How does a tiny home community builder get good-quality tiny homes quickly? Abby Shank is solving that problem by partnering with other companies, essentially becoming a tiny house builder who doesn’t build all of the houses herself! We discuss the evolution of Tiny Estates from a community of vacation homes to permanent residences and all of the work that that shift entails, plus her new business model. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/234 In This Episode: The evolution of Tiny Es...
Oct 07, 2022•37 min•Ep. 234
You may have seen Macy Miller hinting about something a few weeks ago. The time has finally come for me to be able to share that with everyone! Even though tiny house festivals are starting up again, I thought it would be great to put on an online event that anyone worldwide can attend without having to travel. It’s called the Tiny House Summit and it’s a completely free 3-day online event. In this excerpt from the Summit, Macy shares why tiny houses are important and I thought it was too good n...
Sep 30, 2022•39 min•Ep. 233
This is a great real conversation about what it’s like living tiny. Megan Lockhart doesn’t try to hide the things that are struggles for her and her family and she’s also great about advocating for the benefits of tiny living. We talk about the pros and cons, trials and tribulations, and the immense benefit Megan feels she and her family get from the tiny house lifestyle. Stick around after the credits to hear a bonus session where Megan shares how her builder forgot to install the furnace in he...
Sep 23, 2022•52 min•Ep. 232
This has to be the most unique tiny house living situation I’ve ever seen! Sarah, Brandon, and their dog Iko live in a 225-square-foot tiny home that floats on a lake in The Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina. They live fully off-grid with no cell service and they are only accessible by boat. In this conversation, Sarah and Brandon graciously and openly share why and how they live this way, plus how much it costs and some of the unique challenges that present when you live on a lake in a te...
Sep 16, 2022•42 min•Ep. 231
We’re changing it up a little bit this week! Lucy Lich interviewed me on her podcast, Tiny House Conversations. We had an in-depth conversation about some of the most important decisions you need to make to plan and build a tiny house successfully. We also talked through my best-selling resource, Tiny House Decisions. Lucy is a great interviewer and it was a pleasure to be on her show! Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/230 In This Episode: Ethan’s tiny house-building experiences A c...
Sep 09, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 230
Although we’ve had skoolie owners and builders on the show before, this week’s guest is our first short skoolie dweller. Stefanie Wenceslao talks to me about what it’s like to be new to the tiny lifestyle, how to get to know other tiny house nomads, and what she’s learned so far through trial and error. Short school buses are in the same class as vans, U-Hauls, and ambulances, which means that this wonderful option for full-time tiny living is sometimes overlooked, but Stefanie explains why they...
Sep 02, 2022•34 min•Ep. 229
What is cohousing? Charles Durrett, who literally coined the phrase, explains what cohousing is, how it’s funded, and how the communities are set up. We also discuss how tiny house cohousing communities are a solution to homelessness and how any concerned citizen can use the cohousing model to solve the issue of homelessness in their own area. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/228 In This Episode: What is a cohousing community? Benefits of cohousing The magic number: why 50 is the i...
Aug 26, 2022•59 min•Ep. 228
Clutter affects us all, no matter how big or how tiny our houses are. Connie Ellefson believes that clutter ties up a huge amount of energy and creativity. In her new book, Clear The Space Feel The Rush, Connie offers tons of strategies for how you can get started with decluttering and organizing, and she shares some really good ones in this interview. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/227 In This Episode: Why is decluttering so difficult? How Connie handles old photos and mementos ...
Aug 19, 2022•44 min•Ep. 227
Are you curious about how to live tiny with children and pets? This week’s guest, Alexis Monkhouse, is a single mom who has been living in her tiny house for four years, along with her “Boss Baby” and their two dogs. She has a strong sense of what works and what doesn’t regarding tiny living and she talks to me about all the things that have gone right and some that haven’t during this fun conversation. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/226 In This Episode: Showing the real tiny lif...
Aug 12, 2022•45 min•Ep. 226
How do you renovate a vintage Airstream in two months when you have no building experience? Allison and James not only made their vintage Airstream livable in two months while working full-time, but they also taught themselves how to do carpentry and electrical work - and found a parking spot! In this interview, we talk about how and why they worked on such a short timeline, how they approached learning, and what design choices they made in order to make the Airstream fully functional for their ...
Aug 05, 2022•46 min•Ep. 225
I’ve been seeing a lot of buzz about this company Wilderwise, so I decided to invite one of the founders, Arya Mazanek for an interview. Wilderwise is taking a custom approach to just about every aspect of their tiny home builds- from the custom aluminum trailer that doubles as the floor foundation, to the aluminum and SIP frame, what really sets these tiny homes apart is the fact that they expand to have a full height second floor once they are parked in place. In this interview, I’ll ask Arya ...
Jul 29, 2022•39 min•Ep. 224
Yes, a tiny home can qualify for a traditional mortgage! Aubrie Gibbons works for Atlas Cottage Homes, a company that has developed a modular small home, or cottage as they call it, that can be traditionally mortgaged. They can even help you roll the cost of the land into that loan, along with the cottage. We also dispel some of the common myths about modular building, along with what modular building can and can’t do. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/223 In This Episode: How does ...
Jul 22, 2022•30 min•Ep. 223
Are you interested in listing a tiny house on Airbnb? I’ve been doing just that and I wanted to share my experiences with you. In this episode, I’ll cover what it’s been like turning my tiny house into an Airbnb, things I would have designed differently if I knew I was going to turn my house into a rental, and what it’s like to be an Airbnb host. Thank you to everyone who submitted their listener questions for the episode. For those of you who asked (and a lot of you asked), I do talk about what...
Jul 15, 2022•40 min•Ep. 222
David Friedlander has been an advocate for the widespread adoption of minimal and tiny/low-impact living for over a decade. He’s been featured in the New York times, Minimalism documentary, and more. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore micro-living, hotel living, and what needs to change in our culture to more fully support a sustainable future living on the planet. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/221 In This Episode: Why David thinks the “American Dream” is a nightmare ...
Jul 08, 2022•55 min•Ep. 221
If you’re looking for inexpensive raw land you won’t want to miss this episode. Dave Denniston is a sort of raw land broker. he finds inexpensive land, makes sure it all checks out, finds out what can be done with it, and offers in-house financing. He explains the basics of raw land, gives us the scoop on some of his favorite tiny-home-friendly counties in US states, and lets us know which episodes of his own podcast will be most beneficial as you’re searching for that perfect plot. Full show no...
Jul 01, 2022•50 min•Ep. 220
Can a relationship survive a DIY tiny house build? Cassie and Richard Saude of Lionheart Homes built their own tiny home and took their passion for the tiny house community to start their own tiny home building business. They now build houses for others, using their knowledge and insights as tiny home dwellers to provide additional insight to their clients in the design and construction process. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/219 In This Episode: Making tiny comfortable for full-...
Jun 24, 2022•39 min•Ep. 219
Today I am joined by a group of three friends to solve the problem we’re all facing today: the housing crisis! They decided to start a company called Tiny Easy that provides affordable tiny house plans with beautiful designs, SketchUp courses, and a lot more in the works. This is an impressive group of young entrepreneurs who I think will go a long way in the tiny house world. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/218 In This Episode: A one-stop-shop for everything tiny Helping people c...
Jun 17, 2022•40 min•Ep. 218
Would you believe me if I told you that it was entirely possible to record an album on a sailboat? Alli and Gaylen are the Sail Bums, a musical duo from Maine who live on their 37-foot Endeavour sailboat. In addition to explaining how they manage their music business while traveling the eastern seaboard, they also give some great advice to nomads on both land and sea and talk about why the nomadic lifestyle is so appealing to them. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/217 In This Episo...
Jun 10, 2022•50 min•Ep. 217
Sabrina Bosserman is a professional skoolie builder, and she's here to tell us all about the ins and outs of converting a skoolie into a beautiful rolling tiny home. Sabrina is also a former Naval nuclear engineer who now builds skoolies full-time, and we chat about how her experience in the Navy helped to inform her desire and some skills for living tiny. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/216 In This Episode: Military training helps with the tiny lifestyle What a professional skool...
Jun 03, 2022•45 min•Ep. 216
Say you build a tiny house on wheels but you want a legal place to park it. You fall in love with a piece of land and decide to buy it and create a legal tiny house community. Would you believe me if I told you that would take nearly two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars? My guests today, Callie Brauel and Nathan Huening did just that. They certainly didn't expect it to take so long or be so challenging, but they’re here to tell the tale and share what they’ve learned along the way. Ful...
May 27, 2022•53 min•Ep. 215
Today, you’ll get the inside scoop on what it’s like to live in AND to be a founding member of an intentional community. My guest, Mike Moore, has lived in his community for over 25 in a ground-bound tiny house designed by Jay Shafer. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/214 In This Episode: Breakups: Who stays and who has to go? Cluster zoning is a mutually beneficial arrangement An informal but effective selection process What is a legacy clause? Considerations for ADA compliance and...
May 20, 2022•38 min•Ep. 214
Living tiny is a great way to save money and pay off debt, and my guest today did that in a radical way. $60,000 in student loan debt in just 11 months. You’ll have to listen to the episode to find out exactly how he did it and why he doesn’t recommend doing it the way that he did. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/213 In This Episode: It all started with a joke and a gift How not to vanlife The realities of vanlife New to budgeting? Start with this advice A recipe for success Getti...
May 13, 2022•41 min•Ep. 213
Even if you've never heard of an Airstream you probably know what they look like. These iconic travel trailers from the 1950s have become a hot commodity for renovation into beautiful, lightweight, tiny homes. Kate Oliver is the author of the new book The Modern Caravan, which tells the stories of beautiful Airstream conversions and the people who live in them through words and gorgeous photographs. Kate’s journey started with a DIY Airstream renovation that led to starting a company and she sha...
May 06, 2022•41 min•Ep. 212
What happens when two siblings decide to buy tiny houses and live next door to one another? Ashley Monkhouse is here to tell us all about her tiny lifestyle. Even though the two sisters bought their tiny houses from the same builder, they are quite different. In this interview, we'll hear Ashley's tiny story, learn about the tiny house community where they live, and find out what advice Ashley would give herself if she could go back in time before she bought a tiny house. Full show notes and ima...
Apr 29, 2022•33 min•Ep. 211
If you’re trying to build a tiny house on a budget, starting with a pre-existing shed can be one of the cheapest ways to do it. Adrian and Katherine Alvarez purchased a $20,000 16x50 Dirksen shed for $10,000 and spent very little to turn it into a home for their family of 3. Shed conversions are their own special animal and the Alvarezes share some great tips and what they wish they knew before they started. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/210 In This Episode: How to find a cheape...
Apr 22, 2022•40 min•Ep. 210
Would you buy a 30-year-old military vehicle that breaks down all the time but can go anywhere? My guests today, Rae and Trevor of Wazimu Life, did just that and they’re here to tell us all about their fascinating lifestyle, now in their second, less breakdown-prone, go-anywhere tiny house rig. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/209 In This Episode: Wazimu explained When is the vehicle too suited for off-roading? How to build an off-road, off-grid rolling home The English Bulldog is ...
Apr 15, 2022•49 min•Ep. 209
Today is one of those rare occasions where I get to introduce you to new building technology. My guest, Harrison Langley, is the founder of the company Boxvana, a composite SIP manufacturer and modular builder. Their LitePan material is up to 4 times lighter than a conventional wood SIP. That weight, along with the thermal properties, makes this incredible new technology an amazing application for tiny homes on wheels. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/208 In This Episode: A super l...
Apr 08, 2022•27 min•Ep. 208
If you’ve ever had trouble setting and reaching goals, this conversation is for you. Sasha Morozov and I discuss why work-life balance is a bunch of BS, how you can make your home fit your lifestyle, and how to create and keep healthy habits to help you move toward what you want. Sasha has a ton of energy and passion that I’m sure will motivate and inspire you. Full show notes at thetinyhouse.net/207 In This Episode: Enjoying life by challenging the status quo How to find what drives you It’s a ...
Apr 01, 2022•36 min•Ep. 207
Is there anything cooler than taking a shower in your own waterfall? This week, Chris Strathy comes back to the show to tell us about his treasure trove of fun, off-grid projects. We talk about his redneck hot tub design, building an underground hobbit house, rehabbing an old log cabin, and so much more. Stick around to be inspired and hear all of the good wisdom that The Capable Carpenter has to offer. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/206 In This Episode: The Strathy homestead is ...
Mar 25, 2022•45 min•Ep. 206
Have you ever seen a shed or a building that is not a house, looked at it, and thought that you could probably turn it into a tiny home? Well, that’s what my guest, Deanna Michaelson, did! Deanna was able to eliminate $30k of debt in two years by renovating and living in a 9x12 tool shed. Stick around to hear what it took to turn the shed into a beautiful tiny house, why she got kicked out, and what she’s doing next. We also talk about her coaching business, Stoked Coaching, and what kind of cli...
Mar 18, 2022•40 min•Ep. 205
