Lots of folks dream of living in a tiny house as their primary residence on
a rural lot, using them as affordable vacation properties, or renting out
their THOW on Airbnb. All are great thoughts, but the practicalities for
tiny houses aren’t as clear cut.
Real estate investors will tell you, “they’re not making any more dirt.”
And, if your goal is to buy property in a specific location, consider
removing the tiny house from your equation and buy your land. Check
first for minimum housing sizes, and potential for multi-family living.
Another smart move is to develop a master plan for your property that
takes into account the ideal location for a bigger (maybe after your time
on the land) house, and build the guest house first. In rural areas, some
will build a barn or garage on their premises that includes an apartment
or office space connected to the utility area. This is often the most
realistic and hassle free to have an affordable home on property
you own. Municipalities like it when everything is properly planned,
permitted, inspected, and approved. Having a legal certificate of
occupancy gives your true home ownership rights.
Now, if owning a real “tiny house” is your driving motivator for property
ownership, we suggest you confer with a realtor or look for tiny house
communities near where you’d like to live. Some communities may be
setup as detached condominiums, while others may lease you the land
on a monthly or annual basis. Since tiny houses on wheels (THOWs) are
considered by many localities as recreational vehicles, you may run into
a conflict with zoning codes for the use of your tiny house for “full-time
RVing.” We always suggest that before you purchase plans, buy a trailer,
or drive the first nail you “solve your parking first!”
If you’re really into living in your tiny house and like the idea of mobility,
a multi-house concept, or even time-sharing, an affordable way to go is
to find tiny house friendly RV parks. Some may allow you to sublet your
tiny house and even assist with marketing and managing your tiny
house for short term rentals. While you won’t own the actual property,
you’ll have the unique flexibility in the placement of your tiny house and
lower up-front expenses. In this way, you can test out multiple locations
before truly settling down or planting your tiny house on a more
permanent foundation.
For tiny house homeowners, the owning land is an attractive dream.
While the idea of owning your home, but not the property, may not
ideal. That said, the flexibility of tiny house living provides an affordable
means of moving forward with your dreams without protracted
delays and costly long-term commitments.
Hope this helps. If you have additional questions, feel free to contact us
directly.
Live Large — Go Tiny!
Thom Stanton
