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Back in 2015 I asked you a question here on Tiny House Talk: what’s holding you back from going tiny, going small, downsizing, or simplifying? More than 600 of you answered, honestly. Almost every answer came down to five things: money, a place to put it, your body’s needs, the people you live with, and not knowing where to start.
This year I finally did something with those answers. I wrote one short, practical guide for each of the five, and starting today I’m publishing all of them here, free, one chapter a day for 45 days.
Before we start: you don’t have to go tiny
A tiny house on wheels is one path. So is a small cottage, a park model, a backyard unit near family, a smaller apartment, or staying put and simplifying. Smaller, simpler, and happier counts too.
How the series works
- A new part goes up every day, starting Monday, October 19. This page links each one as it goes live.
- The series follows the five guides in order. You can read straight through, or jump to the guide that fits what’s holding you back.
- Every part includes real homes and stories from Tiny House Talk readers, so you can see how other people solved the same problem.
- Not sure where to start? The free 10-minute What’s Really Holding You Back? quiz tells you which guide to read first.
Prefer it all at once?
The whole series is free here. If you’d rather have it now, as five clean, printable PDFs with worksheets, a 30-day action plan in every guide, and the bonus One-Level Floor Plan Idea Book, that’s the Going Tiny Toolkit. All five guides are $47, with a 30-day refund.
Every part in the series
Guide 1: The Tiny House Money Plan
Real 2026 cost ranges, a savings plan for any income, and every way people pay.
- Part 1 (Oct 19): Can You Afford to Go Tiny? Start Here With the Money
- Part 2 (Oct 20): What Going Smaller Really Costs: Tiny House, Park Model, ADU, and More
- Part 3 (Oct 21): The Cheapest Legal Way to Live Smaller, Based on Your Situation
- Part 4 (Oct 22): Your Monthly Number: What You Spend Now vs. Living Smaller
- Part 5 (Oct 23): How to Save for a Tiny or Small Home on Any Income
- Part 6 (Oct 24): Selling the Big House to Downsize: The Real Math
- Part 7 (Oct 25): How People Actually Pay for a Tiny House: Every Option
- Part 8 (Oct 26): Tiny House Insurance, Scams, and Protecting Your Money
Guide 2: Where Can I Put It?
Zoning research in an afternoon, call scripts and email templates, and a land checklist.
- Part 9 (Oct 27): Where Can I Put a Tiny House? The Hardest Part, Made Manageable
- Part 10 (Oct 28): Is Your Tiny House an RV or a House? Why It Decides Everything
- Part 11 (Oct 29): Zoning, Codes, HOAs, and the Health Department: Who Controls What
- Part 12 (Oct 30): The Backyard Opportunity: Tiny Houses as ADUs and on Family Land
- Part 13 (Oct 31): How to Research Tiny House Zoning in One Afternoon
- Part 14 (Nov 1): Asking the Zoning Office: Call Scripts and Email Templates
- Part 15 (Nov 2): Where to Park or Build a Tiny House: Your Options, Ranked
- Part 16 (Nov 3): Buying Land for a Tiny or Small Home Without Regret
- Part 17 (Nov 4): When the Zoning Answer Is No: What to Do Next
- Part 18 (Nov 5): Tiny Houses Outside the United States: Where to Start
Guide 3: Tiny Without the Ladder
One-level layouts, real accessibility dimensions, and the bonus one-level floor plan idea book.
- Part 19 (Nov 6): Tiny Without the Ladder: A Small Home You Can Grow Old In
- Part 20 (Nov 7): Tiny, Small, or Somewhere Between? How to Right-Size Honestly
- Part 21 (Nov 8): One-Level Tiny House Layouts That Actually Work
- Part 22 (Nov 9): Tiny House Lofts: Stairs, Ship's Ladders, and the Honest Truth
- Part 23 (Nov 10): The Accessibility Dimensions That Matter in a Small Home
- Part 24 (Nov 11): Tiny House Safety: Egress, Alarms, Falls, and Care Nearby
- Part 25 (Nov 12): Designing for You Now and You in 15 Years
- Part 26 (Nov 13): Working With a Builder on a One-Level or Accessible Tiny Home
Guide 4: Bringing Them On Board
Conversation starters, low-risk trial ideas, and worksheets for couples and families.
- Part 27 (Nov 14): When You Want Smaller and They Don't: Start Here
- Part 28 (Nov 15): Going Tiny Together: You're Not Trying to Win
- Part 29 (Nov 16): What's Really Underneath the No to Going Tiny
- Part 30 (Nov 17): How to Start the Tiny House Conversation With Your Partner or Family
- Part 31 (Nov 18): Try Tiny Living Before Anyone Decides
- Part 32 (Nov 19): Designing a Tiny or Small Home for Two (or More)
- Part 33 (Nov 20): Going Tiny With Kids, Teens, Grown Kids, and Grandkids
- Part 34 (Nov 21): Small Homes for Extended Family, Friends, and Caregiving
- Part 35 (Nov 22): When You Still Disagree About Going Tiny
Guide 5: Your First Tiny Steps
The five big decisions in order, a space-needs calculator, builder vetting, and a 90-day roadmap.
- Part 36 (Nov 23): Where to Start With a Tiny House: You Don't Need All the Answers
- Part 37 (Nov 24): The Big Five Tiny House Decisions (and Why the Order Matters)
- Part 38 (Nov 25): How Much Space Do You Really Need?
- Part 39 (Nov 26): Tiny House, Park Model, Cabin, or ADU? Picking Your Kind of Small
- Part 40 (Nov 27): From Scraps of Paper to a Real Tiny House Plan
- Part 41 (Nov 28): Build, Buy, or Somewhere In Between? Getting Your Tiny Home
- Part 42 (Nov 29): How to Choose a Tiny House Builder Without Getting Burned
- Part 43 (Nov 30): Tiny House Systems: Power, Water, Waste, Heat, and Air
- Part 44 (Dec 1): Tiny House Regrets to Skip, Security, and Finding Your People
- Part 45 (Dec 2): Your Next 30 Days Toward a Smaller, Simpler Life
So, what’s holding you back now?
Ten years later, I’d love to ask again. Tell me in the comments what’s standing between you and a smaller, simpler life today. I read every one, and your answers shape what we write next.
Top photo: Turning a shed into a home takes more than the shed. Photo via Tiny House Giant Journey/YouTube. See their story.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
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