So many decisions

Now that you have lived with your house fort for a few weeks, how do you like it? At this point in the process I was a bit concerned for my mental well being. Just seeing how tiny my little house was caused my stomach to hurt! Have faith, it feels bigger once you are actually in it.

I had the whole tiny house taped out on my living room floor. With my blue tape and furniture in place I realized that even though several pieces if furniture would fit, it felt way too cramped. So I took out half and it felt a lot bigger. All the pieces I did decide to keep are multi functional and can be moved in or out as my needs change. Below is the setup I am using now that I need a space for writing this blog. Next to the green folding chair is a very small folding table and next to the front door is a wooden bench for extra seating.

FYI - I had my tiny house built without ever seeing an actual tiny house!

It's time to think about the floor plan. If you check online, there are a lot people who have published their plans. You can get some great ideas from them, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Consider your hobbies and day-to-day activities. Make sure the things you do daily are easy to accomplish in your space. Consider making the furniture in the living room not built-in, this way you will be able to change out the pieces as needed.

Remember to keep in mind your "Have To's". One of my "Have To's" was a view.

To build or not to build? If you chose to build, will you have the patience and skills to complete the job? The money to redo errors? The space to build? The tools and friends to help? Remember it will take longer and cost more than you think. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. You could have a builder take care of the shell, electric and plumbing. Then you could finish out the interior yourself. At least this way you will be assured that that your house won't fall off the trailer while moving down the road and take out some people along with it!

As you know, I chose to have mine built. I know enough about myself to hand over this type of work to someone who knows what they are doing. But I did want to be involved in the process and choosing the right builder is important.

While I continued to live in my house fort and purge my stuff, I begin to look for a builder. I started canvasing locally and checking with friends about contractors they knew. What I found was that I needed someone with "tiny house" experience. Someone who was passionate about them and as picky as I am about the details.

It took me about 6 months to find Todd Miller of the Oregon Cottage Company.  This is Todd. Check out his site. It features my Ynez cottage! Tell him I sent you. :)

We talked a few times, I emailed him my rough sketch and he sent me a quote. His schedule was booked for several months which gave me more time to save cash and continue my purging. I met with him prior to his ordering of the custom trailer. I gave him a deposit and signed the contract. While there I was also able to see the beautiful home that he built.

House designed & built by Todd Miller.

Take your time with this step. Make sure you are comfortable with your decision. Even if you are just buying plans from the builder you will want a relationship with him in case you have questions or concerns. You want this to be an enjoyable process, not a stressful one.


Next, what everyone wants to know - financing.