Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - Going from a Ranch to a Tiny Home in Northern 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!

There's 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.

Oh, wow,
look at this house.

I'm speechless.

Cyndy is ditching
the Colorado cold

for the surf and sand of Hawaii.

Mom, would you really have
an outdoor shower?

With the help
of her daughter Hannah,

she's going tiny.

This is rough, though,
coming up and down

this ladder all the time.

But will Cyndy find a place

in paradise that's
the right fit for her?

I think I can touch
both walls, though, Mom.

You're touching
the closet and the wall.



It does not have
a refrigerator.

I don't like this at all.

Can you even get in that?

I think I have room.

It's so pretty.

My name is Cyndy Roy.

I currently live in Littleton, Colorado,

and I have recently retired
from my job.

- Hi.
- Would you like to try
some of our coffee samples?

- Sure.
- Sure.

Cyndy
and her daughter,

Hannah,
who's on spring break,

have traveled 3,300 miles
from Colorado

to visit
the Big Island of Hawaii,

where Cyndy is hoping to move.

I've been
wanting to move

out of Colorado
for quite some time

just because of
the colder weather.

- It's so pretty.
- It is very pretty.

For many years,

I've been doing what
everybody else wants,

so when I retired,
I knew that Hawaii

was my destination and that
was where I was gonna go.

But this Colorado native

is looking to change
more than just her location.

Before I retired,
I was a real-estate appraiser.

I valued high-end properties.

Seeing a lot of
the high-end homes,

they were so large.

After a while,
I just thought,

I don't even know who lives
in this kind of a thing.

Too big.

So, I don't know,
the tiny-house living

is something that
really kind of came to me.

I started to downsize about two
to three years before

I actually knew
I was going to do this.

It was kind of
an emotional journey.

As I gave stuff to people,
it actually made me feel better.

Cyndy's ready
to buy a tiny house,

which is a perfect match
for her simple lifestyle.

You think you'll have room in
your place for me to come visit?

Oh, of course.
I'll make room.

My mom first mentioned
the idea of a tiny house,

I was a little skeptical, like,

how small is it
and that kind of thing,

so I was a little nervous.

Are you sure you're
ready to do this, Mom?

I don't know.

It's just
such a small space.

She sounds like
the mother.

I've given it
a lot of thought.

I just really think
I'm ready for it.

- Yeah.
- Cyndy hopes to go

off the grid,
a trend popular in Hawaii.

You know what I want,
is I want to do solar

and I want to do, like,
a catchment system.

No.

I'm not too sure
where I want to live

in Hawaii yet,
so having something mobile

that I can hitch up
to a truck

and pull to different locations,

that's important
to me right now.

Are you gonna be a gypsy when
you move to Hawaii, Mom?

My budget on this
tiny house is $60,000.

I don't really want to go
too much over $60,000

because I am also
going to have to

find land to
park the house on.

I like the blue.

I like that.

That's kind of eclectic.

My mom's sense of style
is kind of...

eclectic,
a little bit of a hippy style.

I would really
like a bathtub.

I'm not sure that
that's something that

is very common
in these little homes.

I would really like
a composting toilet.

I think it kind of goes along
with the idea of

being off-grid and green.

The composting toilet,
to me,

seems like a little bit
like an outhouse

in your regular house.

It does have a loft,
which I really like.

You're gonna have to get rid of
a lot of your stuff.

I would also like a deck on
the outside of my tiny house.

You're in Hawaii.

Why would you want to spend
all your time inside?

What about Hannibal?

Do you think he's
gonna have enough space?

I live with a big dog.

He does take up
a lot of space.

It's basically like
living with another person.

He's just a big baby.

Well, nothing ventured,
nothing gained, right?

That's true.

Helping Cyndy go tiny
is real-estate agent

and Hawaii tiny house expert
Barrie Rose.

The tiny house movement
in Hawaii

is beginning to percolate.

It's starting,
people are talking about it.

A lot of curiosity
and interest.

Today Barrie
is taking them

to see a model tiny house
that Cyndy can park

anywhere on the island,
and at just 144 square feet,

it's roughly 95% smaller than
the average new American home.

Oh, wow,
look at this house.

This looks like you, Mom.

Yeah.

You've been looking for
something that's mobile.

This is a model house
and it's customizable.

This particular one
is $65,000.

Oh, wow.

So you can modify that

and go up or down
- from that point.
- Okay.

That's a little more
than what I was planning on.

We can play with the price.

There's your trailer hitch.

And here comes
your water catchment.

Yeah.

You've got solar up here,
you've got water catchment.

That's a custom water tank.

Now, would that be
included in the price?

- No.
- Okay.

This yard is a huge tease,

and, you know,
it would be so nice

to be able to have

this model home
with this land,

but it doesn't
come with the land.

Oh, wow.

I like this.
This is great, Mom.

I like this.
I'm speechless.

I think this house

definitely fits
along the lines

of her personality.

You know, I love the colors
on it for her.

She loves those
kind of natural tones.

I like the roof and how

it's vaulted up here,
the wood.

Yeah.
It feels small.

Does it
feel small to you?

A little bit, yeah.

I think this would be

a great doghouse for Hannibal,
you know.

As far as my mom and him
living both in there,

I think it's a little extreme.

They've really crammed a lot
in one small space.

This is nice.

Think I can touch
both walls, though, Mom.

You're touching
the closet and the wall.

Well, it's still small.

It's 144
square feet downstairs,

not including

the loft space above here.

Yeah, I think she's
a little crazy.

That's really tiny
in there,

especially for
her and the dog.

Oh, wow.

This is different.

It's got that shower head
in the ceiling.

Yeah, that's a little odd.

I don't really like that,
and here's my door.

So if I'm on the toilet...

Oh, yeah, you definitely
need a solid door.

Hi.

But it doesn't
have a bathtub.

No, I'm really not fond of

having everything get wet
- when you take a shower.
- Right.

This composting toilet,
doesn't matter

if it gets wet or not.

Uh-huh. It's a nice thing
to put your shampoo on.

Or you can sit
and shave your legs.

This is sapele wood.

It's an art-piece ladder.

It's a beautiful piece.

I like it.

This ladder's different.

Wow, I love it up here.

- Are you coming up, Han?
- Yeah, I'm coming up.

Oh, wow.

This is nice, Mom.

Isn't it?

There's lots of storage,
you know?

I didn't expect that.

You know, I'm really--

I'm really surprised
at how much head room.

I can be up on my knees
and I touch the roof.

Yeah.
In the middle, though.

On the sides,
you might hit your head.

This is rough, though,

coming up and down
this ladder all the time.

Well, I really like
the layout of this house,

but, you know,
it's a model, so I can

do what I want with it.

Overall, it's got a lot of
really nice finishes.

You know, it's over budget,
so I would have to have

something built that
maybe I could afford.

It's just so small, Mom.
You know,

I think that's smaller
than my room at school,

and I think it's
gonna be tough

to fit all
your stuff in there.

So Barrie is showing
them a slightly bigger house

at 178 square feet,

but it's still smaller
than the average dorm room.

Well, this is your shower stall
out here.

Mom, would you really have
an outdoor shower?

Do you like this?

I've gotten really good
at giving stuff away.

That's true,
you have.

Cyndy is
trading her life

in snowy Colorado
for her dream destination,

the Big Island of Hawaii.

With $60,000 and the help
of her daughter, Hannah,

she's buying
a tiny house on wheels

she can put anywhere
on the island.

First, Cyndy saw
an eclectic model home

that could be customized
to be within budget,

but at 144 square feet,

it would be a tight squeeze
for her and her dog, Hannibal.

So today,
real-estate agent Barrie Rose

is taking them to see a place

that's a generous
34 square feet bigger.

I see the hitch.

I mean, it does look
kind of simple.

I like the red door.

So, this is a simple
bungalow style.

About 178 square feet.

- This house is $58,000.
- Hmm.

So it's within your budget,
- I think.
- It is.

You do have a rental
agreement in place

for this one for
about $200 a month,

but when that runs out,
you have the ability

to move it into
another location.

So it's temporarily
parked here.

- Yes, yes.
- Okay.

Well, this is your
shower stall out here.

It's an outdoor shower.

- Oh, okay.
- This is nice.

Yeah.

Sweet.

Oh, wow.

- And hot water?
- Uh-huh.

Mom, would you really have
an outdoor shower?

Do you like this?

I had to think about that
a little bit.

I'm not used to
taking a shower outside.

I think I could do it.

So how do we get the water
in here, Barrie?

In this case, you're in
a residential area.

You're plugged right into
municipal water.

You're gonna have to
worry about water, though,

when you move this place,
you know.

I really plan on
doing catchment.

Added cost, though.

Yes.

Wow, look at this.

It feels spacious.

The ceilings help, definitely.

I could put Hannibal kind of

over in here
and have a table.

The color's a little monotone
in here, Mom.

It doesn't really keep with
your eclectic taste.

You know,
I think if you could

start off with something
that's plain and simple

and then add what

your personality
and your taste to it.

Check out
this dresser here

with bamboo--
made out of bamboo.

- It's built-in.
- Oh, wow.

I like the countertops
in this kitchen.

What kind of wood
is this, Barrie?

This is butcher block
maple wood.

But it's all kind of
the same color.

Yeah, it is.

She likes
eclectic things

and colorful and all that
sort of thing,

so it's hard to picture her
living here.

Oh, my God!

I cannot believe

that I have actually seen
a bathtub in a tiny house.

So small, though.

It's a furo,

a Japanese soaking tub, yes.

- Okay.
- I love this.

This is where
you turn on the water.

Hot and cold water
right here.

And then it comes out
as a waterfall.

Can you even get in that?

Well, let's see.

I think I have room.

This is a maple ladder,

so it's lightweight
and easy to move.

- How is it?
- Wow. Oh, my.

This is much more spacious
than you would think, too.

Wow.

So there's storage
around the bed, That is nice.

so you could put books or...

- Pajamas.
- Yes.

Yeah, I really like it.

I totally love the tub,
but inside is kind of plain.

There's not
a lot of contrast.

That could be fun
to make it your own.

I do like the storage
in this house.

It is under budget

and it comes with land temporarily.

Yeah,
I just don't feel like

it's really
in keeping with your

eclectic taste,
though, Mom.

I feel like it's--
it is very simple.

I feel like you could find
a place that better fits you.

Barrie's
now showing Cyndy

something more eclectic,

but it's missing
a few key elements.

But where's
the refrigerator, Mom?

Oh, my God.

Are you gonna
miss the snow?

Cyndy's moving

from snowy Colorado
to Waimea, Hawaii,

and is searching for
a tiny house in paradise

that she can call her own.

First, she saw an eclectic
model home on wheels

that could be customized to fit
within her $60,000 budget,

but at a small
144 square feet,

it would be tight,

and she would need to find
a place to park it.

Next was a slightly larger

tiny home that
at 178 square feet

was also mobile and parked
on a rental plot of land.

It was within her budget,

but it wasn't Cyndy's
eclectic style.

So today,
Barrie is taking them to see

a beach-style bungalow

that at just 240 square feet
is smaller than

a commercial shipping container.

Wow,
look at that deck.

Very cute.

I could see you
living here.

Yeah, that would be
the deck that I want.

The house itself
is 240 square feet,

and the deck matches that.

So you basically...

- Double your living space.
- Yes.

Price for this is $89,000.

- Wow.
- That's a lot more
than I want to spend.

Well, it comes with land,

three-quarters of an acre, approximately.

I don't like the fact
- that it's attached.
- Yeah.

Kind of want
the tiny house on wheels.

This is a beautiful spot
and it's-- I'm not saying

that it couldn't work.

You know,
it possibly could.

She should
consider this property

because she's gonna have to have
land one way or another.

The house, if you were to take
it separately from the land,

is approximately
within her budget.

This is totally off-grid.

You've got solar.

Here's
the rain-catchment system.

And goes into
the catchment tank.

Nice.

You know,
I just really love this deck.

This is great
outdoor living space.

And I like
the ohia posts.

Yeah,
I really do like this.

Yeah,
and an outdoor kitchen,

so you're not confined
just inside.

Wow.

It's very open and bright.

It's so light, Mom.

I really like
the skylights.

Yeah,
those are really nice.

I love the views
out these windows.

- Beautiful.
- Looking out
into the forest.

There's no loft in here, though.

There's enough space up here
you might be able to put in

a storage loft.

Yeah, but,
you know, I mean,

the price of this place
is already high.

There's just not
a lot of storage.

No, you're right,
there's not.

Like, where do you
put your clothes?

That's true.

Yeah, but that's not
really a lot.

That's tiny.

Well, here's the bathroom.

This isn't too bad, though.

I like the tile-work
in here.

What about your tub?

Yeah.
I mean, ultimately,

I would like a tub.

But it doesn't have
a composting toilet, though.

No, this toilet
is a regular toilet.

I like the kitchen.

I like the high-end finishes.

This is nice, Mom.

The cupboards are nice.

I like the backsplash.
It feels like

higher-end finishes.

But where's the refrigerator?

Oh, my God.
It does not have

a refrigerator.

I don't like this at all.

I need a refrigerator.

Yeah, I really do like
the deck on this house.

It's probably one of
the best selling points.

And the yard is nice.

Something to consider,
for sure.

Yeah.

I do not like the fact
that it doesn't have a loft.

It is permanent.

Nice to have
some land, though,

and a place, a security
of knowing right where

you're gonna be.

- Yeah.
- It'd be nice for you

to get settled, though,
right away.

Yeah, that's true.

After seeing
several tiny options,

Cyndy has to decide

which place is right for her
new life in paradise.

Do you have any idea
which one I'm gonna pick?

I'm not sure.

Our house hunters
are moving on up

to a much smaller space.

Would you live in a tiny house?

Mom, your place isn't gonna be
much bigger than this.

I don't know,
I still think I can do it.

Cyndy's
giving up life in Colorado

for the sun and surf of Hawaii.

With a budget of $60,000
to buy a tiny house

and the help of her daughter, Hannah,

it's time to decide
which one is right for her.

So what are you thinking
about that first house?

That one really
looked eclectic

and in keeping with
your style.

It was a model, though,
so... and it was,

I could adjust that somewhat
in my own finishes.

That one was the smallest,
though, Mom.

I don't know that Hannibal would
fit very well in that one.

That one doesn't
come with any land

and you'd really
have to figure out,

you know,
a place to park it.

The simple bungalow

was $58,000,
and that's under my budget.

And it did come with

an agreement to rent land
for a period of time.

That one had that tub.

I really liked that tub.

But it's just still so simple,
you know,

and it comes as-is,
and I just don't really

feel like that's, you know,

in keeping with
your style.

Yeah.

The beach bungalow
was $89,000,

and it did come with
almost an acre of land.

- I really loved that deck.
- Yeah.

I liked the bathroom.

The skylights,
that was nice.

The storage in that house
was pretty much nonexistent,

- I would say.
- Right.

It was a little
over your budget.

But my real aim

was to find
a house on wheels.

Yeah, but I mean,
it's such, you know,

not a worry to have it
already planted

in the ground there,
and that'd be nice,

for you to come and already
be all set up.

Do you have any idea
which one I'm gonna pick?

I'm not sure.

I loved the one
with the tub because,

even thought it was simple,
I really think

I can make it
work for myself.

Well, I think you can really add
your own eclectic touch there.

So you'll come back out
and visit me and...

- Of course, yeah.
- See how I'm living?

Good boy.

Three months after
taking the tiny-house plunge,

Cyndy and her dog, Hannibal,
are fully moved in.

Are you happy? Huh?

Hannibal is really
liking Hawaii because

he can stay outside and I don't
have to put him on a leash.

And Hannah's
flown back from college

to visit Hawaii's
two newest residents.

Hannibal, come on.

Come on, baby.

Just put it right here.

You know,
I really like that.

I was
really happy to have

Hannah come back and see me
living in my little house

and to see how I've
sort of decorated it.

I'm not totally done yet.

Do you want an apple?

I think that this house,
in being more simple,

is a good, clean slate
for her start off on.

The storage space in here,
I actually have

a lot more room
than I thought I would.

The finishes,
even though they were a lot of

the same colors on the inside,

I thought that I could
make it my own.

Put all your
little knickknacks

up on the shelves
and all that kind of stuff.

Curtains.

Yeah, it really brings
your tastes in here.

My initial budget
was $60,000,

and we were able to get it down

a little bit lower
than their asking price.

I ended up purchasing this
bungalow for $55,000.

Do you want to go up
and make the bed?

- All right.
- And I paid cash for it,

so I have no mortgage,
which is great.

It's kind of hard to
make the bed up here, Mom.

I know, you have to make it
while you're on top of it.

I know.

You're never gonna get it
very straight looking.

That's okay.

Right now, the fact that
I have a place to park

my little house is great.

Everything fits
so nicely.

Probably my biggest project
right now is hanging up

my yoga swing,
and that turned out great.

Actually,
I think I still have

space in the house

to put more stuff,

so the storage
is great in there.

How's the bath
working out for you?

I love it.

And showering outside

hasn't been a problem
for Cyndy.

I'm really
happy with it.

I'm pleasantly surprised.

I'm really
proud of her.

I think it worked out
for the best and I think that

the tiny house,
though I was at first skeptical,

I think it's really
a good fit for her.

- He really likes it here.
- Yeah.

Buying a tiny house has
really changed my life.

I have a great sense of
accomplishment in having

moved to Hawaii by myself.

Look at this flower, Hannibal.

It's very empowering

and it's just made me
really happy.

Here, buddy.
Here's a cookie.

This house was named
by the builder

Ano Ano,
and it means The Seed,

and so, to me,
that just means, like,

it's a new beginning,
and for me,

this truly is
a new beginning.