Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - Tiny Life in Paradise - 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.

Wow.

This is so cute
but so tiny.

Downsizing
from 3,000 square feet

to less than 400
is a big challenge

for this
Northern California buyer...

This functions as a couch.

Leslie, this is your view
of the sink.

Yeah.

What?
So I could have clothing
or dishes.

...especially since Leslie wants

the creature comforts
of a regular-size house.

This is
a full oven and stove.

Just apartment--
Yeah.



It's dinky,
but I like it.

Come in here.

Let's see if three people can
fit in the shower.

- Oh, yeah.
- All right.

You can't put a bathtub
in there.

- Can't change.
- And there's no...

I don't like the can'ts
in this house.

I'm Leslie.
I am an equine artist.

And I live
in Sebastopol, California,

with my two dogs
and three horses.

Leslie moved
to this Sonoma County town

after selling what she thought
was her dream home

three hours away in an area
called Grass Valley.

It was gorgeous.

Big, huge house,

four out buildings
decked out with beds

so people could come
and visit.

It was about 3,000 square feet
and 20 acres to take care of.

But I ended up getting bit
by a tick

and developing Lyme disease,
which incapacitated me.

So I wanted to move closer
to family to get help.

- Yeah, those are beautiful.
- I just planted those
about a month ago.

She's been living
with her parents,

and the experience has brought
into focus what matters most.

My life changed in a big way,

and what was important before
was no longer important.

For me, it was more important
how I live my life,

and that was being around
my horses more.

Now that she's recovered,

Leslie is ready
to buy a home again

but wants to scale back
on her next place-- way back.

Here I had this huge overhead
with a very large mortgage.

I wanted to
not have that overhead.

I wanted to be able
to have more experience in life

and not just have to work
to pay for that.

So I decided to look into
a tiny house.

If you just go from that tree
to this tree over here,

that's about the space of...

Oh, my gosh.

...what I'm looking
at living in.

I'd like to keep it under 400

so that it's considered mobile
just so that, you know,

if I need to move on,
I want to take this with me.

I think your dogs are gonna like
living wherever you live.

My plan is to rent part of
a property from a friend of mine

that I know in Sebastopol...

- There you go.
- Thanks.

...and then putting
my tiny house

right outside the pasture
where my horses are kept.

So, how do you fit everything
into this little space?

This is gonna be saving
only the things

that mean something to me.

The toughest challenge
of finding a tiny home

is making those choices
of what to keep

and what to let go of, and--

and I know
those are gonna be tough.

Your house is probably gonna be
as big as this guy here.

I'm bringing my friend Kelly.

She's got her own opinions
about the things she likes,

the things she doesn't like.

Are you sure
about this tiny thing?

We all need a voice of reason

when we're trying to make
a major decision, right?

That's over your price range,
isn't it?

Yeah, especially if I wanted to
do any improvements on it.

Leslie wants a new build

that she can fully customize
from top to bottom

all within her $60,000 budget.

Let's look
at that picture there.

My style is very "old-world
romantic meets cowgirl-chic."

I would love to have
that cabin feel.

I like the metal roof,
the wood siding,

the wood interior, and that
there's a porch outside.

That doesn't have a bathtub.
You gonna go for that?

No.
I need to have a bathtub.

I want to have fairly
normal-size appliances,

furniture, everything.

I'd like four burners
on the stove,

a bedroom just big enough
for the bed,

but closet space is important.

Her tiny house must also have

plenty of wall space
for her artwork.

If I take out enough windows,

I make sure that there's a space
for 4-foot-by-6-foot painting.

There's nothing more fun

than actually
walking through homes

and looking at what might work
and what might not.

It's on a nice--
nice piece of property here.

- It's really cute.
- Wow. That's really...

Oh, I love the deck.

Real Estate Agent Dan Coppin

is starting Leslie off

with a tiny model cabin
on wheels.

And at just 131 square feet,
around 23 of these cabins

can fit inside
her previous property.

It looks pretty good-size
from this angle.

Really? You think so?

Yeah, it's about 20 feet long,
about 8 1/2, 9 feet wide.

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

You know, from that side,
it looks good-sized.

But here,
it looks super tiny.

I had seen pictures
of tiny houses,

but seeing it in person is
a whole nother ball game.

So it has a lot of the features
that you talked about...

Okay. All right.... in terms of the
rustic cabin look.

- It's small.
- And what's the price range
of this?

This is $60,000.

- Wow.
- That's the base.

You can customize a lot of
different things on the inside.

- What do you think of style?
- But I love the style.

What do you think
- of the front of the house?
- The style is super cute.

It's very, you know,
Western-chic, rustic.

I love the red.

The roof being metal,
I love that.

Yep.

What do you need
to tow this with?

You can carry it
with a normal-sized truck.

Well, that's a bonus.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Wow.

This is so cute
but so tiny.

So, what do you think about
the interior of the house?

Well, I like it.
I like all the wood.

I'm looking at these windows,
and I'm thinking that

they're not gonna fit
my art.

So what I'd like to do is
if I could, you know,

maybe take out
this window here

and then maybe add
more windows over there

so I didn't feel like
I was really closed in.

Mm-hmm.

- Is that a possibility?
- Yeah. Absolutely.

It won't cost you more money

to have it built
without the windows.

This is a little too tiny.

I don't know how you can get
any furniture in there

that's of normal size.

How big
- is your couch again?
- Oh, yeah.

I don't even think
it'll fit through this door.

I brought measuring tape.

I think it's,
like, 40" wide.

Okay.

27, maybe, to the...

Yeah, that won't fit.

Oh, no.

60 inches.
So that would come to here.

Would I have to build this
around my couch?

'Cause it's not gonna make it
through the door.

Yeah, either that or gonna
have to get a smaller couch.

This was a little tinier
than I had hoped for.

So, where's the 'frigerator?

So, your refrigerator is
- just to the left of you, Leslie.
- Oh. Oh.

You know,
- it's a small fridge.
- Oh, my goodness.

- Tiny fridge for a tiny house.
- I can't even stand there
and open it.

It's so tiny.

Feels really tight.

Like, if, you know,
I had guests

and we wanted to
cook together,

that would
kind of be impossible.

Oh, let's both cook
on the stove.

It is...

Oh, darling!

Oh, excuse me.

I have to
go to the bathroom now.

Wait. Where is it?

- Oh, my gosh.
- Wow.

This is so small.

Where... Go in and see it.

Is there a place to put a sink
and my vanity?

Not-- not in there.

I know you've got both
of those items that you...

You have to wash your hands
in the kitchen sink

after going to the bathroom?

Yes.
That's the, uh...

Ooh.
I don't know about that.

That's the option
- that you've got.
- I don't think I like that.

Is there any way
to put a bathtub?

You can't put a bathtub
in there.

The shower is the one thing
that you can't change.

And there's no... I don't like the can'ts
in this house.

I don't like things... There's only a couple.

There are a couple can'ts,
but, uh...

It's the can't house.

Oh, my goodness.

You can either leave it as is
with the shelves,

or that can be a closet
for clothing.

So I could have clothing
or dishes.

Yeah. You know,
when you're looking at

a little space like this,
it's really figuring out

how to maximize this space
as much as possible.

All right. Let me see this here
bedroom loft thing.

It feels wider than down below.
Let's see.

I can't see you doing this
in the middle of the night

to go to the bathroom.

Yeah. I don't think
that would work for me.

I like the pine walls.

I like the metal roof.

Um, the feel of it
as far as it being

cowgirl-chic-type of look--

- Sure.
- I like that part of it.

But as far as
what I need to have,

which are
my sink and vanity,

and I'd really love to have
my love seat, you know,

those are
the sort of things

that I think that I'd need
a bigger floor plan.

Dan's found a house
that's triple the size

with plenty of room
to entertain.

Never been in a shower
- with two women before.
- Nice!

- There's plenty of room.
- All right.

Big horses eat big food.

After selling
her 3,000 square foot home,

Leslie wants to downsize
to a tiny house

that's seven times smaller
than her previous place.

It also must be mobile
so she can park it

at her friend's ranch
near her horses

in Sebastopol, California.

If it was up to me, I'd put it
in the horse pasture

because I'd love to have 'em
come up to the deck.

So far, she and her friend Kelly
have seen a tiny cabin

priced at the top
of Leslie's $60,000 budget.

She liked the rustic style

and that at 131 square feet,
she could tow it with her truck.

But there wasn't room
for her furniture,

and the bathroom
was just 2 by 6 feet.

So now they're visiting
a campground to look at a model

that's around 400 square feet,

the average size
of a two-car garage.

Well, it doesn't quite have
that rustic feel.

I think the whiteness
of the--

the window panes and the green,
it's just a little too...

- Prefab?
- Prefab.

Okay. Okay.

Now, the color,
it can be stained differently,

just so you know.

Well, that's good.

- Is it still on wheels?
- It is still on wheels.

And I assume
I can't tow this with my truck.

Correct. It's gonna be
a specialty towing truck

that's gonna pull this
for you.

How much is that?$5,000 to $7,000.

Ooh.

Yeah.
The base price is $52,000.

The customizations that
we're gonna see is $60,000.

So this whole deck is
just an add-on,

so it's not part
of the model.

This is a fiber cement.
It's a composite material.

- Fiber cement.
- It's fire-resistant,
so that's key.

Oh. All right.

I like the metal roof.

- Should we go inside?
- Yeah.

All right.
Here we go.

I like the pine.

This looks absolutely huge
in here.

I mean, it just looks like
way more space.

Your furniture would fit
in here.

Your couch is about
this size, eh?

Yeah.
I think it would work.

- Artwork.
- I like that a lot.

I like the open floor plan.

I like that there's, you know,
full-size appliance in here.

But can I actually get
a real stove insert?

Absolutely.

Because I don't like
this setup here.

Yep. You can have four burners
fit right over there.

And then all these cabinets,

I could actually
have this removed...

Mm-hmm.... and put up my own shelves?

Exactly.

It's gonna add to the cost,

but so all these customizations,
there's...

Of course it is.

Yeah, of course.

And I'm not sure
about this up here.

So you got to hunch over
a little bit.

I'd rather not
- have a loft.
- Okay.

Would it bring
the cost down... Yeah, yeah, you--

- ...if I took it out?
- For sure.

- Okay.
- You could use it
for storage, though...

- Yeah.
- I suppose.

But I don't really need it.

Leslie would save $12,000

if she went with
the single-floor version

of this model, which has
a base price of $40,000.

Oh, wow.
I like the ceiling height.

Oh, I do too.

Ah, no closet. Yeah.

I don't know why
I keep seeing no closets

in any of these places.

It's-- it's like,
who designs these things?

Women need clothes.

Take a look
at the bathroom here.

Oh, yeah.

Well, this is
a good-sized bathroom.

Yeah.
That's for sure.

Oh, there's no tub
in here.

Oh.
Pardon me.

Dan, come in here.

- Come in.
- Let's see if three people
can fit in the shower.

- Oh, yeah.
- All right.

- Really get in here.
- Never been in the shower
with two women before.

Nice!

Dan sandwich.

- Don't mind us.
- That's a good-sized shower.

Actually, that works.
That works well.

And you could put a tub
in there.

The thing is, if I took out the loft...
- Mm-hmm.

I would need more space down
on the main floor for storage,

and this bathroom, as--
as great as it is,

- it's almost too big.
- Okay.

I don't know.

I think it's a tiny house
with a bigger bathroom.

Seems like a plus to me.

It's got the metal roof
and the knotty pine.

- Mm-hmm.
- I like that.

But I'd get rid
of all the built-ins... Okay.

...take out a few windows
to accommodate art.

And I would probably have
an actual full-size appliance

and a tub for sure.

- Definitely.
- Right.

And with
all the customization,

it might be
a little bit more

than what my budget
will allow.

So maybe we could see something
that's not quite so big

or so high
in the price range.

Yeah.
We can do that.

So Dan is showing them
a house he hopes

is the right size
and price for Leslie.

- Wow. I really like this.
- This is cute.

But he has to go the
extra mile to make that sale.

Dan, is my tape measure
coming between us?

Our house hunters are upgrading
to tiny houses.

Could you live
in something this small?

Good girl.
Good girl.

Leslie wants to be
closer to her horses

in Sebastopol, California.

She's downsizing from
a 3,000-square-foot property

to a tiny home on wheels

that she can put on
her friend's ranch

where she keeps her horses.

It looks good-sized.

But finding a place
that she can fully customize

and stay within budget
has been a challenge.

She and her friend Kelly have
seen a very compact model cabin.

At 131 square feet,
it's definitely portable,

but doesn't have
a full-size bathroom.

Next, they saw a cabin
that was over three times bigger

at 399 square feet.

But towing fees
and customizations

could blow her budget.

Now Dan is showing them
another model

that's a little smaller
at 204 square feet,

around the size
of a one-car garage.

- Wow. I really like this.
- This is cute.

It's a little modern.
No?

I'd actually call it
rustic chic.

I think if you had no railing
at all on the porch

and you changed out
the light fixtures,

it would be
really rustic chic.

I like it.

Great. I was hoping
you'd have that reaction.

Is this real wood?

No.
It's a hardboard siding.

It looks pretty real, though.

- Yeah.
- I wouldn't mind that.

I love corrugated metal
on anything.

And the mix of it--Yeah, it looks good.

It's great.
This deck is really awesome.

So this is
an added-on deck.

So this is gonna cost you
an extra $3,500. So...

And what's the base price
for this?

The base price is
right around $46,000.

- Okay.
- So what we're gonna be
looking at today

with all the customizations
comes out around $68,000.

Okay. All right.

And this is on wheels.

It is. Exactly.

Is it towed by a semi?
Or...

You can actually tow this
with a full-size truck.

I like that.
- I like that perk.
- Yeah, a little more mobile.

Oh, my gosh.
This is adorable.

Really?
- It's not too modern?
- I love...

No.
It's not too modern at all.

I love
these granite countertops.

These are gorgeous.

And this backsplash,
that is really, really cool.

Yeah.

And this is a full oven
and stove.

It's apartment--
Yeah, an apartment-sized...

Cute!

Yeah, it's dinky,
but I like it.

And full size.
I like that a lot.

Would you keep
the cabinets?

Um, you know, as far as
a built-in goes,

these are actually
really, really nice.

Good.

So, this is storage here?

Yeah. Exactly.
This functions as a couch.

I don't know.

I'd run into this
coming into the front door.

And, you know, Leslie,
this is your view...

of the sink.

Yeah.

So this can function
for whatever purpose you want.

It can be a bedroom.

Right now it's set up
- like an office.
- Oh, very cute.

There's not that much room.
That's a possibility.

I wonder how big a bed
can fit in here.

- Now you're thinking.
- Pretty tight.

I like the way your thought
process is going, you know?

Kelly has been fun
to have along on the ride.

She is definitely
a voice of reason

with her trusty measuring tape.

So, we'll go wall-to-wall.
Kelly, goin' with 60"?

Yeah.
There's plenty of room in here.

- Oh, yeah.
- Yeah.

I still think you should
make this into a sitting area.

This would be so cozy.

Yeah, that's an idea.

I would definitely
take these windows out.

There's just
way too many windows.

This is really the only wall
that would accommodate my art.

I think
I need some assistance. Dan?

I'm wondering if bringing Kelly
along was a good decision

because her focus seems to be
more on Dan than the house.

Dan, is my tape measure
coming between us?

I mean, this is really cozy
up here but open.

I don't like this.

Like, you couldn't get in
and out very easily with this.

So if, you know, the ceiling
was all the way across...

Vaulted, I would say this--
this actually might

make me consider
a loft even.

You got enough time
in the loft, Kelly?

- Yeah.
- All right.

This loft isn't quite as big
as that one.

- Yeah.
- But it would be great
for guests.

- It's very cute.
- It's got the bathroom right
underneath it.

So it's... All right.

Could you change the shower
out for a tub?

Yep. Absolutely.

So, what do you think
in terms of this overall size

of the bathroom?

I think this is fine.
- The size is fine.
- Good.

Really? You don't think
it's a little small?

No, actually.

As long as it fits the tub,
it would be fine.

Overall, I really love
the look and feel of this place.

- Good.
- It's very rustic,
cowgirl-chic.

I really like it.

I do like
this full-size kitchen.

I think the biggest negatives
would be so many windows--

there's nowhere to hang art--
and definitely the ceiling.

I would love to see
the ceiling lofted.

It's a little more daunting
than I had suspected

because I'm really gonna have to
make some big choices

as far as what I get rid of,
and that's a tough one.

Figuring out
what Leslie can live with

and without to fit in one of
these tiny homes won't be easy.

I could let go
of almost everything that I own

and still have a hard time
living in that.

With a budget of $60,000,

Leslie has been searching
the Sebastopol, California area

for a portable, tiny house
that she can put right by

the horse pasture
on her friend's ranch.

With the help
of her friend Kelly,

she's ready to make a decision.

What do you think
of that tiny house in the woods

that we saw?

It had 131 square feet.

Yeah, for $60,000.

It was adorable,
and it was really well-made.

I did like the rustic feel,
but it was so tiny

I started to question
whether or not

I really wanted to go tiny.

I could let go of almost
everything that I owned

and still have a hard time
living in that.

But I did like the fact
that you could tow it.

As far as
the other rustic cabin,

the one
that was 399 square feet,

so that one
was $52,000 base.

And then with the additions,
it was-- came up to $60,000.

I liked, you know,
the knotty pine inside...

Mm-hmm.... the walls and the ceilings.

That was great.

There was a lot of room
to put my art on the wall.

I could put
full-size appliances in.

- That was great.
- Mm-hmm.

It felt
a little prefab to me.

Yeah. It did.

And the loft
just didn't work for me.

Yeah. That one was
a little too spacious, eh?

The cost of towing,
that would definitely make me

think twice
about choosing that.

Well, you liked the loft
in that contemporary country.

That was amazing.

The loft really actually
had me sold

if they would change
the roofline in there.

You could have a nice, little,
cozy room down below.

The bathroom actually had
the perfect amount of space.

And at 204 square feet,

it's tiny enough for Leslie
to tow with her truck.

But there were
so many windows.

And if I took out
those windows

to be able
to put my art on the wall,

I would lose so much light.

The base was $45,000, but with
what we saw, it was $68,000.

And with all the customization
that I would want to do in it,

I might just be a little bit
out of my price range.

You know, I think
I know what I want to do.

I think that I'm actually
gonna go with the rustic cabin.

I think for the price, I'm gonna
get everything that I want.

I'm gonna get started
on the floor plan

that I want to do
and see how far

they can customize it
to what I want.

Well, I'm really excited
for you.

Let me know
how I can help you out.

You bet.
I can't wait.

So, how is that?
Is that straight?

I ended up purchasing
the single floor plan

without the loft.

So the base price for this
was actually around $40,000.

I left out
a lot of the built-ins.

She moved some windows,

added French doors, and adjusted
the layout of the bathroom.

With shipping, delivery, taxes,

it came out to be
approximately $47,000.

You did it.

Yeah. Aww!

In this original model
that I ordered,

these were all built-in cabinets

that actually ended up
coming out to here

along with this being
a built-in.

So I eliminated all of that.

I was able to put my own
piece of furniture here.

And I was able to put my own

reclaimed-wood shelves
up in here.

It's amazing how--
how you were able

to put so many things
that make you feel good in here.

The best thing for me
in owning a tiny house,

it's a lot less to clean.

It's super comfortable.

What's next for me is
I am going to

enjoy the heck out of my
environment right now,

and I'm gonna spend more time
with my horses

and just relax for a little bit.