Tiny House Movements in a BIG Way!

There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in infinite leisure and repose.
— Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

MINIMALISM is characterized by simplifying one’s lifestyle. How do you simplify if you want to live connected with nature, keep your environmental footprint to a minimum, and not overburden your lifestyle with debt? The Tiny House movement gives occupants the means to escape from consumer-driven mindsets. Besides, I hear one resounding repetitive sentiment from clients: the affordability for many people isn’t there anymore.

As a project consultant, the goals were simple,

(1) build a 400 SF home,

(2) use the highest quality materials,

(3) make the order-to-occupancy process as fast as possible.

The concept is not only simple but also expandable. The main module is expandable via stacking or placed near an adjacent unit for a connecting breezeway. Whether you are a young professional or a retiree looking for a passive way to earn money on Airbnb, the possibilities vary based on your particular living circumstances, access to wealth, and the relative stage of your life.

Here’s a bonus… Your tiny home is instantly a vacation rental and revenue generator. Airbnb profiles are created and managed for you, and revenue potentials return to you monthly. This is a plus for many people looking for alternative ways to earn income and property value.

The Young Professionals (18-38 years)

I frequently meet young professionals looking for a genuine way to connect their lifestyles to nature. The ever-increasing condo market feels burdensome and dramatically overpriced for an overwhelming majority of young professionals looking for a new home. Lacking overall perceived value and certainly quality, developers are not the bad guys; property is expensive and not cheap to develop on the mountainous terrain, and many rivers and other obstacles nature seems to throw our way. The average condo price continues to fall from its 2018 high of over $700,000. Still, with average salaries not keeping pace, smarts are pushing the future leaders of tomorrow to a downsized simplicity offered by minimalism without compromise. Here, the slogan is the brand, and according to its founder, “The most sensible solution on the market today!”

The manufacturer of these Tiny Homes offers its owners “minimal living without compromise.” With an average budget price of $200k, you are well ahead of the equity curve, especially if you can find a nice piece of property to put it on.

I have spoken with savvy young investors who also want to use these as vacation rental homes, especially if they travel frequently for work or leisure. It’s nice to know that the company that sells you the tiny house is integral in the long-term maintenance and management of the unit if needed. I am unsure if they use multiple listing agencies for vacation rentals, but I know they will offer a managed listing through Airbnb, with the proceeds returning to the owners.

Move-in ready in as little as eight weeks of production. I urge anyone interested in one of these hot items to get their deposits in early, engage with their in-house designers, and have the Tiny Home of your dreams delivered to a property uniquely yours. Is that nature I hear?

Already Living on the Land

Both of you are semi-retired and moderately busy. Expenses, like taxes, always seem to go up, and you’ve been thinking about building and increasing the value of your property for quite some time. Hiring a local contractor and developing the property is always an option, but the cost and time are considerable. As parents, they understand that conventional ownership is challenging for our upcoming generation, but by simply adding a module or two to their existing property, the grandparents, children, and grandchildren can spend more time together. Plus, these units do not need to sit empty when guests are elsewhere. Renting it out gives the couple a subtle socialness and a routine that makes sense.

Land Owner with Nothing on it

Developments come in all shapes and sizes. The good thing about these Tiny Homes is their mobility and quick production time. Consider the following double-stacked unit. Each suite is self-contained with separate entrances and personal facilities. Alternatively, a heated stair module can expand the base unit, giving one family or small group of occupants a square footage closer to 1,000 square feet. Conceptually living environments exist as more than just space, the lifestyle is connected with nature and defined by how we interact with our surroundings. I think these modular and expandable units complement any property.

Recreational Development

Consider the possibilities for recreational development. These units can be barged into locations from a shoreline, making the placement possibilities in remote locations endless (almost).

Recreation development relies on planning, implementing, and evaluating recreation properties. Considerations for staff, volunteers, or visitors must function within a well-run administrative structure. The alternative isn’t the collapse of the economy or the end of the world, but simplicity is often complicated. Developing with the mindset of minimalism is an excellent place to start.

Visitor Center / Parks & Municipalities

I’d be lying if I didn’t say these structures weren’t built strong enough for commercial, civic, or institutional applications. Quality is immediately apparent with these structures and would nicely span across industries. The alternatives are mobilizing, shown below, in this civic or community setting- a visitor center, kiosk, or retrofitted for a food shack.

Public land trusts are mandated to protect lands for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. This structure is built to sustain!

There was a time when urban parks were considered the pride, joy, and responsibility of taxpayers. Once a park is in the public domain, all agree that its weight is to be carried on the shoulders of the city government. I, for one, would like to make sure the life cycle of the building doesn’t stop at the next election cycle. The madness of disposable buildings using poor materials and charging horrendous prices for something of mediocre quality is a perversion and a failure of our resources. - That’s my opinion, what’s yours?

Need a Second Dwelling on Property

The glass has to be thicker because it has to act as a guard instead of a conventional framed railing. This means more view and less obstruction. This integrated deck / frame-less upgrade is worth every virtual penny if you have the ideal location. Speaking of copper, do you notice the checkerboard pattern on the back of the home? The entrance to the home seamlessly blends into the placement of copper panels and a copper-clad door. The focus is on raw materials, which gives the units a splendor of simplicity that is hard not to inhabit. The entire structure for the stair, and it’s attachment to the structure is of utmost structural integrity assures my structural engineer, “the structural design is well thought out”.

Exterior stairs to access an additional floor or rental unit or heated interior stairwell to expand a single-family dwelling means the decision is up to you. I imagine a retreat with twelve double-stacked units facing each other and offering visitors a genuine integrated experience and departure from the chaos that contaminates much of our day-to-day. Consumption can certainly be consuming to the purchaser, so keeping the process simple starts with a phone call. If all this sounds like a passionate plea for you to reach out to another human being and discuss your future, then it is. I am involved with this outstanding company and am proud to offer my twenty-plus years of architectural experience and help you or someone you know purchase their new Tiny Home. Production capacity is scalable, but orders are taken in a production queue, so if this interests you, please reach out today, and let’s discuss how to make this dream a reality worth living.

Upgrades: Roof, Deck, and a Dual Heating System

“The beauty of the structure is a site of your choosing.”

These units offer deck upgrades, and a tiny house is a residential structure under 400 square feet. This small structure has a high retained value from corner to corner, post to post. If you own a car, you know its resale value, but it depreciates rapidly. Houses have more equity and are based on the differential between the depreciation of the building and the increasing property value. From what I can determine, these homes are designed for quality and, therefore, give their owners substantial relocatable equity on the property of their choosing. When clients must finalize their order and have the factory produce their dream home, specific considerations must be discussed and agreed upon. First is the roof, this home comes with a back-up redundancy detection system. The occupant will be alerted if the roof’s moisture protection becomes compromised. This upgrade is ideal if you are in a remote location without access to trusted local contractors. Besides, I like the idea of prevention and early detection. How about you?

Next comes the deck, or decks if you order multiple units, and quality should be your first consideration. From a construction or quality standpoint, nothing about this deck needs review; the CSA approves the materials and engineering, and the home is registered (and inspected) by a third-party entity. Regulating quality and ensuring standards is a byproduct of our professional engineers and regulating authorities. In this case, it delivers an additional peace of mind. The attachment methodology is seamless, and although I don’t recommend ordering your decks after the fact, I have been reassured that the decks are always upgradable one or two years post-purchase. It gives buyers flexibility for upgrades, repairs, or expansions when the budgets and access to capital change. Regulated by circumstance I know the feeling and advocate for any company that offers this type of ownership flexibility..

Heating and cooling are the next big obstacles to consider. Do you want geothermal or baseboard heating? Electric baseboard heating is less expensive but isn’t necessarily the way to go. Sensible budgeting is only a partial strategy. Sitting down with your designer and discussing airflow, quality, and access to power are all considerations for an educated decision.

Historically, fuel type and energy source are the prevailing determinants for heating a space. Natural gas is the most popular space-heating fuel in most countries, but electrical energy is also worth considering. Efficiency, overall cost, and consideration of more expensive systems involving geothermal technology are also available. I would like to live inexpensively with the smallest carbon footprint, but others may opt for more traditional means. The choice is yours.

Arctic Upgrade - Brrr! Cold!!

The Arctic Upgrade package is precisely that: an upgrade for cold climates. Well, perhaps not arctic-worthy, but I know you get triple-glazed windows and increased insulation to make it ski-able and picture-worthy. Whistler anyone?

We can’t all own a ski hill, but we can imagine what it would be like to stay in a location like this on your favorite hill. A destination in a destination, this micro home is worth the climb, waiting for me, in my imagined snow capped day is a latte to sip and a partner to share it with.