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The Damselfly House: Zyl Vardos Tiny House on Wheels For Sale (Sold!)


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This is the Damselfly House: a 24’x10′ tiny house on wheels.

It’s built by Zyl Vardos and is currently for sale. Enjoy!

24’x10′ Damselfly House by Zyl Vardos For Sale (Sold)

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 40 comments… add one }
  • Sharon Groen
    August 18, 2017, 10:12 am

    Zyl Vardos homes are the most amazing man-made creations on the planet!! One cannot see a glimpse inside one of these homes without being flooded with delight and awe!! THANK YOU!!

  • Van
    August 18, 2017, 10:58 am

    As always, an other example of art in cottage building. I’m glad that there are enough wealthy people out there to buy his work to sustain him to continue building his designes. They are very well thought out and skilfully built. I also like to see that it’s built 10′ wide. I’m wondering it it’s actually 10′ wide or only 10 feet at the knock out on the side by the large bay window or picture window, whatever they called.
    I’m not sure if many people aware who have not been towing much, but the permitting to pull trailers up to 10 feet wide is not that costly or complicated. Might take some logistics to get permits to cross state lines, but if they aren’t moved often, which they are not for the most part, then the 10′ width make so much more sense to build. Lends itself to better use of space and layouts with little effect on mobility. There are a couple of designers in that width and the efficiency of the added space is instantly recognisable in the floor or plan.
    Having said all that, I’m not even interested in looking at the price. I know that it’s priced more for the art that is, than a dwelling it pretends to be. Lol. I really consider this far more as an art work. Putting in personal chochkies would ruin the visual effects lol. Keep it coming, I sure a lot of wealthier people will be more than willing to buy them to show off, that way we can enjoy true art in craftsmanship.

    • Michael L
      August 18, 2017, 2:17 pm

      “…I’m sure a lot of wealthier people will be more than willing to buy them to show off?”

      How insulting! If I happen to have worked hard my whole life and saved, I think that’s called being financing responsible, and can afford a beautiful home like this… I’m showing off?

      I’m sorry, but I missed the memo that said you had to build a $3000 DIY home from recycled materials and have a low FICO score to be part of the Tiny House movement! I thought one of the key tenants was wanting to leave a smaller footprint.

      • James D.
        August 18, 2017, 4:02 pm

        Well, I think of it this way, the concept of a home is one of those things that people all too often view in overly simplistic terms, mainly just as to how it relates to them, with little to no concern on how the concept can have very diverse meaning and purpose to everyone else or even in terms that fully appreciates what it actually means to call something a home…

        So many can easily miss or forget that a home is often times more than just a simple shelter to an owner but also a place to nourish and nurture one’s soul as the point of having a home is to use it as a tool to live a happy and fulfilled life and there are many ways a home can help achieve this that go beyond being simply a place we spend some of our time in…

        While what people are willing to sacrifice to have a home, especially a dream home, can be quite significant and personal and thus we mustn’t forget that what we may consider worth it will not always be the same for everyone else and thus it’s not always done for the same reason(s) or for the same costs or even in the same ways…

        It also doesn’t help that many people today aren’t used to thinking what can be possible if they just have the will, determination, and ingenuity to get it done as our society has conditioned us to usually only consider things that offer immediate gratification and so we often overlook what can be possible with enough time and effort…

        So not everyone realizes what can actually be possible… Of course, it’s definitely not equally easy for everyone and there are some things that are unrealistic to expect or require the acceptance of compromises that not everyone will be willing to make but some things in life are worth the costs more than others and there’s more than one way that many dreams can become a reality…

        What all that means is just different for everyone and there’s nothing wrong with that as we’re all different.

        We just have to be wary of our personal bias and preconceptions, which we may not even be aware we have but often get in the way of allowing us to truly understand each other and the choices we make…

        • Anthonie
          August 21, 2017, 9:14 pm

          Well said James. Not sure who you are but your comments are a delight to read:) Yes, grammar is not overrated. When used intelligently it paints a picture that allows one to see more than one side of a situation. I’m sure Van’s tongue may have been firmly in his cheek when he threw away the “wealthy people” line. I found it more sarcastic than “sniping”. As for the “rank smell of patchouli”, yikes-where did that come from? Most of the people who have been showcased on this terrific site have been 30 somethings who have chosen THOW to be financially secure, able to travel, live with less impact on the earth, and find alternatives to the fast approaching gig economy that is now destroying the traditional working life of so many. As to being “financially responsible” I think most of us try to be and some are more successful than others due to individual circumstances, but in the end we all just want to live the best we can, be kind to others, cherish our families, and hope that the world stays in one piece.

      • Vivian
        August 18, 2017, 5:43 pm

        Personally, I saved for my whole life. The Recession ruined much for me. Through my experience, shared with others, I can say there are far more people in my position that do NOT resent anyone building or buying a home. In fact, I applaud anyone being true to themselves enough to know a) they do not need or want a McMansion, b) want to leave that smaller footprint and c) appreciates and understands design and function can be artful.

      • Stephen
        August 21, 2017, 3:59 pm

        Thanks, Michael, for your comment. I, too, am tired of seeing the Tiny House Movement saddled with the rank smell of patchouli and class envy. The only way this movement becomes a real motivator for ALL people is for it to transcend “tinier than thou” arrogance/jealousy, often masquerading as principle. TH is not a religion, nor is it a badge or fashion. It’s a necessary solution to a lot of problems, and if someone lives financially responsibly and wants to get on board, we need to stop sneering and sniping.

    • Ed
      August 21, 2017, 4:07 pm

      I can understand why some people get really upset by statements like yours, I find them more shortsighted then anything! If you would bother to actually look up his prices you’d see that they are actually Very reasonable for All That ART WORK that those Rich people get in fact I think think his prices are right in line with other good quality Tiny homes that are much more plain so these are a GREAT deal and I much rather live in a home that Stimulates my psyche then a plain Box !!!
      Ed

      • Abel Zyl
        August 23, 2017, 9:59 pm

        Thanks for saying that. It makes me feel better about some of the higher ticket projects I have built. I work very hard to pull off these builds… and most of the time, get paid between $16-18/hr for doing so. This, I accept as a necessary compromise of being a small business owner… but I am glad that houses, like people, come in all shapes, sizes, and colors… and that occasionally, I do get supported for my work.

        • Ed
          August 24, 2017, 2:07 am

          Abel, Iam a retired custom furniture designer and builder so I know what you deal with in that sense, its tough to to make a living this way when you love your work more then your customers do (most of the time) but I would not have traded it for anything! don’t you ever!!!!

  • Jael
    August 18, 2017, 11:22 am

    Craftsmanship worth preservation — beautiful.

  • Cate
    August 18, 2017, 11:31 am

    There are a lot of us who still cook and need an oven. A microwave and convection oven just don’t cut it.

    • James D.
      August 18, 2017, 2:46 pm

      Cate, that’s the great thing about custom houses… They’re custom! You can have as big or as small a kitchen as you want… Or, don’t need as many cabinets then just replace one with a full oven range…

  • FRIATINA WOODS
    August 18, 2017, 12:02 pm

    I really like that you did a great job on that

  • August 18, 2017, 2:11 pm

    Someone forgot to show the price – how about it????

    • Michael L
      August 18, 2017, 2:23 pm

      Cathy, that info and quite a bit more, is available if you follow the link… features/details.

  • Larry
    August 18, 2017, 7:15 pm

    Job well done on inside and out.

  • Annette
    August 18, 2017, 9:36 pm

    I am in love.

  • Sparrow
    August 19, 2017, 12:56 pm

    LOVE this, except I don’t like the couch facing the kitchen – I’d prefer an actual sitting room to relax and watch TV. But I love Zyl Vardo’s approach to tiny houses. So artistic, charming and original. Kudos!

    • James D.
      August 19, 2017, 3:24 pm

      Well, keep in mind every kind of layout has its own compromises/tradeoffs to deal with and they’re very hard to avoid or minimize in such a small space.

      For example, making a more dedicated living room space would usually require turning the bed into a convertible, as otherwise you’d need a longer/bigger THOW to make room for it or make the bed a loft bed…

      Each of those has its own different kind of compromises…

      Note, this THOW is only 24′ long and the bedroom is taking a good chunk of that space and the only thing to the left of the kitchen is the bathroom and loft area above, with the front door between the bathroom and the couch…

      Also, keep in mind the large arrangement of windows it has in front of the kitchen, which the couch placement allows to be viewed and will let people relax and watch a presumably nice view of the area they’re in…

      Such a large view is a bit overkill if it was just for the kitchen and it would be hard to place such a large view anywhere else in the house.

      Also, keep in mind some people use their couch to also have their meals, just placing a table in front of it and relaxing as they eat and watch TV.

      The placement of the TV also lets it be viewed from both the couch and from the main bed. So there’s no need for multiple TV’s, and you can have two people on the couch and another two on the bed all watching at the same time on that 40″ TV…

      Though, you could swap the 80″ Tall Armoire with the couch to place the couch next to the bed and thus directly in front of the TV instead of the kitchen but that will remove any separately between the bed and living room…

      You could also turn the loft into a living space but that may not be as relaxing and would be more cramped in…

      Mind, eliminating wasted space sometimes means eliminating separation of spaces, with multi-use space often overlapping, but just about any layout requires some sort of compromise/tradeoff…

      Given the price of just this size THOW, going bigger would probably need a better justification than just getting a dedicated living room space unless you really intended to entertain a lot of people and many people dislike needing to convert the bed every day…

      But of course, for house constructed more affordably, you have more options… It just won’t look like this house…

  • Laura
    August 19, 2017, 9:59 pm

    I personally will probably never have the opportunity to live in a tiny house but I am fascinated and obsessed with them. If I was ever in the market I would LOVE to live in one of Zyl’s magnificent creations, probably one of the larger versions though. He loves what he does and gets to do it for a living. Not many people get to do that.

    A home can be an expression of who you are and since we are all different the wants and needs for our homes will be different. Some people will want to show off their homes (and that’s their right) but others just want to come home to something that makes them smile and brings them comfort.

  • James D.
    August 20, 2017, 12:11 am

    Well said, btw… A number of the houses he’s made are on AirBnB…

    Like a variant of the Pinafore House can be rented in Seattle, WA… One of his Pacifica, which was built to be wheelchair accessible, models is at Caravan Tiny House Hotel in Alberta, Oregon… Among other places… So you can always consider staying in one during a vacation, etc. to just try it out…

    • Laura
      August 20, 2017, 4:01 am

      Thanks James! I didn’t know his creations were available on AirBnB. If I ever get back up to the NW I’ll look into it.

      If I was single I would definitely consider living in a THOW but I’m married and my husband wouldn’t go for it. We like our own space and Tiny just doesn’t work. I’ll have to live vicariously through those that are living the dream. 😀

      • James D.
        August 20, 2017, 9:43 am

        Laura, so long as he’s still building then we should see more and more of his houses across the country and not just in his home state. So if not yet, there should eventually be one closer to you…

        While on Tiny Houses in general, note that they can be large enough to still allow people to have their own spaces.

        Most of what we see here is usually on the small side at around 150 sq ft to around 200 sq ft but they can go up to 500 sq ft with up to three bedrooms or you can consider a small house that’s just designed like a Tiny House as leading a more efficient life doesn’t mean you have to scale down to some proprietary level that doesn’t actually fit your life and needs…

        Other options include, if you have property and the zoning allow it, to put up a guest house… Or it can be as simple as a She-Shed, just to give you your own little me-time getaway space.

        Yet others, who had the space on their property, simply had more than one Tiny House, which actually makes it easier to have your own space because you don’t have to worry about sound proofing, etc.

        Like there can be a main Tiny House where you live but other structures for dedicated things like a workshop, office, playroom for kids, greenhouse, tree house, etc.

        Yet others can go for modular housing structures that can be scaled up or down as needed. So you’re never left with parts of the house you don’t need.

        There’s really a lot of different ways to do it and no need to do it like someone else has, as everyone can be unique and find their own way… Even if you stay in your present home, there’s nothing stopping you from making it look just about anyway you may want…

        Btw, while he hasn’t been active for awhile, Zyl also does live video sessions on Sundays where he’ll do demonstrations on building principles and answer questions… The previous sessions can be found on his youtube channel and gives some insight into his process.

  • Jerie
    August 20, 2017, 11:53 am

    How much?

  • Abel Zimmerman Zyl
    August 21, 2017, 10:37 am

    This has to be one of the most thoughtful collection of comments I’ve seen about one of my houses. I appreciate the comments about layout, and yes, there are always compromises in a space of this size. Though the bed and armoire are built in… I just realized that keeping them independent would solve the issue of future reconfiguration. People change over time, and so do houses.

    Regarding the price: I personally struggle with pricing a more expensive house like this. My ‘heart’ wants to make it affordable for everybody… but then, the technicality and complexity of building this design means I have to price enough to stay ‘in business’. Even at $105k (current price), my profit is very moderate (the small amount of profit I would make goes directly back into my business, to maintain the workshop, etc). As a builder, I know it is possible to ‘crank out’ houses at a faster rate, with lower specs, cheaper materials, and less attention to detail. But that doesn’t really feel right to me, although I believe that way of working has its place. This house is an example of one that meets my ‘personal’ standards, which are rather high. Build quality is near impeccable, and it should last for a VERY long time. On top of that, I personally feel really happy with the way it turned out. In fact, I wish I could keep this house! But at the moment, I cannot afford to (and also pay my carpenters and feed my kids), and so, it is up for sale.

    Thanks for the thoughtful words.

    Abel

    • Bill Burgess
      August 21, 2017, 8:13 pm

      Abel very few people realize the quality of materials you use much less your ability to utilize the scraps form other projects which is a VERY RARE Talent. I am pretty sure Rembrandt had issues with people seeing art for what it is. Don’t look back and don’t slow your efforts worrying about what MIGHT be “high prices” to some…ANYONE who has ever seen and admired a hand made classic wooden boat instantly loves your work. Actually the Tiny Home Movement is the forefront of the Paradigm Shift the the wealth has not realized and you Sir are one of our Leaders…

      • Abel Zyl
        August 23, 2017, 10:01 pm

        Thanks Bill!

  • Sherry
    August 21, 2017, 1:47 pm

    Once again he’s come up with something unusual and spectacular. This one is so cute and spacious. Very nice layout. Love this guy’s imagination!

  • Ed
    August 21, 2017, 4:47 pm

    Abel, I did not see your post before I blurted out on the other above, but I stand behind it !!!! 🤔 That said I love your work and hope I can do as well when we do our own, I am a retired custom furniture builder (trained in the Netherlands, presently living in Canada. (41 yrs)) we just got a small sawmill to cut our own lumber (something I always wanted to do and this may be my last chance) and then its on to building ! It will be our retirement home. 🤗
    I wish you Luck with your career I think you’ll be fine ! 👍
    Best Regards,

    Ed

    • Abel Zyl
      August 23, 2017, 10:00 pm

      Ed,
      That sounds wonderful…. send me some photos!
      Abel

      • Ed
        August 24, 2017, 2:21 am

        When there’s something to photograph, we’re just in the organization and setup fase and for health reasons I move very slow so it may be a while. This Fall I want to be doing the first cuttings on the mill, practice (September) and then in spring full production 😰 that’s half days for me four/five times a week maybe a bit more with some help and then start building on the trailer. long term plan is about a year 1/2 to Finnish ! so no rush. 😉

  • Danielle DiLisio
    August 21, 2017, 9:15 pm

    Another beauty by Zyl. Amazing!

  • Danielle DiLisio
    August 21, 2017, 9:20 pm

    I truly wish that instead of the negative comments people feel they must post on here they could just appreciate the house. Are there not enough ps online to argue and get snippy? I enjoy looking at these homes and the creativity of each one. Not all of tgem will be up to your design specs or standards for a tiny home, can’t you just leave it at that? As one gentleman mentioned, a custom home is just that – customized for you. Stop criticizing other people for heaven’s sake. Just enjoy the post or move on to the next!

  • Dianne
    August 22, 2017, 12:02 pm

    Love, love, love this tiny house. Wish it were mine..Great job…

  • Sherryl
    August 22, 2017, 7:03 pm

    I like how this was done!
    Didn’t say how much.

  • Larry
    September 11, 2017, 2:38 pm

    Just a great house. Lovely outside, super roof.

  • Ellen
    September 11, 2017, 3:08 pm

    As always Zyl Vardos piques my interest as far as rounded details are concerned. Arched doorways, rounded windows, curved staircase, cupboards etc. Love the copper sinks in both kitchen and bathroom. Love the downstairs bed and of course 2 extra feet wide makes a lot of difference for full time living. There is always a few elements that turn me off about theses houses tho. The rooflines look interesting on the outside but most impractical for living. Head banging chances greatly increased! Is that a dressing area in the small loft? I see no hanging storage. Would it not be far more practical to have a table and chairs in the kitchen instead of a couch? If this were larger there could be room for a couch and perhaps a desk. Is it so frightful to go large enough for actually living in? The shower. Is it bigger than 32″? Such a lovely copper sink paired with a crappy fiberglass shower. Shower could be more interesting with river rocks or something other than fiberglass . I realize copper is very expensive. 10 foot wide THOWs are excellent for those of us NOT interested in driving around the country. THOWs hold appeal for singles, couples and the over 50 crew. The over 50 crew like lofts as an option but prefer downstairs sleeping to be near the bathroom at night. The over 50 crew enjoys hanging clothes storage as well as some drawer space. We do not like bending excessively. Many of us like the simple life very much but I am still not seeing the practical needs met very effectively. Zyl Vardos does indeed provide architectural interest which IS a big PLUS. Small yet interesting and pretty. Closets PLEASE! table and chairs PLEASE! sofa and Desk/ command center, tiny mudroom for shoes, coats etc. tiny needs organization! Thank you.

  • Richard L.
    September 11, 2017, 9:47 pm

    Abel, you have cinched it! Over the past year and a half I have seen at least 400+ tiny houses. Most are boxes on wheels, trying to jam all the conveniences of a modern day dwelling into the smallest space and it never has worked for me. It is tough to get by a box on wheels BUT YOU HAVE DONE IT.
    I will be in contact within the remainder if this year. The need is great, the money’s not; now I have a goal, a home built by Abel Zyl. It will be similar to what you have shown here. I only worry about the 10 foot width.

  • Theresa Perdue
    February 13, 2020, 2:12 pm

    Give me an oven and I am ready to move in 😍

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