If you are acquainted with internet research and have knowledge about planning and preparing everything you do, creating your own tiny house plan is not a big deal. However, many people lack the time and patience and prefer to connect with a tiny home builder to buy the perfect tiny house plan. A good plan can save a lot of your time and money and help you keep your sanity during the building phase of the tiny home. Tiny home designers and builders conduct a lot of research and invest hundreds of hours in customizing a tiny house plan considering every aspect before finalizing. Planning and designing require architectural and engineering knowledge and dedicated research to ensure that the tiny home meets the safety standards and aligns with the building codes. TinyHouseMe can not only help you plan your tiny house, but we can also connect you with multiple builders who can offer you high-quality tiny home plans. You can compare the prices and start the project as soon as possible.
However, there are certain important considerations you need to make before starting the tiny house project:
Your budget
A quick way to determine the budget of your tiny home is to look at the price of the houses built by professional tiny home builders like American Tiny House, BOSS Tiny House, Irontown Homes, Forever Tiny Homes, and the like. For example, if they offer a basic unit at $60,000, you can safely assume that the build price will be around 2/3 of the retail cost or around $40,000 (you can find models displayed by these established builders at TinyHouseMe). However, this is unrealistic and just a rough estimate to get started. A better way would be to connect with the builders directly via TinyHouseMe to get the detailed cost analysis of the tiny home plan. The good news is that you no longer have to wait in queue to connect with your favorite builder. Instead, we make things simpler and faster for you by placing you directly at the front line for the tiny home builder.
Permanent foundation or trailer mounted?
If you want a moveable tiny house, then a trailer-mounted design plan works best, but the size and plan get limited to the trailer one can afford. A permanent foundation gives you more flexibility as you can choose a large plan, add decking, cover the decks, and make additions to the plan more easily. However, the tiny home on the foundation will need inspections and permits, and the cost will be more to complete. The upside of this hassle is that if the house has the permits and passes through inspection, it can be easily insured and resold at a higher bid.
Features in a tiny home to include in the plan
There are a few things that you need to have in your tiny house. A piece of small workspace furniture, cooktop, washer, and dryer units are a few. It’s important to consider the viewing plans if you need to have these appliances featured in your tiny house. Check if the design and layout can accommodate these items without any changes. If you have any specific wants, verify with the builder if these appliances fit the design or floor plan of the tiny home you are considering.
Plan out the trailer size you can afford to pull
Tiny houses are heavier than RV vehicles, and you need to plan out a smaller house to reduce the weight. Using regular construction materials for heavy-duty trailers can add up to 8,000 – 14,000 lbs of dry weight, and this largely depends on the materials used for building the tiny home. When you plan a tiny home on wheels, consider the vehicle’s towing capacity. However, you need to talk to a tiny home builder for more detailed planning of the trailer and the tiny home. TinyHouseMe can set up an appointment at the earliest with your matched builder. All you need to do is become a member, and TinyHouseMe will provide you with expert assistance to plan your tiny house.
Plan the height of the tiny home
If you are planning a tiny home on wheels, the height of the home on the trailer should not exceed 13′ 4″, as per the California Department of Transportation website. This is important as ignorance can result in you saying goodbye to the tiny home and needing to pay the local municipality for structural testing and repair work. It is, therefore, vital to know the total height of the tiny home on wheels, travel restrictions in different states on heights, and other building codes and zoning regulations – as this will save you from extra detour travel and headaches in the future.
Tiny home plan purchasing can get your home insured more easily
When you get a tiny home on a foundation with a proper plan, obtaining permits is almost effortless, and you can easily get the home insured just like your traditional house. In addition, the cost of the insurance is cheaper as you already have a good tiny home plan to help you with the process. However, the insurance is trickier and costlier when you have a mobile home. To get the mobile home insured, you need to get creative and do a lot of legwork. For this, connecting with TinyHouseMe is ideal for getting the home on wheels insured for protection against disasters on the road or when parked.
Choose a tiny home plan as per your age and fitness levels
You need a tiny home plan that suits your physical condition and health. If you are old with physical limitations, then a loft bedroom is not right for you. Climbing the ladder and moving around in a small space is quite troublesome for the elderly. You need to plan stairs for the loft area to make climbing easier. Additionally, the loft sleeping areas have a low ceiling space; and if you are unfit, it gets quite uncomfortable. In such cases, you need a plan with a sleeping area on the main floor, as this is a great choice for utmost comfort.
If you want a customized or off-the-shelf tiny home built with blueprints and floor plans, connect with TinyHouseMe. We connect you with multiple builders across US and Canada and offer helpful resources to finance and plan your tiny home project.
