Deciding to Build a Tiny House

I needed something to do. Last winter I built a teardrop camper, a Wyoming Woody. It was a challenging project, and I enjoyed it - and the end product.

I thought about building another camper, but can only use one and would lose money if I sold it, especially considering my labor.

Before I decided to build the teardrop, I had bought a book called "Tiny House Design & Construction Guide" by Dan Louche. I glanced at it at the time, but didn't have a good reason to build one. The camper, we could use. But that's done now. And, again, I need something to do. Can I build a tiny house, sell it, and make some money?

Are there markets for this type of home? Tiny homes are hot right now. They certainly aren't for everybody, myself and wife included, at least not as a replacement for our house. But there are several companies making tiny homes. They are for people wanting to get into a starter home without being tied down to a hefty mortgage, people who want freedom and mobility but yet live in more conventional construction than an RV, people who are downsizing, people who want to go off-grid, and people who want to own a vacation retreat.

For various reasons, I have decided to focus on the off-grid tiny house. I like the challenge of providing the services that an off-grid house needs. My degree is in electrical engineering, and I wrote software for several years. I love technology, and to go off-grid requires some significant technology. People need hot and cold water, and sewer, for kitchen and bathroom, a way to heat, cool and ventilate their house, a way to power a refrigerator and stove. And besides those necessities, its nice to have a washer/dryer, computer, internet, television and other things. Being off-grid means having no water or sewer pipe connections from the city, no gas or electrical connections from the utility company. A tiny home owner will have to spend more time to get those services. They'll probably have to store water and propane, make electricity, properly handle the grey water from the sink and shower, and waste from the toilet. Planning for all that is very interesting to me. Similar to the planning for the teardrop, but on a bigger scale.

But that is all a bit down the road. First things first. What is this house going to look like? How big is it? What is the floorplan? What materials should it use? Next post will discuss the trailer I plan to use as a foundation, and considerations in picking out a floor plan.