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Interview with Neha about her Tranquil Taos Tiny House


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This is Neha’s Tranquil Taos Tiny House.

She and her family live here for a few months a year and you can scroll down to read our interview with her!

Please enjoy, read more and re-share below!

Neha’s Tranquil Taos Tiny House

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Images via Neha

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Images via Neha

Interview with the Owner

What are your name(s)? Neha, Nishant

How many people (and animals) will are living in your tiny house? We are a family of three my husband, myself and our 9 year old daughter.

Where do you live? We live in Dallas currently and have made Taos, New Mexico our part time home. We plan to slowly make Taos our permanent home as years go by

Why did you decide to go tiny? What are you hoping to get out of living tiny? When we were newly wed for the first 5 years we lived in a small 600 sq. ft. apartment and loved it, I have always been a minimalist so downsizing has been my dream. Our home in Dallas is way too big for the three of us but we are in it mainly for my daughter’s school. Our regular visits to Taos made me fall in love with the laid back non mainstream lifestyle and its beauty so we decided to make it our part time home. Living simply has always brought joy to me and I hope to teach my daughter that we don’t need much to be happy. We love the outdoors and nature and Taos has plenty of that to offer.

How did you first learn about tiny houses? Surprisingly we had never watched the most talked about show on Tiny homes. We were on our summer break in Taos living in a converted ‘box car’ and felt like we needed something as small that to live in Taos. We started talking to people and one thing lead to the other and we learned about a tiny house in Taos.

How long did it take to finish your tiny house? 2 months

How did you build your tiny house? Our Tiny house was designed and built by a local Taos artist, Peter Gilroy. He had already finished making the home when we bought it. We added a few more features like the loft, murphy sofa bed. Peter is a perfectionist, he has done a fabulous job of using new and recycled eco friendly material to build the home.

How did you find a place to park and live in your tiny house? After deciding on buying the tiny house I read several articles and blogs on Tiny house ownership and parking. I was shocked how difficult it is to find a legal nice spot to park your Tiny home, almost like you are discouraged from going small. I was very glad I found your blog and a few more which helped me decide what I need to do parking wise. I was fortunate to find wonderful people in Taos, who with word of mouth helped me find a land to rent with all hook ups.

Before the tiny house, what was life like? Like I said, Tiny house is currently our part time home and we certainly agree that our current home is way too big for us, because the three of us end up in the same little spot all the time. We do have a big home and most of it is left untouched so we can’t wait to make some permanent changes in our life sooner than later.

What benefits are you experiencing after going tiny? Oh! The cleaning!! I can get it tidy in 5 minutes!! Extreme low dependency on utilities and its cost and our favorite part being cozy together yet we have vast space outside!!

What about some challenges? Certainly finding a spot to park was my biggest challenge which almost made me change my mind. We don’t have a tiny sink in the bathroom yet so we are learning to just use the faucet in the shower to wash hands. We don’t have a washer dryer or dish washer either, but in my opinion its not hard for me to live without them plus tiny living teaches one to be humble and be able to integrate more in the society. As I am learning to live 20 ft. away from someone on their land and use the laundromat to wash clothes. Its all new experiences and learning.

What makes your tiny house special? I am an eco-conscious person so the fact that my Tiny home is built with new and used eco friendly materials is huge for me. Peter, has put in a lot of thought into each corner of the home. The huge windows, french doors, 10 ft. ceiling and the clean modern design makes it really warm and inviting.

What is your favorite part of your tiny house? The kitchen! I love to cook and the kitchen has everything a gourmet chef would need to prepare a big meal, from the four stove burner, to oven, to a pantry, lots of storage and the huge barn style sink. I think if you asked my daughter she would say the loft!!

What helpful advice would you give to others interested in going tiny? Do your research on parking first. Second, even though tiny homes are considerably much cheaper than traditional homes, it is important to pay attention to the materials you use to build it with.

Do you have a website, blog, or social media page where we can follow along? No, blog yet I wish to write one soon to help others out on their journey. I do open my home once in a while to conscientious people looking to experience Tiny living on Airbnb.

Our big thanks to Neha for sharing!

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Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 29 comments… add one }
  • Elle
    December 7, 2016, 6:56 pm

    I know Taos well. I’d like to see the area around the tiny home to see where it’s parked as well as the surroundings. Looks cramped from the images. The house is nice, however.

    • Natalie
      December 8, 2016, 8:22 am

      Yes Neha did mention it was quite close to neighbors! — Tiny House Talk Team

    • Neha
      December 9, 2016, 9:57 am

      Hi Elle, We are headed back for our winter break to Taos in a few days. Id love to show you the home. Trust me the house is anything but cramped! This website only allowed a few picture and I had to choose from a hundred of them 🙂 our tiny home is pretty cozy and I have had a couple of dinner gatherings without being crowded.

  • thegoodkelly
    December 7, 2016, 7:51 pm

    Too much kitchen, not enough bathroom sink. And how do you get into the loft?

    • Natalie
      December 8, 2016, 8:23 am

      I think there’s a ladder tucked against the wall. — Tiny House Talk Team

    • Neha
      December 9, 2016, 10:00 am

      I cook a lot and like I mentioned my family really ends up all around the kitchen even in my big home so this Tiny home with “too much kitchen” was the best thing for us 🙂 I do miss a bathroom sink and we are thinking about getting one soon.

      • Kassandra
        April 30, 2017, 7:53 pm

        SinkPositive has an over the toilet sink.

  • ZACHARY E.MOHRMANN
    December 7, 2016, 8:15 pm

    Great story…! As I always say half the battle of going tiny is where to park, and the grand stigma of how does this house fit in our community… Most people are not open to change as we all find out real quick after buying tiny .. We don’t have a place to park our tiny house because it is a social stigma because it is different… As much as we would like to think that people like or are willing to accept different, it is not until different moves next door to those who say they are willing to accept different in to their lives… A very sad but true problem.. We will more than likely find opposition in every community, the trick is how to become an asset to the community rather than a problem… Or at least I think it is a place to start when looking to become a part of…! Not as simple a problem we thought it would be when tiny house was first conceived….

    • Alison
      December 7, 2016, 9:17 pm

      It’s not that people don’t want to accept different, it’s that they don’t want to accept high density and unknowns. If I had a lovely, standard three-bedroom house, I would not want an apartment building to be built next door. Likewise I wouldn’t want a trailer park, or anything that brings high density–lots of people, noise, cars, stuff being stored outside. These are real problems that need to be addressed, but I have faith that we can address them, and tiny houses can be a part of our immediate future.

      • Natalie
        December 8, 2016, 8:25 am

        It’s certainly a tricky issue! Our cities and towns have been zoned for larger homes, not for tiny ones. It’ll take creativity to blend the two in a way that pleases most people. — Tiny House Talk Team

        • Barnie
          December 18, 2016, 4:33 pm

          I’m not sure creativity is so much the issue, but money.. it’s always money. Rich developers influence municipal boards and there-by building codes, and there’s also the issue of taxation. Governments always want their cut too. I realize it’s an over-simplification, but I suspect the powers that be have a good thing going with the status quo. So because tiny living isn’t lining the right pockets, it’s relegated to the undesirable “fringe”. Call me a skeptic, but the more research I do, the less optimistic I become about my tiny plans.

        • Natalie
          December 19, 2016, 10:27 am

          Money is undoubtedly a factor because tiny houses that aren’t permanent don’t bring in property taxes. That being said, I am hopeful that the outcry for more options might eventually reach the ears of the decision-makers 🙂 — Tiny House Talk Team

  • December 7, 2016, 10:04 pm

    Wow! Neha’s home is just beautiful! I just love her kitchen, I think it is just gorgeous!! I love her family room! Her place looks very cozy! It must be so nice to be organized and only take a few minutes to clean your home compared to how long it takes to clean a larger home! Hat’s off to you! Your place is beautiful!???

    • Natalie
      December 8, 2016, 8:25 am

      One of the big benefits of going tiny! Tinier cleaning jobs 🙂 — Tiny House Talk Team

  • ZACHARY E MOHRMANN
    December 7, 2016, 10:07 pm

    That is exactly what I was saying, but with out the directness as people on here don’t like to accept either….! And when I say that people don’t want your horrid looking monstrous tiny house next to their’s people start taking exception, and I get already receive my fair share of hate mail…! With one builder even going as far as making threats… LoL…! But yes you are correct….!

    • Michael
      December 8, 2016, 8:02 pm

      Could part of the negative comments be due to frequent statements like, “… your horrid looking monstrous tiny house…?!”

  • ZACHARY E MOHRMANN
    December 9, 2016, 5:33 am

    Exactly how often do I use that phrase, because as far as I can remember and I have a very good memory, is twice once about 6 or 8 weeks ago and in this particular statement…! Because I am a hard core believer that beauty is in the eye of the beholder… And that one mans meat is another’s poison… But as far as me classifying someone’s house as monstrous is a very far exaggeration on your part solely….!

  • ROSEE
    December 10, 2016, 6:02 pm

    Very nice. What are the cables across the ceiling for? Otherwise well done job.

    • Natalie
      December 12, 2016, 1:19 pm

      They may just be aesthetic! — Tiny House Talk Team

    • Neha
      March 29, 2017, 10:41 pm

      Cables are both to give it more of a lofty/modern feel and to hold it strong together as well.

      • Eric
        September 19, 2018, 10:59 pm

        Cables are handy for clothes on coat hangers… which may, or may not, get in your way… depending how far they extend into the middle section of the walkway in the Tiny House.

  • Patricia
    February 28, 2017, 9:08 pm

    We live about an hour and a half north of Taos, in Colorado, and Taos is one of our main get-away places. We love it and this house fits right in with the type of homes there. Taos is largely adobe homes with wooden ones scattered here and there and many of them are smaller.

    This is a lovely home, but a bit too small for us—my husband, myself, and 8 rescue cats. Plus I am in disabled and in a wheelchair, so I need more room. But if I were younger, healthier, and able to climb a ladder, this would be a place I would like—especially in Taos. And, I absolutely love the kitchen!!!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      March 1, 2017, 8:00 am

      That’s so fun to hear about Taos!

    • Neha
      March 29, 2017, 10:44 pm

      Thanks for the compliments Patricia 🙂 we love Taos too.

  • P
    March 8, 2017, 5:54 pm

    Hi! I have a question about your fencing! Your house is wonderful by the way, and New Mexico is a dream! Where did you get your fencing and how do you keep it stable from the wind?
    I’m looking for something secure, but good looking, for my dogs to have a small yard/dog door while I’m at work.

    • Neha
      March 29, 2017, 10:43 pm

      I am fortunate to have some really handy friends around in Taos who built that fence for me, I wanted the fence horizontal vs. vertical as it goes better with my design. It has strong posts going deep and has stayed in place so far. Thanks for your compliments…yes, Taos is a magical place to be in

  • iris
    April 14, 2017, 3:29 pm

    I am all for self-sufficiency. There is no reason why there can not be a “Tiny subdivision” much like there is Trailer Parks. My concern would be tornados/high winds. Some trailers back into cement sheds. I believe that all Trailer Parks and Tiny subdivison should have something like this to hide during storms. Or, a small celler one can jump down into by lifting a trap door. This would be the only concern.

    • Alex
      April 14, 2017, 3:41 pm

      Good thinking!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 17, 2017, 8:18 am

      Good ideas, Iris. I’d like that too.

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