Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 16 - Texas Tiny House Shopping - full transcript
A Dallas cyclist is on the hunt for a tiny home with room for his bikes.
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.
- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.
- It's a fold-down sink.
- That's so cool!
Wow,
this just got weird.
Hi, neighbors!
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.
- Ohhh.
I think I see
a problem already.
That's definitely
a tiny house.
Not kidding about that.
Richard is looking
for a tiny home in Texas.
The custom staircase.
- Oh, wow.
- No wasted space.
But fitting his 6'2" frame
into a tiny house
will be a challenge.
I don't know that
I'm gonna fit through here.
I would have to sleep
directly in the middle.
It's literally hitting me
in the head.
So, to make it work,
he'll have to get creative.
It's extra guest seating.
You know, this is
a guest bedroom.
My name is Richard
and I live in Dallas, Texas.
For a living, I run
my own marketing agency,
basically doing everything
from logo design
to web site design.
I grew up in the Dallas/
Fort Worth area.
When I graduated college,
I was working in a cube
40, 50, 60 hours a week,
just not doing a job I enjoyed.
In 2013, I was in a wreck.
I was laid up for a full year.
During that time,
it made me realize
there are more important
things to life
than sitting in a cube
40 hours a week.
Well, you know, you have to have
different bikes
for different occasions.
With this realization,
he's decided to move
out of his apartment rental
and make a very bold move.
Financially, living tiny means
I don't need a huge paycheck
to pay my bills every month.
It would give me
the financial freedom
to do what I want
to do with life.
How are any of these
gonna fit in a tiny house?
Richard has recruited
his longtime friend Emily
to help bring some sense
into his tiny-house search.
When I think of a tiny home,
I think of very tight quarters
and not room
for a lot of things.
Hey, I think I found one
that would actually fit
in your tiny house.
Richard has his heart set
on building
his tiny home himself
and incorporating
reclaimed materials.
I was 12 years old in the garage
with a power saw,
building my own stuff.
I think it would be really,
really cool to say like
"I built this.
I designed this."
So I like this one.
Before he starts his tiny build,
he'll be looking at models
to base his house off of.
My budget's $25,000.
That's really what I can spend.
So a lot of these look
super-cottagey.
I think I definitely want
something a lot more modern.
I want something
that feels contemporary,
but has a little bit of the
naturey, hippie twist to it.
I think it could be
a little bit bigger.
You are not gonna fit
in that loft.
That does not look
like it has enough room.
I'm 6'2" and so I can't have
something that's cramped
and that I feel
uncomfortable in.
I'm an avid cyclist.
A huge, huge part
of my tiny-house design
will revolve around my bikes.
You know, that's a lot
to put into a small space.
He plans to park his tiny home
on a friend's property,
but he also wants
to stay mobile.
Building on a trailer, it would
let me take my home with me,
so I'm not limited
to one particular area.
I mean, I think,
once I get into it,
I'll have a lot
more time to brew.
I'm also a home brewer
and everyone likes beer,
so that's a very important
part of my life.
I've always wanted to have
draft lines in my house,
so finding a way to design that
in is gonna be very important.
That's a lot
of equipment.
Exactly.
All I know is that
I like to drink the beer.
Building this house, you know,
I've got some nerves
going into it.
I've never built anything
to this scale
and it's the better
part of my life savings
going into this house,
so I'm excited
to start looking for places
and looking for inspiration.
Wow, that's definitely
a tiny house.
- It's beautiful, though.
- It's beautiful.
- It looks very well-built.
- Yeah.
Richard, Emily, welcome.
- How are you?
- Hi. How are you?
Local real estate agent
Joanna Gaines Utley
is showing Richard
several different tiny options
that he could base
his build off of.
I'm bringing Richard
and Emily here
because this house
has that hippie vibe
that I know Richard
is looking for.
It's a little cottagey
for my style,
but it's kind of got that
hippie vibe, which is nice.
We're
at 112 square feet.
- Wow, that's small!
- It's tiny.
- Yeah.
- It's little.
Not kidding about that.
And it's listed
for $45,000.
- Okay.
- And the material cost
is $25,000.
- Okay. Great. So that's still
- Okay. Yeah.
in my budget.
It looks like it'd be
very easy to tow around,
which would be really nice.
Watch your head.
Oh, gosh.
- Oh, wow.
I don't know that I'm gonna fit
through here.
Ugh, wow!
- Your entryway, shower
Dear Lord.
- Well, I can bathe and cook
- Kitchen
- at the same time,
- Yes.
so that's a plus, I guess.
Have some eggs going
in the morning
and just lather up.
It'll work.
I personally would not want
my bathroom and my kitchen
that close together.
Those are two separate things
that should stay separate.
It's literally hitting me
in the head.
What is that?
I think
that's the toilet.
Okay.
So that's the--
This is a bucket.
- That's just a bucket.
Okay. And you just...
No. No.
Sorry.
I'm gonna go before
I come over, for sure.
I think I want my toilet
and my shower
in two separate spots.
They used the space
really well, for what it is,
it's just not--
- Yeah. You do have
a good-size pantry.
I love the spice rack here.
I think that's a really
smart use of space,
being able to put everything
on the wall and out of the way.
It's just not a lot
of space to play with.
- This is a beautiful sink.
- Yeah.
And it's big, for
the size of the place.
I don't know how I'd fit
even a few beer bottles
in here,
much less two kegs.
Well, there's a little more
room in the living room.
So this feels a lot better.
I can actually stand up
in here
and not be so cramped.
It's kind of a cool
use of space.
Not really any room
for a couch, so.
How do you feel about
sitting on the ground?
It's bean bags.
That's fine.
It definitely goes
with the hippie vibe.
What's that?
This is an aerial
yoga swing.
Definitely
in the hippie vibe.
Yes.
It's extra guest seating.
You know,
this is the guest bedroom.
- Exactly.
I do like the fact that
this does have
kind of a hippie/
Bohemian style to it
and it feels very organic,
which is kind of cool.
I love the craftsmanship
of the place.
Do you even you think you could
get your bikes in here anywhere?
Maybe, but that takes up
my entire living room,
for just one bike.
I got the full-loft bedroom.
I really don't think your
head's gonna fit up there.
That was made for
a much smaller person.
Yeah. No.
I can sit up, at least,
once I'm up here,
but it's cozy.
I would have to sleep
directly in the middle.
Maybe we could do
something else,
besides the gabled roof,
maybe dormers
or a shed-style,
give you a little
more space up top.
For sure.
You know, this really
does feel like a livable place.
I don't think, as it sits,
it fits exactly what I need,
but I think it could be
something that I could live in.
I like the craftsmanship of it.
It's got that hippie vibe
and the nice big windows
I'm looking for.
You know, I think
all the storage everywhere
is gonna be something that
you can definitely use.
I think that's great.
It's just it seems like
such a small, small space.
I think I need a little bit
more space
separating the bathroom
and the kitchen.
- Mm-hmm. For sure.
- I don't necessarily need
to be cooking breakfast
while showering.
Joanna has found Richard
a roomier option,
but it's still a squeeze.
I feel like
I'm gonna hit my head.
You know, just because
I'm living tiny
doesn't necessarily mean
everything has to be tiny.
Richard is going tiny
in Dallas, Texas,
to free himself up
to do what he loves:
cycling and brewing beer.
He's building the house himself
and, with his friend Emily,
is looking at model tiny homes
to base his design off of.
Richard loves the relaxed,
hippie feel of
a 112-square-foot cottage
that could be built
for his $25,000 budget,
but its small footprint
could be a stretch,
with the bathroom and kitchen
practically in the same space.
Wanting to give Richard
a bigger option,
his real estate agent,
Joanna Gaines Utley,
is showing him a model by
tiny-house expert Ethan Langley.
- Richard.
- Nice to meet you, Richard.
- Hi. Emily.
- Nice to meet you, Emily.
This is our
336-square-foot tiny home.
That's big, for a tiny house.
I think that's
plenty of room for me.
I definitely love
the mix of the wood and metal.
I think that's cool
like use of materials.
Well, this one comes in
around retail of $78,000
- Okay.
Building costs
around 28,000.
So that's a little
over my budget.
But, I mean, I'm planning
on doing reclaimed stuff anyway,
so I feel like I could get in
at around that ball park.
- Thank you so much.
- Not a problem.
Thank you for coming out.
- Thank you.
Wow, this is
a great, open space.
Yes.
- This feels gigantic.
It's gorgeous.
I don't really get that modern
feel that I'm looking for,
but this is something
I could definitely fit in.
I don't feel like I'm cramped
or hitting my head on anything.
And then, right off
is the kitchen.
Having the kitchen right
when you walk in the front door
seems a little bit odd to me.
You know, I want a big kitchen,
but I don't want it
to take over the entire house.
Yeah. With it being
right here, it kind of
breaks up the flow of
the rest of the home.
Can you brew here?
- I think I could.
I think the kitchen's
size is awesome,
but I think,
from a layout perspective,
it may need to change
to fit my needs.
I love what they did
under the stairs
with all of the nooks
and crannies.
Having the full microwave
is a really good use
of space
underneath the stairs.
And then, there's a good,
decent-size closet
back here as well.
Yeah. You know, I don't
have that many clothes,
but I've got enough stuff
I could fill it with.
I love the size of this place.
I really feel like
there's enough room for Richard
to put everything in here
that he needs.
I wouldn't go any smaller
than this personally.
So this is huge.
This is almost too big
for what I need.
The really short ceiling.
And it has
its own washer/dryer.
And a toilet,
a real toilet.
Definitely a big tub.
I can full-on lounge in that.
That's not something--
- Sort of.
It's not something I thought
I'd see in a tiny house.
That's true.
That's true.
It's a very open space.
I like the light in here.
Big windows is really nice.
I could see a bike rack fitting
just right there nicely.
It looks like there's plenty
of wall space in here, too.
Even up here.
It feels like a good space.
A nice, little guest bedroom,
or something like that,
I could see.
It's a nice,
sturdy handrail.
It definitely gets tight
up here once you get up.
I feel like
I'm gonna hit my head.
Yeah.
Once you get a mattress up here,
I think it would
be really tight.
I mean, I'm almost hitting
my head,
just sitting on the floor.
- Yeah. I don't feel like this is
gonna be tall
enough for you.
What if we put the loft
over the gooseneck?
I think doing a gooseneck
trailer is definitely an option.
But seeing something
this big is eye-opening.
I love the exterior
of the house.
I think it has that modern feel
that I'm looking for.
But once you come into the
house, it's a lot of wood.
It's too much of the cottagey
sort of feel to it.
I love the size of this place,
but having the huge bathroom
is not something I need.
Having the kitchen
right in the middle
is a little bit odd to me.
The nice thing about this space
is that there's plenty of space
for a work area.
You could even set it up by the
windows so you can look outside.
I think it's a nice,
usable space.
It just needs some tweaking
to fit what I want.
This is really large
and it may be difficult
for you to travel with it
as much as you
were wanting to.
Yeah.
I think for sure I'm gonna
have to weigh that balance
between portability and size.
Joanna is showing Richard
a tiny home
that's a bit easier to tow,
but nothing's perfect.
I still just feel like
it's a basic human necessity
to have indoor plumbing.
- It's indoors.
So where are you gonna
put all your home brew?
I don't know.
There's a lot of equipment
that goes along with that.
- Yeah. You have your big pots
and all of your yeast.
Cycling and beer
enthusiast Richard
is embracing a tinier
lifestyle in Dallas, Texas,
to have more freedom
to follow his passions.
He's searching
for tiny model homes
that he can base
his build off of.
A 112-square-foot cottage
has a hippie vibe
that Richard likes
and it's within his build
budget of $25,000,
but he would need to separate
the kitchen from the bathroom
and it might be too snug
for his bicycles
and brewing equipment.
He liked the exterior
of a much larger, boxy bungalow,
but he would need to modify
the loft placement
and it might be
difficult to tow.
His real estate agent,
Joanna Gaines Utley,
has found a more
easily towable option
that might suit Richard's style.
So this is a cute,
little house.
It looks very traditional.
- It does.
I love the coloring of it.
- Hello, welcome.
Hi, good morning.
- How cute is this place?
- It's interesting.
It's kind of
a traditional-style home.
It's 160 square feet.
Okay.
That seems big enough,
but it's small enough
that it could be towed.
As-is, it's $60,000.
$19,000 to build.
That's well under my budget,
which is really nice.
Wow, this definitely feels
nice and modern and open.
- Wow, this is big.
- But I don't think
it's got that hippie vibe, necessarily.
The bikes may fit in here.
I'm not really sure.
I think the ceiling still feels
a little bit tight to hang 'em
and the floor space
seems a little bit awkward
to put them there.
This kitchen
is very modern.
I think you're gonna
really like it.
This is beautiful.
I love the stainless-steel
countertops here.
I think it makes
it feel very industrial.
And the white cabinets
just makes it feel very open.
I like the window
right over the sink, too.
That way,
you can look out
while you're doing
the dishes.
You have plenty of storage
'cause look how many
different cabinets you have.
- Yeah.
And the little cutout
there for your oven.
I feel like you could
cook a lot in that.
Mm-hmm.
Do you think
you could brew in here?
I think so. I mean, I think
there's enough storage space
that I could fit
my equipment in.
All right.
Moment of truth:
the bathroom.
The bathroom feels
really big and spacious.
It seems like they've got
the composting toilet,
which I like.
Um--
Oh, man.
I think it makes sense
for the space.
I still just feel like
it's a basic human necessity
to have indoor plumbing
of some sort.
It's indoors.
Go for it.
So it looks like there's a nice,
big shower in here.
I can actually fit in here
and the showerhead
isn't superlow
and completely hitting me
in the face.
- Great.
- It's a little bit tight, again,
but I think it's something
that's workable.
Nice little set
of stairs here.
I like that more than a ladder.
The custom staircase
with each compartment
Oh, wow.
- No wasted space.
That's a lot of storage.
So the stairs are really
cool in this place,
but it concerns me that's the
only storage I would have.
I think they look really nice,
but whether it's completely
functional for me, I don't know.
Still a little bit tight.
Oh, this is
a lot bigger.
You know, I think once you
get a mattress in here,
it may be a little tight
for me, but at least
I'm not completely
hitting my head, so far.
You know, I love it
from a design perspective.
You know, it's got that modern
feel that I'm looking for.
I think I would have to have
a little bit of kind of
that hippie twist to it,
but, I mean,
that could be with the way
it's decorated
or something like that.
I do think you need a little
bit more square footage,
just so you can have
the storage for the bikes.
I just don't really
see them
fitting in here
very well.
At $19,000,
this is really doable.
I mean, that leaves me
even some wiggle room
to maybe do some
special upgrades
or something a little
bit crazy in here.
I think
it's a very good deal.
After seeing several
different tiny options,
it's time for Richard to decide
which one he wants to tackle
building himself.
I'm just not sure
which one's best for me.
Our house hunters are moving
on up to a much smaller space.
Could you live in a tiny house?
Dallas, Texas, resident Richard
is constructing his own tiny
house on a $25,000 budget
and he's ready to choose
which model
he'll base his own build off of.
The hippie house
was really cute.
It had kind of that cool vibe
that I'm looking for.
I thought it was
really well-designed.
It was just really,
really small.
112 square feet is tiny.
And, at 25,000 for materials,
that seems pretty high,
for the square footage
that I'd be getting.
Yeah. I just don't think
there's enough room in there
for you to put all
of your bikes
and brewing equipment.
I like the portability of it.
I mean, I think it's something
- True.
that could get around
pretty easily.
So what'd you think
about the modern box shed?
At 336 square feet, it has
a build cost of around $28,000.
It was a little bit
over my budget,
but, I feel like using
reclaimed stuff,
I could get that down
into my price point.
Yeah. I think there was
a lot of room in there
for you
to design around.
I think it's definitely someplace
that I could fit
a lot of bikes in;
I could fit my beer lines in.
But it felt like the layout
was a little bit weird
and the interior seemed
very cottagey.
It wasn't my style at all.
On the blue-and-white
tiny house,
the exterior wasn't really
what I was looking for,
but the interior seemed spot-on.
You know,
at 160 square feet,
although it wasn't
the largest, I really feel
like that was the one
that, when I walked in,
felt the most
like you, though.
At $19,000 for materials,
that's way under my budget.
That would be great,
to have that savings.
And the mix of wood and metal
and the stainless-steel
countertops
and things like that were
just awesome in that house.
The loft was still
a little bit tight.
I'm just not sure
which one's best for me.
The modern box shed
just seems perfect for me.
Yeah. That one definitely
had the best bathroom
and you have
the real toilet.
I think that's definitely
a space
that I could see myself
living in.
It gives me enough flexibility
with the space
to design around what I need.
I could definitely see
you living in that one.
It could totally be
your home.
I've been living very happily
in my tiny home
for just over 6 months now.
And I'm currently parked
in a friend of mine's driveway.
The modern box shed was $28,000
in just materials.
I ended up spending
$23,500 on my home,
which was a great savings.
Almost every bit of this house,
I got from either reclaim shops,
salvage shops, thrift stores,
or off the side of the road.
Going into my tiny-house build,
I could maybe use
a power drill and a saw.
Now, I've learned
how to lay flooring
and I've learned how
to do plumbing
and I had help
with my electrical
and like every part of
building a house, I learned.
And now that I've built it once,
if something breaks,
I can fix it
and that's a great
feeling to have.
To add some hippie feel
to the exterior,
he used reclaimed lumber
and went with a lighter stain.
And he adjusted
the window placement
to let more sunlight
into the gooseneck loft.
So one of the biggest
things I did is
bring in a lot of
industrial material.
I have conduit on the walls.
I have metal on the ceiling.
I have the stainless-steel
countertops
to make it feel
very sleek and modern.
My bedroom, I decided to build
up on the gooseneck.
This gives me a lot
more head space.
So that was something
very important to me.
So I can really
stand up in my loft.
I was able to fit
three bikes in here.
They're on a pulley system.
Cost me $10 apiece
for the bike hooks
and these just come
up and down very easily.
So my kitchen
is completely custom.
For the entire thing,
it cost me about $800.
Everything in here came
from salvage shops
or, you know,
auction sites or whatever.
It's the most important part of
any man cave, is the draft line.
I was able to get this fridge
from an auction site.
It came out of
a commercial nutrition shop
and I paid $100 for it.
I was so surprised
you got so many
of your bikes in here.
I mean,
that's amazing.
My tiny house is something
that I can entertain in,
which is great.
I think it's really cool
that Richard did this.
You know, it makes sense
with who he is
and for him
to finally have this
and it be his
and it be so unique,
I'm definitely
excited for him.
How many people
have you gotten in here?
We had 15 at one time,
- Wow.
- hanging out, drinking beer,
eating pizza, stuff like that.
- Naturally.
But it was comfortable.
I mean, after a few beers,
you don't mind
getting close with people.
You know, during the build
of my tiny house,
it was a lot of work.
It was a lot of stress.
But now that I'm living in it,
it's so great.
And I've been able to work less
and enjoy
what I want to do more.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.
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.
- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.
- It's a fold-down sink.
- That's so cool!
Wow,
this just got weird.
Hi, neighbors!
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.
- Ohhh.
I think I see
a problem already.
That's definitely
a tiny house.
Not kidding about that.
Richard is looking
for a tiny home in Texas.
The custom staircase.
- Oh, wow.
- No wasted space.
But fitting his 6'2" frame
into a tiny house
will be a challenge.
I don't know that
I'm gonna fit through here.
I would have to sleep
directly in the middle.
It's literally hitting me
in the head.
So, to make it work,
he'll have to get creative.
It's extra guest seating.
You know, this is
a guest bedroom.
My name is Richard
and I live in Dallas, Texas.
For a living, I run
my own marketing agency,
basically doing everything
from logo design
to web site design.
I grew up in the Dallas/
Fort Worth area.
When I graduated college,
I was working in a cube
40, 50, 60 hours a week,
just not doing a job I enjoyed.
In 2013, I was in a wreck.
I was laid up for a full year.
During that time,
it made me realize
there are more important
things to life
than sitting in a cube
40 hours a week.
Well, you know, you have to have
different bikes
for different occasions.
With this realization,
he's decided to move
out of his apartment rental
and make a very bold move.
Financially, living tiny means
I don't need a huge paycheck
to pay my bills every month.
It would give me
the financial freedom
to do what I want
to do with life.
How are any of these
gonna fit in a tiny house?
Richard has recruited
his longtime friend Emily
to help bring some sense
into his tiny-house search.
When I think of a tiny home,
I think of very tight quarters
and not room
for a lot of things.
Hey, I think I found one
that would actually fit
in your tiny house.
Richard has his heart set
on building
his tiny home himself
and incorporating
reclaimed materials.
I was 12 years old in the garage
with a power saw,
building my own stuff.
I think it would be really,
really cool to say like
"I built this.
I designed this."
So I like this one.
Before he starts his tiny build,
he'll be looking at models
to base his house off of.
My budget's $25,000.
That's really what I can spend.
So a lot of these look
super-cottagey.
I think I definitely want
something a lot more modern.
I want something
that feels contemporary,
but has a little bit of the
naturey, hippie twist to it.
I think it could be
a little bit bigger.
You are not gonna fit
in that loft.
That does not look
like it has enough room.
I'm 6'2" and so I can't have
something that's cramped
and that I feel
uncomfortable in.
I'm an avid cyclist.
A huge, huge part
of my tiny-house design
will revolve around my bikes.
You know, that's a lot
to put into a small space.
He plans to park his tiny home
on a friend's property,
but he also wants
to stay mobile.
Building on a trailer, it would
let me take my home with me,
so I'm not limited
to one particular area.
I mean, I think,
once I get into it,
I'll have a lot
more time to brew.
I'm also a home brewer
and everyone likes beer,
so that's a very important
part of my life.
I've always wanted to have
draft lines in my house,
so finding a way to design that
in is gonna be very important.
That's a lot
of equipment.
Exactly.
All I know is that
I like to drink the beer.
Building this house, you know,
I've got some nerves
going into it.
I've never built anything
to this scale
and it's the better
part of my life savings
going into this house,
so I'm excited
to start looking for places
and looking for inspiration.
Wow, that's definitely
a tiny house.
- It's beautiful, though.
- It's beautiful.
- It looks very well-built.
- Yeah.
Richard, Emily, welcome.
- How are you?
- Hi. How are you?
Local real estate agent
Joanna Gaines Utley
is showing Richard
several different tiny options
that he could base
his build off of.
I'm bringing Richard
and Emily here
because this house
has that hippie vibe
that I know Richard
is looking for.
It's a little cottagey
for my style,
but it's kind of got that
hippie vibe, which is nice.
We're
at 112 square feet.
- Wow, that's small!
- It's tiny.
- Yeah.
- It's little.
Not kidding about that.
And it's listed
for $45,000.
- Okay.
- And the material cost
is $25,000.
- Okay. Great. So that's still
- Okay. Yeah.
in my budget.
It looks like it'd be
very easy to tow around,
which would be really nice.
Watch your head.
Oh, gosh.
- Oh, wow.
I don't know that I'm gonna fit
through here.
Ugh, wow!
- Your entryway, shower
Dear Lord.
- Well, I can bathe and cook
- Kitchen
- at the same time,
- Yes.
so that's a plus, I guess.
Have some eggs going
in the morning
and just lather up.
It'll work.
I personally would not want
my bathroom and my kitchen
that close together.
Those are two separate things
that should stay separate.
It's literally hitting me
in the head.
What is that?
I think
that's the toilet.
Okay.
So that's the--
This is a bucket.
- That's just a bucket.
Okay. And you just...
No. No.
Sorry.
I'm gonna go before
I come over, for sure.
I think I want my toilet
and my shower
in two separate spots.
They used the space
really well, for what it is,
it's just not--
- Yeah. You do have
a good-size pantry.
I love the spice rack here.
I think that's a really
smart use of space,
being able to put everything
on the wall and out of the way.
It's just not a lot
of space to play with.
- This is a beautiful sink.
- Yeah.
And it's big, for
the size of the place.
I don't know how I'd fit
even a few beer bottles
in here,
much less two kegs.
Well, there's a little more
room in the living room.
So this feels a lot better.
I can actually stand up
in here
and not be so cramped.
It's kind of a cool
use of space.
Not really any room
for a couch, so.
How do you feel about
sitting on the ground?
It's bean bags.
That's fine.
It definitely goes
with the hippie vibe.
What's that?
This is an aerial
yoga swing.
Definitely
in the hippie vibe.
Yes.
It's extra guest seating.
You know,
this is the guest bedroom.
- Exactly.
I do like the fact that
this does have
kind of a hippie/
Bohemian style to it
and it feels very organic,
which is kind of cool.
I love the craftsmanship
of the place.
Do you even you think you could
get your bikes in here anywhere?
Maybe, but that takes up
my entire living room,
for just one bike.
I got the full-loft bedroom.
I really don't think your
head's gonna fit up there.
That was made for
a much smaller person.
Yeah. No.
I can sit up, at least,
once I'm up here,
but it's cozy.
I would have to sleep
directly in the middle.
Maybe we could do
something else,
besides the gabled roof,
maybe dormers
or a shed-style,
give you a little
more space up top.
For sure.
You know, this really
does feel like a livable place.
I don't think, as it sits,
it fits exactly what I need,
but I think it could be
something that I could live in.
I like the craftsmanship of it.
It's got that hippie vibe
and the nice big windows
I'm looking for.
You know, I think
all the storage everywhere
is gonna be something that
you can definitely use.
I think that's great.
It's just it seems like
such a small, small space.
I think I need a little bit
more space
separating the bathroom
and the kitchen.
- Mm-hmm. For sure.
- I don't necessarily need
to be cooking breakfast
while showering.
Joanna has found Richard
a roomier option,
but it's still a squeeze.
I feel like
I'm gonna hit my head.
You know, just because
I'm living tiny
doesn't necessarily mean
everything has to be tiny.
Richard is going tiny
in Dallas, Texas,
to free himself up
to do what he loves:
cycling and brewing beer.
He's building the house himself
and, with his friend Emily,
is looking at model tiny homes
to base his design off of.
Richard loves the relaxed,
hippie feel of
a 112-square-foot cottage
that could be built
for his $25,000 budget,
but its small footprint
could be a stretch,
with the bathroom and kitchen
practically in the same space.
Wanting to give Richard
a bigger option,
his real estate agent,
Joanna Gaines Utley,
is showing him a model by
tiny-house expert Ethan Langley.
- Richard.
- Nice to meet you, Richard.
- Hi. Emily.
- Nice to meet you, Emily.
This is our
336-square-foot tiny home.
That's big, for a tiny house.
I think that's
plenty of room for me.
I definitely love
the mix of the wood and metal.
I think that's cool
like use of materials.
Well, this one comes in
around retail of $78,000
- Okay.
Building costs
around 28,000.
So that's a little
over my budget.
But, I mean, I'm planning
on doing reclaimed stuff anyway,
so I feel like I could get in
at around that ball park.
- Thank you so much.
- Not a problem.
Thank you for coming out.
- Thank you.
Wow, this is
a great, open space.
Yes.
- This feels gigantic.
It's gorgeous.
I don't really get that modern
feel that I'm looking for,
but this is something
I could definitely fit in.
I don't feel like I'm cramped
or hitting my head on anything.
And then, right off
is the kitchen.
Having the kitchen right
when you walk in the front door
seems a little bit odd to me.
You know, I want a big kitchen,
but I don't want it
to take over the entire house.
Yeah. With it being
right here, it kind of
breaks up the flow of
the rest of the home.
Can you brew here?
- I think I could.
I think the kitchen's
size is awesome,
but I think,
from a layout perspective,
it may need to change
to fit my needs.
I love what they did
under the stairs
with all of the nooks
and crannies.
Having the full microwave
is a really good use
of space
underneath the stairs.
And then, there's a good,
decent-size closet
back here as well.
Yeah. You know, I don't
have that many clothes,
but I've got enough stuff
I could fill it with.
I love the size of this place.
I really feel like
there's enough room for Richard
to put everything in here
that he needs.
I wouldn't go any smaller
than this personally.
So this is huge.
This is almost too big
for what I need.
The really short ceiling.
And it has
its own washer/dryer.
And a toilet,
a real toilet.
Definitely a big tub.
I can full-on lounge in that.
That's not something--
- Sort of.
It's not something I thought
I'd see in a tiny house.
That's true.
That's true.
It's a very open space.
I like the light in here.
Big windows is really nice.
I could see a bike rack fitting
just right there nicely.
It looks like there's plenty
of wall space in here, too.
Even up here.
It feels like a good space.
A nice, little guest bedroom,
or something like that,
I could see.
It's a nice,
sturdy handrail.
It definitely gets tight
up here once you get up.
I feel like
I'm gonna hit my head.
Yeah.
Once you get a mattress up here,
I think it would
be really tight.
I mean, I'm almost hitting
my head,
just sitting on the floor.
- Yeah. I don't feel like this is
gonna be tall
enough for you.
What if we put the loft
over the gooseneck?
I think doing a gooseneck
trailer is definitely an option.
But seeing something
this big is eye-opening.
I love the exterior
of the house.
I think it has that modern feel
that I'm looking for.
But once you come into the
house, it's a lot of wood.
It's too much of the cottagey
sort of feel to it.
I love the size of this place,
but having the huge bathroom
is not something I need.
Having the kitchen
right in the middle
is a little bit odd to me.
The nice thing about this space
is that there's plenty of space
for a work area.
You could even set it up by the
windows so you can look outside.
I think it's a nice,
usable space.
It just needs some tweaking
to fit what I want.
This is really large
and it may be difficult
for you to travel with it
as much as you
were wanting to.
Yeah.
I think for sure I'm gonna
have to weigh that balance
between portability and size.
Joanna is showing Richard
a tiny home
that's a bit easier to tow,
but nothing's perfect.
I still just feel like
it's a basic human necessity
to have indoor plumbing.
- It's indoors.
So where are you gonna
put all your home brew?
I don't know.
There's a lot of equipment
that goes along with that.
- Yeah. You have your big pots
and all of your yeast.
Cycling and beer
enthusiast Richard
is embracing a tinier
lifestyle in Dallas, Texas,
to have more freedom
to follow his passions.
He's searching
for tiny model homes
that he can base
his build off of.
A 112-square-foot cottage
has a hippie vibe
that Richard likes
and it's within his build
budget of $25,000,
but he would need to separate
the kitchen from the bathroom
and it might be too snug
for his bicycles
and brewing equipment.
He liked the exterior
of a much larger, boxy bungalow,
but he would need to modify
the loft placement
and it might be
difficult to tow.
His real estate agent,
Joanna Gaines Utley,
has found a more
easily towable option
that might suit Richard's style.
So this is a cute,
little house.
It looks very traditional.
- It does.
I love the coloring of it.
- Hello, welcome.
Hi, good morning.
- How cute is this place?
- It's interesting.
It's kind of
a traditional-style home.
It's 160 square feet.
Okay.
That seems big enough,
but it's small enough
that it could be towed.
As-is, it's $60,000.
$19,000 to build.
That's well under my budget,
which is really nice.
Wow, this definitely feels
nice and modern and open.
- Wow, this is big.
- But I don't think
it's got that hippie vibe, necessarily.
The bikes may fit in here.
I'm not really sure.
I think the ceiling still feels
a little bit tight to hang 'em
and the floor space
seems a little bit awkward
to put them there.
This kitchen
is very modern.
I think you're gonna
really like it.
This is beautiful.
I love the stainless-steel
countertops here.
I think it makes
it feel very industrial.
And the white cabinets
just makes it feel very open.
I like the window
right over the sink, too.
That way,
you can look out
while you're doing
the dishes.
You have plenty of storage
'cause look how many
different cabinets you have.
- Yeah.
And the little cutout
there for your oven.
I feel like you could
cook a lot in that.
Mm-hmm.
Do you think
you could brew in here?
I think so. I mean, I think
there's enough storage space
that I could fit
my equipment in.
All right.
Moment of truth:
the bathroom.
The bathroom feels
really big and spacious.
It seems like they've got
the composting toilet,
which I like.
Um--
Oh, man.
I think it makes sense
for the space.
I still just feel like
it's a basic human necessity
to have indoor plumbing
of some sort.
It's indoors.
Go for it.
So it looks like there's a nice,
big shower in here.
I can actually fit in here
and the showerhead
isn't superlow
and completely hitting me
in the face.
- Great.
- It's a little bit tight, again,
but I think it's something
that's workable.
Nice little set
of stairs here.
I like that more than a ladder.
The custom staircase
with each compartment
Oh, wow.
- No wasted space.
That's a lot of storage.
So the stairs are really
cool in this place,
but it concerns me that's the
only storage I would have.
I think they look really nice,
but whether it's completely
functional for me, I don't know.
Still a little bit tight.
Oh, this is
a lot bigger.
You know, I think once you
get a mattress in here,
it may be a little tight
for me, but at least
I'm not completely
hitting my head, so far.
You know, I love it
from a design perspective.
You know, it's got that modern
feel that I'm looking for.
I think I would have to have
a little bit of kind of
that hippie twist to it,
but, I mean,
that could be with the way
it's decorated
or something like that.
I do think you need a little
bit more square footage,
just so you can have
the storage for the bikes.
I just don't really
see them
fitting in here
very well.
At $19,000,
this is really doable.
I mean, that leaves me
even some wiggle room
to maybe do some
special upgrades
or something a little
bit crazy in here.
I think
it's a very good deal.
After seeing several
different tiny options,
it's time for Richard to decide
which one he wants to tackle
building himself.
I'm just not sure
which one's best for me.
Our house hunters are moving
on up to a much smaller space.
Could you live in a tiny house?
Dallas, Texas, resident Richard
is constructing his own tiny
house on a $25,000 budget
and he's ready to choose
which model
he'll base his own build off of.
The hippie house
was really cute.
It had kind of that cool vibe
that I'm looking for.
I thought it was
really well-designed.
It was just really,
really small.
112 square feet is tiny.
And, at 25,000 for materials,
that seems pretty high,
for the square footage
that I'd be getting.
Yeah. I just don't think
there's enough room in there
for you to put all
of your bikes
and brewing equipment.
I like the portability of it.
I mean, I think it's something
- True.
that could get around
pretty easily.
So what'd you think
about the modern box shed?
At 336 square feet, it has
a build cost of around $28,000.
It was a little bit
over my budget,
but, I feel like using
reclaimed stuff,
I could get that down
into my price point.
Yeah. I think there was
a lot of room in there
for you
to design around.
I think it's definitely someplace
that I could fit
a lot of bikes in;
I could fit my beer lines in.
But it felt like the layout
was a little bit weird
and the interior seemed
very cottagey.
It wasn't my style at all.
On the blue-and-white
tiny house,
the exterior wasn't really
what I was looking for,
but the interior seemed spot-on.
You know,
at 160 square feet,
although it wasn't
the largest, I really feel
like that was the one
that, when I walked in,
felt the most
like you, though.
At $19,000 for materials,
that's way under my budget.
That would be great,
to have that savings.
And the mix of wood and metal
and the stainless-steel
countertops
and things like that were
just awesome in that house.
The loft was still
a little bit tight.
I'm just not sure
which one's best for me.
The modern box shed
just seems perfect for me.
Yeah. That one definitely
had the best bathroom
and you have
the real toilet.
I think that's definitely
a space
that I could see myself
living in.
It gives me enough flexibility
with the space
to design around what I need.
I could definitely see
you living in that one.
It could totally be
your home.
I've been living very happily
in my tiny home
for just over 6 months now.
And I'm currently parked
in a friend of mine's driveway.
The modern box shed was $28,000
in just materials.
I ended up spending
$23,500 on my home,
which was a great savings.
Almost every bit of this house,
I got from either reclaim shops,
salvage shops, thrift stores,
or off the side of the road.
Going into my tiny-house build,
I could maybe use
a power drill and a saw.
Now, I've learned
how to lay flooring
and I've learned how
to do plumbing
and I had help
with my electrical
and like every part of
building a house, I learned.
And now that I've built it once,
if something breaks,
I can fix it
and that's a great
feeling to have.
To add some hippie feel
to the exterior,
he used reclaimed lumber
and went with a lighter stain.
And he adjusted
the window placement
to let more sunlight
into the gooseneck loft.
So one of the biggest
things I did is
bring in a lot of
industrial material.
I have conduit on the walls.
I have metal on the ceiling.
I have the stainless-steel
countertops
to make it feel
very sleek and modern.
My bedroom, I decided to build
up on the gooseneck.
This gives me a lot
more head space.
So that was something
very important to me.
So I can really
stand up in my loft.
I was able to fit
three bikes in here.
They're on a pulley system.
Cost me $10 apiece
for the bike hooks
and these just come
up and down very easily.
So my kitchen
is completely custom.
For the entire thing,
it cost me about $800.
Everything in here came
from salvage shops
or, you know,
auction sites or whatever.
It's the most important part of
any man cave, is the draft line.
I was able to get this fridge
from an auction site.
It came out of
a commercial nutrition shop
and I paid $100 for it.
I was so surprised
you got so many
of your bikes in here.
I mean,
that's amazing.
My tiny house is something
that I can entertain in,
which is great.
I think it's really cool
that Richard did this.
You know, it makes sense
with who he is
and for him
to finally have this
and it be his
and it be so unique,
I'm definitely
excited for him.
How many people
have you gotten in here?
We had 15 at one time,
- Wow.
- hanging out, drinking beer,
eating pizza, stuff like that.
- Naturally.
But it was comfortable.
I mean, after a few beers,
you don't mind
getting close with people.
You know, during the build
of my tiny house,
it was a lot of work.
It was a lot of stress.
But now that I'm living in it,
it's so great.
And I've been able to work less
and enjoy
what I want to do more.
- Congratulations.
- Thank you.