For all those looking to put down roots in a code-friendly tiny home, The Hiatus provides a drool-worthy real-world example.
It is a wonderfully livable tiny house on foundation inside a one-of-kind cottage-style community located in Bend, Oregon. The footprint of The Hiatus is 400 square feet, with the two lofts it comes to 598 square feet. Interestingly, it is built to IRC Appendix Q standards.
The Hiatus pocket is located within a pocket neighborhood by the same name, inspired by Ross Chapin’s work. Parking is on the exterior of the tiny home community, and the clustered cottages face inward to open shared community spaces. Residents enjoy winding paths, trickling ponds, garden boxes, bocce court, and cozy fire pits. It feels like a sanctuary! Each of the 22 tiny houses (about 16’x25′) is built with quality fixtures and surfaces, with a focus on livable design.
Some of the reasons behind the $249,000 starting cost of The Hiatus:
- Labor – all professionally built homes cost at least 30% more than DIY builds.
- Size – requires more materials because of larger size than many other tiny homes.
- Foundation system – comes extra costs and permitting requirements, but is accepted in local zoning and building codes.
- Land cost – Bend, OR is an expensive real estate area, but this house is still far below the local median house price.
- Development work – comes with many expenses, including local system development fees not scaled for the size of the house. The developer and others are advocating for more proportional fees to be fairer.