I was excited when a friend shared a video with me about snowboarder Mike Basich’s tiny house in the Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe. She posted the link with the question “But is it a tiny house?”
Basich was able to get 40 acres land, considered unbuildable by most, for a fraction of the typical price for the acreage. It is three miles from the nearest road and only accessible by snowmobile or other such vehicle. The 228 square foot house has a loft bed and an outdoor bathroom. Does this sound familiar to any of us?

Photo Credit Jason Henry for the Wall Street Journey
Watch the WSJ Video on this Tiny Cabin in the Mountains
Click or scroll below to watch the video and read more of my thoughts on Baisch’s tiny house in the mountains.
Quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Basich said, “I’ve eliminated a lot of stuff by choosing to have a small place and a big yard.” The off grid home features solar power and water is collected from snowmelt. All of the heat is provided by a wood stove. But don’t think that Baisch is living like a feral mountain man – this tiny cabin, way off the beaten path, has a wood heated hot tub as well. One wall is entirely windows overlooking the mountain scape.
You can even rent out the space; for the hefty price of $2400 per day. Mountain Dew was his most recent customer using the cabin and land for a photo and commercial shoot.
Cost for this Tiny Cabin in the Mountains on 40 Acres
So what did this tiny cabin in the mountains cost? The 40 acres of undeveloped land was a steal at $225,000 bringing the total price per acre in at around $5600. In most places you couldn’t buy an acre for $5000. The house itself cost Basich only $20,000 to build which is on par with many other DIY Tiny House Builder’s experiences.
Check out the video with the Wall Street Journal reporter and see what you think of this incredible tiny mountain retreat.
Laura LaVoie
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I think it is way cool; literally and figuratively (pun intended). In a way the loft is the bedroom and the out door bathroom is still a bathroom. With snow around it, I would prefer an indoor bathroom or at least a covered passage way to get to the out door bathroom.