In my journeys researching and building tiny houses, I’ve seen a lot of mistakes. Almost all of them stem from incorrectly planning a tiny house. If you are planning to build a tiny house, you will not need to add these strange things. You may also like to know about tiny house mistakes, but you can also use them to plan your projects.
1 Mistake: Postpone Adding Secondary Rooms and Interior Items
Try living at home first and feel what you really lack. It often happens that homeowners rush to add a utility room, a sofa or a large table in the kitchen, and then do not know what to do with them. You will constantly hit them and it is annoying.
Solution
Do not rush with what can be postponed. Perhaps you will reconsider your decision and instead of a traditional double bed, put a fold-out sofa. The same can be the other way around, if a bed with a lifting mechanism fits better into your interior.
Of course, it will be difficult to give up some things. For this reason, if you are in doubt, you can buy inexpensive furniture from Ikea, which will not hit the budget. Even if it quickly breaks down, you will not regret it, but you will definitely understand how to improve the interior.
2 Not Making A Custom Tiny House
If you’ve watched shows about houses, you’ll probably know at least a few examples of houses built by celebrities. Approach your tiny house with this level of customization. Don’t think about what someone else built.
Unfortunately, too many people built a mini-gym or a relatively large garage because their friends did. Then these spaces turn into storage rooms filled with stuff.
Your tiny house should reflect your priorities and values. It doesn’t matter what the show did if it doesn’t resonate with you and reflect your interests. Keep in mind that you will have to make compromises in your home, so don’t try to catch up or overtake someone else.
Also, consider carving out a corner for your business needs. Having a dedicated workspace, even if it’s small, can be crucial. With tools like the FAX from iPhone: Fax App, you can stay organized and manage essential documents efficiently.
Solution
If you dream of a luxurious bath or even a Jacuzzi, you will have to sacrifice something. But you will know that these sacrifices are worth it. We needed a large kitchen, which was almost 10′ x 8′ wide. Not only do I cook often, but I also plan to try to do it semi-professionally.
This means that I definitely need a full oven, a two-door refrigerator and a large sink. I prefer separate niches so that the dishes do not get in the way while I finish cooking.
In our case, we had to sacrifice the bathroom. Not quite, of course. It has everything you need and it does its job, but there is no bathtub.
3 Mistake: Unbalanced Spending
When building your tiny house, remember that the devil is in the details, especially when it comes to materials. Your choice of materials can make or break your experience.
For example, a bamboo sink countertop might seem eco-friendly, but it can be a stain magnet. Similarly, laminate flooring may not hold up well against muddy paws and bad weather. These are just a few reasons why careful material selection is crucial.
Solution
You should analyze prices and your budget. Instead of buying premium fittings but skimping on home insulation, try to find a balance. If you review the list of expenses, you will definitely find something you can save on without much discomfort and something that needs to be improved.
It has already become a meme when people save on the frame of the house, but buy expensive furniture, and then pay high heating bills, constantly fight mold and other consequences of saving on construction. Analyze how much your tiny house costs and save up if you are short, rather than resort to irrational savings that will cost you more in the future.
4 Mistake: Short Term or Quick Planning
When building and designing a tiny house, there should be thinking long-term and considering questions like, “Will I stay in one place?” or “Will I move to different climates?” You should have at least rough plans for 5-10 years of your life. If you plan to live in your tiny home for a long time, you should think about family changes and requests in future years.
Your answers will guide your home needs. For example, solar panels might not be ideal for a forested area, and you might want to invest in insulation if you plan to live in a colder climate.
Solution
What are we talking about:
- Are you planning on having children? If so, how many? This should be reflected in the potential available living space. You don’t want to add separate rooms to the house or huddle in one room with a second child? Also consider that the gender of the children may be different and they will not be able to live in the same room either.
- How old are you? If your house has several floors, you should, and you are over 50, consider stairs or even an elevator. Otherwise, in 20 years you will stop going upstairs altogether.
- How much are you willing to spend? If you understand that you may need additional savings, allow for this in advance. You can create several heating options so that you can choose the most economical one.
Another option is to make a branched heating system in which you can regulate the temperature in each room. Unused spaces can be left unheated.
This is especially useful if your child is about to move out and you don’t need a significant portion of the space. There are a lot of such questions. You should think ahead and not just in the next couple of years.
5 Mistake: Focus on Aesthetics, Not Functionality
Designing a tiny house often brings to mind the sleek and minimalist spaces found in design magazines. While it’s easy to focus on aesthetics, it’s important not to overlook practical living aspects in such a compact space.
For example, a large soaking tub might look luxurious but could reduce valuable storage or hinder functionality, creating a beautiful yet impractical home.
Solution
Think about functionality first and try to combine it with aesthetics. None of us would dare to say that aesthetics are not important, but the functionality of the space will still be more important. For example, think about how long you can enjoy a beautiful but useless website?
A couple of seconds, but a functional website with a relatively simple design can keep you entertained for hours. Let this be a rough comparison, but do not sacrifice functionality. It is better to look for alternative ways and options.
6 Mistake: Don’t Count on Making Money from Selling Your Home
Many tiny-home owners expect to sell their homes for a profit after a few years. However, tiny homes typically lose value over time. Sources like Ramsey Solutions and All About Tiny Houses note that tiny homes, especially those on wheels, depreciate similarly to RVs and trucks.
Solution
For instance, The Nest estimates a $100,000 mobile home loses about $3,454.54 in value annually. Ramsey Solutions states that the average resale value of a tiny house is approximately $60,000.
You are building a home for yourself and your family, not investing in an economically attractive project – you need to understand this from the start.
If you are not ready for this, perhaps building a tiny house is not an option for you. You can save up and buy an already built house, then the financial losses will be less.
In Conclusion
We are all prone to making mistakes – it’s easier than it seems. But other people’s experiences teach us, the question is whether we are ready to learn or will we make our own mistakes. Consider the mistakes listed and you will be able to avoid them when building your own home, even a tiny one.
