How to start building a tiny house

Well, this is officially my first blog post! Better late then never right? I have been living in the tiny house for a while now (moved in late August 2015) and I must say it is going wonderfully! For this first post, I would like to tackle a subject I often am asked. “How did you start the building process?” or “What are the first steps?”.  My answer is very simple. Don’t think about it too much! Some of us (including myself) worry unnecessarily, question ideas or make decisions based on fear of the unknown. Of course there is a certain level of planning and resources that are needed for a project like building a tiny house however, I feel that does not have much to do with the first steps. Here are my suggestions to get the ball rolling: 

1. Doodle, draw & sketch your ideas

You do not have to be an artist or create anything professional. You do not even need to show anyone. It can be simple, messy or chaotic. The intention is just to get the ideas flowing. Sometimes I like to use graph paper other times a dry-easer marker on the window is more fun. There are no wrong answers here and you may be surprised on what you are able to create. 

Ideas and drawings

Ideas and drawings

Ideas and drawings

2. Find images of small buildings you love 

I am sure you all have seen many gorgeous tiny houses, cabins, yurts, tree houses, micro homes ect. on Pinterest, Instagram and other websites. Start saving the images you like and keep them in a file on your computer. Cut photos out of magazines or even trace them out of books so you have a collection of inspiration. You can also take bits and pieces of the buildings to help form ideas and designs. Some of my favourite inspirations come from the Tiny House Swoon and Cabin Porn. 

New Frontier Tiny Homes

Tiny House inspiration – HGTV

Daystar Tiny Houses

3. Check out other tiny houses in person 

I can guarantee no matter where you live there is already a tiny house or small structure near you. Often people who have built a tiny house are happy to show them off! There are also tiny house communities open to the public and now you can even rent one for the weekend. This will give you a better idea of what kind of structure you want to build yourself.

4. Connect with the tiny house community 

Reach out to others who have completed a build or in the process of building a small structure. The tiny house community is a wonderful place. Volunteer for the day to help with the build so you could see what the process is really like or even a quick chat over a cup of tea and listen to what they have to say. 

Most importantly, have fun with this beginning process. I would not worry about the logistics of how you will build, why you would do it, how much it will cost or where the house will go. That will all come with time. 

Have more suggestions for the first step of going tiny? Leave your comments below. : )