Lofted Porch

The Lofted Porch comes in 11 sizes from 8X16 to 14X40 and starts at $2,625 up to almost $10,000. This building provides overhead storage space with a covered entry. Windows provide natural lighting, and a traditional style metal door provides security and convenience. There is an abundance of overhead storage, and a covered entryway. The exterior of the Lofted Porch is virtually maintenance free.

Lofted Porch

Portable Casita

The Portable Casita comes in 9 sizes starting at 10×22 which costs $4,465 to 14×40 for $9,650. The Casita offers overhead storage space along with a “cabin” style exterior appearance. The covered “porch” offers a nice added touch, while windows provide natural lighting, and the metal entry door provides security and easy access. Built on sturdy 4×6 pressure treated skids with 2×6 treated floor joists and heavy duty 3/4″ plywood flooring, the Portable Casita is protected with 25 year solid tab shingles. The Casita also comes available with log siding which is available in 8 sizes. With the log siding option, you get real wood log siding over OSB sheathing. The inside of the building is still open with exterior stud walls that can be left unfinished, or you can finish the interior any way you want.

Portable Casita Interior

Mini Cottage

The Mini Cottage is patterned off of Dix’s very successful Portable Playhouse. This unique little cottage provides additional room for both play and storage. The end of the cottage features a larger door for adult access making it a very versatile storage shed. You can also order your mini-cottage with 6’6″ walls in place of the standard 5’3″ walls making it even more functional and providing additional storage room. There are three sizes available: a 10×12, 12×12 and 12×16. They range in price from $2,995 to $3,995.

Each Better Built building will be custom built to your specifications, allowing you to specify such things as overall building size, door and window sizes and locations, and shingle colors that blend with existing structures. Dix also offers a rent-to-own option with each of its buildings. Any plumbing, electrical and interior work will be done by the customer.

Each of the buildings feature pressure treated 2×6 floor joists notched into skids providing a much stiffer and stronger flooring system than the industry standard 2×4 system. They also feature:

• Wall Studs on 2′ centers, doubled on siding joints
• A solid framework for exterior siding
• 5/8″ T1-11 Pressure Treated Premium Grade Siding with sprayed on Cedar Stain/Sealer
• 2×4 Roof Trusses on 2′ center, with 7/16″ OSB decking
• 2×4 Reinforced doors
• Vents for air circulation and temperature control
• Exposed nails that are ring shank and galvanized
• One-year warranty

By Christina Nellemann for the (Tiny House Blog)

Join me in a round of applause to our Canadian neighbors and their love of the outdoors! Canadian “bunkies”, or small bunkhouses, are another tiny house design that can be built from a plan or from a kit. I ran across these companies that manufacture log, timber frame and cedar bunkies in various sizes.

Rangercabins, located in Ontario, manufactures conventionally framed models with timber framed components and authentic square timber log buildings. All assembly of the bunkie is included in the purchase price and all models come with a poured concrete pier foundation and a scheduled completion date. Rangercabins has four standard sizes and offers design flexibility. The standard package provides a weather tight assembled shell that the buyer can finish themselves. A buyer can also upgrade by purchasing options that are sold on an installed basis.

Rangercabin Bunkie

Rangercabin Bunkie

Every Rangercabin includes handcrafted timber framing from the finest quality cedar timbers that are hand selected and travel through a propriety finishing process. The result is a bunkie of extreme strength and rigidity to withstand heavy winds and huge snow loads. They also include unique and superior joinery techniques.

Taylor Sawmill Bunkie

I also found Taylor Sawmill on beautiful Manitoulin Island that makes cedar saunas and bunkies.

Their prefab modular 8 foot by 12 foot buildings are built with cedar or pine 2 x 6 log siding. This siding gives a horizontal v-joint siding look on the inside. The buyer can choose the steel roof color of their choice. The package comes with a cedar door and two 3 foot by 3 foot  windows as well as a 4 foot by 8 foot cedar deck. Other options include a 8 foot by 8 foot covered deck that can be screened in and a built-in Murphy bed and table.

Cabana Village Bunkie

The standard Cabana Village bunkie includes extra wall height that features loft space with a ladder or hardwood stairs, an optional porch and a choice of roof pitch. Cabana Village cabin kits and cottage bunkies are great as weekenders, lakeside cottages, starter cabins or backyard retreats. They also feature cedar doors, windows and trim and are available in cedar or maintenance-free Canexel siding. All their kits have 1/2 inch plywood roof sheathing and 2×4 SPF framing.

Most bunkies are built to be used only for three seasons, but many plans and kits will come with an option for insulation. Prices will vary with size, but the smallest bunkie made by Cabana Village goes for around $7,000 for the 7 foot by 10 foot model and around $27,000 for the 16 foot by 28 foot model.

Cabana Village Bunkie

Cabana Village Bunkie

By Christina Nellemann

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WoodManor Playhouses offers plans, pre-cut kits and fully built playhouses for about 13 different styles ranging from Queen Anne to Condo. The largest is around 23 ft wide, 13 feet long and 14 feet high. What I liked about these homes were the details that were put into the interior which includes inside walls and staircases.

I thought these were some of the most beautiful playhouses I have ever seen. Maybe a tiny house enthusiast can take one of these samples and make it just a little bit larger for an adult.

By Christina Nellemann

Recently I have been in touch with Raoul Hennin of Bungalow in a Box and requested an update on his work. (read our previous post here).

Raoul has been working on updating his site with some recent projects and also has added a couple of cool videos as well. You can watch one of them on the right.

Raoul recently added a 12 x 12 addition to a home he had built for a customer a couple of years ago in Maine. He calls this project the Brigadoon and you can see more pictures at his site.

The customer is currently using the home part time but will soon be moving in full time after retirement. They wanted a space for guests and workshops, plus designed it so they could enjoy the view and outdoors. I’ve attached a few pictures to give you an idea of the project.

Brigadoon Floor Plan

Building the Frame

Installing the Roof

Looking in French Door into the Living Room

Kitchen

Loft Bedroom

Original 12 x 16 Bungalow In A Box

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Pennypincher’s is a kit company and they sell cabin and barn kits. Pennypincher’s kits include design engineered plans. Anne Masias, General Manager of Pennypincher Barns shared with me the following about how they have discussed selling standard plans but at this point they come exclusively with the kits.

That said, a 120 square foot, loft style kit has a basic shell kit price of $2880 (lumber for the exterior shell & loft, comp. roofing, hardware and design engineered plans). Doors, windows, dormers, cupolas, foundation & labor not included. Though Pennypincher does mill their own windows, doors, cupolas & dormers. Pennypincher’s has designers on staff they can modify their standard plans to meet the customers needs. Most of their designs can be done in any size and they can also engineer for additional snow or wind load or other county requirements.

Pennypincher’s can deliver a cabin/tiny house kit just about anywhere. They order your package materials in the customers locale so the only “shipping” expense is really a delivery fee or you could pick the materials up if you wanted. It’s up to the customer.

This is one of their favorite things that they offer because it’s a huge cost saver, far more eco-friendly and the customer gets to support their local economy.

Holiday Special: Anyone who orders before the holidays get a free accessory item (cupola, dormer, etc.).

The tiny house designs are new for them so they just have sketches and simple designs. They have more new designs coming soon so visit the Pennypincher site and learn more.

10 x 14 with Loft

10 x 14 Mini Barn

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