and source of information as I look into my tiny house dreams.
Thanks for the useful info!
I so much appreciated that you went for the items that were important to you. i.e. kitchen. As a fellow foodie, this too is important to me. I am so excited about this project of building a tiny home that I can barely contain myself. I lived in a 2 room, 300sf cabin in the Yukon Territory (check, waaaaay North) of Canada for 6 years without plumbing and was plugged into my neighbour for electricity. It was a intro to this for sure. Thanks for keeping me inspired!! Cheers
Been mulling some of the same issues. We are thinking of a bigger main and additional satellites as family grows and needs change.
Thank you
My 17 yr old daughter and I both want to build tiny houses. We have really been through a lot in recent years and we really want to have homes that we won’t have to keep leaveing behind. I want to stop feeling like I don’t know where “home” is. I don’t want to feel homeless in my heart anymore. This book would really help with all of decisions we will have to make to build two tiny houses.
I’ve been all over the idea of designing and building my own tiny house for a good 6 months now! 🙂 I have seen so many pictures and posted probably a thousand tiny houses on Pinterest and Tumblr each, and I eat up any information I find about individuals who live in or have built their own, and the financial and lifestyle benefits down-sizing has offered them. I would love the opportunity to gobble up more practical, down-to-earth information about making my vision of tiny a reality!!
It will help me get rid of more things again. I feel that having less stuff is better.
I’ve been a fan of Tiny Houses for awhile now, and I even had a dream about it.
Also, I’ve been wanting to learn how to build a Tiny House so that my hubby and I can live in it and save on money. My hubby and I seem to move a lot because I’m never satisfied with where I live or I get bored with it. I feel that living in a Tiny House with wheels would be perfect because we could get up and move somewhere new without having to pack and carry huge boxes. Everything will just be in a Tiny House. So, that means less back pains. 🙂
just the bit i’ve read so far has already contributed to my perceptions regarding what i really want/need in my tiny house. tx for sharing your experience. you are such an inspiration. next week i’ll be 71. never too late to go tiny!
Serving in the military has taught me how to downsize living. Once I leave active duty, having a smart tiny house will better prepare me for the next journey of my life. I believe this book will give another look into how to live small efficiently!!!
I just bought a vacation property and love the idea
Well I don’t know if it’s the perfect resource to go tiny until I’ve read it but if part 2 & 3 of this book contains technical information and practical how tos I am certain it will help me move from inertia to action in my tiny house build.
I’m interested in tiny homes but it seems very difficult to build one in the UK due to the planning laws. I tried to get planning permission to build a tiny house in our back garden but it got refused – every neighbour complained – they didn’t want a tiny house amongst their 3 and 4 bedroom ‘traditional’ homes. I will try again somewhere else and hopefully get lucky!
Your book would help with my anxiety as we prepare to downsize.
It’s nice to get information directly from someone with experience. Why re-invent the wheel with this information at your finger tips.
I appreciate knowing all the pros and cons to fulfill my dream. I would like to give myself a better chance of it fully happening. A small dream but it’s mind.
Some say we already live tiny, 5 people in 840 sq. feet, but I feel it’s too much and too cluttered! You’re expertise would really go far in helping me “go tiny” the best way for us! Thanks for this opportunity!
spectactular
I am a retiring fireman that went back to school to finish my Architecture. I am working on temporary homes for the homeless that are living in Tent Cities. Your information is important to help me give them a comfortable alternative to being self-sufficient while they try to get back on their feet. Thank you.
I’ve seen tiny house builds on shows, FYI and YouTube and some of the items put in look non-functional, the round bar sink for instance and I wonder if the planner actually understands everyday living. You understand that space utilization has to be practical for everyday living. I too would need a separate shower and just enough space not to feel claustrophobic.
Building a tiny home on wheels is becoming a very real dream and will be starting this spring. I’ve been passionately accumulating my resources and after reading your excerpt, which highly resonated with me, I would be thrilled to add it to my tool kit. Thank you for a chance to receive such a gift!
My brain is a sponge and I love all this practical info. Thanks Ethan!
I come from the older set, where I think about my 5 kids living in different parts of the country. Therefore it would be nice to have my own home to live in while visiting. I think you are right about just a little more space with comfort it brings. Downsizing is hard. But with a few tools from others, it should make it easier.
I have been dreaming of a tiny house for a while now, and this is the most practical article I have read on the choices that need to be made. I would love to see what else you have to offer before I make this exciting and life changing decision! (not to mention the one picture here of the inside is just stunning!)
I have lived in a tiny house .My own tiny home is my last big dream. I don’t have a lifetime to experiment on what works best. Your information is an invaluable resource. I would appreciate your experience and knowledge. I would also like to inspire others as yourself. Please pick me.
…………. Thank You
We’re in the early planning stages of Tiny House living; looking for land, figuring out how much usable/livable space we’ll need. Your book would be an awesome resource to have during this time!
It’s one of the only feasible ways for my fiance and I to own a house in the Bay Area
I never had dreams of being a doctor or rock star when I was younger.. Or any one thing for that matter. The one dream I held onto from an extremely young age was to build a home with my own 2 hands. I am 27, working a humble job in a small plant nursery. I have come to accept that I will never be able to afford (nor do I want-nor could I personally build) a McMansion. I have a simple life & want to keep it that way. I intend on building a tiny home & your book would be SO helpful in the process of realizing this lifelong dream!
A GREAT place for the grand-girls to sleep when visiting Papa and Gigi
I live in a tiny 1 bedroom apartment, but lived in a 20ft trailer for 3 years. I love the idea of living in a tiny house that I build myself because then I have some say in the design. Saving up to build mine.
I want to build a tiny house, because my boyfriend and I spend a combined $1,400 a month on rent. That’s $16,800 with nothing to show for! Why not build and own a tiny house?
I am considering purchasing a tiny house that’s needs finished on the inside. This book would prove invaluable to the process and decision making involved. Thanks!
I’m in the very beginning stages of getting information and researching what options there are, I feel a bit overwhelmed and I’m hoping this guide will help me make decesions. I know I can’t afford a mortgage and I’m done paying rent and I’m getting older and need to find a living option that will give me more freedom financially. I’m in love with idea of only being able to have a limited amount of stuff and am ready to downsize my life. Plus my birthday is Nov 29th so this would be the perfect gift:)
Dear Ethan.
Thank you for inspiring us all! I would love a copy of you book to assist in my own tiny house decisions as well as helping me to correctly inform other danish tiny house interested people via my blog.
Charlotte // tinyhousedk
This book sounds like it is the response to my mantra, “I wish I thought of that before.” I usually close my eyes and grip my fists while I recite, “Ok, FOCUS girl!”, before I start any project. Unfortunately, being human is a part of even the best efforts. It would be a great addition to my tiny house project to be able to refer to what I should have thought before, because you already did! I have a 20′ travel trailer base in my yard and am just starting the physical build, as I have already almost “thought” it to death. I have been following your progress and truly enjoyed your insight into all the “little” aspects that are NOT so little in everyday life…or when building, several steps later. They severely magnify. So thanks in advance for putting much of it together this way!
I have been planning for months and hope to finally build this summer! Any extra ideas would be GREAT!!
I fell in love with the first tiny house I saw. I lost my husband and have considered a tiny house since it is just me and my granddaughter now.
I think your book maybe a way of how to get more comfort out of a small amount of space.
My fiancé and I are building a tiny house in April and are designing it ourselves to be exactly what we want. There are so many decisions to be made!
i am at the early stage of self building a tiny home..for me and my young son..necessity is the mother of invention..and i am inventive but i don’t know it all..learning from experienced people would be a big help..i am using a combination of new and reclaimed materials, downsizing from a 320 sq foot to aprox 280 feet tiny home..sa far, i adore the experience.
It’s best to have extra room, than not enough, right? I know it’s not practical but I’d be sad without a bathtub. It takes up a lot of space so I’m constantly arguing with myself about it. Maybe I’ll just settle on a fire-heated outdoor hot tub.
To live more efficiently and with less “baggage” are my goals. This book would definitely help. I have access to land on our family farm. Thanks for the opportunity to win a book.
Looks like a great book!
I’m nineteen, currently in college studying civil engineering, and have always had a love for building things. In fact, I took wood shop four times and construction technology (in which we built two greenhouses) while I was in middle school and high school. For quite some time now I have been very interested in building a tiny house. Mr. Waldman, your book would be an extremely valuable asset to me for years to come. Your knowledge, guidance, and generosity are greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I really need this information! Thanks.
My plan to downsize and move into a Tiny House brings so many questions. This book would be of great help. Thank you!
After fostering and adopting several children, it is a desire of mine to reduce my living space from 5000 sq ft to much less and live more simply. This book would give me ideas on how to make this huge reduction comfortably.
I want to simplify my life and get back to basics. I believe that a tiny house would help me to reach that goal. Looking forward to reading the rest of this book!
it just makes sense on so many different levels. Personal, materials ,social ,environmental, and most of all… Spiritually !
My big rainforest block in the tropics needs a tiny house, certainly now since I’m unemployed.
I’ve got 2 hands, a brain, a creative mind, a big passion for a sustainable future but am a bit scared.. a woman alone and no building experience.
I dream of a Gipsy home to travel like a grey nomad in summer.
Can you give me courage and reflection on what I need/don’t need like in your article about size? I will tell you when I read your book 😉
Great Post! Size is a huge decision for me right now. This was helpful. I’ve been fascinated with minimal eco friendly living for a while and just last month decided to act on my interest. Having Tiny House Decisions will prepare me with questions that I may have not thought to ask myself and to rational think through this that I have. May the odds be ever in my favor 🙂
I am planning on planning a tiny house. And could use the advise I can find.
Alaska – looking to stay, but not looking to pay to ship everything up here… tiny is the new us.
I am glad to see Ethan’s book. I have been following the Tiny house movement for over a year. We’ve just moved to North Carolina for my job and are renting. The next question has been, do we buy a new house here or could we successful become tiny house people?
It is a significant investment that would be more successful considering all the trade-offs.
tiny can be so big when you consider how much it can enlarge other possibilities and opportunities to enjoy life…. Fewer worries, less maintenance, easier to go green, smaller budget, take your home with you if you move, ………
Love your house!
I’ve been very interested in tiny houses since I first learned about them. I’ve lived in small spaces before with my family, but the spaces were crammed. I’m looking to move out (hopefully by the end of 2015/start of 2016) and I think this book might help me make the right choices in the decision-making process and minimize any possible errors I might make. I also love reading the experiences of people who are building or have built and are currently living in their own tiny homes.
I’ve never built anything bigger than a bed frame… that being said, my boyfriend, 55lb dog and I are in the process of planning our tiny home. Construction will start in the fall of next year up in Alaska if all goes as planned!!
Some very interesting points. Some I had considered and some new to me. Thanks for the article. No if I could just find my hammer!
Our family has lived in small spaces (smaller than 900sf) for years and we love it! Now that the teenager is almost out of the nest, we are looking to live in a much smaller space and want to build it ourselves. This book looks like something we need to read!
My husband and I have dreams of downsizing and being able to explore the United States. He is disabled and needs to be able to lie down frequently. What better way to do this than in a tiny house of our own design? But we aren’t so experienced in the details of tiny living and could use all the help we can get.
I’m always looking for new material to read regarding tiny homes and advice from those more experienced before making a dream of mine come to life. I think devouring a book like yours will give me more insight for sure! Best of luck with your future endeavors! Blue skies!
this military wife would love to want to copy of this book my husband is getting ready to retire from the military soon and this is a practical choice for us and just to be able to have the opportunity to have this expert information to get started would be tremendous for family keeping my fingers crossed and hope we win.
Finally got my tiny car – a classic fiat 500, dreaming about my tiny house
I like the tiny homes.This would be a great deal for VA. No place to live. One way to help them.
In our eagerness to simplify we often fail to integrate a realistic appraisal of our needs. Too often our emotions take over and we forget to go through the practical steps of decision making. This article abridges a smart approach to the decision of how big or small. i would highly recommend this to anyone undertaking this endeavor
Due to a house fire I was thrown into my present living situation. I am currently in a 3 bedroom house with so much useless space. I started researching tiny homes and I am so interested in trying to build my own tiny home soon. I love all of the information that is out there and right at our fingertips. I never realized how huge the tiny world was. I was thinking of building a slightly larger home so I am glad I got to read this little bit of information. I don’t have to worry about the downsizing since God took care of that already but I do need the knowledge to get this started soon. Thanks for the little bit of info Ethan. This makes me excited 🙂
We have been following the movement for about 4 years and are DELIGHTED there is so much more information out there in just the past 2!
We have 2 special needs (high functioning) boys and have decided to build in the backyard in 6 months to move one out so he can learn to be independent.
Having a tough time with all the options though. Sounds like this book is perfect for the types of decisions we are trying to make!
OH MY GOD!!! How do I stop getting notifications!!!
Your “manage subscriptions” makes no sense!!! Please delete my prior comment or delete me from all updates forever!
The bigger the tiny house movement grows, the more variety we see. This is great, but makes it harder for the novice to make even the simplest decisions. I have been staled due to feeling under-educated and overwhelmed. I need this book so I can have the confidence to jump in.
Deciding to build a tiny house was simple compared to weighing all the pros and cons of the different designs and options. There is so much wonderful information available and I look forward to learning from your experience.
ooh! How exciting! I’ve been renting for years after loosing my house in the 90’s to a foreclosure. Never again, I said. Not until I could buy my very own land and home. I’ve paid off all my debt and am lookin to make it happen! This could help! What a blessing~ thanks for the offering. ~ T