How perfect would this A2B electric motor bicycle be for a tiny house that you can manage to place somewhere in town?

Maybe even in a city. With a 20 mile range and just 3 and half hours to recharge, it’s the perfect answer to a relatively short commute.

If 20 miles isn’t enough, you can always add on an extra battery to double the distance. It can travel at up to 20 mph without any pedaling assistance and all the way up to 40 mph while you pedal.

All of these numbers- of course- vary depending on your weight. It’s no way near as bulky as a scooter but it’s definitely heavier than your average bicycle at 73lb. The 3-inch wide tires help give it more of a rugged look, too. I’m just so happy to be able to add this to the bicycle section here at Tiny House Talk.

It comes with 7 gears, a twist throttle, and the main battery is stored inside the frame of the bike. No driver’s license is needed to drive either. It also packs a front and rear suspension for comfort and you can always add a basket and side bags so you can take your stuff with you or go do some groceries with it.

Photo Credit PlugBike

I encourage you to read the rest of this post and watch the video review, plus where you can rent one, below:

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Meet Rocky and Melissa. They live in Maine and have been building what I like to call Hobbit Hole Tiny Homes.

Their micro structures can serve a variety of purposes. Originally they were intended to be for children so they were in the playhouse business.

Recently they’ve decided to broaden their market when they realized that adults love these little dwellings just as much as kids do and I think they made a great choice, don’t you think?

Their company is called Wooden Wonders and as most of you might already know a “hobbit” is a character from a book called The Hobbit which is now more widely known as Lord of the Rings.

Even in the original book, Hobbits were known to live very simple lives in rural areas. Much like many of us want to consider trying and some of you are already doing. Some of you are even completely off-grid in your own tiny cabin.

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Photo Credit Wooden Wonders

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It’s called the Reflection of Mineral. This modern & minimalist small house is in downtown Tokyo, Japan.

At 900 square feet on a 480 square foot lot it’s the epiphany of future sustainable housing not just for individuals and couples but for families as well, especially in areas like Tokyo where space is truly limited.

I know I say this often, but living tiny or small doesn’t always have to mean sacrificing. With less space there can be room for more luxury.

And many of you know my mantra on quality over quantity. So a home like this definitely hits home for me, how about you?

It’s designed by architect Yasuhiro Yamashita and it has now received lots of exposure and media attention.

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Photo by Makoto Yoshida

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I normally like to show you examples of tiny houses that are a little more affordable, but other times I still like to show you great examples of small space designs because they’re inspiring.

You can always take these ideas and put them into your very own design and then build it yourself for much less.

But if you do happen to have the extra money, or can even sell off your current assets to downsize, this might be a great option for you since much of the design and labor is already done for you.

So I do imagine that for some folks, this route can still be way worth it, it all just depends right?

I believe this prefab tiny home kit ends up costing upwards of around $65,000 according to Bridget Borgobello over at Gizmag. So let’s take a little virtual tour of it right now.

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Photo Credits Bellimo Architects & House Arc  [continue reading…]

Some of you are familiar with Louis Burns, who built his own tiny house on a trailer in Austin, Texas not long ago.

This little house was built inexpensively and take note that it was Louis’ first attempt at building a home in general.

So there are plenty of mistakes that he made which he is very open about. I’m sure if he did it a second time, he’d do a heck of a better job.

Some of the errors were major while others were minor but either way you can learn a lot about what not to do from his experiences and we should all still give him a hand for not only starting the project but finishing it.

He even took the time to document his entire experience in an ebook and video format which is great value if you find yourself interested in learning even more from his mistakes and experiences and you’re not able, or cannot afford to attend a workshop yet.

I will point out two of his major errors for you..

Mistake #1: The first and most obvious will be the placement of an outdoor water heater directly inside the bathroom which is not a great idea. You’ll see below..

You can easily create a micro vented shed on any of the exterior walls (I recommend on the tongue of the trailer) to house this, as Dan Louche- of Tiny Home Builders– has done with all his homes so far.

Mistake #2: The other serious mistake that he made was the order in which he installed the siding. You have to keep aerodynamics in mind before you do this otherwise your panels are going to come off because of high force winds when towing the house.

So without further ado, the Austin Tiny House Project..

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Photos Courtesy of Louis Burns

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Ahh, a tiny house in the mountainous woods. One that’s affordable.

If you’ve ever imagined going off grid in your own little cabin, read on..

Whether it’s to live in permanently or to use as an escape.

For me, this would be one of my favorite places to write, be inspired, and get some time with myself.

I’ve been meaning to show you this shelter for a while as some of you might use some of the ideas for your own future design.

In these photos you can tell that the cabin is still under construction but most of the exterior is completed. In the second photo you can tell that the interior still needs plenty of finishing touches.

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Photo Credit Benjamin Chun

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So you’re seriously thinking about building your own tiny house on a trailer and wondering, “how the heck am I going to tow this thing around?”

That’s a normal concern and something we all face when considering doing the same thing. There are lots of questions that might come to your mind, as did mine, like:

• Will I need a truck? If so, what kind?
• Can I rent something instead?
• How much does a tiny house weigh when it’s finished?
• What do you do with your stuff inside to prevent it from getting throwing around during the transit?

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Preparing To Tow Your Tiny House on Wheels

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As most of you already probably know, Tiny Texas Houses uses 99% pure salvage materials to build their beautiful rustic homes.

For six years now, they’ve been turning what would otherwise be considered garbage into one-of-a-kind homes. In fact, they’ve built more than 60 of these gems as of today and each time they continue perfecting the use of space.

Each one is unique, sustainable, efficient, and can certainly be considered a piece of art. And everything that goes into building these simple shelters is recycled besides electrical, plumbing, and Icynene spray foam insulation.

They can be lived in full time since they’re all designed with a bathroom, kitchen, and a sleeping loft. Each home has a life expectancy of at least 50 years so you can be assured of their quality.

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Photo Credit Tiny Texas Houses

Brad Kittel, founder, is one of the people at the forefront of the tiny house movement with his mission to help folks live simpler, healthier lives through his homes. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also contributing to the environment by creating new homes with little to no impact on Earth.

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