Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast

What does a Realtor think of tiny houses? And what’s a tiny house concierge? Today I speak with Alaska Wagoner, who shares her experience buying a pre-owned tiny house, dealing with winter plumbing issues galore, finding parking, and more.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/204In This Episode:Explaining tiny house magicBuying in bulk is possible in a tiny houseIs it possible to buy a tiny home from a Realtor?Tips to avoid tiny house meltdownsHow to increase the resale value of your tiny homeWhat the underside of a tiny home can tell youThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny TuesdaysDid you know that I personally send a tiny house newsletter every week on Tuesdays? It's called Tiny Tuesdays and it's a weekly email with tiny house news, interviews, photos, and resources. It's free to subscribe and I even share sneak peeks of things that are coming up, ask for feedback about upcoming podcast guests, and more. It's really the best place to keep a pulse on what I'm doing in the tiny hou

You’ve probably never heard of hyper adobe. And what’s a bunker bus? Why would someone want to move off-grid to the Arizona Desert? On this week’s show, Richard Ward gives us an inside view of his 24-acre homestead outside of Bisbee Arizona, where he teaches sustainable, natural building practices and off-grid living. And make sure you listen to the end because Richard has an invitation for our listeners to actually come and EXPERIENCE and help build with natural materials through an Eco Residency program. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/203In This Episode:Learning through teaching natural building techniquesWhy building underground makes sense in the desertHyper adobe 101Getting enough water in the desertYou may want to rethink using railroad tiesAll about the bunker busWhat is the Eco-Residency Program?How the Terraform Together Community works and what they’re doingThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny ho

You’ll never guess what this empty nest tiny house couple built into their tiny house porch roof! Colin and Megan Leeson tell the story of their pre-built shell, why the nest doesn’t always stay empty, and discuss some of the clever and innovative features they build into their gorgeous tiny home on wheels.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/202In This Episode:Colin and Megan’s reasons for buying a pre-built shellThe non-compromising list may be the key to planning togetherHow to plan for the future with your tiny house designTheir entire structure, including the deck, is movableColin’s favorite room may surprise youThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to

Have you been approaching minimalism the wrong way? Think of this: You’re never going to truly become a minimalist until you find out why you are so drawn to owning so much stuff in the first place. Christine Platt approaches the concept of minimalism from a different lens by focusing on why we are attached to things, why we consume them in the first place, and how that understanding helps to find the path to minimalism. This lovely conversation contains both practical tips for people who are downsizing and also a more philosophical discussion about the “why” behind minimalism.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/201In This Episode:Beyond the aesthetics of minimalismTips to mitigate impulse purchasesWhat diversity in the tiny house and minimalist movements meansCouples counseling: the psychology behind the clutterHow to decline giftsUnderstanding the root causes behind your attachments to thingsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I w

I’m excited to share this conversion with Nomad Brad because I think that we all have a lot to learn from vanlifers in the tiny house space. Brad converted an old U-Haul, which is something that not a lot of vanlifers are doing, and we’ll get into why it makes a lot of sense and some of the unique things that Brad has done. There is a lot to learn in this inspiring conversation, no matter what type of tiny house dwelling you’re interested in.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/200In This Episode:Lessons learned from Brad’s first van and what he did differently with the U-HaulEthan’s vanlife experienceWhere to buy used U-Hauls and why they’re easy to convertThe appeal of the diesel heaterMaking money on the roadApproximate cost of the DIY conversionThis Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempPrecisionTemp is making one product to solve two issues that I know everyone deals with in a tiny house: running out of hot water and heating your tiny house. PrecisionTemp has made the amazing TwinTemp Junior propan

Justin Draplin is a visionary entrepreneur who is going vertical with tiny house development by building tiny homes, developing tiny home communities, and also developing and manufacturing technology for the homes in-house. In this wide-ranging interview, Justin tells me why “tiny house” is a bit of a swear word in his company, his mentality about finding land for development, and some of the features of these impressive cottages.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/199In This Episode:What Eclipse Cottages is doing differentlyWhy they don’t use the term “tiny home”How Justin chooses locations for his villagesNo wood? Benefits of metal SIPs explainedJustin’s advice on entrepreneurshipHow do you research what is allowed?This Week's Sponsor: Tiny TuesdaysDid you know that I personally send a tiny house newsletter every week on Tuesdays? It's called Tiny Tuesdays and it's a weekly email with tiny house news, interviews, photos, and resources. It's free to subscribe and I even share s

Michael Bartz talks to me about all things tiny houses, environmentalism, and climate change. When Michael hand-built his own tiny house on wheels, it set him on the path to thinking more about how what we do and how we live impacts climate change and inspired him to start his podcast, In Over My Head, to discuss that with others. In this interview, we talk about his show, his tiny house and its special features, and more.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/198In This Episode:Tiny house, big impactFrom trailer to hinges, Michael’s tiny home is truly customHow they found parking (It starts with relationships)Tips to lower your environmental impactIs off-grid really more environmentally friendly?This Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempPrecisionTemp is making one product to solve two issues that I know everyone deals with in a tiny house: running out of hot water and heating your tiny house. PrecisionTemp has made the amazing TwinTemp Junior propane tankless water heater, which provides unlimited hot w

Joe Callantine has both the desire and the vision to live tiny in community. He has already built and lived in his own tiny house, he owns the land for the tiny community, and now he is working through the legal and regulatory steps to make his dream a reality. Joe is incredibly patient, kind, and does a great job of describing how this process works. As more and more people build tiny houses, the demand for legal tiny house parking is rising so that people who do want to live legally don’t have to question whether they’re allowed to live in their tiny homes.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/197 In This Episode:How survivalism led to an interest in tiny homesZoning challenges and prejudices that make tiny house communities difficult to buildAll about Joe’s tiny home, Meraki - and what she taught himCould tiny homes be the new “starter home”?Why not a co-op? Joe’s thoughts on running a tiny home communityHow to design your tiny home like an electricianShould you be skirting your tiny home?This Wee

I was excited to finally sit down with Melanie Copeland because it seems like her name is everywhere! Between a book that is charting on the Amazon bestseller list and involvement with Tiny House Alliance USA, Melanie is a mover and a shaker in the tiny house world. She also has an amazing personal story of renovating a tiny house in just 7 days.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/196In This Episode:How do you build a tiny home in 7 days?Why hammocks are an amazing creative seating solutionPreparing their land for legally living in their tiny homeTrailblazing Tiny and upcoming projects you won’t want to missFinding the perfect land for your tiny homeSend us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

This is a conversation about a family coming together after a tragic accident and the DIY. Alex became a diesel mechanic in order to learn how to work on the bus that she converted and then ultimately went on to convert a skoolie that had special features for her brother who was the victim of an accident that left him a quadriplegic. It’s an incredibly uplifting story and a fascinating look at how tiny houses can solve so many unique problems.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/195In This Episode:How Sam’s accident helped them realize their tiny living dreamGoing back to school as a diesel mechanic and how it helped her build out their busFeatures that make the bus comfortably accessibleMore important than budget: putting the right things in the right placesMaking sure you have the right bus for your needsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House EngageTiny House Engage brings together tiny house hopefuls and DIYers to share plans and resources, learn from each other’s challenges and mistakes, and celeb

Rex Hohlbein started a Facebook page that has become a thriving nonprofit called Facing Homelessness. Among other things, Facing Homelessness reaches out to local homeowners and places ADUs in their back yards to help house homeless people in their communities. There’s more to it than that and I hope you stick around for my conversation with Rex as we talk about the causes of homelessness, the way that society looks past homeless people, and what we can all do about it.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/194In This Episode:Just say “hello” and see what happensAre people really willing to let strangers live in their yards?How BLOCK homes are built and fundedHow Facing Homelessness matches their clients with a propertyWho owns what and whyUsing water, power, and sewer systems as educational toolsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny ho

The road to tiny house living can sometimes be bumpy, but my guests today, Justin and Juby, show us that a life of adventure is possible when living tiny - even with a child. Justin and Juby have been sharing their skoolie adventure on Instagram and YouTube for a while now. I'd heard about them from both members of Tiny House Engage and previous guests on the show, so I knew I had to have them on for an interview. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to live on a bus, what it takes to set up then pack up to travel, and mistakes they've made along the way, and how they manage their businesses from the road.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/193In This Episode:Learning how to travel in the busHow do you get around when your vehicle is your home?Modifying and modifying again to accommodate a childThe reality of the hardships of full-time life on the roadHeading back to the bus with a new perspectiveRunning a bee business from the roadHow to maintain your plant-based diet while

Erica Smith Ewing is a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice and she is leading a lawsuit against a town in Georgia that is preventing somebody from building tiny houses solely based on a minimum square footage requirement. According to Ewing and the Institute for Justice, this is a violation of the Georgia constitution. I've been fascinated by stories of people and groups striking down restrictive tiny house laws based on the constitutionality of land use and size restrictions. in this conversation, Erica will shed light on her thinking behind the case, why she thinks that they are going to prevail, and makes a call to our listeners for anybody that may be experiencing restrictions on building a tiny house to potentially get in touch to see if there might be a legal case or a legal basis for going into court.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/192In This Episode:Tiny House Hand Up is trying to help its neighbors own their own homesWhy doesn't this city want tiny homes?How winnin

Guillaume Gabriele has been working for the builder, Ma Petite Maison, who is building some of the most beautiful tiny houses in all of Europe. I've been following them for a while and I'm excited to finally get to sit down with Guillaume to talk about the designs that Ma Petite Maison uses and how they're different in Europe than tiny house designs are in the United States, the state of the tiny house movement in Europe, and his own personal tiny house story.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/191In This Episode:The company that started as a backyard projectRestrictions in Europe mean the tiny houses are tinier than in the USAFrance and America have the same legal living issuesBuilding a global case for tiny housesGuillaume's tiny home and future plansTiny Living Petition wants everyone to be heardThis Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempIf you're building a tiny house, you may know that the price of materials has gone absolutely crazy this year. From plywood and 2x4s to met

 Solar heaters can make a lot of sense if you live in a cold climate with sun because they essentially provide free heat during the day. The designs haven't always been great, though. Eric Latocki, DIY tinkerer and lifelong fabricator, has incorporated his industrial oven design experience into a DIY solar heater build that can be built with common materials found at local big box stores. His plans, which are completely free, don't require any welding or special knowledge and if you're already building your tiny home, you most likely have the necessary tools and experience already. In this conversation, Eric explains everything from what a solar heater is to how it's installed, what it can be used for, and other important details. If you're looking for alternative ways to heat your tiny house, this episode will definitely open your eyes to some new possibilities. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/190In This Episode:What does a solar heater do?Plenums: what they are and ho

 Corianne Holmes is here to tell us her amazing story about moving to New Zealand with her boyfriend, using their life savings to build a tiny house, almost losing the tiny house due to a legal hiccup with their trailer, and ultimately building a slightly larger home and converting their tiny into an Airbnb. Stick around to hear me mispronounce the name of Corianne's town.... and for a delightful conversation and story about living tiny in New Zealand. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/189In This Episode:Why New Zealand? How 1 year turned into 6 and countingMaking a plan: the numbers, the location, and the materialsNew Zealand makes tiny living easyThe trailer hiccup that almost cost them their homeWhat Corianne misses about the tiny house may surprise youHow "batches" have influenced New Zealanders toward tiny homesWhere to find inspiration for your tiny houseSend us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon I

The tiny house movement in the United States seems to get all of the attention, but there are people, groups, and advocates all around the world working to make tiny living possible. Enter Miranda and Jan from Tiny Living Alliance. The Tiny Living Alliance is working to make your relationship with builders more transparent and trustworthy through several tools and initiatives through their website. In this interview, we'll learn about what Tiny Living Alliance does, how they do it, and why Miranda and Jan started it in the first place.Full show notes at thetinyhouse.net/188In This Episode:What does the Tiny Living Alliance guarantee?Present work and future goals of the Tiny Living AllianceWhat "Buyer Protection" means for both builder and purchaserThe Tiny House Movement around the worldMiranda and Jan's tiny house motivationHow sustainability and financing go hand-in-handTiny house communities and the elderlyThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny TuesdaysDid you know that I personally send a tiny

 Mental health is not something that we talk about frequently in the tiny house industry or in the tiny house movement, so today's guests are a welcome addition of mental health to the tiny house conversation. Sophie and Ryan set to work saving and learning all they could about boats and sailing. They decided to delay their adventure to address their anxiety and depression through therapy. After they set sail, they realized that life on a boat isn't all smooth sailing - so they both still suffer from anxiety and have been seeing therapists remotely throughout their journey. In this conversation, Sophie and Ryan talk about the mental health impacts of both preparing for and living tiny. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/187In This Episode:The idea, the plan, and the plan revision3 things that you have to prepare for before your adventureHit the pause button more oftenHow much time really goes into a YouTube channel?Keeping it real with the videosHow to create privacy in such a small spac

 I'm welcoming returning guest, Jewel Pearson back to the podcast today. Jewel did a beautiful and creative addition to her tiny house, a sunroom called "The Tiny House Remix" and the moment I saw it I knew I needed to have her on the show to talk about it! The Remix is a very well-done way of slightly expanding a tiny house to make it fit your needs and I think you'll find what Jewel has done inspiring. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/186In This Episode:What Jewel learned from taking a break from her tiny houseJewel's Remix allows more flexibility in the futureThe sunroom functions as a home office and makes working from home more efficientMoving isn't easy, but it has been worth the effortIs it still a tiny house?The pandemic's influence on the tiny house movementReimagining what and where "community" isWhy Jewel had to move to her new locationCould a moveable business be a good fit for your town?This Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny H

 My guest today is like a secret rock star of the tiny house world. I'm sure that she has inspired many of the well-known tiny house designers and thinkers that you know of today. Sarah Susanka published her world-changing book, The Not So Big House, in 1998 and I can't stress enough how inspiring this book was to me when I was designing my tiny house. I think that this conversation will give you a taste of the wisdom and insights that you will gain from Sarah through her book that has now become an entire franchise. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/185In This Episode:The 'Not So Big House' isn't exactly about sizeAbout Sarah's tiny house experienceThinking about space differently because it's in short supplyWho really works with architects and what can they do for you?Reflections on the growth of the tiny house movementThe evolution of social and utilitarian spacesThings you can do to "hack" your house without major renovationsCan ceiling height affe