Also be sure and check out Michael Janzen’s Tiny House Design blog.

Steve is happy to announce the FREE Popomo House Plans with the purchase of the Small House Book. Tumbleweed chose the Popomo because it is the easiest house to build from our catalog. The Popomo stands apart from our other houses with its unique hot rolled corrosion resistant exterior siding (rust like finish).

All told, Tumbleweed spent months of time researching materials and working with experts. The house was designed by Jay Shafer, and he worked with an architect to create 3d visualizations of the exterior and interior of the house. The plans were drawn up, and then we completed 3d isometrics showing the construction of the house step-by-step. An HVAC engineer was brought in to make sure the house could be heated to 68 degrees anywhere in the US.

Tumbleweed researched trailer suppliers and found over 30 suppliers across the US and Canada that sell the trailer needed to build this house and have listed them on our website. Tumbleweed also contacted over 50 steel suppliers and made arrangements with one to custom make the steel panels fit just right for this house … and Tumbleweed can ship them anywhere in the Continental US.

So if you buy the book now you get a free plan. If you previously purchased the book you can get a copy of the plans here and follow the directions on the Tumbleweed page. Following are a couple of screen prints from the plan book. Click Here to Purchase the Small House Book and get the Free Popomo Plans.

This might be for the summer only, or could turn into a long term opportunity. You must have a place in the continental US that would be a desirable vacation spot. In addition, electricity must be readily available. The house needs its own 20 amp circuit. Also, a sewer hook up must be present and a water source within a few feet. Basically, the house needs RV hookups. Because it is a vacation rental, you don’t want to deal with cleaning of any tanks. Tumbleweed is looking for a place with a sewer hookup.

If you have a place to host and rent the Fencl you can get all the details at the Tumbleweed Blog.

A few years back, a friend of mine turned me on to Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, designed by Jay Shafer, and I fell in love with the idea of living small. I have always been drawn to the idea of low-impact living, having a lighter ecological footprint. I also think there is a fundamental appeal to a small, cozy living space, sort of a human nesting impulse that we lost from a childhood when we were happy to camp out all day in a cardboard box under the kitchen table.

For the past couple years, I have been turning design ideas over in my mind, and over time a design has emerged that I would like to build; I just needed the opportunity to build it.

I recently returned to the realm of higher education to finish my bachelor’s degree after a dozen years of enrollment in the school of life. My education at SUNY Empire State College, it turns out, has become a platform on which I can build my tiny house. My curriculum, an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in the area of Sustainable Residential Design, is built around lessons derived from and contributing to the design and building of a tiny, energy efficient house. I build my house, and get a degree! Sounds good to me.

I have tried to keep certain principles in mind while designing. I’ve always admired Japanese architecture, and the idea of convertible space: a single room can function as dining room, living room, bedroom, etc. I have attempted to design a space with multiple overlapping functions. For example, the dining room table folds away or turns into a lounge/sleeping area, and the loft overhead is removable.

Another design goal is “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Everything in its place is easy; the tough part is making a place for everything. I think that this is a key principle to have a clean, uncluttered interior.

I am also considering the sustainability of the project as I go along. Wherever possible, I am considering reclaimed materials, and trying to make choices for maximum energy-efficiency and energy independence. My design will certainly not be the end-all-be-all of sustainable design, but more like a design laboratory with experiments that occasionally blow up in my face or create a bad smell in the room…

Design is hard: everything is a decision, and every decision impacts every other decision. Certain decisions, once I’ve made them, have become commitments. I am trying to retain flexibility in the design process wherever I can; I’m sure that once I am standing in the physical space of my house, I will have ideas that I didn’t have before, and scrap some of my past decisions.

I am looking forward to the process of building my design, and all the lessons that I will learn from it. I’m sure that there will be some head-slapping moments: “Why didn’t I think of THAT before???” But as my ideas become physically manifest, every experience will be a learning experience. And at the end of it, I’ll have myself a little home!

Follow Mark’s build at his blog CubitConstruction.

This has long been a favorite of mine and my wife thinks that she could live in this one as long as it has the additional bedroom and loft upstairs.

This is not a home you would put on a trailer so you would need a piece of land and a standard foundation to make this a permanent home or vacation getaway.

I’ve seen the reworked plans and they are the best I’ve seen from Jay and at a great price too. I’m glad to see an architect rendered plan ready to take to the building department for approval and construction.

Here is what Steve says about the plans: This March we’ll be having a sale on our Bodega Plan. Until now, it still hasn’t been available on our website. We are excited about this new plan for several reasons:

1. We worked with an architect, who turned Jay’s sketches into a CAD drawing. This plan is ready to go to the building department.
2. We’ve added a roof plan after hearing feedback that people wanted it.
3. It will be available as a pdf download … yeah! instant gratification.
4. There will be a 261 square foot version,and a 356 square feet version with the bedroom addition.
5. Due to popular demand, the plans will feature an option for a cathedral ceiling or a full loft.

Sale price will be over 70% off. Normally $695. Now $199. Sale ends March 31. Click here to view more details.

Tumbleweed is allowing several blogs to get the word out first before they advertise the sale on the Tumbleweed website. Below is the new video and Jay Shafer did an excellent job as it really give you the feel of what is involved in the construction of a Tumbleweed home.

Tumbleweed is also adjusting the pricing and here is why. “Tumbleweed is lowering prices because we will no longer be including consultations and workshops with the plans. Those will be sold separately.”

Here is the new pricing:

• XS-House Plans $399
• Epu, Weebee, Tarleton, Lusby $859
• Fencl (price on Mar 1st $859, current price is $997) on sale $795

If you have been thinking of purchasing the Fencl plans starting now and before March 1 is the time to get them at this lower Sale Price. Click here to view more details

This may be the last time that they are available at this low price, so if you have been thinking about getting these plans some time in the future, now is the time to do it. Here is a buy now button to make it easy for you.

Be sure and Register Now and take advantage of this special offer. I have been to one of his workshops and highly recommend them if you are thinking of building a tiny house someday.

Building Workshops

On Saturday, Jay Shafer will explain how to build a tiny house. The language will be clear and easy for everyone to understand. He will start at the foundation with a look at different types of permanent footings and a detailed description of how to build on wheels. Explanations of how to frame, sheath, insulate and finish will follow. Particular attention will be paid to the best way one can easily guard against the condensation that small spaces are prone to. The merits of different trailers, heaters, kitchen equipment, windows and building materials will be assessed. There will be plenty of time for Q&A.

Design Workshops

On Sunday, you will be taught how to design a small home that meets your personal needs and those of your family. You will have a chance to talk with Jay Shafer, national expert on small living, about the best ways to meet your domestic needs without waste. You will be presented with seven principals along with several strategies for good design before you are asked to develop plans for your own little home. The class is open to beginners, professional architects and anyone curious about how a tiny house is created at the drafting table.

Click here to Register Now

Jay Shafer on CBS News

The Small House Movement Believes Less is More, Especially in a Recession

At only 120 square feet, two is company – and three is really a crowd. The house is too small to meet building code minimum standards. It’s a vehicle, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod.

But it’s got all the comforts of home, and plenty of storage space.

Shafer is at the forefront of the “small house” movement – a school of thought that less is more, especially in a recession.

“This house, all decked out with plumbing and heating would be about $50,000 if we built it for you,” Shafter said. “But if you built it yourself, it would be about $20,000.”

According to the U.S. Census, the average single family house in America is a little more than 2,500 square feet, meaning you could fit 21 of these into one of those.

Read the complete CBS article here and visit Jay Shafer’s website and blog at the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company website.

Watch the CBS News video below:

Watch CBS Videos Online

Copyright © 2009 Tiny House Blog

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Lellewynn sent a few pictures and a little more info about the Salt Lake City open house I thought you might enjoy reading. I still need pictures and a story of the Boulder Colorado stop so please if you were there give us an update. Here is the rest of the story… 

So my husband and I went to see the Fencl on Wednesday. I was so excited! We got into Salt Lake at about 1pm and just kind of puttered around the city, looking at stuff, we took some great pictures. Then we wanted beer so we drove all over Murray looking for a place that served beer. We finally found the Cheesecake Factory. Oh my goodness it was wonderful! Everyone needs to experience cheesecake and beer at least once in their lives!

Then we waited. And waited and waited and looked around for other people who were waiting too. Finally we found one person, a photographer named Mark. After that we were attracting tiny house enthusiasts like flies to a really smelly garbage can. I felt like such a nerd because I guess I knew the answers to the questions everybody was asking. I must have had a sign on me that said “tiny house nerd” because I was the go to girl for all the stats about the Fencl and everything else in the tiny house world… To those who were there, I’m glad I could help! Thats ok though because if I was the go to, Mark was the “get stuff done” guy. He wasn’t afraid to call Jay’s office and find out where Jay was (he was supposed to be there at 6).

Anyway, Jay finally arrived at 8:30pm and the poor guy just looked exhausted. I guess he had some truck trouble and had to rent a Uhaul to finish the trip to SLC. He looked like he needed coffee something fierce! As soon as he got out of his truck, the masses converged upon him. He opened the door to the Fencl and about a million miniature humans (kids) stampeded into the house. I like to imagine it was because it looked just like a playhouse and they couldn’t help themselves. I know I could hardly wait to walk inside!

I hung back and waited for most of the people to take their tour so I could get some fairly decent pictures. It was so cool to walk into a space that small and have it feel so big! When I was inside, there were about five other people in there. and we all had room to maneuver.

Then the moment of truth… I introduced myself to Jay and my face, as I thought it would, turned bright red. It happens anytime I meet anybody for the first time. Poor Jay probably thought I was a deranged fan or something! But he was super polite and answered all mine and my husband’s questions.

Somebody suggested that we all get a picture together. Jay was such a good sport! He smiled big and we got our picture.

All in all it was a pretty fun trip, except the driving home part. We didn’t get back until 2am! As we were driving home I asked my husband “Could you live in that house” and he said “Yeah, it’s bigger than I thought!” which is such a step for him because he was so skeptical. Now he’s on board for Project Rolling Freedom for sure!

Jay pulling in...

Jay getting setup

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