Tiny houses are considered the ultimate in small living made easy. Just as kit houses (originally designed, pre-cut and delivered by such companies as Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Montgomery Ward in the early 20thC), tiny houses are all ready to go with floor plans, systems, materials and amazing attention to detail. And because tiny houses are nominally affordable, they may also be the ultimate starter home.
Here is a list of just some of tiny houses available to order right now:
1. The Nugget from Modern Tiny Living – “The Affordable Starter House” Starting at $36,000, The Nugget is “the most livable 12′, 102 square’ home on the market.” Built atop a single axle trailer, the house comes with pine siding, a metal roof, white poplar cabinets, copper fixtures, a composting toilet, off-grid capacity with solar panels, a mini fridge, a simple shower and a built-in bed.
2. Covo Mio from Cpvp Tiny House Co. in Oregon – Starting at $97,631., the Covo Mio is the latest in the growing trends of high cost tiny house and of SMART tiny houses. Sitting on a double axle trailer base, the house comes with a Next thermostat, remote controlled door lock, Bluetooth sound system, LED lights, build-in USB port, 50′ TV, Amazon Echo and Wink Hub. (Research shows that Millennials are willing to pay higher home prices for SMART features.)
3. Minum House from Minim Homes – With a base price of $71,000, the Minim House has won three American Institute of Architects Awards and has been featured in Dwell, the Washington Post and HGTV. Buyers can order a pre-built house on a trailer, a pre-built house on a foundation, a set of plans with detailed elevations, construction guidelines, build photos, etc. for a trailer based Minum or a foundation build Minum. (A set of plans cost $495.) This tiny house has an open, multi-function living area with solid walnut floors, stainless steel appliances, a platform bed, etc. Build-outs are currently underway in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the US. The first completed Minum was sold to Intel.
4. The Luxury Dream by Escher from New Frontier Tiny Homes – Priced at $137,000, the Luxury Dream is larger, more family/guest friendly, pricier and considered to be a new embodiment of the tiny house as art. It has a sleek, industrial design and a second loft space for a bedroom above the bathroom. Storage space within the kitchen and bathroom is ingenious.
5. The Greenmoxcie – turnkey and eco-conscious – The Greenmoxie, starting at $65,000, has off-grid capability with an ikW solar PV system, 11kW storage capacity, a roof water system, an electric drawbridge deck, reclaimed wood ceiling and fixtures and Baltic birch shelving.
6. The Wheel Pad – wheelchair accessible – The Wheel Pad starts at $60,000 or $3,000 month/lease. It has universally accessible design, connects to an existing house and/or has an independent ramp, a mobile chassis base, customizable options such as solar panels, composting toilet, built-in lighting, etc.
It’s now possible to have tiny houses in some cities and counties within Texas, Oregon (Portland is a champion of tiny houses aka Accessory Dwelling Units or ADus), New York, Michigan, Massachusetts, Florida, Colorado and tiny house friendly California. Zoning and regulatory codes are market specific at this point so be sure to do your homework.
