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Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage


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This is a simple 178 sq. ft. backyard tiny cottage that’s 11.5 ft. by 15.5 ft.

The home, rather than using high-end materials, is fitted out with simple finishes. Why show it? Sometimes all we need is “basic” and it’s good to see tiny homes at all levels of finishings. Something like this could be built for a lot less than some of the more “luxury” homes we see. Plus, add some paint and decor, and this could be a really cute space! The best part is the storage staircase. Instead of just drawers, you open it like a closet from the back — I haven’t seen that before.

Check out the full video tour below!

Related: Dallas Texas Quaint Tiny Cottage on Wheels

Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage

Pantry and dresser for storage, TV could fit on top of the dresser.

Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage

Kitchen space. I’d put a curtain to hide the pipes 🙂

Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage

Nice-sized bathroom with flush toilet and shower stall.

Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage

The loft bedroom has a great amount of headroom.

Simple 178 Sq. Ft. Backyard Tiny Cottage

Screenshots via YouTube/ Sonic Tiger TV

Video: Tiny House Tour

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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.
{ 13 comments… add one }
  • Debra A Johnson
    April 24, 2017, 11:42 am

    Why would you have the W/D outside exposed to the elements?

    • James D.
      April 25, 2017, 12:50 pm

      This is a shed conversion, it’s not a structure build from scratch and these conversions are typically done for minimum cost…

      So, short of tearing out the walls and plumbing the house, it’s a lot easier and more affordable to just tap the existing pipes on the other side of the wall from the bathroom… and it’s not like there’s a lot of space on the inside to place them anyway…

      Besides, W/D are made to be pretty resistant to the elements as you will get them wet just from the normal use of them. While they provided some basic protection by raising them off the ground on a little platform deck and putting a awning over them to protect them from the sun… Plus they will of course be naturally vented and not introduce additional moisture to the inside of the house, which would require additional venting to deal with, which again would have raised the cost of the conversion…

      So while not ideal, it’s not a terrible set up and works…

  • Jamie Treguboff
    April 24, 2017, 11:51 am

    The little cottage is nice; it looks well built & study. But, basic doesn’t have to be plain. A little bit of color would make this tiny home so cozy too! I would love to see that!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 25, 2017, 5:46 am

      Color always helps 🙂

  • Dave Green
    April 24, 2017, 2:09 pm

    What is the construction of the exterior walls?

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 25, 2017, 5:41 am

      Not sure, Dave!

  • iris
    April 24, 2017, 8:38 pm

    What would I have done differently? I would have eliminated the ceiling fan so that I could hang a tv on the far wall while laying in bed. I would have placed the stairs to the side so I could have a hand rail and work the dressers underneath. I would have put a window on the roof…maybe two so I could have lots of kitchen cupboards. I would have used two closet hangers…one about 3 inches from the top and then mid way. It’s quite a cute little place and the interior and exterior walls were well built. I loved the two doors. I can vision a small roof over these two doors and a deck. The thing about small houses is that they can keep on growing. Thanks for sharing.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 25, 2017, 5:35 am

      Perfect! Nice ideas 🙂

    • Jane on Whidbey
      April 26, 2017, 9:21 pm

      This house is in Texas. I doubt you’d live to tell the tale if you removed the fan. There should be some ventilation in the loft. The heat in there could kill you in the summer.
      This is the weirdest stair arrangement I’ve ever seen. Sure saves money, I guess?

  • Patricia Chang
    April 25, 2017, 3:23 am

    The upstairs entrance to the loft is an accident waiting to happen. If I were inspecting these places, I would insist on stair railings on the outside of the stairs and railings on the lofts. Ignoring basic safety and thinking you will never trip is foolish. Sorry, but this is one thing that I see over and over in tiny houses; and it is not admirable nor safe. Just when you think you are so young and agile, that you will never fall, you will or your children will. Pipe railings should not cost that much! I spent part of my nursing career working in ER. Broken bones are not a nice thing.

    • James D.
      April 27, 2017, 3:00 am

      Oh, it can cost quite a bit…

      A typical residential stairs and railing runs about $1,044 – $3,191 to build and install… Pipe railing itself runs about $26.89 to $41.47 per linear foot and you’re including the loft itself to provide a guard rail… So a couple hundred just for the railing…

      But the staircase they installed isn’t permanently mounted to the floor or loft and without a wall to mount the railing means you need to mount it to the stairs but you would have to add structural support for the railing to make that work… So the stairs may need to be scrapped and redone…

      Mind, this is a clearly a low budget conversion… They converted a shed into a guest house and a lot of it is improvised…

      So it probably was just not a option for their budget… and it can be argued that improperly installed railings can be more dangerous than no railing at all as you’re more likely to fall if the railing fails or worse impale yourself on the railings if it breaks apart and you land on a protruding piece… versus just being careful and taking your time going up and down, and you can still hold the stairs as you do this…

      But yeah, railing and guard rail would have been nice…

  • Canyon Man
    April 25, 2017, 12:12 pm

    I have worked with those less fortunate. One family was found living in the southern Arizona desert in a tent when it was in the 110 degree range. Another was living in a tent in Oregon when it was dipping to minus 20. So the bare bones of this dwelling would have looked wonderful to them.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      April 26, 2017, 3:58 pm

      Very good to have perspective!

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