Tiny house living is a trend which has taken off around the world, especially in overcrowded cities, but also out in the countryside, where a small home can help to put the occupant in touch with nature. One of the purported benefits of tiny house living is downsizing—not just in terms of space and “stuff,” but also in terms of cost of living.
But are tiny houses really all that inexpensive? Well, that depends on quite a few factors. First of all, whether you build the house yourself or you hire a contractor can make a huge difference in price. Secondly, the square footage of the home is going to have an impact on the cost. And then there are materials to consider, and features, and location, and style, and so on.
Basically, when you come down to it, there is a huge range in cost for tiny houses. Yes, it is possible to build a tiny house on a shoestring budget. You can even manage it for $10,000 or less. But most tiny houses cost more than that. It is not uncommon to see tiny houses that cost $50,000 and up. Some tiny houses even sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars—or even more.
If your main goal with tiny house living is to save money, you can get discouraged when you see the price tags for a lot of models you can purchase. But that shouldn’t stop you, especially if you possess carpentry skills.
If you are willing to build your own tiny house, either from the ground up or from a prefabricated model, you may very well be able to do it on a very minimal budget. To prove it, I’ve scoured the web for some examples of real-life tiny houses built on a shoestring. Let’s check them out.
Article Quick Links:
1. The Foxhole: $6,500
Source: tinyhouseblog
Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village: dancingrabbit
2. Wisteria Lodge: ~$1,500
Another home in Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village is Dan Durica’s Wisteria Lodge. Originally, this home was constructed by a different architect, who called it “Arm’s Reach.” When he moved away, he put the structure up for sale, and Dan was able to buy it for only $1,500. He did some refurbishing, and now it looks absolutely stunning!
Video:
Source: hardcoresustainable
3. Bohemian Escape: $20,000
Source: itinyhouses
4. Kyle’s Gnome Dome: $3,000
Source: airbnb
5. The Hermitage: $4,250
Also in Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village is a round structure called the Hermitage, constructed by natural builder Hassan Hall. The cost was around $3,500 for the materials, around a third of which was used to get hooked up to the power grid, plus another $750 which was spent on the roof’s pond liner. Astonishingly, it only took around four months for to complete this amazing abode.
Video:
Source: cobwallbuilder
6. The Shed: Cost Unknown
Source: itinyhouses
7. Arched Cabins: $5,000
Source: itinyhouses
8. Driftwood Home: Cost Unknown
Source: itinyhouses
9. The Golden Tiny House: ~$5,000
Source: goldentinyhouse
10. The Flouch: Cost Unknown
Remember the guy who bought Arm’s Reach and transformed it into Wisteria Lodge? He actually was only living in Wisteria Lodge temporarily while he worked on constructing his dream home, called the Flouch. The home was built using strawbale construction and incorporates Roman-style thermal curtains for passive heating during the winter, along with a cantilevered second floor which keeps the design cool and ventilated during the summer.
Video:
Source: hardcoresustainable
11. Downsized Home in Texas: $7,000
Source: itinyhouses
12. The Ultimate Shoestring Tiny House: $2,000
Source: itinyhouses
13. Larkspur: $20,000
This home is a bit more expensive than many of the others I have featured on this list, but it is also larger, more of a comfortable size for a family. Perhaps one of the home’s most unique features is its “alternating staircase,” also known as a “Jefferson stair.” This type of staircase was invented by Thomas Jefferson, who used it in Monticello to save space.
Video:
14. The Bearmobile: $16,000
Source: https://tinyhouselistings.com/listing/the-bearmobile/
15. Aubergine: $6,000
Source: tinyhouseblog
16. Lil Red: $18,000
Source: itinyhouses
17. The Cinematic Tiny House: $10,000
Source: itinyhouses
18. Tave’s Tiny House: Under $20,000
Source: itinyhouses
19. Wesley Birch’s Tiny House: $8,000
Source: tinyhousebuild
20. Pin-Up Tiny Houses
Source: itinyhouses
21. Custom Tiny House By HeavenLeiCreationsII
Source: etsy.com
22. Tiny Cabin: $7,695
The interior of this structure is unfinished, but you don’t have to step inside to fall in love with the charming western-style exterior … or the super low price! According to the description on the video, you can buy these cabins at 140 different locations. You can then finish the interior in any way that suits you.
Video:
23. Macy Miller’s Tiny House: $11,000
Source: dailymail
24. Whimsical Tree House in Hawaii: $11,000
Source: itinyhouses
25. 20 Foot Portable Folding Container House: $8,000
Source: ebay.com
26. The Clearstory: $29,000
Source: itinyhouses
27. Built to Order Cabin: $4,650
Source: etsy.com
28. Guest House Cabin: $5,000
Source: bonanza
29. Earth House Domes of Solscape: $10,000
These tiny houses were built on a budget in Raglan, New Zealand. Each one measures less than 10 square meters, and is constructed out of natural materials. Watch the video to take a tour and learn more about how they were made.
30. James Galletly’s Tiny House: $10,000-$15,000
Source: dailymail
31. Upper Valley Tiny House: $15,000
32. Ranch House Storage Shed: $4,773
This house was designed as a storage shed rather than a “home,” but it is easy to imagine it serving as one with a few simple modifications and augmentations.
Source: storageshedsoutlet
33. La Petite Maison: $10,000
Source: dailymail
34. Lulu’s Shipping Container Home: $4,000
Source: itinyhouses
35. Hobbit Hole: $300
Source: itinyhouses
Conclusion: You Too Can Afford to Build or Buy a Tiny House
Whether you are thinking about building your own home from the foundation up or you are planning on purchasing something partially or completed prefabricated, this list of budget tiny houses proves one thing—anything is possible. Even if you only have a few thousand dollars (or even a few hundred dollars!) to work with, you too can create a tiny little haven for yourself and your family!