Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Fresh Start, Tiny Space - 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.

Oh, my gosh,
it's a camper!

Newly single Emilee
is looking for a tiny house

like the one she grew up in.

- Oh, wow.
- Tiny for sure.

It feels smaller
than I thought.

Can I reach across?
Can I touch?

You can.

But will her childhood memories

match with the reality
of going tiny?

This is a yurt.

But, I mean,
I'd have to live here.

This is your bathroom!

Am I gonna be buck naked
in front of people?



Oh, my God. Oh.

It actually looks smaller
up here than I thought.

You could put mirrors
on the ceiling.

They'd reflect more light.

You put mirrors
on the ceiling?

You are dating now.

Okay, all right.
All right.

My name is Emilee.
I live in Hollywood, California.

I'm an environmental attorney,
an actress, and an author.

There's a lot of big changes
in my life right now.

I just ended
a long-term relationship,

and so I'm ready
to have my own space.

I am living temporarily
with my friend Tyler,

who conveniently happens to be
a real-estate agent,

so that's awesome.

We got lemonade
going on here?

Hey! Do you want one?

I grew up
in a 900-square-foot house,

which is pretty tiny
for four people,

and my grandparents
had a pull trailer.

I just loved
everything about it.

Looking back, I feel like
my family was actually closer

when we had a smaller space.

So now I feel I'm ready to pull
the trigger on a new tiny home.

And it's definitely, like,
the new "trend" now.

I just want the space
to be warm and inviting

and, I don't know, cute.

When I tell someone
I'm buying a tiny house,

usually they give me
a look like, "What?

Why would you
want to live tiny?"

It's a little scary,
and I'm trying to stay calm,

but, you know,
it's exciting, too.

And I feel like
there's lots of possibilities.

And I'm open
to whatever happens.

Joining the search
for the perfect tiny home

is Emilee's best friend, Becky.

How does this feel?
Can you get used to this?

Feels--

This is the hugest risk
I've seen her take.

I think it's such a small space,

you don't realize
how limited you are.

We're thinking
about 300 square feet.

I mean, this kind of
- what we're working with.
- This kitchen is it.

As far as square footage,
I'd prefer to stay

within the 200-to-300-
square-feet range.

I think you'll do great
with a small house.

I just want you to realize

that this will be
the entire house

and maybe your kitchen
will be this little section.

Having Becky along
is a major coup for me

because she is a creative genius

when it comes
to interior design.

Looking at tiny houses,
you see that they're

pretty plain at the beginning
when you see it,

but there is so much
we can do,

and I just don't
want you to forget.

I would prefer vintage looks

along with some
traditional elements.

I really like the idea
of reusing something.

Some of the more vintage

and eclectic things
that you like,

those are things
that are easy to add.

As much as I'm trying
to minimalize

and let go of things,

I do like books,
and I do have a lot of clothes,

so I will need some storage.

I have lived in a place
where there was a loft.

It sounds fun,
but is a pain in the keister.

I'd prefer to have everything
on the same floor.

You could do all that you do
in a kitchen here.

Becky says that I don't cook,
but I want a full kitchen,

and that's because I do bake
sometimes, okay?

I need an oven.

What I don't think she realizes

is that there's going to be
a trade-off.

And when it comes down
to trade-offs,

she's going to want to do
her hair

more than she's going to want
to bake cookies.

I just realized,
I've only really looked

at pictures of tiny homes.

I haven't actually
been in one.

I'm excited, and I think
it's going to be an adventure.

My budget is $15,000,

and as much as I love
Los Angeles,

I would love to live
in Ojai, California,

which is about 88 miles
outside of town.

I have some friends in Ojai,
and I'm going to be temporarily

putting my tiny home
in their small orchard.

Getting this tiny house
for me means freedom.

I feel like it's all
going to work out.

I hope.

Today,
Emilee's about to set foot

in her first tiny house ever--
a $15,000 traditional model

that measures in
at just 112 square feet.

Oh, my gosh.
No way.

What do you think?

What do you think, Em?

Hi, Tyler!
It's tiny.

It's a tiny house
- on wheels.
- Yeah, but it's a good find, huh?

Good job.

Check it out.
Okay, so here.

What is that?
That's a hitch.

Look at that hitch.
Oh, my gosh.

- I'll explain that to you.
- That's where you're going
to haul this around.

Well, I mean--
I understand... How are you going
to haul this around?

Do you have a truck, Em?

Not at present, no.

Wait,
you need a truck.

Oh, wow.
It's darling.

- It's tiny.
- It's tiny.

Okay, it feels
- smaller that I thought.
- Tiny for sure.

It's really got clean lines.
It's traditional.

- Wow.
- Wow, yeah.

Okay, so we got the kitchen
over here,

but there's no kitchen.

There's a huge sink,
and then there is nothing else.

I mean, no stove, no oven,
and kind of... No refrigerator.

Well, those are
additional costs.

Okay, and then I'd put them
over here?

So, they're not included.

That cuts
into the living room.

It cuts into your budget.

That too,
but where would I even eat?

Emilee seems surprised
at how small this place is.

It's a tiny house.

I mean, space is going to be
at a premium

in a place like this.

The trick is how well
she uses the space.

Yeah, so,
I mean, I've got clothes.

Where would I hang 'em?
Here?

Where would you
install closet space?

What I can do
is get another tiny house,

and that could be
all your closet space.

That's the start
of your village.

- Oh, gosh.
- Your tiny village.

You do have a nice window
right here.

That is nice. I love
having light in the kitchen.

Here is the bathroom.

I love this shower!
It's huge!

- This is a big shower.
- Oh, my gosh, yeah.

For the space.

You might have to eat
in here.

I know.

Got the toilet.
It's not too cramped in here.

I'm kind of surprised
how big the bathroom is

for the tiny space.

All right, so,
my sleeping area...

It's a loft, Emilee.
How do you feel about a loft?

Well, I don't like having
to climb into a second story,

but I mean,
obviously you have to utilize

what space you've got.

I would definitely prefer

that my bed
be on the ground floor,

but there is
just not enough space,

so when in Rome
and in tiny houses...

Oh, my gosh. Oh.

Okay, well, it actually looks
smaller up here then I thought.

Okay, all of the sudden
I got a little claustrophobic.

I mean, it's nice that
there is a window up here.

I would like that it
would have been a little bigger,

I mean, 'cause it's tiny.

You could put mirrors
on the ceiling.

They'd reflect more light.

You put mirrors
on the ceiling?

You are dating now.

Okay, all right.
All right.

There's a lot of cool elements
to it that I appreciate.

Well, it has the kind
of character that you like.

I love the look
of the interior, really.

The bathroom is fantastic.

Yeah, it's everything
that you wanted.

Yeah, the bathroom is
the best thing about this place.

I love that it's on wheels.
I'm glad that it's mobile.

I'm a little "eh"
about the loft.

I do think
it's cozy up there.

It's just the getting up
and down out of the loft,

it's not my favorite thing.

The other thing
is the kitchen.

There's no oven.
There's no stove.

I'd rather have
a full kitchen,

or at least something
functioning in the kitchen.

Storage
is definitely doable.

It doesn't have it, but there's
- space to add storage.
- Yeah.

That's just something to
- consider in the overall cost.
- Yeah. Right.

You're right at budget,
$15,000.

I'm glad that it has
a lot of pros, Emilee.

Yeah.

Since size is a concern,

they're now seeing a place

that takes open concept
to a whole new level.

This is your bathroom.

Am I gonna be buck naked
in front of people?

Ooh, I'm just,
like, hurting.

Whose idea was this?

Recently single Emilee

is striking out on her own
and going tiny.

She wants to move from Hollywood

to her friend's property
in Ojai, California.

She's looking for something
no bigger than 300 square feet

that fits
into her $15,000 budget.

With her best friend, Becky,
along to help,

Emilee's real-estate agent, Tyler,

has shown them a compact
112-square-foot tiny house.

While it has Emilee's
traditional style,

getting up and down the loft
ladder would be a challenge,

and there's no full kitchen.

So today,
Tyler is showing Emilee

something more open
and twice the size.

Emilee had a tough time with
the last place I showed her,

but I found her something
that's quite a bit more open.

She's just gonna have to keep
an open mind.

Tyler, what is--

Well, Emilee,
what do you think?

Um, this is a yurt.

That's right.
It's a yurt.

Okay, not what
I was expecting.

This is about 200 square feet.
You're looking at $12,000.

But is that, like,
- built and everything?
- Not quite.

Okay, it's a kit.

I have to put this
together?

It's only really maybe
a two- or three-day--

What is under here?

Maybe I'll help you.
I'm not sure.

Oh, really?

Oh, we'll have
a yurt-raising.

I can't believe Tyler
is showing me a yurt.

This tiny house hunt
is sort of stretching me

outside of my comfort zone.

- Let's see what we can do.
- Let's go look.

Oh, my God.

What do you think, Em?

There's a bed.

It's a bedroom.

How am I going to install
a kitchen?

Does the kit come
with a kitchen?

Well, they have design plans
when it comes to adding a stove

or other things
that you want to do.

Okay,
let's figure this out.

Okay,
So I have the bed...

Full-size bed.

Yeah. Oh!

Yeah, it feels comfy, right?

- Yes.
- All right.

The other thing is,
this is so thin.

Like, I'm going to hear everything.

And everyone will hear you.

You'll have to keep it quiet
- with your boyfriends.
- Yeah, that's true. I mean, but still...

My many boyfriends?
Thank you.

There's no traditional elements.

I have no idea
how I would decorate this.

Those are things that you would
bring in-- fabrics, furniture.

This is shown as a room,

but you actually need to start
looking at it as a home.

I think you have a lot
that you can do.

I can see Emilee freaking out
about this space,

but she has so much open area
to work with.

I just need her
to be able to see that.

There's, like,
no storage in here.

You'll have to bring it in.

Okay, but then
it's sort of like--

It starts eating into my budget,
and I have no decorating budget.

I didn't think
a tiny house hunt

would be this challenging.

You have to use
your imagination constantly.

You have to think
of creative ideas,

and I don't know
if I'm that creative.

I'm being open.

It's cool.
I mean, I know what a yurt is.

But, I mean,
I'd have to live here.

There is tons to do
in this space, lots of options.

First of all, dividers.

So what you are seeing
is just one big space.

From there, we'd put in
some kind of storage, right?

You could get some kind
of modular kitchen.

I mean,
can I get a full kitchen?

Depending on where I put it,

I'm not going to be close
to restaurants.

I mean, I have to cook.

Yes. We could
figure that out.

How much does it cost for them
to put it all together?

You're looking
at about another $2,500 or so.

That's still
- under budget.
- Yeah.

And from there,
there's tons we can do.

Where do I go
to the bathroom?

Well, actually,
you'd have to use this door.

Okay.

This is where
- you get au naturel.
- Take a step.

Oh, my God.

You've got to be
kidding me.

Am I'm gonna be buck naked
in front of people?

Yeah, you could hang
some fun fabric curtain.

We can do
a half-wall partition.

You could enclose
the whole thing if you want.

You could leave it open.
I mean, you live in California.

Imagine, Emilee, you could
put up a partition across here,

have shrubs, flowers,
flower boxes.

Okay, okay.

I've actually always loved
the idea of an outdoor shower,

mostly, like, beachy
kind of outdoor shower,

but this is awesome.

I mean,
it's tall enough and everything.

Do you think we can do some
sort of enclosure or whatever?

Yeah, a really cute enclosure.
The sky's the limit, literally.

I feel like there's more pros
than cons here.

There's a ton of light.

There's a lot of outdoors-y,
which I think is great for you.

There's a lot of flexibility
in what you want to do with it.

Yeah, but there's no kitchen.

You just don't see
the kitchen today, Right.

but there can be
a full-functioning kitchen

- that's very useful.
- Right.

There's definitely possibilities
that you can work with here.

Well, one of the things I like
is the price point.

It leaves a lot of room for
bringing in your own touches.

I've always thought of
an outdoor shower as cool.

I'd have to warm up
to the idea

of the full bathroom
being outdoors.

I think there's a lot
we can do with it.

Tyler's found Emilee

something that has
the kitchen she wants...

That's a cute
little oven.

...but not much else.

This is a bed.

How would one
get up there?

Look at that.

See, here's some
fun upholstery.

That's with quilts,
it looks like.

Newly single and ready
for a place of her own,

Emilee is on the hunt
for a tiny home she can move

to beautiful Ojai, California.

First up,
she and her friend Becky

saw a traditional
112-square-foot tiny house.

Even though it was within
her $15,000 budget

and move-in-ready,

Emilee got hung up
on a few things.

She then saw
a 200-square-foot yurt

with the ground-floor bed
she wants

but an outside bathroom
she doesn't.

And adding a kitchen and storage
could put her well over budget.

Angling for something
less expensive,

Tyler's arranged for them
to see a place

with plenty of storage
and nostalgia.

He's with another client today,

but he's having the owner,
Mike, let them in.

Oh.

Here it is.

Oh, my gosh.
It's a camper!

- It's a camper!
- Oh, I love campers.

I know!

I'm so excited
about this camper.

It reminds me of the one

that my grandparents had
when I was growing up.

- What's the year?
- It's a '75.

How big is it?

It's 165 square feet and sleeps
about four to six comfortably.

Okay, all right.

I'm asking $5,000 for it.

Emilee,
that's so below budget.

Go on in.

Let me know
if you have questions.

Oh, my gosh.

It's so tiny.
It's so cute.

It's like
we're in the '70s.

Lookit.

Okay, so this is where
the 8-track went?

Yes.

Four-burner stove and oven.

Ooh, that's a cute
little oven.

With little, tiny
oven stuff.

Rusty.
Rusty oven stuff.

I wanted an oven,
but I should have specified

that I wanted an oven
big enough to use.

This one looks like a toy,

like I could bake
a little, tiny cake.

Oh, Beck, lookit.

Oh. Oh.

Everything's sort of
falling apart.

Look at that-- Aah!

I wasn't prepared for that.

It's going to need
a lot of work.

It needs to be painted.
- That's got to happen.
- Well, that's a cost.

Every surface is going to be
an expense.

That's something I think--
unless you like it.

What do you think
of this wallpaper?

Well, it's... interesting.

It's actually in such good shape
is what's unbelievable.

Well, so what?

I mean, it's got butterflies
on it and mushrooms.

I mean look at the--
like, the fake wood.

I know it's supposed to be
charming in the '70s,

but it's like, fake wood,
and orange?

This place definitely needs
some work,

but the difference
between Emilee and I

is that she looks around
and sees disaster.

I look around,
and I see so much potential.

You know,
it sleeps four to six people.

I don't see how.

- This probably comes off.
- Oh, it comes off.

I remember this.
My grandparents
had one like that.

This is a bed.

Ooh.

How would one
get up there?

Don't break it.
Please don't break it.

If I break it,
I have to pay.

Okay.

I think there's probably
an easier way, Emilee.

Okay, wait, okay.

I don't think
it's going to happen.

Wait. Wait.

I can't get down now.

- I got you!
- Ow!

Okay, that's not
gonna work.

This should not ever be
a bed.

Unless you have to,
but this is amazing storage.

That's a lot of storage.

Looking through
the camper through adult eyes,

as opposed to a child's eyes...

This is like I'm going to live
in a van down by the river.

...it doesn't seem as much fun.

Okay, okay, there.

So this must be
a clos-- Oh.

- That's your bathroom.
- That's the bathroom!

It's got a toilet.

It has everything.

Okay, you fit, kind of.

So it comes over this far.

I think I'm supposed to,
like, take it off...

There you go.

...and then, like,
shower my face.

Look at this Emilee,
a closet.

We haven't seen a closet--
with a rod.

Oh, wow.
I could actually hang clothes.

I mean, they really did put
a lot of storage in here.

It's impressive.

As much as I love reusing
and recycling something,

if we go over the laundry list
of things that I need to fix,

it feels risky to me.

I'm going to have to put another
5 grand into it, probably,

and then I'm still
with something that's old,

that I don't know
how long it's going to work.

If you put that money into this,
you could have your kitchen,

which is the fullest kitchen
we've seen so far.

You get so much
storage space.

There's a lot of hurdles,
in my mind, to getting there.

It's got a lot of work.
It is not move-in-ready.

Having seen all
that tiny houses have to offer,

it's time for Emilee to
figure out what she wants to do.

I'm going to need
your help.

I've got to make
a decision.

House Hunting
just got a little bit smaller

with people on the hunt
for tiny homes.

Could you live
in such close quarters?

- Cool.
- Yeah?

I'm going to need
your help.

Looking for a fresh start,

Emilee is moving
to Ojai, California,

and into a place of her own.

Having seen several
very different tiny options,

she's ready to choose one.

I've got to make
a decision.

So, what did you think
about the tiny house on wheels

that was $15,000?

I did feel like it was
more my style,

and it was more ready
to move into,

so that was appealing to me.

The bathroom
was a major plus.

- Oh, yes.
- It was great.

Plenty of space in there.

Yeah, and that shower
was perfect.

There's not stovetop.
There's no oven.

The loft--
a little bit of a challenge.

There's plenty of room
up there.

I mean, there's enough room
for a queen-size bed,

which is great.

The yurt.

- The yurt.
- It was $12,000.

The sleeping space
was wonderful.

I mean, the only thing
is that's all it was--

- It was a sleeping space, yeah.
- It was a bedroom.

But I could help you
configure this,

add the storage you need,
add the kitchen.

It'd definitely be a challenge
as far as decorating.

You could do some things,
but, yeah, it's a little
more challenging.

You know, I think it's cool
to shower, maybe, in nature,

but going to the bathroom
out there, I'm not a big fan.

You could build something
more enclosed,

but then we're
just more cost.

And now the camper.

Yeah, it's really cute.
It's cute.

It's got great storage.
It's got a closet.

The most
functioning kitchen, $5,000.

$5,000. I mean,
it's well under the budget.

I mean, obviously, there's
going to be a lot of money

that I'm going to have to spend
if I chose this,

for repairs and renovation.

It just requires
a lot of work.

I'm feeling like
I'm going in circles.

I think I've made
a decision.

Okay?

I'm going with the camper.

- You're go-- No!
- Yes!

- Really?
- Okay, but you
have to help me

I'm surprised because I don't know
what I'm doing.

I want to get all over
that camper.

I just think it's so cozy,
and I think it would be fun.

Are you sure?

- I'm sure. I'm sure.
- Okay.

I chose the camper.
I got it go Ojai.

It's going to be parked here
for a little bit

until I find
my own plot of land to buy.

Look, it's perfect.

I'm really excited about it.

I have to say,
there is a sentimental reason

why I chose the camper.

It makes me feel like I'm
reliving my childhood memories

with my grandparents who took me
in their small camper.

The minute I walked into it,
it took me back.

- This is a magical awning.
- I do, too.

You're not afraid
of the bright orange balls.

No.
I love orange balls.

We've been working on it,
day in and day out.

Becky created
a beautiful awning,

and she's a genius
with interior decor,

so we did re-upholstery.

We did the floors.
We did the ceilings.

We painted the exterior
and interior.

We made it through,
and we're still friends.

My budget was $15,000.

I bought it for $5,000, and
I spent $5,000 renovating it,

so I'm really happy.

It's homey.
It's comfortable.

This was the smallest
thing that you looked at,

yet it was the most functional
of all of them.

You're just going to
have to stay tidy.

Yeah, that's going to be hard,
but it's okay.

And I think you made a good
choice to use this as storage.

Oh, absolutely.

Can you believe you tried to
get me in that and out of that?

Of course I can.

That was terrible!

Emilee has been using

the convertible bed
in the kitchen area to sleep on.

I just feel like this
is going to be more comfortable.

Yeah,
I think it's great.

And when I come,
I'll sleep over there.

The bathroom and shower
works great.

It's a little tight but Becky
made a wonderful shower curtain.

I thought it would be
a good idea

to leave a little clear space
to make it not look so confined,

but I didn't consider
the step-up into the shower,

so instead of being here,

it's kind of more
like a peep show.

But got to have a little fun
inside of your camper, right?

I think the most surprising
thing about living tiny

is how much you learn
to do without as far as storage.

I have been paring down
and paring down and paring down

the things in my life,
and I think there's a sense

of relief and freedom
associated with that.

Sometimes, it might seem
like it might be claustrophobic,

but hasn't been to me

because I feel like I have
165 square feet on the inside,

but I have millions
of square miles

on the outside to explore.