Malissa and Chris Tack did one of the first tiny house builds to be fully documented in photographs every day. I remember poring through their daily time-lapses to figure out how they did certain things. Their beautiful design included dormers in the loft, which inspired my tiny house and countless others. Malissa is here to tell us the story of her tiny house journey and how the house has continued to support their family as it has grown. In This Episode: How the Tiny Tack House came to be Havi...
Feb 09, 2024•44 min
This episode features Jody Brady. In 2014, after living in a series of traditionally scaled houses, Jody and her husband Bill decided it was time to "right-size" their living space. They designed and built their tiny home in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia, and they've been living tiny for two and a half years. In this interview, we get into what it’s like to go tiny as a couple at retirement age, but who certainly aren’t “retired” in the traditional sense. We’ll talk about what “rightsizin...
Feb 02, 2024•38 min
It’s not just about finances. Though many people are drawn to tiny house living for the financial benefits, living tiny has a way of changing the way you look at everything in your life. Living tiny for 3.5 years has had a lasting impact on my guest, Alek Lisefski. In this conversation, we’ll talk about those changes, plus what Alek learned from having two significant relationships in a tiny house. For complete show notes, transcript and images, visit https://www.thetinyhouse.net/alek Send us a ...
Jan 26, 2024•33 min
This episode features an incredible guest. Joining me is Kai, who's not only living in a house truck but has a wealth of knowledge about the ins and outs of this unique lifestyle. We'll explore Kai's journey, from finding and customizing a commercial truck to navigating the practical challenges of living in her unique tiny home. Kai will share their experiences with insulation, maintenance, and the daily joys and hardships of the tiny life. Get ready to be inspired and informed by Kai's fascinat...
Jan 05, 2024•44 min•Ep. 288
Tiffany DaSilva is a passionate real estate investor and loan officer with a love for tiny living. She's here to share her incredible journey of building her own twenty by eight and a half foot handcrafted tiny house while she was still in high school. Tiffany's story is truly inspiring from learning carpentry, plumbing and electrical work to overcoming challenges and societal prejudice as a young female builder. Her perseverance and dedication to tiny living are sure to inspire and educate us a...
Dec 22, 2023•28 min•Ep. 287
I’m sharing my own captivating [and slightly humorous] tale of dealing with unexpected visitors in my tiny house. It all starting with light scratching sounds, which led to the shocking discovery of these unexpected guests. In this episode, I am walking you through the entire process of diagnosing, cleaning, and ultimately sealing off the entry points for these tiny intruders. With valuable lessons and practical advice for both builders and current tiny house dwellers, let’s explore the importan...
Dec 08, 2023•18 min•Ep. 286
As the president of THIA and the director of Government relations for the American Tiny House Association, Dan Fitzpatrick is at the forefront of the movement to legalize tiny homes as a viable housing option in the United States. In this episode, we'll dive into the progress being made in legalizing tiny homes, the collaboration between Tiny Home Industry Association and the International Code Council, and the challenges faced in navigating zoning constraints for placing tiny houses. We'll also...
Nov 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 285
Nate Murphy is an adventurous builder and filmmaker who has taken on not just one, but countless incredible projects, converting several vans into cozy living spaces and renovating a centuries old house in the beautiful Pyrenees Mountains. In our conversation, Nate shares his experience of building a van from scratch, documenting every step of the process with over 100 hours of footage. Nate also opens up about the intense filming process, and the unique aspects of van conversion that make it bo...
Nov 03, 2023•50 min•Ep. 284
I met Vera a decade ago and we were both invited to speak at Deek Diedrickson's Tiny House workshop in Connecticut. She explained that my first pictures of my tiny house that I built in 2012 with rain screen inspired her to deep dive into everything from thermal bridging to mold mitigation for the build of her silver bullet tiny house. When Vera takes on a project or issue you can bet she's thorough, persistent, and resilient. Vera has been on our podcast twice before, last time she discussed pa...
Oct 20, 2023•36 min•Ep. 283
Pamela has a fascinating story to share about her life aboard a 100 year old tugboat called the Zenia Sophia. From the day before she got married, Pamela and her husband Ulrich have made this boat their home, raising their two daughters on board, creating a unique and adventurous lifestyle. We'll dive into their journey from the challenges of finding moorage for their 65 foot long boat, to the exhilaration of a rocky crossing. We'll also learn about the importance of supervising children around ...
Oct 06, 2023•46 min•Ep. 282
The type of toilet you choose to install in your tiny home will definitely affect things like your budget, your other systems, and your ability to travel. It's a question that I get from time to time, so I thought I would share this short and informational session with you. I am talking through what I chose for my tiny house, the different types of toilets that exist, how they work, and the pros and cons of each. In This Episode: Water usage and flush toilets in a tiny home environment Waste wat...
Sep 29, 2023•21 min•Ep. 281
Gerry Wolter is an inventor and entrepreneur who has revolutionized tankless hot water systems for small and tiny houses. His company, PrecisionTemp, offers innovative and American made water heating solutions for both heat and hot water. From onboard hot water for sailors to portable heaters for firefighters and tiny house tankless heaters, Gerry has done it all. Today, he's here to share his expertise on compact cutting-edge heating solutions for the tiny house movement. We’ll talk through the...
Sep 15, 2023•43 min•Ep. 280
Laura Lynch is a certified financial planner who specializes in helping people financially execute their plans to go tiny. Laura shares her insights on the unique aspects of tiny living, including the financial considerations and the importance of creating a supportive community for the longterm. She also opens up about her own journey towards embracing the tiny lifestyle and aligning all aspects of her life to her authentic self. We'll discuss the financial questions and challenges that arise w...
Sep 08, 2023•35 min•Ep. 279
Jinkie Echols is an incredible advocate for affordable housing and the founder of Peace Wind, a successful tiny house community in Cocoa Florida. Jinkie shares her remarkable journey and the lessons she's learned along the way, from buying raw land, to getting codes and zoning changed, all the way to developing the houses and opening for business. With her experience as a builder, developer, and landlord of her own tiny house community, Jinkie has firsthand insights into the challenges and rewar...
Sep 01, 2023•47 min•Ep. 278
This episode features special guest, Jason Gastman, the new business development manager for FOTILE America. We discuss Jason's role in bringing FOTILE appliances into the mainstream markets, making them a premier choice for appliances with premium retailers, architects, and builders. Jason has been focusing on providing high quality appliances such as hoods, ovens, and cooktops to the tiny house community and upscale compact living spaces. One of their standout products is the in-sink dishwashe...
Aug 25, 2023•32 min•Ep. 277
Tracy Manchego-Baker, is the co-founder of Tiny Building Experts based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Tracy and her husband Austin have built a reputation as experienced ethical and high quality tiny home builders, with Austin leading the way by being part of almost 500 Tiny House builds since 2014. They also serve as industry consultants and subject matter experts supporting tiny home initiatives both locally and nationally for building code standards and navigating the placement of tiny homes ...
Aug 18, 2023•45 min•Ep. 276
Laura Kuntz is an elementary school teacher and a mother of three grown daughters. She's here to share her journey of building her own tiny house. Since high school Laura has been obsessed with the idea of living in a small home and now as an empty nester, she finally had the perfect opportunity to make her dream a reality. In this episode, Laura walks us through the steps she took to go from being a tiny house enthusiast to a proud homeowner. She shares insights about finding the right location...
Aug 11, 2023•35 min•Ep. 275
Beau and Kelly are a full time family building a Texas homestead. They are living in a tiny house that is just over 800 square feet with five kids and we just scratched the surface of their really cool lifestyle in this interview. If you are interested in homesteading, buying raw land, or a shed to tiny house conversion, this episode is for you. Beau has so much info to share. In this conversation we dive into the start of their project, what the land was like when they first bought it, what the...
Aug 04, 2023•50 min•Ep. 274
Mallory is a tiny house dweller who lives in a stationary tiny house that she calls Mal's mushroom house. The house is beautifully renovated with a fairy tale like theme and feel to it. In this conversation, we'll learn about the history of Mal's mushroom house and the interior renovations that Mallory did to the house. We discuss the creative and inexpensive renovations she did, using things like countertop wrapping, cabinet wraps, and creating an accent wall using trim board. Plus, I get Mallo...
Jul 28, 2023•29 min•Ep. 273
Today’s episode is with fan favorite Derek "Deek" Diedricksen. Deek has been on the show several times, but I invited him back because it is the 10th anniversary of his super fun and unique signature tiny house building workshop, called Tiny House Summer Camp. In this interview, we'll talk about Deek’s hands on approach to workshops and how he structures these events so you can get your hands on power tools and build, to really get a sense of what it's like to build a small home. It wouldn't be ...
Jul 21, 2023•33 min•Ep. 272
Jeff Waldman is a builder, a tinkerer, a designer, and over the course of several years, he and his partner Molly designed and built a beautiful retreat in the Redwoods with lots of help from friends. Unfortunately, it was lost in a 2020 wildfire. In this conversation, we will talk about the benefits of building with your community and involving your friends in your builds. We also talk about the importance of getting started with something small. Maybe not starting with a tiny house first, but ...
Jul 14, 2023•49 min•Ep. 271
Are you confused by all the latest tiny house news relating to regulations and building code? Today, Lee Pera is joining the show to help us untangle all of the regulatory happenings in the tiny house world. In this conversation, we delve into various topics including the IRC, Appendix Q, and ASTM efforts to create tiny house standards. Lee shares recent developments in the regulatory landscape and explains what they mean for living tiny legally. This episode provides valuable insights into the ...
Jul 07, 2023•37 min•Ep. 270
Kristie Wolfe returns to the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast with a conversation you do not want to miss. Her initial tiny house project in 2011 led her down a path she never expected. Kristie is passionate about creating unique, handcrafted experiences including a tree house in Hawaii, an underground hobbit hole in Washington and a potato hotel in her hometown of Boise. In this conversation we dive into Kristie's latest and most ambitious project to date, Moonpass Lookouts and the inspiration behi...
Jun 30, 2023•56 min•Ep. 269
Otis Sanders has spent the past five years constructing his dream home in the great outdoors, all alone in the woods. Otis found serenity and satisfaction in the process of creating a space that he could call his own. In this episode, we'll be discussing the challenges of building solo in the woods, including how to transport materials, manage your time, and ensure your safety when you're working alone. We'll also talk about the importance of sustainability and reducing environmental waste in th...
Jun 23, 2023•42 min•Ep. 268
Meet Ashley Mazanec, a self-professed tiny home nerd and talented musician. Ashley just released a new song and music video shot in her tiny house! In this conversation, we will talk about what it's like filming a music video in a tiny house, why Ash was drawn to the tiny house movement, and what she hopes to achieve with this music video. Ash has also lived in 3 different tiny homes, all rentals, so we talk about the challenges of finding tiny homes as longterm rentals. It's a really interestin...
Jun 16, 2023•36 min•Ep. 267
Blake and his wife, Alex are 23 year old newlyweds living off the grid, tiny house life in Northern Arizona. Their 400 square foot shed conversion is a testament to their creativity and resourcefulness. In this episode, Blake shares the story behind their unique home from customization details to navigating the fine line between shed and residential structure. Get ready to be inspired by their journey into tiny house living and learn all about what it takes to convert a shed to a tiny house on t...
Jun 09, 2023•37 min•Ep. 266
Interested in trying out minimalism without committing to downsizing all of your stuff? This week, author and minimalist lifestyle expert, Courtney Carver, shares her insights on the benefits of living with less. We dive into how simplifying our lives creates time and space and discuss the basics of Project 333, a minimalist fashion challenge that allows people to get started with living simply without over-committing. Whether you're new to the concept of minimalism or looking for inspiration to...
Jun 02, 2023•38 min•Ep. 265
What if everything you’ve ever owned was suddenly destroyed by a wildfire? Nicole Sallak Anderson shares her experience of losing her California home to wildfire, how she found solace in documenting her post-fire journey, and how her memoir ultimately led her to tiny house living. Nicole is full of practical advice and insights on tiny house living and the importance of resilience in the face of adversity! Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/264 In This Episode: Rebuilding from nothin...
May 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 264
During the past couple of years, I’ve been watching Lazrin Schenck’s tiny house build take shape here in Vermont. Lazrin built her own tiny house, moved it three times, and recently purchased land to live on. Working at a job that has the flexibility to accommodate her projects, Lazrin has been constantly improving her surroundings in some pretty impressive ways. I hope you enjoy her perspective and persevering spirit as much as I do! Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/263 In This Ep...
May 19, 2023•38 min•Ep. 263
Are you curious about what it would be like to sleep in a tiny house that is nestled in a treetop or hanging from the side of a cliff? Django Kroner, founder of The Canopy Crew, shares his insights on the challenges of building in unconventional locations and the special considerations required for these remarkable structures. Get ready to be inspired by the ingenious ideas behind these incredible tiny spaces. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/262 In This Episode: An idyllic home up...
May 12, 2023•28 min•Ep. 262
