Designer
Name of Plan
hOMe
Number of bedrooms / sleeping areas
2
Square Footage
207 sf (plus 110sf of lofts)
Finish Dimensions
8’ 6” x 28’ 6” x 13′ 6″
APPROXIMATE Weight
17,000 pounds
APPROXIMATE Cost to Build
DIY: $33,000
Turn Key: $65,000+
When we started designing the hOMe tiny house, we had a long list of items we weren’t willing to compromise on: a kitchen with full-sized appliances, stair access to our master loft, a comfortable place for both of us to work from (we’re self employed), loads of storage for our gear, a secondary loft large enough for playing guitar and watching movies, a bathroom with a normal sized sink and shower stall, and a clean, modern aesthetic. After many renditions we finally had a design that reflected each of these needs and four months later we had finished building hOMe.
Upon entering the hOMe tiny house, you’ll right away notice how light and bright it feels. Tall ceilings in the center of the tiny house draw the eyes up and make the space feel quite large. The comfortable sofa is multifunctional; two large storage cabinets below the cushion provide a place for your bigger items and, below the sofa cushion, you’ll find a folding table which can be easily taken out for meals or game nights. In our hOMe, we had two metal chairs on our front porch that we brought inside to create seating for an extra two people (total of 4-6) around the table. Above the sofa are two more large cabinets providing additional storage. To the left of the sofa is a tall cabinet with six deep shelves which serves as a perfect place for cleaning supplies, linens, etc.
Between the sofa and home office desks is another tall cabinet which serves as storage for business related items including a printer/scanner. The work desks are great for eating at and/or working on. They fold up during the day if you want to open the space up a bit. Moving into the kitchen area you’ll find yet another large storage cabinet. This one houses the hot water heater, electrical panel, vacuum, wifi router, fire extinguisher, dog food and more.
The kitchen is larger than many found in houses boasting 1,000 sf, al in just 207 sf! A full sized range/oven, refrigerator and tons of storage make this set up ideal if you love to cook. There is enough counter space for three people to be in the kitchen at the same time, working on a feast.
Stairs to the master loft work double duty by providing an extra 25 sf of storage within their design. There is enough space in them for a washer/dryer combo if you want a unit inside your hOMe. We once counted 16 pairs of shoes in there so if you’re not willing to part with your collection, this may just be the house for you!
Because of the shed roof design, the master loft has plenty of head room, even for a tall person. A queen sized mattress allows for plenty of room to move around when getting in and out of bed. Two large dressers provide enough storage space for clothing for two adults.
Moving to the other side of the hOMe tiny house, you’ll come into the bathroom where you’ll find a standard sized sink with two drawers of storage below and a medicine cabinet above. A standard shower stall is large enough for a conventional showering experience. The composting toilet is made by our favorite toilet brand: Separett. A tall floor-to-ceiling cabinet is large enough for any extra toiletries and towels. Above the bathroom is what we call the “tiny house lounge” loft. It’s large enough for a queen sized mattress and four people to sit and watch movies at or just hang out. It also makes a great guest bedroom if you have company over.
We chose finishes and materials for the hOMe tiny house that can be found in most markets. All of the cabinetry and built-in furniture is made by IKEA and has done well with the test of time. hOMe is completely off the power-grid and gets its power from solar panels (mounted in the field next to the house) as well as a back-up gas generator for cloudy days.
Materials List
Building (Exterior & Interior) Elevations
Engineered Trailer Plans
Fully Dimensioned Floor and Loft Plans
Door and Window Schedule
Electrical and Plumbing Plan
Building Sections with Detail Call Outs and Elevations
Stair Construction Details
Tie Down/Anchor Details
Roof Detail Sections
Unlocked SketchUp Plans
How to Read Construction Plans Short Video
Tool List
Modern; Minimalist
200 – 400 sf
Car Hauler Trailer (bed in between wheel wells)
Engineered Design
IRC Compliant
Loft
Secondary Bedroom
Lounge Area
Stair Access (traditional concept of stairs)
Ladder, Ships Ladder, Alternating Tread Device Access
4 People
Yes
Yes
Yes
Full Size Appliances
Shower
Full Size Lavatory
Linen Storage
Composting Toilet
Shed Roof
Rigid Foam
Batt Insulation
Natural Insulation (cotton, wool, Roxul, etc.)
Gas Fireplace
>10000#
Long Side Location
Standard Entry Door
On-Demand
Although we get our fair share of winter in the mountains of Oregon (and I’m talking 3′ of snow at a time kind of winter), we still don’t live in a truly cold climate like some of our friends in the Great White North! As such, you may want to consider building with SIPs for the envelope, including the floor system to eliminate thermal bridging and to increase the R-value rating of the structure.
We are off grid on our property. Our electricity comes from a 1,600watt solar system that charges 4 deep cycle, high quality batteries. On cloudy/rainy days, we charge our batteries with our generator. During sunny days, this system is enough to run an electric fridge, charge our 3 laptops, power our LED TV, run our LED lights, power our tiny vent fan for our composting toilet, charge our toothbrushes, and run a VitaMix and other kitchen appliances.
We had a well drilled on our property that provides us with our water. We use our solar system on a sunny day or our generator to power up the well pump, which sends water roughly 75 vertical feet up a hill above hOMe where it fills a 1,500 gallon above ground storage tank. Gravity does the rest of the work for us and provides us with decently pressurized water for hOMe. We fill the tank every 5-6 weeks.
With a propane instant hot water heater. It is an Eccotemp FV-112LP. Having never owned a tankless system, we are amazed at how well it works, especially for its price point, which is very reasonable. The Eccotemp is stored inside our utility closet which stands between our kitchen counter and eating/working desk.
Our hOMe trailer was custom made by a local trailer manufacturer. It is 8′ 0″ wide x 28′ 0″ long. Our hOMe plans come with engineered trailer plans which can be taken to a local fabrication shop of your choice.
Since we live rurally we use propane. We have two 100 gallon propane tanks which are filled every 6-8 months. We opted to go with such large tanks because our winters can be severe and our driveway is steep. We wanted to make sure we had enough propane to last us for several winter months in case the propane delivery truck couldn’t make it up our driveway because of snow and ice.
Yes, hOMe is located on 5 rural acres in Oregon.
The stove is made by Hampton and is fueled by propane. It generates a significant amount of heat and even in -10F weather, we had absolutely no issues staying warm. It has a wall mount, programmable thermostat as well.
We live in the mountains and we have no neighbors who can see into our home so curtains are not necessary; however, one could easily add curtains to the house for privacy.
We used a product called Iron Ply, which is actually a substrate for vinyl flooring. It is super light weight, very inexpensive compared to all other wall paneling options and easy to work with. We created gaps in between each panel by placing joist hanger nails at the edges of each panel to hold a consistent gap. We didn’t want it to be too big but also it couldn’t be too small. We attached each panel with adhesive and finish nails. We added a couple coats of finish paint over a primer to get the look we were after. We are super happy with how it turned out and that we saved at least 75% over what we would have paid for the expensive modern paneling systems that our system imitates.
We use a composting toilet made in Sweden called the Separett Villa. After trying several other options, we were thrilled to find this toilet and cannot recommend it enough!
We have a washer and dryer set up in our solar shed. The hOMe plans though do layout for a washer/dryer combo to fit under the stairs to the master loft.
Zoning ordinances are changing across the country as tiny houses gain popularity. I don’t know what the local zoning ordinances are in your area so can’t say for sure what’s possible for you. I can say that local resources are your best ones. Call your local zoning and building departments (anonymously at first) to let them know that you are thinking about living in a tiny house. See what they say. If they have concerns, write them down. When it comes time to formally approach them (not anonymously), come with answers and solutions to each of their concerns. Another option is to ask for a variance if they don’t have anything in the ordinances to support you living in a tiny house. Finally, you can join the efforts of others in the tiny house community to help bring about change in building codes and zoning ordinances in your area.
Though in an ideal world, no one would have to get financing for their tiny house, sometimes that is a necessity to make the dream come true. Because tiny houses are becoming more popular across the country (and world), lending institutions are starting to pay attention. Start with local resources like credit unions as they tend to work with projects that inspire change in their community.
The emphasis on the name “hOMe” is on the “OM”, which is a mystic syllable and often used as a mantra to obtain states of inner peace and calm. Because making the move to tiny was synonymous with us making a commitment to our inner joy and peace of mind, the name “hOMe” was born.
There are families living tiny with kids, so the answer is definitely: YES. If you want to have a moveable tiny house that may be more of a challenge; however, anything is possible and many are finding success with this approach.
All of our cabinetry, TV stand, and dressers are from IKEA.
The engineered estimate for weight is around 17,000# (including the trailer) though that varies from region to region and on what building materials one uses. You will likely need a 1 ton pick up truck to pull hOMe but may be able to use a newer 3/4 ton truck. Check with individual truck brands though to see how much their engines can pull.
For us to build it, it cost just a little over $33,000. That includes everything from the composting toilet, cabinetry, appliances, furniture. The only things not included are the beds and personal belongings in drawers.
We have insurance from Darrell Grenz Insurance in Portland, OR who brokers it with Lloyd’s of London. Other insurance companies are available for your tiny as well.
Our hOMe has a 2/12 slope. In most cases, the lowest slope will be determined by the roofing manufacturer specifications. You can usually go fairly low with metal roofing and some extra attention to the deck preparation (roofing felt or adhesive). That said, anything much less than 2/12 is at risk of leaking due to wind driven rain.
Title Page with:
Plumbing Plan
Wall to Floor Connection Details
Wheel Well Construction Details
Loft Floor to Wall Construction Details
Interior Elevations
Stair Construction Details
Tie Down/Anchor Details
Trailer Frame Overview
Loft Floor Framing Plan
Roof Detail Sections:
Construction Details Showing for the following details:
Window Jamb Details
Window Sill Details
Door Header Details
Door Jamb Details
INCLUDED IN SketchUp PLANS• 3D Scaled Model of hOMe is unlocked and editable
• Exterior Elevations for all sides (maneuverable to tour hOMe exterior)
• Interior Elevations from several angles (maneuverable to tour hOMe interior)
• Building Sections to show framing and interior space relationships
• Detailed Framing Sections
• Dimensioned Framing Layouts for each wall
• Dimensioned Subfloor Layout
• Dimensioned Trailer Floor Frame Layout
• Stair Construction Details
• Dimensioned Rafter Pattern
• Individual Step “Video”
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