Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Sound Healer Seeks Tiny House in Southern California - full transcript

Across the nation,
people are going small--

really small...

These are so cute!

...buying tiny houses,

some just a microscopic
100 square feet.

Whoa.

This is a tiny house.

It looks really small.

This tiny trend
is picking up big steam,

with everything from
converted train cars and barns

to yurts
and microhouses on wheels.



I'd be a gypsy
on the run.

- Hello, hello.
- Hello, hello, hello.

Hello.

Los Angeles sound healer Melanie

has big dreams
for her tiny house.

These are all really cool
and cute and little.

And they look like
little beehives.

Oh, my god.

- Yay!
- This is amazing.

The acoustics seem great
for doing sessions.

I could be
a traveling sound healer.

But her best friend, Grant,

wants to make sure she doesn't
lose sight of reality.

So, I noticed I don't see
any closet space in here.



That could be a problem.

Could be a problem
for you.

If I wasn't around,

I feel that she would be
a little ungrounded,

and she might end up
buying a tree to live in.

I'm a bird.

I'm Melanie.

I'm a sound therapist
and energy healer.

It's like a massage
for your mind, body, and soul.

That's so cute.
I love the miniature...

- Uh-huh.
- I love tiny things.

It's kind of weird.

Tiny cups,
tiny forks and spoons.

I still eat with a baby spoon
whenever I can.

I have to fight my nephews
for it.

I'm like, "I want that
baby spoon, not you."

But it's not just baby spoons
this 31-year-old is into.

The place she's currently
renting is nothing if not small.

I don't even know if this is
even 200 square feet.

But I've got a bed.
I've got an area to entertain.

I got a kitchenette.

I've got a makeshift closet
and a bathroom.

So I'm good with tiny spaces.

But I want my own tiny space.

She's been saving her money

to buy her own tiny houses

that's less than
500 square feet.

She has some practical reasons
for wanting to buy tiny.

I don't want a huge mortgage
hanging over my head.

And I love the idea
of being able to take care

of something smaller.

I don't need to vacuum
a whole entire house.

I can just vacuum one big room.

But some of her
reasons are not so practical.

If I have friends over,

it's more intimate to just be
in a smaller space together.

She's hoping to find a home
she can custom build

and then find a piece of land
to build it on,

all within her $70,000 budget.

I'm taking one of
my best friends, Grant, with me

to look at
all the different houses.

He'll give a different opinion

of maybe what I would
normally go for.

He's very practical
and very creative.

Melanie seems to love
absolutely everything,

which is a fantastic aspect
of her personality.

But, if I wasn't around,

I feel that she would be
a little ungrounded.

And she might end up
buying a tree to live in.

Oh, look, how perfect.
Yours is tiny.

One, two, three. Cheers.

Rounding out the group
is Grant's wife, Jen,

who's Melanie's
real-estate agent.

What kind of budget
are we working with, again?

$70,000 and under.$70,000 and under?

Yeah.
Okay, all right.

I'm not sure that Melanie
is being entirely realistic.

She's not really
a numbers person.

So we're gonna go on a journey
of just kind of piece by piece

and figure out exactly
what she can afford

and keep it in that budget.

I knew we were definitely going
in the tiny direction.

So there's a lot
of alternative housing options.

The style of house
that I'm drawn to

is unique-looking houses,
something that stands out,

something
that's creative looking.

Do we have any tree houses
on there?

Yeah,
I did pull a tree house.

Of course,
you need the right tree.

Oh, my god.

It's so cute.

Also, yurts.

I could see myself
with a round structure.

For Melanie,

a round structure
would be a plus

because of how it carries sound.

Another option
is a tiny house on wheels.

It's nice if you can actually
take your home with you,

if you decide to move.

Like a turtle.
Like a turtle.

One of the things
that draws me to the small home

is that I can just pack
my stuff up in it and bounce.

That'll fit
your gypsy soul.

Yeah.

She also wants privacy

for playing her instruments
to do her sound healing.

And she's hoping to have
the kitchen and bathroom outside

because she doesn't want them

to obstruct the acoustics
of the space.

I'm gonna have
an outside shower.

I like the idea
of being under the stars

or right under the sun.

And I want a loft,
as well.
And a loft.

I have no clue what I'm doing,
but I trust my friends.

And I'm just going with it.

First up, they're looking
at an example of a yurt,

a circular,
tent-like structure.

Melanie could buy the yurt
as a kit

and have it assembled
in a matter of weeks.

A yurt is
a nonpermanent structure

that you can really trick out
in a lot of different ways.

You can add plumbing.
You can add a bathroom.

You can add a kitchen.

It's really something
that you can make your own.

Oh, my god.

- Yay!
- This is amazing.

Is that an outhouse?

No.

I believe that is
just a storage closet.

I want an outhouse, though.

I like the idea
of an outhouse.

Well, great.
That'll bring our budget down.

The basic yurt kit
is $8,000.

But what
you're about to see

has about $30,000
worth of upgrades, okay?
Ooh.

You can swing
the upgrades later.

- Yeah.
- He'll build it for you.

30 grand's a lot.

Melanie has about
a $70,000 budget.

That includes the land
and the yurt

and all the upgrades.

So as much as we can shave off
of the upgrades

is gonna help us in the
land portion of the purchase.

Are you ready?
Ah!

Oh, my god.

Oh, my gosh.
This is so amazing.

Small space,
but a lot going on in here.

- Okay?
- I love the openness of it.

This particular yurt
has insulation and drywall,

actual glass windows,
as opposed to mere flaps,

and bamboo floors, all upgrades.

I like that door
right there,

so it has the window,
and it's wood.

The regular kit
comes with a flap.

What?

Yeah.

It doesn't come with the doors.

It doesn't come with the windows
or the floors

or the extra insulation.

What comes with this place
for $8,000?

So, I noticed I don't see
any closet space in here.

That could be a problem.

Could be a problem
- for you.
- Yeah.

You know,
that is one of the cons

of living
in a small space.

It's a part
of tiny living--

Yeah.
Yeah.

Not having so much stuff.

Absolutely.
Less is more.

It gives you
a lot of freedom.

And, obviously,
the kitchen is an upgrade.

So not only do we have
electricity through the yurt,

we also have plumbing.

I definitely don't want
a kitchen in the yurt.

I want it as open
as possible.

So you're not gonna have
a kitchen in?

Outside.
Outside.

I'll have it outside.

So, what do you think about
plumbing at all?

- No plumbing in the yurt.
- No plumbing?

No, I want to keep it,
like, simple.

So no kitchen, no toilet.

No.
Outhouse.

That brings out budget
right down.

Yes!

More room for decorating.
Come stand with me.

Can you hear your voice?

- Hello, hello.
- Hello, hello, hello.

Hello.

For sound healing,

this would be, like,
a really great place. Yeah.

What are the acoustics like
on the outer wall?

Well, stand over there.

♪ La, la, la, la,
la, la, la, la, la ♪

♪ Ah! That was beautiful.

Two little birdies.

Let's just take a look
at this bathroom.

It is cute.
It's a tiny little sink.

Yeah, not into it.

I could use that space
for something else.

If I decide to get a yurt,

I definitely want to have
an outside bathroom because,

that way, I can use some more
square footage in the yurt.

But we are gonna have
water, right?

And you would want to be
on a septic, I think.

- Absolutely.
- Septic system.

Yeah, yeah.
I definitely--

You know,
I want a flushing toilet

with an outhouse look,

but flushing toilet
on the inside.

So, it's gonna be a toilet
with a little hut around it.

Exactly.

I view a claw-foot tub
under the stars.

I think it's gonna be
a little tougher

than she expects
in certain weathers.

Fly on up.

Yeah!

I love this.
This is so cool.

Yeah.

I'm a bird.

Wow, this is amazing.

It's a great use of space.

I love the fact
that it's round.

It creates
awesome energy.

Well, there is a little con
in that, as well.

What's the con?

Just the add-ons,
you know.

The putting in the door,
putting in the windows.

Little more difficult than
a normal, straight structure.

- Yeah.
- And adds to the budget.

And that's another con,

is that it doesn't come
with the doors and the windows.

What about the floors?

The floor is not included.
That's also a bummer.

And something about
the non-permanence of the place

can be good and bad.

People could hear me in here,

like, if I'm playing gongs
and crystal bowls.

People outside can hear that,

not being so insulated
with the sound.

So private.

Well, and that could also
be a factor

in just the land
that we look at.

Do you have neighbors
close by?

Right.
Yeah.

If you do,
eh, it could be a con.

- Yeah, that's true.
- It could be a big con.

So now they're going to see

a sturdier tiny house

that happens to look like
a beehive.

All of our structures
are built entirely

out of sandbags
and barbed wire.

What?
This is so cool.

I love
this miniature gardening.

Melanie loves all things tiny.

She even lives

in a 200-square-foot rental
by choice.

Ready to buy her own place,

she, of course,
wants something small.

With a budget of $70,000 for
both the structure and the land,

she's looking for a place
that's out of the ordinary.

I could see myself having
tree houses

all around the world.

With her friend, Grant,

and his wife, Jen,
as her real-estate agent,

Melanie has seen a very unique

and very small 452-square-foot
yurt which is sold as a kit.

While she loves its round shape,
upgrades would be pricy,

and she didn't love its lack
of insulation and soundproofing.

Wanting to see something
more sturdy,

today,
they're visiting Cal-Earth,

a nonprofit which makes a very
unusual type of tiny home.

We are going to see
an earthbag house today,

superdome earthbag home.

Hi.
Hi.

Sheefteh?
Yes,
nice to finally meet you.

Oh, nice to meet you too.
Thank you so much for your time.

Everything here is built
entirely out of earth,

sandbags, barbed wire,
and that's pretty much it.

And everything
is in dome vault shapes.

These are all really cool
and cute and little.

And they look like
little beehives.

To make the home, workers mix
soil with cement and water.

Next, they pour the mixture
into sandbags,

which are then stacked
in the circular formation.

We teach you how to build.

And then, you go off
and build your own house.

And, you know, if you build
a house like this,

all of your friends,
I'm pretty sure,

are gonna want to come in
and help you out.

- It's pretty cool.
- Yeah, I mean,
I could actually see Mel

sort of directing her friends.

Yeah, I can see Mel
- in her chair.
- In a camp chair, maybe?

Today, they're seeing
a 400-square-foot model.

It's amazing.
I love the way that it curves.

And it's made of earth.

So, this comes in a kit.

There is
a $3,000 blueprint fee.

Then the basic materials
are gonna be $12,000.

There's a $1,600, you know,
educational fee for the course.

And hopefully, you can,
you know,

entice some friends to come with
you because, of course, labor.

You either
are gonna pay for it,

or you're gonna have friends
kind of donate their time.

And, last but not least,
the finishes.

So it doesn't come with
the windows or the appliances

or the tile or whatever flooring
you do choose.

I'd like to keep her land costs
between $30,000 and $40,000.

That would leave us
with about $30,000

to actually build the home.

Okay, so it's feasible
to fit within my budget.

- It is feasible.
- If we can find--

Yeah, we can't trick it out
too much.

But yes, it is feasible.

So here we go,
first earthbag house ever.

Whoa.

What do you think?

- Wow.
- This is amazing.

I've never seen
- anything like this before.
- Absolutely in a circle.

I mean, the acoustics sound
- quite good in here already.

- Yeah.
- It would be interesting
to hear your gong in here.

Let's look at kind of
the different pockets.

So this is
your bathroom zone here.

So I know a claw-foot tub
is on your list.

Not sure
if it's gonna be as realistic

for this size of a space.

Maybe the claw-foot tub can be
outside again,

you know, like,
put that maybe outside.

Possibly be outside, okay.

I notice that there's not really
space for a loft in here.

That is
one of the drawbacks.

I think
if you were to put a loft,

- you'd block all the light.
- Yeah.

This is the kitchen pod.

So nice and cute
and compact.

Little tiny,
little tiny for me.

It's a little tiny,
but hey, this is tiny living.

I would definitely
turn this space into

something
that actually holds food,

utensils.
I mean,
you mostly get people

to take you out for lunch
and dinner, anyway.

Oh, yeah, you know.

The pods are super cool.

However, I think I'd want
my kitchen and bathroom outside,

so I can use the extra pods
for storage or living space.

This is your bedroom pod.

This is a little...

I'm feeling a little claustrophobic.

- Why?
- It's such a tiny space.

Well,
- you wanted a tiny house.
- Like, really tiny.

I know,
but this is really tiny.

I mean, the bed is--

You mean, just this
as a bedroom, you mean?

Look, I mean,
it would be even hard to fit,

like, two people in here.

It's almost like a portal.

I like climbing through
this little hole.

It's kind of fun.

- Nice.
- Like a hobbit hole.

It's gorgeous.
I love the acoustics.

I love the brightness,
the light in here.

The pods are wonderful.
However, they're kind of small.

And I can't have a loft
in here.

I really, really
want to sleep up high.

I love that it's made of earth,
and it's solid.

And that it really answers
my privacy issue.

And that's also a con,
as well,

because I like
to keep things portable,

- my gypsy ways.
- Okay.

Since she wants to see
if tiny and portable

is the way to go,

they're now seeing a place
that's so small,

it can be towed around.

So,
it can move anywhere?

It can literally
move anywhere. Awesome.

I'd be a gypsy
on the run.

Melanie, a sound healer,

is currently renting
a 200-square-foot

Los Angeles backhouse.

Ready to buy her own place,

she wants something as unique
as she is.

So she's looking for a tiny home

that's less than
500 square feet.

She has $70,000 to spend,

part of which
will go towards buying land

to put her new little house on.

Helping her
is her best friend, Grant,

whose wife, Jen,
is Melanie's real-estate agent.

They first saw a small yurt.

While Melanie liked
its circular shape,

upgrades would be costly,
and the space wasn't soundproof.

Next was a one-of-a-kind
earthbag home.

But its interior pods
were compartmentalized,

and she couldn't have
a loft there.

Since the idea
of something portable

appeals to Melanie,

her agent, Jen,
has found a tiny house on wheels

that tops out
at 180 square feet,

smaller than her current rental.

Why are you
bringing me here?

This is, like,
concrete jungle.

This is actually something
that would be built here,

and you would take it off
to your piece of land.

So just keep in mind
this is a model home.

So, it can move anywhere?

It can literally
move anywhere. Awesome.

I'd be a gypsy
on the run.

I can't actually see Melanie
hitching this to her ride

and hauling it around.

I think
it's a romantic idea for her,

but I don't think
it's a practical reality.

And you could actually
rent land,

plop this thing anywhere.

So that would, you know,

give me more budget room
for the house. Yes.

The very basic shell of this
size model would be $23,000.

But what we're about
to go inside and see

is a $45,000 tiny home.

Okay.
Okay?

So it does have
a lot of upgrades.

Okay,
so we can be thrifty.

Absolutely.

- Let's go.
- All right.

- I love the door.
- Behind
the beautiful red door...

This is awesome.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah?

Wow.

This is amazing.

That's your loft.

That's obviously
where you'd have your bed.

I mean,
there's lots of space up here.

And it's pretty high.
Like, I can actually sit up.

Ah, you look so cute
up there.

What do you think, Grant?

It really is a great use
of the tiny space.

And it's tall enough
for you.

The countertops
are surprisingly big. Yeah.

You actually do get a lot
of countertop space in here.

Here you have
your bathroom.

This is a really big shower
for in here, actually.

Yeah.

I mean, Mel, you don't
even want a bathroom inside.

- I mean, yeah.
- You talked about it
being outside.

It seems,
with all these tiny houses,

they have the kitchen
and bathroom inside.

And, call me crazy,

but I'd rather have that space
for other things.

Now, I know you have
a ton of clothes.

Um, you don't need to...

Definitely not gonna fit
my things.

Well, at least
it's a closet, right?

It's great.

But I'm gonna need
some other space.

There's another one here.

Oh, yeah. Great.

Someone could sleep
under there.

Yeah, there's a decent amount
of space there.

So let's keep in mind
- all of Melanie's instruments.
- Right.

I could have a client lay here
- and set up the bowls here.
- Right.

Can you actually feel yourself
living in here?

- I think I can, actually.
- Right?

I like the fact
that it has a huge loft.

It's just a mini-sized cabin
on wheels...

Right....which is amazing.

But it's a little bit
conventional for me.

But the acoustics seem great
for doing sessions.

I could be a traveling
sound healer.

I like the idea
of having privacy.

And this seems
very, very private.

Having seen several
very different tiny homes,

Melanie has a decision to make.

I think,
for this particular house hunt,

the determining factor
is what feels best.

Yeah.

Our house hunters
are moving on up

to a much smaller space.

Could you live in a tiny house?

See how people
make the small space work at...

Melanie has a $70,000 budget
to buy a tiny house

and find a plot of land
to put it on.

She and her friends,
Grant and Jen,

have seen several possibilities.

Her first option is a yurt,

which comes in a basic kit
priced at $8,000.

To customize it how she wants,

upgrades could run upwards
of $15,000.

I really love
that it's portable,

so I can pick up and move
if I need or want to.

I love the idea that
I could have a loft in there.

It's round.

- Right, right.
- Yeah.
It's open.

I didn't like that
that everything was an upgrade,

so it could get
pricy, pricy, pricy,

the more that I add.

There's a privacy factor,
as well.

Yeah.
Sound can come in.

Sound could go out.

Yeah.

Her second possibility
is an earthbag house.

Blueprints, materials,

and a course on how to build it
would be $16,600.

But this cost doesn't include
upgrades or labor.

I've never seen
anything like that before.

It was extremely unique.

Square footage was
pretty big.

Mm-hmm.
It was round.

But there was no room
for a loft.

No.

It was super permanent, obviously.

- Right.
- So I can't up and move
with it.

- The pods were kind of small.
- Right.

I got a little claustrophobic
in there.

The next option
is a tiny house on wheels

that has a base price
of $23,000,

although she'd need to do

at least another
$12,000 worth of upgrades.

I love the idea
that it's portable.

I can take it wherever.

That's kind of
a double-edged sword,

because that would mean
I'd have to pull it around.

I love the loft.
It had the loft.
Mm-hmm.

I loved all the wood
on the inside.

The wood
was absolutely gorgeous.

I know I wanted a tiny home,
but that place was really small.

Drumroll, please.

The yurt!

The yurt?
Uh-huh.

Okay, awesome.
I love the yurt for you.

I think it's gonna be
fairly easy to put up.

And I can really manage
the add-ons.

I just think
it suits your personality.

- It does.
- Yeah.

Welcome to my yurt,
also known as the Bird's Nest.

I moved into my yurt
about a week ago.

I ended up going with
a used yurt for $6,500.

And I got the land for $45,000.

It was actually going up
on the auction block,

because it had back taxes
that weren't paid on it.

So I swooped in
and scooped it up.

She then found
a builder to construct a deck...

...and assemble the yurt.

I absolutely love this space.

It's open.

There's a skylight,
lots of light in here.

Over here is the area

where I will have
all my instruments set up,

so I can play them at will.

And this spot up here
is my spot, queen of the yurt.

I sleep up on the loft,
and it feels amazing.

One of the coolest things about
being up here is, it's fun.

And I can just lay here
and look up,

and it's so magical.

I am super happy that
I stuck with my instinct

of not putting a kitchen
or a bathroom in this yurt.

This structure actually
was here previously

from the previous owner.

In here is gonna be the kitchen,

and it's gonna be very basic
'cause I'm not a big cook.

My vision for the bathroom
is open, wide open.

Over here is gonna be
the outdoor shower

with the claw-foot tub
that I so wanted.

And my outdoor bathroom,

which I wanted so bad,
and I got.

I just feel at ease and at home
in this round, circle structure.

And I love the fact that
I could pick up and move with it

if I wanted to.

I'm staying.

It feels good. It feels homey.
It feels right.