What is a tiny home?

You can roughly describe the size of a tiny home as about two 20ft shipping containers stacked on top of each other. Tiny homes can be anything from a specially built house on wheels, to a caravan, to a teeny house built on land.

Why are they popular?

For many young singles and empty-nesters, it makes perfect sense to save money and be more mobile and ultimately, 'small'. Although two-bedroom tiny house floor plans are not very common, you can easily find plenty of designs with modern loft or flexible designs amidst tiny house plans that allows for tiny house expansion by connecting two tiny houses together.

Besides saving a lot of money, downsizing is truly the best way of organizing your stuff and de-cluttering your home. Minimalism as a movement among the younger generation is also picking up steam, much of which has characterised the population of tiny houses due to not only its minimal size, but also design.

Regulations

Building a tiny home on foundations on a block of land requires normal council approval and applications, which takes time and money.

Cost

They can be built to match anyone's lifestyle and budget. They can range from $10,000 to $180,000, but the average falls somewhere in the range of $30,000 to $40,000, making them cheap as chips (for a home).

Here are some of the best, free tiny house plans, fit for homes on wheels, for those concerned with a considered interior, or those generally just looking to be inspired by ideas. These houses will be sure to fit the dimensions...excuse the pun.

  1. Modern tiny house — View plans

    Not everyone wants to build something traditional or classic. This tiny house plan has a clean and modern minimalistic design that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to build. Out of all tiny home layouts, this one speaks to the younger generation of artistically-inclined freelancers.

    Pro's include its simplicity, which extends to cost and materials. Cons include it's sterile design and permanence...if you're looking for wheels and colour, this may not be the one for you.

  2. Tiny Tudor House — View plans

    Just look at this 300 sq. ft. Tudor cottage plan and facade. It’s a promise of a fairytale-style life! This adorable thing even has a walk-in closet! As an added bonus, the plan can be customized.

    If you don’t want to build it for yourself, you can consider it for your in-laws or as a guest house. They don’t have to suffer staying in one of your rooms or a hotel during visits.

    Another idea would be using this tiny cottage as a stand-alone home office or art studio. It could be a very nice addition to your existing real estate. Your real estate agent may give you some ideas on how to build it, so it will increase your property value.

  3. Binishells: Dome-shaped concrete home for $3,500 — View plans

    These tiny dome-shaped homes are called Binishells. They are constructed using a process that is similar to making a papier-mâché balloon base and cost a  friendly $3,500 approximately, to build. They are both a builders best friend, and yours (if you like concrete).

    In this case, concrete is poured over a heavy-duty air pump bladder and steel rebar framework. Next, the bladder is deflated to reveal a tiny, resilient home that can stand up to extreme conditions such as earthquakes, high winds, or even lava flows.
    Originally used as a blueprint for emergency shelters and temporary structures such as auxiliary school classrooms, recent years have seen Binishells adopted by the tiny-house crowd.

  4. Ana White's house — View Plans

  5. Vermont Tiny House — View Plans

    The Vermont Tiny House sits on a 22’ flatbed trailer and is approximately 155 square feet. The dormers in the loft allow for extra head room and many windows in the loft area.

    With a total of 12 windows, this tiny house has a tremendous amount of natural light in every corner. Window and door types and dimensions are specified in the plans.

    The Vermont Tiny House is a unique combination of rustic and modern, featuring rough cut pine and cedar details combined with modern efficiencies. It feels right at home nestled in the trees or next to a small pond. I enjoy playing music both on the deck and indoors as the space resonates well for acoustic music.

    This home is perfect for a couple or individual looking to live a life of freedom and simple pleasures. With everything you’ll need to live a comfortable life, the Vermont Tiny House makes it all possible.