Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 12 - Living Cozy in Colorado - full transcript

Homebuyers across the country

are saying goodbye
to big houses...

Wow! Look at that.
That is tiny.

...and hello to small spaces.

With the push of a button,

this house contracts
to half its size.

- Wow.
- Wow.

- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.

- It's a fold-down sink.
- That's so cool!

Oh!

Wow.
This just got weird.



But the smaller the house,

the bigger the challenge
fitting inside.

It'd be six of us
up here.

Where am I gonna sleep?

- This swings back.
- Whoa.

- That's the loft.
- Ohh.

I think I see
a problem already.

Oh.
This is it.

Looks kind of
like a circus tent.

Colorado couple
Natalie and Chris

and their young daughter, Amelie,

are trying their hand
at tiny living.

Look at this.

It's so small
in here.



Watch your head
up here.

Oh. There goes my head.

Wow.
It's like a forest in here.

But as always, there's bound
to be a learning curve.

Here you are showering
or on the toilet

and everybody's
looking at you.

Really?
This is ridiculous.

- I'm Chris.
- I'm Natalie.

We live in a somewhat
small town

outside of
Fort Collins.

I teach anatomy
and pathophysiology

at the
community college.

And I'm an artist.

Well, we've known
each other for 13 now, right?

- Yep. Definitely.
- And married for nine.

I saw the beer you
left out to taste.

Oh.
It's a little foamy.

We love to go camping
and explore the outdoors.

I love making beer.

You want to do
that color?

Sure.
Okay.

It's lavender.
Can you say lavender?

We have a daughter.
She's 2 years old.

Her name is Amelie.

All right.
Mommy gonna wash your hands?

Yeah.

Our current home
is about 1,200 square feet.

It's 3 bedrooms,
1 1/2 baths.

It's got a nice,
big kitchen.

We have a lot of hobbies
that make us happy

and fulfill our lives
more with our daughter.

But you can't squeeze it in
when you're working full-time.

So we're looking forward
to downsizing

and reduce the amount
of income we need.

We'll be able
to both work part-time.

I feel like we can totally
change our lifestyles

a little bit together

and balance our work life
with our family life.

We have to kind of think about
how to prioritize our time.

- I like the purple.
- The purple ones?

Do you want to pick
some more purple?

They're also looking
for a large plot of rural land

to park their tiny home on

so Amelie will have space
to grow and play.

We want to be a little
closer to the mountains.

We hope that our home
can blend it a little bit

to the surroundings,
the environment.

We want it to kind of fit
- into the natural setting.
- Right.

How am I going to get rid
of all this stuff?

These.
No.

Those are my favorite corduroy.

Getting ready
for this transition,

we don't know exactly
how much space we'll have.

But we've been trying
to get rid of,

like, clothes
and quite a bit of stuff.

Let's see what
we can find in there.

They have a budget
of $200,000

and plan to spend
about $150,000 on land.

It leaves us
with about $50,000 or so

to get a home
to live in out there.

Oh, I like that one.

We're hoping
to find something

that's pretty modern.

To me, modern means
simple, not ostentatious.

I'm looking more
at a Craftsman style,

just more artistic.

I definitely
need to be able

to continue painting
with Amelie

or whatever she wants
to make or create.

So they built a wall.

Right, they built a wall,
and there's a loft,

and then there's a kitchen
on the other side.

They will also need a separate
sleeping space for Amelie.

And that's, like,
a small kitchen,

but we could both
fit in there.

There's not much
counter space here.

I really like to cook
with my whole family,

so we need a space
for that as well.

We're excited
to just explore

our interests
a little bit more

and try to have fun
every day

and appreciate everything
we have every day.

To help them navigate
the wide variety of tiny house

and land options in Colorado,

they've called upon
local real-estate agent

and tiny-house expert
Bobby Martin.

Natalie is looking
for more Craftsman style.

Chris likes the modern style.

So meeting
those two together

is a little difficult
to do sometimes.

Bobby is starting
Chris and Natalie off

with a tiny option
that can be customized.

So what I'm gonna
show you guys today

is not gonna be
your traditional tiny home.

Wow. Looks kind of like
a circus tent.

What's all this
brown and khaki?

So this is actually
called a yurt.

The outside
is customizable.

You can actually get
different colors as well.

More than khaki,
I hope, right?

More than khaki, absolutely. Okay.

It doesn't look
like a house.

It looks like
some kind of tent.

I don't see any way
it could really match,

like, the modern look
I'm looking for.

It's not very Craftsman.
It's just kind of here.

What is this made out of?

This is canvas
on the outside.

The inside is
a wood structure.

So this withholds, like,
wind and...

It withholds wind.
- It's actually rated for snow.
- There's snow.

It's actually a lot sturdier
than it really looks.

- How big is it?
- This is 200 square feet.
It comes with a package.

You have to put
the property together yourself.

Wait. So we have to put this
all together ourself?

We have to put
- the whole thing together?
- That's right.

Okay, well, haven't
really done that before.

How much is it?

This comes in
at $8,875.

Okay.
That's good.

So it gives you a lot
of room there to play.

The price of the yurt
would give them

over $190,000 left to buy land.

Oh, look at that dome.

Wow.

That's a whole lot
of light coming in.

- It's really nice.
- A whole lot of lattice.

That is true.kind of cagey.

Is this, like,
the normal way people,

like, have their--

Some people actually
will put Sheetrock over

to cover up
the lattice.

So you can
cover that up.

The insulation
was designed by NASA.

- So it's reflective heat.
- Oh, cool.

So it's actually
more efficient

than what
your standard house would be.

Well, it is just really
one big open space.

The good thing about a yurt
is when you come in,

you can actually
customize it

and build it the way
you want to build it.

Yeah, and you can decide
which rooms go where

or how you
want everything to be.

Like,
there's, like, kitchen,

obviously
a sink space.

But maybe
a backsplash... Sure.

...to break up
some of the lattice.

Just remember, we come
in way under budget.

So we still have
a lot more budget left

that you can use to customize it
the way you want to.

Well, what about,
like, studio space?

And I guess we could
try to figure out.

Well, you could have
your table easel here.

That's true.
And where would Amelie be?

I mean, we have
one bed, kind of.

So what I've seen
a lot of people do

is they'll actually
build walls

- and partition these off.
- Oh, okay.

They'll build, like,
a T wall here.

So they'll have a space
for their bedroom,

a loft upstairs
- for the kid.
- Oh, okay.

And then a little space
over here for maybe

a closed-off bathroom
or something like that.

But, like, once you put
that wall out to here,

you're losing
a lot of length here.

And there's not
- much space left.
- Sure.

Yeah, I mean, I'd like
the closed-in bathroom

a lot better... Sure.

...than this sheet business
that we've got over here.

- Nice curtain.
- That makes sense.

Um, I mean,
look a gust of wind...

The shower....is gonna blow it open.

Here you are showering
or on the toilet

and everybody's
looking at you.

- Right.
- Right.

Or, for the summer,

we could have
an outdoor shower,

build a nice,
like, frame.

With all of our
neighbors to see, right?

Well, it's great.

With a yurt, you can really
apply your own ideas

and kind of work
your creativity in

and different styles.

And we're so far
under budget right now

that you guys can have
some of those added costs

and still come well
within your budget range.

I mean, we're still gonna have
to build all this ourselves.

Right. That is something
to think about.

The space, you really have
to define it yourself

with the different segments
and room kind of ideas.

I think I can work it out.

Bobby has now found them

a more traditional
tiny-house setup.

But it's not exactly
Chris' modern style.

Yeah, I feel like I'm at
the lumberyard or something.

Oh, that one has
a feather on its...

You like that white one?...on its bill.

You see that?

Fort Collins, Colorado, couple
Chris and Natalie

are saying goodbye
to their three-bedroom house

and downsizing into a tiny home
to spend more time outdoors

and with their young daughter, Amelie.

They've got a $200,000 budget
for both land and the house.

And so far, real-estate agent

and tiny-house expert
Bobby Martin

has shown them
a customizable yurt.

Natalie likes its open feel
and low price tag.

But while it would leave
plenty of room to buy land,

Chris didn't like
the lack of defined rooms.

And having to build it
themselves could be a challenge.

With Chris in mind,
Bobby is now showing them

something a little
more contemporary

that can be customized
to their tastes.

So today I brought
you guys to Wee Casa.

It's a hotel,
essentially, with tiny homes.

The one that we're actually
gonna be looking at

is this one right here.

- Oh.
- All right.

Oh, I like the colors
on that.

So I'm looking for a place

that has some modern touches
to it,

and this one definitely
fits the bill.

It's got that nice gray tone,

kind of the metal
by the windows,

which brings that
modernness to it.

So how big
is this one?

This one
is 238 square feet.

Oh. What's
the price for it?

Comes in at $59,900.

The positive part
of that

is there's a lot
of different things we can do,

especially once
we get to the inside,

that can actually bring that
price down a little bit for you

to kind of meet
your budget needs.

So we can get it down
to our $50,000, you think?

Yes.

Oh, it's like
a forest in here.

Yeah, I feel like I'm at
the lumberyard or something.

It's a lot of wood. Yeah.

All this kind of makes it
a little too dark, though.

A little
- closed-in feeling, okay.
- Yeah.

So the good thing
about this is

that you can actually cut a lot
of costs by taking the wood

and just replacing it
with Sheetrock.

And you're gonna save
$5,000 to $7,000.

Oh, that's great.

And you'll be able
to paint it white

and kind of give it
that more open feel.

Oh, gosh.
Does this move?

That particular
one is stationary.

I'm going first.

I'm crawling.

You need to watch
your head now.

Really?
This is ridiculous.

- So it is kind of tight.
- Oh, my gosh.

I feel very claustrophobic
- in here.
- Yeah.

As you can see,
it is a little tight up in here.

But if you drop
this down,

you probably gain another foot,
foot and a half.

Yeah.
I think we'll need that.

A lot of brown here.

Yeah. Way too much brown
for my taste.

We could change it, though,
'cause with the white here,

then you can do
different colors here.

- Right. Definitely.
- Absolutely.

Over there, there's--
there's storage here as well.

You have a nice,
- big closet right here.
- Oh, wow.
That's huge.

You can actually run a bar,

maybe hang some
clothes right there.

Very nice.

You've got a full-size
bathroom in here.

And a full-size bath.

- Full-size bath.
- Yeah, very nice.

You mean, like,
a full-size tub.

Full-size tub.
Oh, yeah.

- Yeah.
- Stand-up shower.

- Uh-huh.
- A full-size sink
as well.

So here's the loft that you guys
could use for Amelie.

- Yeah.
- And it's got
a nice little rail

to keep her
- from falling off.
- Right.

So this could work for her.

I mean, for her,
this would be a fun space.

Yeah.
I think so.

You know, there's a lot
to like about this place,

the nice living space.

Remember, there's a lot of ways
you can cut costs here as well.

But I just feel there's
a lot of changes to make.

Sure.
The starting point

is just so far up
above our budget.

It's so high
to start with.

They're now seeing
a more affordable tiny option.

But it's far from perfect.

Where are we gonna put
all of our clothes?

What's that stack of clothes
in the far left over there?

Well, those are, like, work,
you know-- I play with Amelie,

hiking, work clothes,
play clothes.

Fort Collins, Colorado,
parents Natalie and Chris

want to downsize their lives

to enjoy more time
with their daughter, Amelie,

and to do the things
they love,

like painting
and brewing their own beer.

Their $200,000 budget needs
to cover the cost of their house

and a large plot of rural land
to put it on.

They like the idea
of a do-it-yourself yurt kit

that leaves plenty of money
left over for land.

But it lacks interior walls
for private space.

And they have concerns about
having to build it themselves.

Chris likes the exterior style
of a modern tiny home

that they could customize.

But the wood interior
isn't his favorite.

And Natalie worries
that they'd have

to make too many
costly changes,

leaving less money for land.

With cost in mind,
real-estate agent

and tiny-house expert
Bobby Martin

is showing them a home that
wouldn't require many changes.

So, the home
that we're looking at today

is your more
traditional tiny home.

Oh. This is it.

- This is it.
- Wow.
Look at this.

Kind of more cottagey
than Craftsman, don't you think?

And not very modern
to start with.

Huh.
So it's real wood?

- It is real wood.
- Feels plastic-y.

If you reach your hand up
under there,

you can actually
feel the wood part of it.

Nice.

And khaki-- I'm sure
you could change color, right?

Khaki can be changed.
It can be changed with paint.

So, how much is this?

This particular one
is at $49,900.

$49,000 just seems
really way up there.

I was hoping we'd find something
for a little bit below it

and have some extra
to fix things up.

So how big is it?

This is 272
square feet.

Right.

Oh.

White walls do kind of
give it that open space.

You do your paintings,
put them up on the wall,

it'll really make them pop.

I like how the red
pops out here, though.

- Absolutely.
- That style.

And I want to point
this out.

This actually right here
serves two purposes.

It can be your couch.

And it also has storage up
under here as well.

So there's plenty of storage
up under there for you.

Wow.
That's a good-size cabinet.

Yeah.
Mm-hmm.

So where do you think
Amelie's gonna sleep?

Well, here first,
probably, right?

Yeah.
I mean, you could use this.

And then once she gets
a little bigger, you
actually have the loft

up there that could double
as a sleeping area.

- I'm gonna check this out.
- Okay.

Wow. Yeah.

That's good space
for storage.

I don't know
about sleeping up here.

Well, Amelie
could sleep up there.

But what about--
There's, like, nothing here.

You put a little rail.

Yeah, you could put
a little rail up there.

Build it in
to keep her from sliding out.

It's so small in here.

I know.
Look at this.

Look how tiny it is!

Okay.
So Amelie could fit in here.

I don't know about myself.

Take a look
at the kitchen.

- Okay.
- These are actually
granite countertops.

- They are pretty nice.
- Yeah.

- Nice and big.
- Yeah.

Look, there's cabinets.
I mean, storage around here.

There's plenty
of storage there.

You also have some storage
up under here as well.

Oh, cool.

Well, this is
a little Craftsman here.

- That's right.
- Cool.

We have three people
in this kitchen right now.

And there's plenty of room
for us to move around.

Which is also one
of the biggest aspect

you wanted
is a functional... Right. Yeah.

...kitchen that you can
actually move around in.

So I could be, you know,
like, cooking over here.

And you can be
my sous chef over there.

All right, yeah.

So this goes right up into
your second loft right here.

Oh,
watch your head up here.

Oh, goodness.

Oh. There goes my head.

- Wow.
- Got to look
where you're going.

I guess so.

So can you fit like a queen
bed up here, do you think?

You could fit
a queen bed.

A full bed
would probably fit

and give you
a little more room to maneuver.

Where-- Where are we gonna
put all of our clothes?

- Good question.
- What you can do is, uh...

In there.

You got a little
storage box right here.

All your clothes
in there.

But a lot of times,
what people are gonna do

is they'll hang, like,
a rod or something

over there to be able
to put their clothes on.

- Oh.
- Like-- Like,
here somewhere?

- Mm-hmm.
- Uh-huh.

Yeah.
With that khaki exterior,

you'd never have guessed, like,
how nice it looks in here.

Definitely opens up
a little bit.

Could use a little
more storage space

for clothes and things.

Yeah,
but it's got such a nice space

in this kitchen
for all of us to fit.

Yeah.
I did like that about it.

And that living space
is okay. Sure.

It's feeling
a little cramped, though.

Yeah, I mean,
it's pretty narrow.

Yeah, there are things
to keep in mind.

With multiple ways
to downsize on the table,

it's time for Natalie and Chris

to decide which one
suits their family.

We have to make this
decision, and it's really hard.

Our house hunters
are moving on up

to a much smaller space.

Could you live in a tiny house?

Wanting more quality time

to do the things they enjoy
with their young daughter,

Colorado residents
Natalie and Chris

are searching for a tiny home

and a large piece
of scenic property to put it on.

With a budget of $200,000

and several tiny options
to choose from,

it's time for them
to make a decision.

What do you think
about the yurt?

With 200 square feet of space,
it was $8,875,

leaving them the majority of
their budget to purchase land.

There's no
defined spaces.

It's open now,
but the cool thing about it

is that it starts out
as just a circle

and we can make whatever rooms
we want out of it.

But what about all the work
it's gonna take?

We have to build a foundation
and a deck and a platform.

And, you know, if we want
any rooms in there,

we have to build them
ourselves, too.

Right.
What did you think

of that one that way over
our budget,

the modern one
we just looked at?

It's $59,900,

and it's only like
238 square feet.

I really liked the space.
It felt cozy.

And I don't know.
It's really woodsy in side.

It felt more like
a home to me.

We could save some money with
the taking out the paneling,

change the kitchen around
so it'll work.

That kitchen
needs a lot of work.

Yeah.
So what do you think

about that contemporary
cottage?

This house is priced
at $49,900,

and it's 272 square feet.

I mean, can you see that
with the mountains

in the background
and the water?

I mean,
does it fit for you?

I don't know. I mean,
the kitchen was really cool.

Right.
And there's two
sleeping spaces.

So Amelie does have
a place to sleep.

We have a place
to sleep.

That loft, I think
that could work.

We had more headroom
up there.

I don't know.
This decision is really hard.

So the yurt just
has that natural look.

I know I don't
really like khakis.

Right.
But, honestly,

I think it can actually
blend better

or best
in that environment,

the setting with the mountains
and everything.

- Yeah.
- Not stand out so much.

I think so.

And, you know,
we get to make it our own.

It's a kit, though.

Like, you really think
we can do this?

Yeah, we can do it,
and like you said,

we could get our friends
to help us.

It'll be really fun. Yeah.

It could be,
like, a yurt raising.

Yeah?
So should we do it?

- Yeah. Let's do it.
- All right.

Yeah.

Hey, what are y'all
doing out there?

Blowing some bubbles.

Amelie, should I come out
there and blow some, too?

We've been living
in the yurt for about,

like,
- a couple weeks now.
- Yeah, two or three weeks.

So we're gradually
moving in.

They were able
to purchase 39 acres

of undeveloped land
in Paonia, Colorado,

surrounded by mountains.

- Catch them.
- Oh.

Can you catch them?

The list price
of the yurt was $8,875.

The addition of a deck
and foundation

brings the final build cost
to $13,500.

It's been really fun
living here.

We get to hear the nature sounds
all night.

The yurt just blends
in with the landscape

and just feels like it
suits the area.

Right here, we have
where we eat

and pull up Amelie's chair
during the day.

Over here,
we just kind of have

some of our dining ware
and things

and where we wash our hands
and brush our teeth.

We don't have running water
inside yet.

So right now,
it's a gravity sink.

Over here, we have our tiny,
tiny bathroom,

our composting toilet,

which we're really
excited about.

So we didn't
have to dig up

a whole system
with the city or anything.

Walls would be nice, eventually.

But for now,
it's really nice

how it all fits
and works in here.

It's nice cooking
outside, isn't it?

I know. It's not gonna
be warm for long.

We have an outdoor kitchen
right now, an outdoor shower.

It's great for
the weather right now.

But it's already starting
to get a little cool now.

And we know
that all that stuff

is gonna have
to be moved indoors.

And so with that extra money
that we have in our budget,

we're gonna be able to actually
build a second yurt

that's gonna have
a real kitchen, a real shower.

How's the cardinal?

It's coming along.

Eventually, we hope
to have a large garden

where we can grow
our own vegetables.

Definitely gonna have some
chickens and a chicken coop.

It's a pretty nice view
of our mountain here...

I know....while we're eating.

Now that we're here,
it seems like

any little problem we have isn't
really a problem anymore

just 'cause we're in a space
we really enjoy.

It's just gonna be
a lot more relaxing

and a lot happier
in this space.