Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 18 - Tiny Living in Texas - 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.
So it's small.
I kind of like it, though.
Zac and Katie can't agree
on what size their new
Texas tiny home should be.
It feels a little
too big, honestly.
You're looking
for a cardboard box.
With a young daughter in tow,
every square foot counts.
Is this
the fax machine, or...
There's
a composting toilet.
- Ah, this is really tiny.
- How do you feel about this?
As long as we don't put
a mattress, it's fine, right?
These over here,
these two can be cut, too.
Yeah.
I'm Katie.
And I'm Zac.
And we live
in McKinney, Texas.
I run an online resale business,
and I work from home.
And I work for
a cellphone company.
Over here, Mom?
- Yes, please.
- Over here?
I have a 4-year-old daughter.
Her name's Lily.
We actually met because
we worked at the same job.
We kind of started talking,
like, every single day
and realizing we had a lot
of similar interests.
We really like
to go hiking.
Walking on trails,
going on road trips,
pretty much anything
outdoors, we enjoy.
So, right now,
Zac and I are living
at my mom's
2,800-square-foot house.
Ready to find a place
of their own,
they're looking for
something far smaller
than her mom's
expansive house.
Going into this tiny house,
I don't know how
we're gonna make everything fit.
Mom thinks we're crazy
for moving into a tiny house.
Yeah?
I'm gonna miss
you guys.
The idea is to kind of cut
your expenses down
to where you have to afford
this huge mortgage
that you're paying off
over the course of,
you know,
30 years or so.
Like, a long mortgage
sounds really scary to me.
Instead of going to work
for 40 hours a week,
I want to have more time
to spend with my daughter
or with Zac or doing stuff
that I actually enjoy doing.
This is how much
we need to have.
This is how
much we have. Yeah.
Our budget is $70,000,
and that's going to include
the tiny house and the land.
My style for the tiny house
will be boho-chic.
I kind of want it
to be funky and eclectic
and just different
bright colors.
I kind of just want, like,
a funky little cottage.
I kind of envision a
cabin-in-the-woods type of feel,
something that's on wheels
that I can take anywhere.
Okay, so this much
for your clothes,
the rest
for living space?
I've kind of set
400 square feet
as my minimum
to fit us all in there.
And you're looking
for a cardboard box, probably.
I'm setting my sights
on anywhere
between 200 to 300
square feet.
I think we could adequately
fit everything we need
inside
that amount of space.
We need something bigger--
just a little bit.
The things that are
really important to me
are, obviously, we need
the two lofts--
one for us
and then one for Lily.
Right.
I want a bathtub.
A bathtub?
Yeah.
How are we gonna live
without a bathtub?
How am I gonna live
without a bathtub?
Keeping just appliance
to a bare minimum
so we're not using
too much electricity.
Yeah.
What about as far
as toilet-wise?
I was thinking compostable.
A composting toilet's
important
because I don't know
if the land will have
hookups that we find,
and then we wouldn't
have to be reliant
on a sewer
being there or not.
Helping them
with their tiny house search
is their friend
Bethany Ewing,
who also happens to be
a real estate agent.
Bethany's a good friend
of ours.
She's gonna help us find a tiny
house and land to put it on.
She's super-knowledgeable
about tiny houses in the area.
Now is the perfect time
to go tiny
because we're both
in parts of our life
where we can start
building this lifestyle
that we've dreamt about.
The thought of us
all living in a tiny house
is really scary sometimes,
but it'll definitely
be worth it.
So it'll be
an interesting process.
Bethany's starting them off
with a colorful cottage
that's both rustic and chic.
Oh, cute.
Look at the color.
Yeah. I love the siding
on it, actually.
Morning, guys.
How are you today?
Hi.
Good to see you.
Great.
Great seeing you.
People are flocking
to tiny homes
in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
because some people
don't want a huge mortgage
or to pay
inflated lease rates,
so they're going
for the tiny home.
It provides
a little bit of freedom
for their expenses
and for travel.
It's got
a little bit of boho
and a little bit
of funkiness,
but also that
rustic-cabin feel.
I love that it's on wheels.
We can take it wherever we want.
Yes.
It's awesome.
It's 240 square feet,
and it's for $65,000
on this land for three months.
$65,000?
That only includes three months
for us to live here?
Yeah.
I mean, that's almost
our budget.
Not much left over, but you do
have that three-month window.
Mm-hmm.
Well, so, you guys
want to go inside?
Yeah.
Come on.
Oh, wow.
This is cool.
- This is nice.
- Isn't it cool?
I like these windows.
There's a lot of natural light.
That's cool.
I don't think there would
be enough space here
for Lily and all
of her stuff, her toys.
What would we do
with all of it?
There's storage underneath
the kitchen space.
Oh, cool. Yeah.
So there's actually
storage down here, too.
Oh, neat.
We could even put her toys
in there if we wanted to.
- That might work.
- Yeah.
I think Zac's being
very optimistic.
I don't think there's enough
room for Lily to run around
and for us
to live comfortably.
This is a really interesting
layout for the kitchen.
- You like that?
- Yeah.
Feels kind of cramped
already, though.
How are we gonna cook
in here?
Yeah, there's no room
for you to be--
You stay there.
I'm over here. Yeah.
I really love
these cabinets right here.
These kind of modern features--
looks really nice.
They already have the stovetop.
That's nice.
There you go--
- appliances.
- Yeah. That's good.
I love these appliances, actually.
Really small,
really energy-efficient.
The appliances are just
the perfect size.
The fridge
and the freezer combo
are gonna save us
a lot of electricity.
And the fact that it has
a stovetop already on there
saves us a lot of money.
Is this a table?
Yes.
Oh, that's cool.
You're gonna like what
you see here in the bathroom.
I really like
this little door, too.
- Yeah.
- It's neat.
Sliding door.
Uh, is this
the fax machine, or...
There's a composting toilet.
Oh, nice.
That's cool. Perfect.
Yeah, that's a big shower.
It's nice.
I like this window here,
as well.
This is a really
cool feature, too.
I mean,
that's really small,
doesn't really take up
a lot of space.
But there's
no bathtub, though.
Yeah.
- No bathtub.
- No bathtub.
This is interesting.
Yeah.
This is nice.
- Kind of high up here.
- Rather large.
There's a lot of space,
but it's all bed.
Yeah. I mean, it'd have to be,
'cause there's no other loft.
I don't think it's very, like,
practical, though, for Lily.
It's nice for
if it was just me and you,
but we got a Lily.
Katie doesn't really like
the layout of the bedroom,
but I think
I can make it work.
We can probably take
the bed out, honestly,
put a little bit smaller
of a bed there,
put, like,
a twin-size mattress
in the living area
that we can pull out.
We can maybe do that.
Obviously, I like
the colors outside.
- That's a huge thing.
- Yeah.
And there's
- a composting toilet.
- Yeah.
- Composting toilet.
- So that's a huge plus.
The kitchen space
is nice.
I love the size
of the appliances,
but I agree-- it's a little bit
crammed inside there.
Well, one chef
in the kitchen,
but you have
that open floor plan,
so you could see over
to your family
while you're working
on things. Yeah.
One thing I don't like--
there's only one sleeping place.
You know, I don't know
what we're gonna do with Lily.
Like, what
are we gonna do in--
even in this space,
like, with her toys?
I don't know where
we're gonna put everything.
With this already
being $65,000...
Top of the budget.there's not a lot
of wiggle room within our budget
to spend on the customization,
on the land,
and even transporting it
to where we do find land.
Since Katie wants something
a little less tiny,
they're seeing another option
over twice the size.
But it may be a tough sell.
And this is
just kind of... blah.
We can just move
in here.
There we go!
- Save on rent?
- Yeah, it's perfect.
Zac, Katie, and her daughter,
Lily, have been living
at Katie's mom's house
in McKinney, Texas.
They're going tiny so they can
have a place of their own
for their young family.
They've seen
a 240-square-foot home
that blends Katie's
boho-chic style
with Zac's
rustic-cabin taste.
And he loves
its compact size.
But Katie's skeptical that
the small space would work.
It's at the top
of their $70,000 budget,
and they could only stay where
it's parked for a few months
before needing
to find another spot.
To guide them on their search
for a tiny house,
they've reached out
to good friend
and real estate agent
Bethany Ewing,
who's showing them
a larger option
that comes
with its own land.
- Hey. How are you?
- How are you today?
Good to see you.
Well, guys,
here we have it.
A really gorgeous
600-square-foot
shipping-container home
for $107,000.
Wow.
That's definitely a bit
over our budget.
Is the land included
in that?
Yes, it is.
What comes with
this property,
it's a really sweet surprise
in the back-- a lake view.
Okay.
Oh, wow. Yeah.
The house is $37,000
over budget,
but it does come
with the lake and the land,
so it could work out.
Oh, my gosh!
- [ Laughs ] Wow.
- It's so cute!
Oh. Gorgeous. Wow.
This whole living space
in here
is just really
nice and cozy.
It's kind of the darker,
earthy tones that I'm a fan of.
Yeah, and I like how
the living room
opens up
to the kitchen, too,
'cause then Lily
could be sitting here
and then we would be,
you know, just in here cooking.
Exactly.
I mean, the appliances,
they are a little bit too--
- Full-size.
- Yeah, they're full-size,
so it's a little bit too big
for what we are looking for.
I know we didn't want
full-size appliances,
but, I mean,
we do cook a lot.
We do need, you know,
a lot of cooking space.
Lots of counter space. Yeah.
Katie's looking for something
that's a little bit bigger,
but I think it's just
too much space for what we need.
These windows--
it's so open.
Talk about
natural lighting.
Let's go have a look.
Oh, wow.
Wow. This view
is amazing.
- Isn't it awesome?
- It's beautiful.
So this just adds
to your openness,
and it extends your ability
to enjoy outdoors.
This gives us
a lot of space
to just kind of
sit down and relax.
Lily could be
running around out here.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, definitely so.
And we can set up
our garden out here if we want.
Come on in.
- Oh, wow.
- Wow.
It feels
a little cramped, honestly.
I mean, I guess you're gonna get
that in a tiny house.
I really do like
this pattern
and everything
that they've done with this.
This is definitely
not my thing.
I'm looking kind of
for something
more colorful, more funky.
This is just
kind of... blah.
- Not your feel.
- Definitely not me.
Huh.
So, this would
- be Lily's room.
- Okay.
They have
the elevated beds,
so she's got
all the floor space.
I do like the ability for her
to be in here by herself.
There's a lot of space.
I mean, she can hang out
in here on her own.
It's nice. It gives her room
to kind of play down here.
I like it.
To the bathroom. Yeah.
Wow. This is a really
nice-size bathroom.
It's a really nice size.
There's not
a compostable toilet, though.
There is not
a compostable toilet,
so you would be
compromising there.
Have you checked out
the shower right here?
This is
a really good shower.
Got to check it out. Yeah.
It's huge.
The shower is huge.
This is
a really great space,
and I love those accents
to the floor and to the tile.
- Yeah.
- I do like that.
That's pretty funky.
I'm not gonna lie.
- It's funky.
- I like it a lot.
Is it pretty boho,
Katie?
I could make it work.
That, I could. Yeah.
The rustic feel,
for me, is a big plus.
That's exactly what
I was going for.
The dark wood,
the dark leather,
kind of everything
makes you feel like
you're right at home
in nature.
That's kind of a different style
than I was thinking,
but it kind of
comes together.
And it has so many
other amenities
that you guys like,
with the two bedrooms
and space
for your daughter.
I think it's
a pretty nice size.
I mean, it would be
a little bit bigger
than what we were thinking,
but, I mean,
I kind of like it.
The property
is really nice,
but it feels
a little too big, honestly.
It's a little bit bigger
than what I was hoping for.
Now they're looking
at another home
that's a little more compact.
But Katie's not
exactly loving it.
Just looks like
someone threw up trees here.
- Mom!
- Yes?
I think I found
some okra!
Zac, Katie,
and her young daughter, Lily,
are going tiny
in McKinney, Texas,
so they can
move their family of three
out of Katie's mom's house.
They've got a budget
of $70,000,
but their differing styles
and Zac's desire
for something really small
isn't making it easy.
They've seen
a 240-square-foot cottage
that blends each
of their design styles.
It has plenty
of natural light
but lacks a separate
sleeping space for Lily
and doesn't come
with land to put it on.
Next was a 600-square-foot
shipping-container home.
Katie loves
the larger space,
but Zac is hoping
for something more compact.
It's well over budget,
but the price includes
lakefront land
and gorgeous views.
Uh...
so, it's small.
I kind of like it, though.
They're working with
friend and real estate agent
Bethany Ewing,
who's now showing them something
with space for Lily
in a much smaller package.
This is 225 square feet.
But it's 225 square feet
of a lot of the things
- you guys mentioned.
- Mm-hmm.
This is nice. This porch here
is a really good touch.
Yeah, it's cute.
This house is listed
for $16,500.
- Oh, nice!
- Wow.
So is that
with the land, or...?
That's not the price
with the land.
You would lease it
for $700 a month.
Okay.
- Oh, cool.
- And you're getting
1 acre.
- - Oh, wow.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Okay,
so, this is nice.
- Ah, this is really tiny.
- How do you feel about this?
- Yeah?
- It's so tiny.
This is what I meant
by "cabin style."
I really like all
the natural lighting in here.
- It has a lot of windows.
- Yeah.
You really don't
need lights in here,
even though I do see
some extra lights in here.
- Oh, and there's a fan.
- There is
a ceiling fan.
That's cool.
That's nice.
That's great
for ventilation.
I'm just looking for something
more funky, more colorful,
and it's just blah.
Like, it just looks like
someone threw up trees here.
Well, I mean,
you can make it funky
- and colorful.
- Yeah.
I think Katie's
a little bit scared
at the fact
that it's a blank slate.
But I think with
a little coercing,
she could see the vision
that I have for the tiny house.
May be even able to fit, like,
a dining table right here,
something kind of small
to fit the drinks
and things
like that on.
We could probably
take this ladder out.
If we were gonna put in,
we could put some sort of,
like, futon here.
These shelves
are horrendous.
Yeah, these will probably
have to go at some point.
I'm not really
a big fan of these.
They're just
little boxes.
I think the countertop space
is actually perfect.
There is a lot of kitchen
storage, too, so that's good.
What do you think
about the appliances?
It's really minimal.
I do like it.
I'm not noticing anything
that you can cook with.
I'm thinking
this gives you
lots of room
for a cooktop stove.
You know, I really
like these fixtures here.
Even the shower
is huge.
Oh, wow.
The shower's big.
There's no bathtub, though.
I think in something so small,
we might have to compromise.
I'm noticing that there is
a regular toilet.
We need
a compostable toilet.
That is fully replaceable.
Two loft spaces.
This side will
definitely fit a queen bed.
Oh, cool.
Ooh!
Oh, you fit perfectly!
And you can sit up.
As long as we don't put
a mattress, it's fine, right?
These windows, though,
are a really nice touch.
There's one on both sides,
so I like that a lot. Yeah.
Oh, look. Even there's a window
over on that side, too.
- That's sweet.
- That's great.
Yeah, that loft
is perfect, actually,
for maybe, like, a twin bed
or something like that.
Overall, I like it.
I mean, I know you wanted
a composting toilet, No composting toilet.
but we can put that in
at any time.
No bathtub. Yeah.
There's definitely
a lot of good things.
Like, it has both
of the lofts,
which that was
a huge thing, obviously.
The kitchen space, actually,
is really nice.
It has the small appliances
that we were looking for.
I mean,
it's just really bland,
but I like the location,
the land.
That's perfect,
you know?
Since we don't have
the space inside,
I guess
we can have it outside.
Having seen
several unique, tiny options,
it's time for Katie and Zac
to figure out
which home is right
for their family.
I just don't even know
what we're supposed to do.
House hunting just got
a little bit smaller,
with people on the hunt
for tiny homes.
McKinney, Texas, couple
Katie and Zac
are looking for a tiny home
so they can spend more time
with Katie's daughter, Lily.
With a budget of $70,000,
they've seen several
tiny options,
and it's time to pick one.
So, how do you feel
about the wood tiny house
that's 240 square feet
for $65,000?
I like the outside
of that one.
I like how it has,
like, really funky colors
and the wood planks
on the outside.
But I think it was more
designed for two people
instead of three.
The appliances
were really energy-efficient.
The kitchen feels
really cramped, too.
Only one of us can fit
- in there at a time.
- Yeah.
Well, they did have
the composting toilet
and a lot of storage.
But with it being
at $65,000,
that only leaves us $5,000
to find land.
What do you think about the tiny
shipping-container lake house
that's 600 square feet
and $107,000?
I love
the outside of it.
It looks really rustic.
It was kind of a modern,
had some rustic feel,
but it was definitely not
what you were looking for.
Yeah, I love
that it's on the lake,
and it has that nice deck
that's overlooking.
But I think it's a little bit
too big for what we need.
And it's way out
of our budget.
Like, way out
- of our budget.
- Yeah.
It does come with the land,
though, so that's nice.
What do you think
about the porch cabin
that's 225 square feet
for $16,500?
Immediately,
I love the price.
The price is so low
that it just allows us
to find the land
and even stay on that property
for a while. Yeah.
It seemed a little--
yeah, way too small.
And it doesn't have
- the composting toilet, either.
- Yeah.
We can always add
the composting toilet
or even the bathtub
in there if we want.
The two lofts
is great, definitely.
I think Lily would
have enough space.
But it's more your style
than mine.
Yeah.
I just don't even know
what we're supposed to do.
I like the wood tiny house,
but ultimately,
we'd have to fix it up
and then find land for it,
as well, within three months.
Yeah. I agree.
I like that the
shipping-container
house is on the lake,
but it's way too far out
of our price range. Yeah.
So, I guess that leaves
the porch cabin house.
Yes, exactly.
I think that one's
gonna be perfect for us.
It has
the two designated lofts.
We can make it
our own.
And I'm gonna let you
take the reins on the style,
and I'm gonna take
a step back on that one.
We've been in the tiny house now
for a few weeks.
Our budget was $70,000,
and we got the house
for $16,500,
so that leaves us
lots of room
to get all of
our customizations in.
And right now,
we're leasing an acre of land
for $700 a month,
but we're looking
to purchase land of our own.
Goaty!
Come here.
So, we did a lot
of changes to the house.
We painted the outside.
We painted the interior.
We stained the roof.
We took some
of the ladders off
and added a different style
of ladder
to free up space
in the living room.
We even added a barrier
for Lily up in her loft.
And we knocked out those
ugly cabinets that we hated.
And we basically added
a few extra shelves in there.
We definitely both
got what we wanted.
Zac still has his cabin,
and I have my boho cottage,
basically, on the inside.
One of the reasons
we purchased this house
is because it has
the two lofts.
Lily has her own space
to play upstairs,
or she can come down
in the living room
and have plenty of space.
What's your favorite part
of the tiny house?
My room.
Your room? Yeah?
Lily seems to love
the tiny house.
She absolutely
loves her loft.
She stays up there
a lot of the times.
And she's even made
the living room
her kind of little
play area, too.
Here's your dinner.
Thank you.
I was a little worried
about being in 225 square feet,
even though Zac
wanted it really badly.
But now that we've put in
all our touches, it's working.
Tiny living
has been great.
We're very excited about
the future that it has for us.
We're able to spend
a lot less time inside,
and that frees us up
to do everything
that we want
to do outdoors.
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.
So it's small.
I kind of like it, though.
Zac and Katie can't agree
on what size their new
Texas tiny home should be.
It feels a little
too big, honestly.
You're looking
for a cardboard box.
With a young daughter in tow,
every square foot counts.
Is this
the fax machine, or...
There's
a composting toilet.
- Ah, this is really tiny.
- How do you feel about this?
As long as we don't put
a mattress, it's fine, right?
These over here,
these two can be cut, too.
Yeah.
I'm Katie.
And I'm Zac.
And we live
in McKinney, Texas.
I run an online resale business,
and I work from home.
And I work for
a cellphone company.
Over here, Mom?
- Yes, please.
- Over here?
I have a 4-year-old daughter.
Her name's Lily.
We actually met because
we worked at the same job.
We kind of started talking,
like, every single day
and realizing we had a lot
of similar interests.
We really like
to go hiking.
Walking on trails,
going on road trips,
pretty much anything
outdoors, we enjoy.
So, right now,
Zac and I are living
at my mom's
2,800-square-foot house.
Ready to find a place
of their own,
they're looking for
something far smaller
than her mom's
expansive house.
Going into this tiny house,
I don't know how
we're gonna make everything fit.
Mom thinks we're crazy
for moving into a tiny house.
Yeah?
I'm gonna miss
you guys.
The idea is to kind of cut
your expenses down
to where you have to afford
this huge mortgage
that you're paying off
over the course of,
you know,
30 years or so.
Like, a long mortgage
sounds really scary to me.
Instead of going to work
for 40 hours a week,
I want to have more time
to spend with my daughter
or with Zac or doing stuff
that I actually enjoy doing.
This is how much
we need to have.
This is how
much we have. Yeah.
Our budget is $70,000,
and that's going to include
the tiny house and the land.
My style for the tiny house
will be boho-chic.
I kind of want it
to be funky and eclectic
and just different
bright colors.
I kind of just want, like,
a funky little cottage.
I kind of envision a
cabin-in-the-woods type of feel,
something that's on wheels
that I can take anywhere.
Okay, so this much
for your clothes,
the rest
for living space?
I've kind of set
400 square feet
as my minimum
to fit us all in there.
And you're looking
for a cardboard box, probably.
I'm setting my sights
on anywhere
between 200 to 300
square feet.
I think we could adequately
fit everything we need
inside
that amount of space.
We need something bigger--
just a little bit.
The things that are
really important to me
are, obviously, we need
the two lofts--
one for us
and then one for Lily.
Right.
I want a bathtub.
A bathtub?
Yeah.
How are we gonna live
without a bathtub?
How am I gonna live
without a bathtub?
Keeping just appliance
to a bare minimum
so we're not using
too much electricity.
Yeah.
What about as far
as toilet-wise?
I was thinking compostable.
A composting toilet's
important
because I don't know
if the land will have
hookups that we find,
and then we wouldn't
have to be reliant
on a sewer
being there or not.
Helping them
with their tiny house search
is their friend
Bethany Ewing,
who also happens to be
a real estate agent.
Bethany's a good friend
of ours.
She's gonna help us find a tiny
house and land to put it on.
She's super-knowledgeable
about tiny houses in the area.
Now is the perfect time
to go tiny
because we're both
in parts of our life
where we can start
building this lifestyle
that we've dreamt about.
The thought of us
all living in a tiny house
is really scary sometimes,
but it'll definitely
be worth it.
So it'll be
an interesting process.
Bethany's starting them off
with a colorful cottage
that's both rustic and chic.
Oh, cute.
Look at the color.
Yeah. I love the siding
on it, actually.
Morning, guys.
How are you today?
Hi.
Good to see you.
Great.
Great seeing you.
People are flocking
to tiny homes
in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
because some people
don't want a huge mortgage
or to pay
inflated lease rates,
so they're going
for the tiny home.
It provides
a little bit of freedom
for their expenses
and for travel.
It's got
a little bit of boho
and a little bit
of funkiness,
but also that
rustic-cabin feel.
I love that it's on wheels.
We can take it wherever we want.
Yes.
It's awesome.
It's 240 square feet,
and it's for $65,000
on this land for three months.
$65,000?
That only includes three months
for us to live here?
Yeah.
I mean, that's almost
our budget.
Not much left over, but you do
have that three-month window.
Mm-hmm.
Well, so, you guys
want to go inside?
Yeah.
Come on.
Oh, wow.
This is cool.
- This is nice.
- Isn't it cool?
I like these windows.
There's a lot of natural light.
That's cool.
I don't think there would
be enough space here
for Lily and all
of her stuff, her toys.
What would we do
with all of it?
There's storage underneath
the kitchen space.
Oh, cool. Yeah.
So there's actually
storage down here, too.
Oh, neat.
We could even put her toys
in there if we wanted to.
- That might work.
- Yeah.
I think Zac's being
very optimistic.
I don't think there's enough
room for Lily to run around
and for us
to live comfortably.
This is a really interesting
layout for the kitchen.
- You like that?
- Yeah.
Feels kind of cramped
already, though.
How are we gonna cook
in here?
Yeah, there's no room
for you to be--
You stay there.
I'm over here. Yeah.
I really love
these cabinets right here.
These kind of modern features--
looks really nice.
They already have the stovetop.
That's nice.
There you go--
- appliances.
- Yeah. That's good.
I love these appliances, actually.
Really small,
really energy-efficient.
The appliances are just
the perfect size.
The fridge
and the freezer combo
are gonna save us
a lot of electricity.
And the fact that it has
a stovetop already on there
saves us a lot of money.
Is this a table?
Yes.
Oh, that's cool.
You're gonna like what
you see here in the bathroom.
I really like
this little door, too.
- Yeah.
- It's neat.
Sliding door.
Uh, is this
the fax machine, or...
There's a composting toilet.
Oh, nice.
That's cool. Perfect.
Yeah, that's a big shower.
It's nice.
I like this window here,
as well.
This is a really
cool feature, too.
I mean,
that's really small,
doesn't really take up
a lot of space.
But there's
no bathtub, though.
Yeah.
- No bathtub.
- No bathtub.
This is interesting.
Yeah.
This is nice.
- Kind of high up here.
- Rather large.
There's a lot of space,
but it's all bed.
Yeah. I mean, it'd have to be,
'cause there's no other loft.
I don't think it's very, like,
practical, though, for Lily.
It's nice for
if it was just me and you,
but we got a Lily.
Katie doesn't really like
the layout of the bedroom,
but I think
I can make it work.
We can probably take
the bed out, honestly,
put a little bit smaller
of a bed there,
put, like,
a twin-size mattress
in the living area
that we can pull out.
We can maybe do that.
Obviously, I like
the colors outside.
- That's a huge thing.
- Yeah.
And there's
- a composting toilet.
- Yeah.
- Composting toilet.
- So that's a huge plus.
The kitchen space
is nice.
I love the size
of the appliances,
but I agree-- it's a little bit
crammed inside there.
Well, one chef
in the kitchen,
but you have
that open floor plan,
so you could see over
to your family
while you're working
on things. Yeah.
One thing I don't like--
there's only one sleeping place.
You know, I don't know
what we're gonna do with Lily.
Like, what
are we gonna do in--
even in this space,
like, with her toys?
I don't know where
we're gonna put everything.
With this already
being $65,000...
Top of the budget.there's not a lot
of wiggle room within our budget
to spend on the customization,
on the land,
and even transporting it
to where we do find land.
Since Katie wants something
a little less tiny,
they're seeing another option
over twice the size.
But it may be a tough sell.
And this is
just kind of... blah.
We can just move
in here.
There we go!
- Save on rent?
- Yeah, it's perfect.
Zac, Katie, and her daughter,
Lily, have been living
at Katie's mom's house
in McKinney, Texas.
They're going tiny so they can
have a place of their own
for their young family.
They've seen
a 240-square-foot home
that blends Katie's
boho-chic style
with Zac's
rustic-cabin taste.
And he loves
its compact size.
But Katie's skeptical that
the small space would work.
It's at the top
of their $70,000 budget,
and they could only stay where
it's parked for a few months
before needing
to find another spot.
To guide them on their search
for a tiny house,
they've reached out
to good friend
and real estate agent
Bethany Ewing,
who's showing them
a larger option
that comes
with its own land.
- Hey. How are you?
- How are you today?
Good to see you.
Well, guys,
here we have it.
A really gorgeous
600-square-foot
shipping-container home
for $107,000.
Wow.
That's definitely a bit
over our budget.
Is the land included
in that?
Yes, it is.
What comes with
this property,
it's a really sweet surprise
in the back-- a lake view.
Okay.
Oh, wow. Yeah.
The house is $37,000
over budget,
but it does come
with the lake and the land,
so it could work out.
Oh, my gosh!
- [ Laughs ] Wow.
- It's so cute!
Oh. Gorgeous. Wow.
This whole living space
in here
is just really
nice and cozy.
It's kind of the darker,
earthy tones that I'm a fan of.
Yeah, and I like how
the living room
opens up
to the kitchen, too,
'cause then Lily
could be sitting here
and then we would be,
you know, just in here cooking.
Exactly.
I mean, the appliances,
they are a little bit too--
- Full-size.
- Yeah, they're full-size,
so it's a little bit too big
for what we are looking for.
I know we didn't want
full-size appliances,
but, I mean,
we do cook a lot.
We do need, you know,
a lot of cooking space.
Lots of counter space. Yeah.
Katie's looking for something
that's a little bit bigger,
but I think it's just
too much space for what we need.
These windows--
it's so open.
Talk about
natural lighting.
Let's go have a look.
Oh, wow.
Wow. This view
is amazing.
- Isn't it awesome?
- It's beautiful.
So this just adds
to your openness,
and it extends your ability
to enjoy outdoors.
This gives us
a lot of space
to just kind of
sit down and relax.
Lily could be
running around out here.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, definitely so.
And we can set up
our garden out here if we want.
Come on in.
- Oh, wow.
- Wow.
It feels
a little cramped, honestly.
I mean, I guess you're gonna get
that in a tiny house.
I really do like
this pattern
and everything
that they've done with this.
This is definitely
not my thing.
I'm looking kind of
for something
more colorful, more funky.
This is just
kind of... blah.
- Not your feel.
- Definitely not me.
Huh.
So, this would
- be Lily's room.
- Okay.
They have
the elevated beds,
so she's got
all the floor space.
I do like the ability for her
to be in here by herself.
There's a lot of space.
I mean, she can hang out
in here on her own.
It's nice. It gives her room
to kind of play down here.
I like it.
To the bathroom. Yeah.
Wow. This is a really
nice-size bathroom.
It's a really nice size.
There's not
a compostable toilet, though.
There is not
a compostable toilet,
so you would be
compromising there.
Have you checked out
the shower right here?
This is
a really good shower.
Got to check it out. Yeah.
It's huge.
The shower is huge.
This is
a really great space,
and I love those accents
to the floor and to the tile.
- Yeah.
- I do like that.
That's pretty funky.
I'm not gonna lie.
- It's funky.
- I like it a lot.
Is it pretty boho,
Katie?
I could make it work.
That, I could. Yeah.
The rustic feel,
for me, is a big plus.
That's exactly what
I was going for.
The dark wood,
the dark leather,
kind of everything
makes you feel like
you're right at home
in nature.
That's kind of a different style
than I was thinking,
but it kind of
comes together.
And it has so many
other amenities
that you guys like,
with the two bedrooms
and space
for your daughter.
I think it's
a pretty nice size.
I mean, it would be
a little bit bigger
than what we were thinking,
but, I mean,
I kind of like it.
The property
is really nice,
but it feels
a little too big, honestly.
It's a little bit bigger
than what I was hoping for.
Now they're looking
at another home
that's a little more compact.
But Katie's not
exactly loving it.
Just looks like
someone threw up trees here.
- Mom!
- Yes?
I think I found
some okra!
Zac, Katie,
and her young daughter, Lily,
are going tiny
in McKinney, Texas,
so they can
move their family of three
out of Katie's mom's house.
They've got a budget
of $70,000,
but their differing styles
and Zac's desire
for something really small
isn't making it easy.
They've seen
a 240-square-foot cottage
that blends each
of their design styles.
It has plenty
of natural light
but lacks a separate
sleeping space for Lily
and doesn't come
with land to put it on.
Next was a 600-square-foot
shipping-container home.
Katie loves
the larger space,
but Zac is hoping
for something more compact.
It's well over budget,
but the price includes
lakefront land
and gorgeous views.
Uh...
so, it's small.
I kind of like it, though.
They're working with
friend and real estate agent
Bethany Ewing,
who's now showing them something
with space for Lily
in a much smaller package.
This is 225 square feet.
But it's 225 square feet
of a lot of the things
- you guys mentioned.
- Mm-hmm.
This is nice. This porch here
is a really good touch.
Yeah, it's cute.
This house is listed
for $16,500.
- Oh, nice!
- Wow.
So is that
with the land, or...?
That's not the price
with the land.
You would lease it
for $700 a month.
Okay.
- Oh, cool.
- And you're getting
1 acre.
- - Oh, wow.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Okay,
so, this is nice.
- Ah, this is really tiny.
- How do you feel about this?
- Yeah?
- It's so tiny.
This is what I meant
by "cabin style."
I really like all
the natural lighting in here.
- It has a lot of windows.
- Yeah.
You really don't
need lights in here,
even though I do see
some extra lights in here.
- Oh, and there's a fan.
- There is
a ceiling fan.
That's cool.
That's nice.
That's great
for ventilation.
I'm just looking for something
more funky, more colorful,
and it's just blah.
Like, it just looks like
someone threw up trees here.
Well, I mean,
you can make it funky
- and colorful.
- Yeah.
I think Katie's
a little bit scared
at the fact
that it's a blank slate.
But I think with
a little coercing,
she could see the vision
that I have for the tiny house.
May be even able to fit, like,
a dining table right here,
something kind of small
to fit the drinks
and things
like that on.
We could probably
take this ladder out.
If we were gonna put in,
we could put some sort of,
like, futon here.
These shelves
are horrendous.
Yeah, these will probably
have to go at some point.
I'm not really
a big fan of these.
They're just
little boxes.
I think the countertop space
is actually perfect.
There is a lot of kitchen
storage, too, so that's good.
What do you think
about the appliances?
It's really minimal.
I do like it.
I'm not noticing anything
that you can cook with.
I'm thinking
this gives you
lots of room
for a cooktop stove.
You know, I really
like these fixtures here.
Even the shower
is huge.
Oh, wow.
The shower's big.
There's no bathtub, though.
I think in something so small,
we might have to compromise.
I'm noticing that there is
a regular toilet.
We need
a compostable toilet.
That is fully replaceable.
Two loft spaces.
This side will
definitely fit a queen bed.
Oh, cool.
Ooh!
Oh, you fit perfectly!
And you can sit up.
As long as we don't put
a mattress, it's fine, right?
These windows, though,
are a really nice touch.
There's one on both sides,
so I like that a lot. Yeah.
Oh, look. Even there's a window
over on that side, too.
- That's sweet.
- That's great.
Yeah, that loft
is perfect, actually,
for maybe, like, a twin bed
or something like that.
Overall, I like it.
I mean, I know you wanted
a composting toilet, No composting toilet.
but we can put that in
at any time.
No bathtub. Yeah.
There's definitely
a lot of good things.
Like, it has both
of the lofts,
which that was
a huge thing, obviously.
The kitchen space, actually,
is really nice.
It has the small appliances
that we were looking for.
I mean,
it's just really bland,
but I like the location,
the land.
That's perfect,
you know?
Since we don't have
the space inside,
I guess
we can have it outside.
Having seen
several unique, tiny options,
it's time for Katie and Zac
to figure out
which home is right
for their family.
I just don't even know
what we're supposed to do.
House hunting just got
a little bit smaller,
with people on the hunt
for tiny homes.
McKinney, Texas, couple
Katie and Zac
are looking for a tiny home
so they can spend more time
with Katie's daughter, Lily.
With a budget of $70,000,
they've seen several
tiny options,
and it's time to pick one.
So, how do you feel
about the wood tiny house
that's 240 square feet
for $65,000?
I like the outside
of that one.
I like how it has,
like, really funky colors
and the wood planks
on the outside.
But I think it was more
designed for two people
instead of three.
The appliances
were really energy-efficient.
The kitchen feels
really cramped, too.
Only one of us can fit
- in there at a time.
- Yeah.
Well, they did have
the composting toilet
and a lot of storage.
But with it being
at $65,000,
that only leaves us $5,000
to find land.
What do you think about the tiny
shipping-container lake house
that's 600 square feet
and $107,000?
I love
the outside of it.
It looks really rustic.
It was kind of a modern,
had some rustic feel,
but it was definitely not
what you were looking for.
Yeah, I love
that it's on the lake,
and it has that nice deck
that's overlooking.
But I think it's a little bit
too big for what we need.
And it's way out
of our budget.
Like, way out
- of our budget.
- Yeah.
It does come with the land,
though, so that's nice.
What do you think
about the porch cabin
that's 225 square feet
for $16,500?
Immediately,
I love the price.
The price is so low
that it just allows us
to find the land
and even stay on that property
for a while. Yeah.
It seemed a little--
yeah, way too small.
And it doesn't have
- the composting toilet, either.
- Yeah.
We can always add
the composting toilet
or even the bathtub
in there if we want.
The two lofts
is great, definitely.
I think Lily would
have enough space.
But it's more your style
than mine.
Yeah.
I just don't even know
what we're supposed to do.
I like the wood tiny house,
but ultimately,
we'd have to fix it up
and then find land for it,
as well, within three months.
Yeah. I agree.
I like that the
shipping-container
house is on the lake,
but it's way too far out
of our price range. Yeah.
So, I guess that leaves
the porch cabin house.
Yes, exactly.
I think that one's
gonna be perfect for us.
It has
the two designated lofts.
We can make it
our own.
And I'm gonna let you
take the reins on the style,
and I'm gonna take
a step back on that one.
We've been in the tiny house now
for a few weeks.
Our budget was $70,000,
and we got the house
for $16,500,
so that leaves us
lots of room
to get all of
our customizations in.
And right now,
we're leasing an acre of land
for $700 a month,
but we're looking
to purchase land of our own.
Goaty!
Come here.
So, we did a lot
of changes to the house.
We painted the outside.
We painted the interior.
We stained the roof.
We took some
of the ladders off
and added a different style
of ladder
to free up space
in the living room.
We even added a barrier
for Lily up in her loft.
And we knocked out those
ugly cabinets that we hated.
And we basically added
a few extra shelves in there.
We definitely both
got what we wanted.
Zac still has his cabin,
and I have my boho cottage,
basically, on the inside.
One of the reasons
we purchased this house
is because it has
the two lofts.
Lily has her own space
to play upstairs,
or she can come down
in the living room
and have plenty of space.
What's your favorite part
of the tiny house?
My room.
Your room? Yeah?
Lily seems to love
the tiny house.
She absolutely
loves her loft.
She stays up there
a lot of the times.
And she's even made
the living room
her kind of little
play area, too.
Here's your dinner.
Thank you.
I was a little worried
about being in 225 square feet,
even though Zac
wanted it really badly.
But now that we've put in
all our touches, it's working.
Tiny living
has been great.
We're very excited about
the future that it has for us.
We're able to spend
a lot less time inside,
and that frees us up
to do everything
that we want
to do outdoors.