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Two Tiny Houses on Wheels Joined Together


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These are two tiny houses on wheels joined together to make one (larger) tiny house! Well, technically, they’re semi-permanently attached. The design allows for detachment, but it looks permanent, doesn’t it?

This is pretty cool because I’ve never really seen it done before, although I would probably prefer to keep the units separate but adjoined by a deck instead, kind of like this one (also built by Molecule Tiny Homes). How about you? What do you think of this design idea?

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Two Tiny Homes on Wheels Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes – Two 8′ x 22′ THOW Trailers Joined

Two Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Images © Molecule Tiny Homes

Pretty interesting concept, right? Here is the kitchen area, along with bathroom, and laundry center.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

They are two 8′ x 22′ tiny houses on wheels joined together.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

French doors and custom kitchen…

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Full-size classic tub in the bathroom…

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Built in storage and vanity. Sliding door entry.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Custom composting toilet.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Very nice french doors.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

French doors to the bedroom. Full walk in closet. Mini split AC.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

What do you think of this idea?

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Mini split AC.

Two 22-Foot Tiny Houses on Wheels PERMANENTLY Joined Together to Make a Bigger Tiny Home – Built by Molecule Tiny Homes

Images © Molecule Tiny Homes

Two 22-Foot Tiny Homes Joined Together to Make One Big Tiny House!

This is two 8′ x 22′ trailers joined together, to make one big tiny house! This home features French doors, washer dryer, custom appliances, full walk in closet, french doors off of the bedroom, mini AC split, and a full size soaking tub! Email us for more information, or to schedule your own custom build today! [email protected]

Sources

  1. http://moleculetinyhomes.blogspot.com/2019/02/new-house-this-is-two-8-x-22-trailers.html
  2. http://moleculetinyhomes.blogspot.com

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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!
{ 48 comments… add one }
  • Carl
    March 21, 2019, 2:20 pm

    I struggle to see how this makes sense.

    • Eric
      July 14, 2019, 5:24 pm

      You get a bigger home without having to go to a separate tiny house ala https://tinyhousetalk.com/companion-studio-tiny-house/

      If they want to move to another location then they separate the units and cover the open areas with temporary boards for the journey.

      Makes eminent sense from that perspective.

      The problem with the companion studio tiny house is if you need to go from one part to the other and it is stormy weather out… well not nice. Especially if you are transporting something between them… think birthday cake, party dress etc.

      • Alex
        July 14, 2019, 6:39 pm

        Great points!

    • e.a.f.
      August 1, 2019, 4:25 am

      It makes sense for those who like tiny, but do need a tad more room. It makes sense if you want to live tiny but need a tad more room and you might have to move. These two units could be placed on a flat deck and taken to the next location. Living tiny frequently means living on some one else’s land and sometimes you need to move when that land is no longer available.
      this unit isn’t tiny, tiny, which some people may want, but many who live “tiny” and its a relative term, they don’t move frequently. this house is great for a single person, a couple, a retiree, etc. who may actually have a piece of land. they just don’t want the maintenance of a full sized home. This has all the bells and whistles and still keeps it small. Less heat, etc. In areas where your property taxes include the value of your house, this house is perfect. Its some thing I could see myself living in if I get to my late 70s.

  • sc
    March 21, 2019, 2:45 pm

    Bad design. so dark, hardly any windows.

    • Eric
      March 21, 2019, 8:29 pm

      I think you are wrong. It looks dark to you but that is due to photography not being able to see the range of light that the human eye can see. So, it looks dark to you looking at it on your computer/tablet/phone. But reality is there is a lot of light in there.

    • e.a.f.
      August 1, 2019, 4:29 am

      In my opinion its a great design and has great windows. The French doors alone create a huge amount of light, when you’re indoors.
      What I like about this design is there is no need to have an upstair bedroom. Many aging baby boomers and younger people with limited mobility will find this unit much more suitable. Not a long distance from any point in the house.

      Living in British Columbia, Canada, housing is extremely expensive, due to land costs, but people still want their own front door. This design provides people with that. It would be great if cities started permitting these tiny houses.

      • Eric
        November 13, 2021, 10:15 pm

        Oh god no… they wouldn’t be able to claw in all the property taxes. How on earth are they going to afford their $200 meals etc. That would never do… no, no, noooo.

  • Dana
    March 21, 2019, 3:26 pm

    Joining two tiny homes into one defeats the purpose of “living tiny.” It seems they should have simply built a 500-1,000 square foot traditional home.

    • James D.
      March 23, 2019, 5:39 pm

      The only real purpose of tiny living is to live a more efficient life that reduces waste and eliminates things you don’t need to waste time and resources on but there’s no absolute threshold where that goal is met that will fit everyone in every situation equally.

      So no, tiny living isn’t something that can only be done one way. Nor would any one standard work equally well for everyone. People are just far too diverse to expect everyone to do it the same way and there’s far more differences about what people live in besides just its size that effect everything from quality of life to what lifestyle it will support or won’t. Along with a wide range of differences between what individuals living alone on up to whole families need and that all effects what’s the most efficient solution will be for any particular situation…

      Besides, 2 8’x22′ THOWs joined together only gives a total of 352 Sq Ft, and that’s with no lofts (so no extra usable space) and only going by the exterior dimensions so the interior dimensions are less… Just because it’s joining 2 units doesn’t mean it’s going to be a big size increase…

      Design options like these can be chosen for many reasons… Like smaller units are easier to transport and get to hard to reach sites, joining units allows avoiding single long tunnel like designs and allows for a wider range of layout options, etc.

      Karen Blackburn’s comment also covers some of the reasons this would be done this way…

      • joe3
        April 18, 2019, 9:03 am

        I like this statement:
        Design options like these can be chosen for many reasons… Like smaller units are easier to transport and get to hard to reach sites, joining units allows avoiding single long tunnel like designs and allows for a wider range of layout options, etc.

    • Glanda Widger
      July 14, 2019, 9:00 pm

      actually if you do the math it is 352 sq ft. which is still very tiny and two units, which I have often considered make it much easier to move locations should you want to.

    • Christopher Collins
      November 13, 2021, 10:16 pm

      Please get your sizes correct. Both units only total 352 square feet, so as I understand the term “tiny” (under 400 square feet) it DEFINITELY fulfils that requirement.

  • Frank M
    March 21, 2019, 4:05 pm

    If you put the bathroom at the rear of the bedroom trailer and a wall up behind the kitchen sink, you would not have the wasted space by the double doors. Then you would have a nice sized living room/dining area.

  • april hunter
    March 21, 2019, 5:01 pm

    Why not just buy a bigger home or a condo? Is there a benefit I’m not understanding? Because they’re on wheels, no prop tax?

    • Old Ron
      March 21, 2019, 8:16 pm

      No property tax but we all have to buy a license for trailers, rec vehicles, and anything on the road with wheels. I have never checked to see what a license on a tiny home would be in my home state of ca. I am sure we would get gouged because of most tiny homes ranging from 50,000 to 100,000. Does anyone out there know? Please post some info if you do know. Car licenses are already expensive especially for new cars.

      • april hunter
        April 2, 2019, 11:55 pm

        Ah, ok. I live in Tampa Bay. Here, our biggest fight is zoning/city codes. Most won’t allow a tiny home – or even the set up of one on your own property you are paying taxes on in your backyard. California is more ahead of us in that respect. We have a few Tiny Home communities (mostly Sarasota or other RV parks/campgrounds) but it seems like everyone is so lumped on top of each other, you might as well be living in an apartment. I wouldn’t want to walk out my door, take two steps and be in their home. No, thanks.
        I don’t think trailers cost much here in FL. Everyone has one: boats, jet skis, etc. It’s just the water way of life here, so it must be affordable. Just looked: Trailers OVER 2000 lbs are $77. Under is less.

      • e.a.f.
        August 1, 2019, 4:37 am

        depends upon the state and/or province in which you live. If you don’t move frequently, in B.C., Canada you could get a license and vehicle insurance for a day to 10 days, so you could move it.

        Property taxes would vary depending again upon state/province. In B.C.., Canada where land in some areas is hugely expensive and small house would be ideal because the property tax would be lower. We are taxed on the value of the house and land. You could have a lot worth $500K and house worth $32K–if its a dump or if its a tiny house.

    • James D.
      March 21, 2019, 9:37 pm

      Well, if you own land then you’re paying property taxes. A house on wheels just won’t contribute to how much you pay like a house on foundation would. So you would pay less and can be a lot less…

      But there are multiple reasons… While presently attached, like a modular house, they can still be separated if something changed and they had to move at a later date. So that remains an option…

      Being on wheels also allows it to be placed where you may not otherwise be able to place a home or find a condo. While bigger it can still be smaller than the minimum size limit required by the local zoning regulations… It may be on undeveloped property but a house on foundation would require infrastructure, foundation, and other additional costs that a house on wheels can usually avoid or limit… Makes it easier to choose to live off-grid… It can be in a hard to reach location that building a house on foundation would have been very hard and costly to do… While modular designs allows for more design options that can still be transported under road legal size limitations…

      Building a house on foundations also has other costs like building permits, impact fees, and multiple other fees that can add up to a lot and take months to over a year before you can even start building the house… Versus a modular house you can transport to the location, put in place and assemble, and move into and start living in as short a time as one day…

      And there are other reasons that can be unique to different people with different situations, preferences, etc.

  • Phyllis
    March 21, 2019, 8:56 pm

    Not crazy about this one either for a number of reasons, one of which is very little counter space, another is an open vanity in the bathroom, but these are easily changed.
    I have to say something about the photography of some of these homes. Some of the pictures are totally ridiculous – there’s one above that is a close-up of a corner of a room. What is that??? Frequently, the same area is photographed from slightly different points where one good one would do. Some close-ups are soooo close up that you can’t tell what you’re looking at! And trying to figure out spacial relations is next impossible with some of these photos – you can’t tell what’s where in relation to each other. Please, who ever is taking these pictures, please do better! I’m no expert, so I really can’t make specific suggestions, but boyo, you gotta do something. And don’t leave rooms out, show the bathrooms, bedrooms, the full kitchen, one or two around the exterior, and I don’t care about the view from the loft – I don’t like lofts for sleeping, maybe storage or kitty areas but not for a bedroom, so who cares what one sees from up there. I’m sure I’m not the only one who would like better (clearer) and more inclusive photos. Thanks for all you do, though! Great job!

  • March 22, 2019, 12:49 am

    If the two units are “permanently” attached together, why are there wheels and tires still on the frames?

    • James D.
      March 22, 2019, 2:25 am

      Permanent doesn’t always mean forever and can mean just not intended to be changed any time soon…

      But in addition to what I listed in my other post, one of the other reasons is if the Tiny House is registered as a RV and has a RVIA certification then it becomes legally considered an RV and as such it can be illegal to have the wheels permanently removed…

      For people using THOW’s to get around the zoning and building codes that would otherwise prevent them from living in a tiny or even small size home then it has to meet all the requirements of a non-permanent structure, including having wheels to show it’s not a permanent structure that would have to meet the local zoning and building codes…

      Besides, having wheels still on is a level of safety in case any of the support jacks the house is resting on now fails… Supports on the ground isn’t as permanent as a foundation… and it avoids needing a separate place to store the tires…

      • Eric
        November 13, 2021, 10:28 pm

        …except tires perish sitting on the ground. Might take a year or two… but ultimately perish. My solution is simply park it, then jack it up ever so slightly above the ground. Like 1 or 2 millimetres… sorry, don’t know the imperial measurement equivalent.

        • James D.
          November 13, 2021, 10:40 pm

          While tires should be rotated and replaced every few years. It’s not the ground but exposure to the sun that erodes tires.

          So they last a lot longer if you just cover them… People have moved their homes even after 6 years with the original tires, for example.

          Though, keeping them off the ground and deflating them does help a bit on the wear and tear aspect…

          Otherwise you can bury them in the ground and make an Earthship home and they’ll last an extremely long time of possibly centuries…

  • kevin
    March 22, 2019, 7:21 am

    this is pointless. if they’re permanatly attaacthed, why have on wheels? since you can’t move it anyway it would make more sense to just make a foundation home.

    • Eric
      November 13, 2021, 10:41 pm

      Permanent doesn’t mean forever, as James D mentioned above. PLUS property taxes equal nothing or minimal amount compared to a “regular” house.

      Very good reasons, in my book, for not building a “regular” home. And as always, YMMV.

  • Drew A. Davis
    March 22, 2019, 11:03 am

    Thank you for all the detailed answers. Just ignore the haters! They obviously do not ‘get it’!

  • Marsha Cowan
    March 22, 2019, 12:47 pm

    This is beautiful house (though not enough windows), in a pretty setting, but it is by no means tiny. I am always looking for the true tiny houses designed for simply living, but that’s just my eccentric self. . .it’s hard to find them anymore. Most “tiny” houses now are stick built mobile homes, or rolling manufactured homes like this one, but I can’t say it is not pretty and doesn’t fill someone else’s dream of tiny living.

  • Karen Blackburn
    March 22, 2019, 1:34 pm

    Kevin, not always. Where I live at present the houses are old farm labourers cottages on about half an acre. Because of their position they are protected by govt legislation to stop someone selling and building 4/5 houses on the land – infrastructure like rural roads and septic tanks couldn’t cope. Therefore, given in Ireland, where multiple generations can live together, it is common for there to be mobile homes in the grounds. For example my landlady grew up in a small 2 bed cottage, her, plus a brother plus parents. When she became a young widowed mother her father put a mobile home on the property which she moved into with her baby daughter. When her parents died she inherited the house (she nursed them both until they died from cancer) and the brother got the bottom 1/4 acre of the property. However because of power lines overhead he can’t build a bricks and motor house, however he can put another mobile home down there as long as he can get planning permission and agreement from the neighbours. I currently live in the old mobile home (20 years old and going strong) while she resides in the family home, been in the family for nearly 200 years so doesn’t want to sell. There are a myriad of new laws on the books to stop people just selling land for building, mainly ensuring that you must have a strong connection to the land if you want to get planning permission. Her neighbour who lives in the adjoining cottage (they share an internal wall and are called semi detached here) actually managed to get permission to extend her cottage and build a new kitchen on the back before the laws changed, one of her sons still lives at home, and her eldest has just gained planning permission to put a mobile home in the back garden for him and his young family to live in. Her younger brother lives in a mobile home on half the land (same position as the one I live in) where he and his wife raised 3 kids. He has added on fancy cladding and covered the wheels but it’s still a mobile home underneath. Housing may be in short supply but so is land, and the land is needed for farming to provide food, and intensive farming either if animals or plants wouldn’t be tolerated or eaten, so you could either knock down a property which is a couple of centuries old, destroying the neighbours house at the same time because the cottages were built adjoining in those days, and build a bigger house with a big mortgage (bearing in mind that you might already have a mortgage raised to buy out other family members because often the land and house is the only real asset) or you extend and share the land by adding a THoW to it. They don’t count as permanent residences even though in reality they don’t get moved until they fall down. If you have multiple children sharing a bedroom (and many are only 2 bed cottages) they are a cheaper way to extend to give teenagers privacy and after the kids leave home they provide somewhere for visitors to stay in come Christmas or over the long summer break. It was similar in New Zealand when I was growing up, many houses were two bedroom and not everyone could afford to extend. My neighbours at the bottom had a caravan for the 2 boys to sleep in while the daughter had the second bedroom inside, but they all shared a tiny room roughly 10′ X 8′ for years before that. Another neighbour with 8 kids had 2 caravans in the garden because while they had 3 bedrooms again there was no money to extend and when they are teens 4 girls in one small room (bunk beds are a wonderful investment) doesn’t necessarily work well. Many countries have a small area, a growing population, need the land to feed their population and have stringent laws about high intensity farming and animal welfare or dubious herbicides and insecticides being used on vegetables and fruits because of health and environmental concerns. Not everyone wants to live in high rise flats (okay in the centre of cities but not on the outskirts and many like to grow their own fruit and vegetables in their own gardens) so how do you house a growing population. Other properties are in places where brick and mortar houses can’t get permission to be built, like the end of my landlady’s garden or the great one in the Waitakere Hills in Auckland, NZ ( where they solved the problem with containers converted into houses), or big gardens with several THoWs for tenants because neighbours don’t want another 3 or 4 houses built in the garden next door and there isn’t really room anyway.
    Sorry to ramble but there are multiple reasons. I am currently living in a mobile home though I grew up in a huge house on 3/4 acre in the city. That now has a house in the old vegetable garden and 2 more where the orchard was but only because my dad built them himself thus saving money. High demand leads to high prices and not everyone can afford mortgages but mobile homes are more affordable especially on family land. Small countries need all the land they can get to feed their populations because more people are refusing to buy food shipped over long distances unnecessarily and insist on transparency within the food chain eg the steak my son-in-law is eating for dinner can be traced to a specific animal on a specific farm and we know it spent its life in the fields eating grass and having a happy healthy life before being killed and eaten. Intensive farming won’t work in many countries where strong animal welfare rules exist (there are reasons why Europe and other countries, Canada, NZ, Australia etc, prize farmland and refuseto compromise because a growing number of their citizens insist on caring for the environment while eating safe and healthy foods) and GM products are, if not outlawed, boldly labelled and usually left on the shelves in the supermarket. THoWs are often a viable alternative and while differing laws within countries mean some can lose their wheels others need to keep them. New jobs, especially within certain industries, mean a THow is a good way to own a family home and means you don’t need to constantly have to pack up and move your belongings in boxes every couple of years when you have to move, all you need to do is hire a transport lorry and move your house (small vehicles are another feature of many countries where the roads/cities started with people walking everywhere and a car is a lot bigger than a horse plus all available space is needed for footpaths etc.) a lot easier than selling a house, buying a new one all while moving jobs/schools because you are now working in a different city. Been there, done that, lived in the caravan, so much easier than moving house every few months. Also many countries have populations used to living in small spaces so the average THoW is no different for them, just cheaper and more affordable. Plus in many cases you can stick one in the garden and chuck the teenagers out there or put visiting family in it at Christmas or over the summer holidays. You can’t necessarily afford to extend or build a new house for visitors to stay in.
    Something like the one here could easily slip under the radar in a country with maximum size limits before you need to get planning permission, in NZ I believe it is just over 100 sq ft so a couple of small sheds connected with a walkway would allow someone who needed to to live in their parents/friends back garden without planning permission and while I don’t personally like the above design I can see how it would enable someone who can’t otherwise afford to build to have a residence of their own. I can also see how you could remove the bedroom trailer and swap it for a bigger one as the family grows in size, or putting an intermediate one in containing a hallway and bedroom with the bedroom one above joined on the other end so as to grow with the family. All depends on the country, the planning restrictions, the financial side, do you want a sleeping loft or ground floor bedroom, will you be adding to the family, etc. My my personal taste but I can see where it could easily be a financial start that can allow growth as needed.

    • Barbara Rosen
      November 14, 2021, 2:02 am

      You are lucky to live in a country with zoning laws. It also sounds like you are surrounded by people with respect for the earth who care about eating locally sourced food, care about what they put in their bodies. Zoning in the USA varies state by state. In Houston, TX we lived in a lovely townhouse overlooking small gardens. The townhouses were newly built and small shot gun houses were being restored by ambitious people who wanted to preserve historical integrity in the neighborhood. We did not realize what we were doing when we bought the townhouse so excited at that time to get a house with 16 ft ceiling and baths out of a magazine for prices that would be five times more on the East Coast – where we had been living. No complaints about how nice life was in the jacuzzi or huge kitchen. But had I understood the neighborhood during the few days we came to brick out a housebound, would have opted for the charming shot gun houses. One day gazing at our back garden from our townhouse was a sight beyond imagination in those days. A stack of shipping containers covering the entire lot. Obscuring our view of tree tops! We went to see the young man, an engineer, building this vast container house and he explained it was the culmination of a dream. There is no zoning whatsoever in Houston so what could we do? The construction went on all year and then some. A swimming pool was put on the roof. A 5,000 sq ft container house with a garage for 5 or 6 cars. When it was completed I found it still hideous.How did it fit in with the Mediterranean style rows of townhouses or the cute shotgun houses which had been restored. I had nightmares a container would fall into our yard and hurt someone or kill our dog or cats. I am now happily back in the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley, VA where there are zoning laws. I believe tiny houses are legal in my county and we would like to convert our shed for income and for our old age.Which builders of tiny houses are actually inexpensive? We have a foundation and could remove the old shed though I learned a lesson in TX not to contribute to tearing down stuff unless it has outlived its usefulness. Maybe that shed has? What I fear is the cost and this is probably a pipe dream.

  • lsb
    March 23, 2019, 2:36 am

    What you wind up with a Tiny Home is a scaled down version of a Park Series manufactured home for a lot more money. When I first started looking at Tiny Homes I was really interested in them because they sold kits for 10k – 15k, now the ones built by these Tiny Home builders are 50k-100k the whole movement of simple minimalistic living has been lost with all these luxury Tiny Homes. Buy a lot and build a small 350sq foot house that is worth something in 10 years, for 50k I can have a 350 sqft house built in Washington State by a builder, tack on another 30k for a lot in the country and you have something that will go UP in value not DOWN in value. The same thing has happened in tract home building, builders want to build 2000 – 3000 sq ft houses in 1952 my parents brand new house in LA was 700 sq ft 2 bedroom. Tiny Homes are going down the same path.

    • James D.
      March 24, 2019, 3:09 am

      A couple of misconceptions…

      For one thing a tiny house is not a scaled down Park Model because a Park Model is an RV that’s built to the RV building code. It’s why they never exceed 400 Sq Ft because by law they would have to switch to the HUD building code because that’s the threshold the government set for making sure it can meet residential standards for full time living, which means Park Models do not meet residential standards and is just an RV made to look like a cabin or cottage.

      You could live in a Park Model but like other RV’s it’s only meant for recreational usage. While a tiny house is meant to be lived in full time and unlike an RV it is possible to take a tiny house off a trailer and put it in a foundation or have it built on a foundation in the first place.

      Another misconception is that you can’t still get low cost tiny homes but there are budget builders and people still doing kits and DIY builds. Houses are just not all equal and there are many reasons for costs beyond simple luxury, like allowing people to live independent lives, have a home that keeps them healthy, be able to live in places they may otherwise not be able to, be able to have a family and not just a home that only works for an individual, among many other things.

      While all houses can depreciate, it’s why they have to be renovated and restored over the years, it’s the land that allows appreciation because it’s the one thing that will always be there but that’s tied to the economy and in most cases it only rises at a rate that’s equivalent to inflation but if the economy goes bad then it depreciates.

      But costs aren’t limited to just purchasing a home and the problem with traditional houses is they have a lot of additional and ongoing costs that add up over the years and can easily double to triple what the house originally cost to purchase and that obviously far exceeds any appreciation… It’s one of the reasons for the housing bubble crash because people underestimated the additional and ongoing costs.

      You’re also missing that one of the main reasons people are putting Tiny Houses on wheels is to get around the local restrictions because many municipalities have made building a small to tiny home illegal. There’s also land where development is restricted, which similarly prevents simply building a traditional house, which can particularly effect people who want to live in the countryside or just off-grid.

      Cost for new construction is also something that factors because many places it can cost over $30K in permits and other fees before you even build anything… In California, just building an ADU can cost over $200,000…

      Another problem with traditional housing market is it’s not growing at the same rate as the population, which has more than doubled in the last half century, and the trend for ever bigger houses since the 50’s and fewer people living together under the same roof just makes this all the worse. So solutions that can get around the limitations of the traditional housing market are needed more than most people are realizing…

      There’s also time… A house that can be moved means it’s a home that can be placed on a new property and moved into on day 1… Vs building a house that can take months to years, especially, if in an area with oppressive building/zoning bureaucracy that every step of the build has to go through an approval process…

      Differences in costs are also attributable to building options… Having something custom built is one of the most expensive ways to build but it gives the most control and options for creating homes tailored to the owners needs… It’s mass production that allows for the lowest prices, lower than even DIY builds, but gives the fewest options and results in generic homes that won’t fit everyone equally well.

      There are trade offs to everything but many reasons why people make different choices and what they get for the price is not all equal or the same but what people are really seeking is better quality of life and freedom to live their life how they see fit… and tiny houses are allowing a greater range of people to have those choices.

      So it’s not the same trend, it’s just more to it…

      • Barbara Rosen
        November 14, 2021, 2:36 am

        You mention budget builders. Of tiny homes or homes in general? I’d be interested in knowing about budget builders even if means additional shipping costs. Builders have to make profits and with the cost of materials going up, I wonder what a “budget” home costs in 2021? Any info is greatly appreciated. I agree with your post. There is a housing crisis and perhaps smaller/tiny homes can be a part of the solution. It is complex to address the needs of people in such diverse situations. I don’t think tiny homes should be on top of one another as the person from Florida described. Even affordable housing can be built with the dignity and needs of people in mind. Houses can be arranged at angles and placed so as to not looking directly into windows. I am not an architect – obviously, but with all the designs I have seen for the wealthy? the same knowhow can be used to create affordable housing that will be nice to live and nice to look at. Affordable housing is needed for the middle class, the working poor, the homeless so there should be no stigma attached to those looking for housing that will not bankrupt them or their families. What I have not found are budget builders.

        • James D.
          November 14, 2021, 4:30 pm

          Like most other things you can shop for, like the difference in cost from going to a fashion designer or tailor for a one of kind custom clothing versus just going to a thrift store and getting something off the rack, there’s a wide range of what anything can be purchased for and that includes Tiny Houses. It’s just not as easy to look them up, especially as some budget builders may not have websites or may only be found through a network of clients (word of mouth), etc. but with literally thousands of builders across the country, they’re out there and you should eventually find quite a few…

          On the very low end there’s companies that sell kits you can put together or hire a local contractor to put together or shells that complete the exterior and you just have to finish the interior.

          Examples like Arched Cabins (Cypress, TX), Allwood Outlet (Garfield, NJ), Tiny House Basics, etc. offer various kits and shell options… and lots of other companies do the same…

          Then there’s builders like Incredible Tiny Homes (Newport, TN) that are an example of a Tiny House specific budget builder, that continuously is trying to find ways to offer at least a basic model at a lower than average market price. Though, rising costs has effected them and they needed to raise their prices recently, they’re still usually well below what most others would be charging for at least their standard models but they also do reasonable pricing on their custom builds.

          Trade off with budget builders is the homes tend to be much more basic, can be rustic, or have some other appearance that may require additional work it’s delivered to you to get the finished look… Like ITH offers ESP homes, essentially metal SIPs that are a type of structural Insulated Panels that is riveted or screwed together and so additional finishing, like artificial stucco, etc. is what you would add to give it a more traditional home appearance but the base price can be as low as just under $20,000…

          While, you can check out Build Tiny (Berryville-Clarke County, VA), which offers courses on how to build your own tiny home to building it for you options. For which they suggest a good budget range would be $20,000, to do it yourself up, to $50,000, for a mid-range custom build, or higher depending on what exactly you want done and they can give you a quote or cost estimate… Though, given the rising costs of just about everything going up, the range may be closer to $35,000 – $85,000 now, the $20K to $50K is from their FAQ but that may not be up to date, but they can tell you for sure if you contact them…

          While you can also consider traditional contractors, house builders, etc. if you’re going to have it built on a foundation and just meet the local codes and zoning requirements. Plans can be purchased from a properly licensed for your state architect, which once approved will let you itemize the materials and figure out the labor required to optimize it to be as affordable as possible. Possibly sourcing 2nd hand sources like Habitat for Humanity and other sources or salvage anything you already have on your property if that’s an option.

          Regardless of who you go with, shop around, look for not only a good quote but someone with a good reputation and history, and make sure all your paperwork is in order and consult a lawyer if you’re unsure of any of the fine print or just to play it safe as change orders, and other trickery can be used to raise the cost during the build or responsibility may hang on you instead of the builder if that’s in the contract…

          Virginia is still not that tiny house friendly, but there are places where Tiny Houses are started to be allowed, given you meet certain requirements like it may have to be bigger than 200 Sq Ft and meet local code requirements. Others, may only allow it as an RV/Caravan but that means they won’t let you live in it full time and it can only be used as a secondary home. Yet others may only allow it as an ADU or Granny Flat for situations like assisted living of an elderly family member to share an existing property… But this may change, as changes to the laws are still being considered, including a state wide building code change for tiny houses on foundations…

          In the meantime, just about every state has a Tiny House advocacy group and you can see if there’s any near you that you can join as they will be a good place to find information relevant to you area… Though, Tiny House Expedition is a good source as well as they have accumulated a pretty extensive national database and have a lot of first hand knowledge… Also, there’s American Tiny House Association Org…

          Hope that helps…

  • Heather HJ
    July 14, 2019, 4:04 pm

    What I dont understand is why people have to be so judgemental over a structure someone felt pride in sharing with all of us. Then other people feel the need to go on an extremely lengthy defense. Leave a comment if you like it. Or dont if you dont. I like the idea of 2 THOW’s connected, makes for more manageable space. I like the laundry off the kitchen but not in the kitchen. As James said it’s only 352sq. Ft it’s on the large size of tiny but still under 400 & that’s what matters. I’ve written to much.

    • Barbara Rosen
      November 14, 2021, 1:32 am

      No you have not written too much and I take your message seriously. Why be critical of what others are doing to build the type of life they are seeking. We can benefit from the experiences of others. How many articles have you seen such as ” limitations of tiny living” …”cost per square foot of tiny homes”. Some articles are written to benefit consumers – many are not and there is an underlying agenda. But with myriad situations among people / families who can say what is right for them. My question would be cost. Is this a cost effective way to have a 352 sq ft house? Now if the issue is moving the house then that becomes the issue – which houses can be moved? I have seen on modular home websites lovely cottages that are under 40O sq ft.
      Unfortunately prices have risen dramatically so what I looked at 4 years ago is now much more expensive. As far as style with imagination interior could be improved- color, art work even a little cat or dog could add warmth.

    • Barbara Rosen
      November 14, 2021, 2:05 am

      No you have not written too much and I take your message seriously. Why be critical of what others are doing to build the type of life they are seeking. We can benefit from the experiences of others. How many articles have you seen such as ” limitations of tiny living” …”cost per square foot of tiny homes”. Some articles are written to benefit consumers – many are not and there is an underlying agenda. But with myriad situations among people / families who can say what is right for them. My question would be cost. Is this a cost effective way to have a 352 sq ft house? Now if the issue is moving the house then that becomes the issue – which houses can be moved? I have seen on modular home websites lovely cottages that are under 40O sq ft.
      Unfortunately prices have risen dramatically so what I looked at 4 years ago is now much more expensive. As far as style, with imagination this interior could be improved – seriously lacking color, art work – even a little cat or dog could add warmth.

  • burstsofcolor
    July 15, 2019, 3:35 am

    Won’t this configuration mean that wind would continuously hit the angle where the houses meet? I’m thinking of ways to build my tiny house + work studio and have thought about this before. But I’m worried that during bad weather, that corner would get too much wind pressure.

  • Sherry
    July 31, 2019, 3:24 pm

    How do you change a tire if needed?

    • Eric
      November 13, 2021, 10:45 pm

      Same way you do with a car (or truck), jack it up and change it.

  • Jonno
    July 31, 2019, 4:23 pm

    Hmmm. You asked about what I think about the design. I get the concept, but if my neighbor parked that in his yard where I could see it to get around zoning restrictions I would complain. Why? While very functional and not badly built, it is not aesthetically pleasing to look at. It looks like two semi’s parked together with no windows. There is some responsibility in this movement to build something with whimsy and craft and design to give a sense of hominess (not sure if that is a word) so they are more generally accepted. This feels more like a condo. I notice this in homes built to sell (lots of white, a bit soulless and very few personal touches) versus homes people build for themselves or with their community. Compare this build to this one which I would gladly have as a neighbor or live in myself that is a similar concept which takes into account the nature of materials and spatial relationship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSeyAzJiu1w

  • Nancy R
    August 2, 2019, 5:43 pm

    I have considered THoW since 1999! Interesting tidbit about property taxes in Texas. I researched Kerr County some years ago and at that time, any affixed structure under 400sf is not taxed as a habitable dwelling. That would be a reason to leave two smaller units disconnected.

    I would make the ‘breezeway’ connecting them a screened porch and big enough for a dinner table and chairs. Each end could have a pocket door. Add some shutters, slatted tip-out awnings or storm windows for inclement weather and you have a very usable space that is a connecting walkway. The possibilities are endless in terms of floorplans and where to locate the bathroom, lol.

    These units would be permanently attached to the land, that is the factor that differentiates between Mobile Home Licensing Fees and Property Taxes. Wheels removed and perched on peers, or a perimeter foundation, etc. make it permanently attached. I have seen them perched atop a garage/foundation.

    When the “occupation permit’ is approved by the Code Department, I wonder how the County Tax Assessor would appraise it if the ‘porch’ is actually attached to both units, there may have to be some separation and not a blatant attempt to avoid paying property taxes.

    Also, at age 65, your property taxes become fixed. Personally, I would need a ‘garage’ for storing lotsa ‘stuff’ and I am not sure how that structure impacts property taxes.

  • sandy
    July 8, 2020, 11:20 am

    Whoever designed this don’t have to houseclean. How does one clean around that ugly tub or sink bowl. Keep things easier to clean,

    • Natalie C. McKee
      July 9, 2020, 11:51 am

      Haha the sink would be easier than that tub! Hopefully they have something with a telescoping handle.

  • Nancy M.
    July 9, 2020, 5:48 am

    No climbing up to bed, more space, still portable. Makes sense go me! I am not a die-hard minimalist, though, so flexibility is more important!

    • Natalie C. McKee
      July 9, 2020, 11:43 am

      Totally agree!

  • Barbara Rosen
    November 14, 2021, 2:42 am

    Alec I am enrolled in your newsletter why do you not post my comments?

    • Natalie C. McKee
      November 14, 2021, 6:21 am

      Sorry, Barbara! We have spam filters that sometimes flag comments and require us to manually approve them. I’m approving them all right now!

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