Tiny House Blog

Moonlight in Vermont? Sunlight might be better for this tiny solar powered home built by Alex Carver and Christopher North of Northern Timbers in Vermont. The Burlington Microhome is a 100 square-foot modular house that is off-grid and ready for additional modules to be added to it if needed.

Northern Timbers built the microhome with design help from landscape architect and metal artist H. Keith Wagner.

Much of Northern Timbers’ work reinterprets the traditional Vermont vernacular by introducing new applications of diverse materials into the residential setting, resulting in homes with a practical yet creative aesthetic. Continue Reading »

Craig one of our readers had the opportunity to go to the Solar Decathlon in Washington DC. and wanted to fill us in on this exciting event. Here is what Craig has to say about it.

Sorry to take so long to get back to you on the Solar Decathlon houses on the mall in DC.

I’d taken pictures, but they didn’t turn out so great what with all the crowds. As it happens, the solar decathlon webpage has some great videos for each house on the front page that do a far better job of showing off the houses than I could.

Team Germany was just announced the winner, though my favorite was Team Louisiana’s Beausoleil house. They plan on marketing the houses as modular homes in the next couple of years with a price around $120,000 including the solar panels.

The maximum size limit for the houses was 800 square feet and they all had to be off the grid/independent. Continue Reading »

13 months in a 21 square foot, Mule drawn Tiny Home

Bernie Harberts of River Earth recently bought a set of Sonoma Shanty plans and when we were communicating by email because he is wanting the shanty on wheels version, I discovered his website and learned about his interesting story.

Bernie recently downsized his wagon for a second journey across America, he went from 60 square feet down to 21 square feet in order to cut down weight and make his home more easily pulled by his trusty mule Polly.

Everything I ever built in my life has/had wheels under it: from the boat I sailed alone around the world to the boat I built and sailed from Canada to the Bahamas to the wagon I lived in while voyaging from Canada to Mexico.

Bernie’s old wagon was 2360 pounds, empty and he designed his new one to be only 800 pounds. Here is what Bernie has to say about his design.

This time I paid closer attention to what the original pioneers wagons measured. I took a tape measure to my mule skinner buddy Tash Hudson’s wagons. The beds on his traditional wagons measured 36″ to 48″ wide, fully 2 feet narrower than my original wagon. Another friend, Sue Maska, who spent 5 years traveling the country with her husband in their horse-drawn wagon, gave me tips on a practical interior layout. Their wagon was only 3 feet wide.

Then I fired up my welder and got to work. Using 1 1/2″ X 1/8″ angle iron, I welded up a steel frame that weighed 100 pounds.

To that, I attached lightweight walls fashioned from 3/4″ foam insulation sandwiched between two sheets of 1/8″ plywood.

The new wagon measures just over 2’ 6” wide by 8’ long. A 3’ covered area where I sit while driving, what I call the front porch, brings the overall length to 11’. Headroom inside, instead of 6’, was reduced to 4’ 10”.

Bernie is an author and sold books along the way to help pay for his trip. You can see two of his books pictured below. I want to encourage you to go explore his site and learn more of his story as I can’t do it justice in a short post. Visit his the General Store if you would enjoy getting one of his books and getting the full details of his travels.

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When I first saw these huts on wheels, they looked a bit like an alien vehicle from Star Wars. The more I looked at them though, the more I fell in love with these sleek little houses.

Designed as a modern alternative to camping by Tom Kundig of Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects in Seattle, the Rolling Huts are available for rent in the Methow Valley of Washington state. The huts are several steps above camping, while remaining low-tech and low-impact in their design.

The huts sit lightly on the site, a flood plain meadow in an alpine river valley. The owner purchased the site, formerly a RV campground, with the aim of allowing the landscape return to its natural state. The wheels lift the structures above the meadow, providing an unobstructed view into nature and the prospect of the surrounding mountains.

The huts are grouped as a herd: while each is sited towards a view of the mountains (and away from the other structures), their proximity unites them. They evoke Thoreau’s simple cabin in the woods; the structures take second place to nature.

Each hut comes equipped with a small refrigerator, microwave, fireplace and Wi-Fi. A sleeping platform is perfect for two, and the modular furniture in the living area can be reconfigured to sleep two more. Each hut has an adjacent portable toilet, and full bathrooms and showers are housed in the centrally located barn a short distance away. There is a water faucet outside of each hut and a picnic table in front of each hut that seats 12. You can stay in one of these huts for about $80-$100 a night.

By Christina Nellemann

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Are you looking to become an expat in Costa Rica? How about living in a shipping container? You can do both in one tidy package from Container Homes by Jimmy Lee. Lee designs and delivers surprisingly airy and open shipping container homes with a full kitchen, bedroom and a small bathroom.

Visit the video gallery

Jimmy Lee and his shipping container home

Each of his homes is earthquake, fire and hurricane proof. And since they do stay within Costa Rica, you probably don’t have to worry about heating the place. He is selling a 45 x 8 x 9 foot finished home for $17,000, and a land and home package for $60,000. You can also order the raw containers from his company and build your own house. A 20 x 8 x 8 foot container sells for $2,700 and a 40 x 8 x 8 foot container sells for $3,600 to $4,100. Transportation costs are extra, but he can have a home delivered to you in 3-5 weeks.

This might be the best time to purchase one of these home/land packages. Costa Rica is no longer an undiscovered paradise. When I visited the country about 10 years ago it was just starting to cater to travelers, and now it’s a refuge for American and European expatriates. Prices are only going to go up.

Before opening up his business, Jimmy worked as a Greenpeace team leader for six years in Washington, D.C. He left Greenpeace to study to become a chiropractor. Weeks after receiving his Doctorate he moved to Costa Rica where he has been established for ten years as a chiropractor in the town of San Ramon, Costa Rica. He is also a yoga instructor.

He believes that shipping container homes are the most environmentally sound form of home construction on the market. It’s been estimated that 85 percent of the building materials used in each shipping container home have been recycled. Also, the foundation design is less expensive, uses much less material and is faster to install. The infrastructure for transport already exists, so the container homes can be easily moved by ship, truck or train. This component reduces the amount of transport time. Everything is delivered in one trip. You don’t have to pay for multiple deliveries of separate construction materials. Additionally, no building permits are required. Because the unit is on its wheels, it is referred to as a “non-permanent” structure.

The 45 foot container home includes:

• The wheels. This unit is attached permanently to its base
• Total insulation on all walls and the ceiling, backed by fibrolite board
• All bathroom fixtures. Shower, toilet, sink, mirror, shelves and tile
• Kitchen counter, sink and faucet, shelves, breakfast bar with two benches
• Bedroom rug, shelves and bamboo curtain rod installed
• All windows and doors are equipped with metal bars
• Ceiling fan in master bedroom and lighting
• All electrical outlets and light switches
• Interior and exterior paint

The home does not include the following. However Jimmy’s company could supply the following for an additional cost:

• Furniture and appliances
• Second bedroom if requested
• Transportation to your destination
• Solar power
• Rainwater catchment system
• Hot water pump
• Bamboo roofing (the container naturally has its own roof, this would be on top of that)
• Deck

The first step to ordering from Jimmy is to visit the prototype and decide what changes you would like to make. If you cannot visit, and wish to place an order, you can do so and then as soon as the model home is picture ready he will send you the photos. A deposit of 50% is required to begin the building of your portable home. Estimated time to completion is between 3-6 weeks.

By Christina Nellemann

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Mike one of our readers sent me a note about this yurt option that is both easy to assemble and affordable.

These fiberglass yurts range in size fron 15.4′ diameter (181 sq.ft.) to 51.3′ diameter (2011sq.ft.) pre-insulated. Pricing ranges from $15.00/ sq.ft to $20+/sq.ft.

Here is what Alternative Buildings says about their product: Alternative Buildings is your supplier for truly unique and innovative buildings, utilizing an insulated fiberglass panel system. Our new modern composite Yurt assembles fast, is easily customized, and best of all, the cost is very affordable. We have several sizes and options to choose from, making it possible to fit almost any budget.

Fiberglass Yurt Applications

• Residential: As a permanent equity building or money saving family home.
• Recreational: As a second home, hunting lodge, or campsite.
• Temporary Shelter: As an emergency and short term structure. (Assemble in 4 to 6 hours with hand tools even in remote locations.)
• Industrial/Commercial: As an equipment shelter, supply storage, retail shop, temporary office, etc.

Design Services Offered

• Custom Design: We offer custom design services to help personalize your Yurt.
• Customized Rent-To-Own Program: Custom tailored programs available for all fiberglass yurts.

So for pricing starting around $6,500 for the small yurt and going up to $31,200 for the largest yurt, you get a basic insulated shell to complete and finish as you like. For more details visit Alternative Buildings Fiberglass Yurts and see if this is the type of home you have been looking for.

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On one of my visits with Bill Kastrinos of Tortoise Shell Homes, I noticed a new small structure sitting off to the side of the Tortoise Shell Nursery.

Bill put me in touch with Malcolm Davie who has just given me the go ahead to go public with their new product. I will let Malcolm tell you more about his new product that I personally think fits in as a new option for a tiny house space.

YardPods are pre-fabricated, steel frame backyard rooms individually configured by the customer using a large catalog of modular, eco-friendly parts and materials. Pre-assembled in precision engineered panels at our factory and fully assembled on your site.

Your YardPod can be anything you want it to be your office, studio, hobby room, workshop, wine cave, whatever your dream is. We can even match the style of your home.

YardPods are available in five sizes from 8ft x 8ft to 10ft x 12ft and in three styles: Bare bones Do-It-Yourself YardPod, Almost done Finish-It-Yourself YardPod, and a ready to install Complete YardPod. Customers can configure their YardPod just about any way they choose including types of doors and windows and where they want them placed in the walls; shape of roof and‚ roofing material; type of flooring; and interior and exterior wall materials and finishes. YardPods are fully insulated and built with highly-sustainable materials and processes. YardPods can be delivered and installed on a wide range of foundations by the owner or a YardPod Authorized Contractor. Building permits are not required in most areas.

For play, for work, for escape, your‚ personal space can be only days away!

Here is a guide to the pricing:

• DIY Galvanized metal frame (floor, walls, roof) cost between $2,800 and $4,250 when collected from our factory.
• FIY 10ft x 12ft YardPods will normally cost between $10,000 and $15,000, smaller sizes will be less.
• Completed 10ft x 12ft YardPods will normally cost between $15,000 and $20,000, smaller sizes will be less.

There are MANY variations, eg: putting the YardPod on a concrete slab will reduce the price.

About us:

• Malcolm Davies, PhD Architect, registered architect in UK. ‚ Before joining Codding, I was CEO of Michelle Kaufmann Designs and before that, CEO of Gehry Technologies, one of Frank Gehry’s companies.
• Marvin Muaer, Professional Engineer has been a leader in internet marketing for many years. Formerly CEO of HousePlans.com and a Vice President at Mattel. We worked together at General Electric and at Autodesk.

Our objective is to provide high-quality environmentally credible additional spaces for people to work, rest and play. Out maximum size is 120 sq ft which does not require planning or building permits in most areas. Visit the Yarpods website.

Yardpod Options

10 x 12 Yardpod Backside

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Last Friday I had the opportunity to go on a delivery with Bill Kastinos from Tortoise Shell Homes to Chanslor Guest Ranch located 1 mile north of Bodega Bay.

The historic 378 acre Chanslor Ranch is known for its magnificent ocean views, horse back riding on the beach, ocean view rooms, wildlife preserve and the thousands of acres of Sonoma Coast State Beach which surround the property. It has also been a camping destination for the last 50 years.

Chanslor Ranch offers camping with exceptional views of Bodega Bay and Salmon beach from your own tent or an installed platform tent complete with bed, stove, propane fire pit and portable restroom. Chanslor Ranch is bordered by Salmon Creek to the north and Highway 1 to the south. There is a fishing pond available to guests and there are trails leading to Salmon Creek Beach.

Chanslor Ranch and Codding Enterprise’s Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park, California have teamed together with Tortoise Shell Homes to offer a new way to enjoy this beautiful setting. Tortoise Shell Homes is building the camping cube pictured above and another model based on the Galapagos model with loft and standard roof as an option to rent for luxury camping. Groups can rent these tiny homes and bring your own tents to pitch around the “main house” in spectacular private ocean view locations.

The camping cube includes large window areas, shower, toilet, kitchen with two burner stove and refrigerator, plus a oversize futon or Murphy bed to sleep on. These units will be set up for off-grid use and will be powered by wind and solar. They are set up with a grey and black water system so they can be pumped just like an RV.

To learn more about Chanslor Ranch visit their website at www.ChanslorRanch.com. Now you can experience a stay in a tiny house by renting one of their camping cubes.

Inside Tortoise Shell Camping Cube

Cabin Tent with Bed and Stove

Chanslor Ranch Turtle Pond

Campsite at Shelter Rock

Map of the Chanslor Ranch

Delivery of Tortoise Shell Camping Cube

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Carre d’etoiles: a Tiny, Portable Prefab Cube from France

Yesterday materialicious discovered the neatest prefab cube and I had the hardest time waiting until today to share it with you.

The concept of the design is for a vacation getaway for resorts where you can experience a window to the sky, and an island of liberty. You can rent these at several places throughout France and use the included astronomical telescope to penetrate the mysteries of the universe.

Designed with luxury and modern appliances, this tiny cube which size I estimate to be approximately 10 x 10 x 10 foot has everything you need in a very compact space. It will sleep four people, has a corner kitchen, toilet, shower, cabin bed, and parquet floors.

It has all the modern conveniences including a flat panel TV, mp3 player ready, telephone and Internet ready.

I want one of these in my back yard, or on some remote piece of property for a get away cabin.

Visit the Carre D’etoiles website to learn more.

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Dax Wagner from Southern California went to two home shows that featured small homes over the last weekend. Dax explains what he saw below:

We ended up also attending the Dwell On Design Show which was held on the same day at the L.A. Convention Center. The first two pictures are of the Modern Shed. The rest are of the IC Green shipping containers. Two different sheds were represented, one at each show:

Modern Shed Interior

120 Square Foot Cabana

First (at Dwell On Design) was a 120 sq.ft. container with no plumbing. It was used as a “cabana” with a portion of the container used as a small porch so that there would not be any permitting requirements. They offered it at $9,500.

120 Square Foot Cabana End View

The 2nd (at the CA Boom Show) was a 320 sq. ft. unit with full IKEA kitchen and bath. VERY nice, livable unit with lots of windows. Offered at $25000.

IC Green Inc. Sign

320 Square Foot Home

The representative said that different basic configurations are offered at about $100 per sq. foot. Not bad at all, but to get full insulation, radiant heat flooring and an A/C unit installed, it would be more like $145 per sq. foot. This, of course, does not include the land and prep work for the foundation. Go to the IC Green site here to learn more. Overall is was a grat day at two shows!

-Dax Wagner

Kitchen Living Area

Bathroom

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