Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 20 - Family Shops Tiny and Mobile in Phoenix, Arizona - 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!
- What is this?

This is the bedroom.

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

Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Wow, this just got weird.

But the smaller
the house, the bigger
the challenge fitting inside.

It would be six of us up here.



Where am I gonna sleep?

This swings back--
that's the loft.

I think I see a problem already.

- Ah, that's great... very nice.
- Oh, wow!

Phoenix, Arizona
couple Phillina and Keith

are looking for the perfect tiny
house for their growing family.

That's a bathtub!

That's what I want.

But finding
a home that's perfect
is easier said than done.

I don't see a place
for my office.

- How's this?
- This is awful.

You know I really
enjoy the stairs.

That's just more
storage space for junk.

There is no tub, Greg.



There's definitely no
room, unless you wanna
go with a cowboy tub.

Ha! The answer is no.

- There's the park, let's go!
- You wanna go play?

I'm Keith. I'm 32,
and I'm a project manager
for a general contractor.

And I'm Phillina, I'm 30,
and I'm a stay at home mom.

We have two kids,

August who is 2 years old,

and Asher who's 1-year-old,

and they keep us very busy.

Woo!

We're high school sweethearts.

I chased him until he said yes.

We'd been dating for 13 years,

and finally got married in 2013.

Six months ago they
decided to sell their 1,800
square foot Phoenix home.

It was very stressful to
keep up on the cleaning.

It was a tug of war-do I spend
the day cleaning the house,

or do I spend the day with
my kids and with my husband?

So, we moved into a 1 bedroom,
600-square-foot apartment,

and it's really given us
a chance to see
how we would feel

in a smaller space,
and see if it works for us.

Since the trial run in their
downsized apartment

has been a success,
they're taking the plunge

and buying a tiny home.

We're gonna have to
get very creative.

Our budget is about $60,000,

and as far as size is concerned

we'd really like between
250 and 300 square feet.

And while they
need to find land
to put it on, as well,

they definitely
want it to be mobile.

My husband has the luxury
to be working remotely
from home,

so we want to spend
time traveling,

experiencing different cities
and states,

and find out where
it feels like home for us.

I really like this layout.

My style is rustic modern.

On the outside, I really like
the reclaimed wood,

while on the inside I like
all the lines clean
and very modern.

Yeah.

It has the white
that you like.

I would describe my
style as farmhouse chic.

I really like white walls,
white cabinetry--

a more homey feeling,
in general.

I like this layout because
of the newer appliances.

What I want in a tiny house
is a full kitchen,

and I also need to have
a separate office
within the space to work from.

Shh... dad's on the phone.

I really like stairs
because it provides storage
space underneath it.

Phillina
however, prefers ladders.

Stairs, for me,
is taking up a huge amount
of living space,

and for our family
every inch counts.

I need a tub.

That's not negotiable.

With two little kids
it's just safer for them
to be sitting down in the tub,

not always in the standup
slippery shower.

We can be creative and figure
something out that works.

And it will be great to find
a tiny house

that has two sleeping lofts.

The kids are little, right now,

but I know they would
really enjoy sleeping
up in a loft area.

But I really want
railings on the lofts

for the safety of our kids.

It would be nice to protect them
in case something happens.

Looks really small.

Going tiny is not for everyone,

and there's gonna be
a learning curve involved,

but the pros of going tiny
for us outweigh the cons.

There's so many different tiny
homes out there so we're
thankful to have your knowledge.

Well, I'm here to help.

In doing our research on tiny
homes, we stumbled across Greg

who has a lot of knowledge
and experience

in building tiny homes,
and he's become a friend.

And so, he's gonna
take us around and show
us what's out there.

Since Greg is not
only a tiny house expert,

but also a builder,
he's going to show them
his own builds

as well as other models
they could base
their tiny house off of.

First stop is one
of Greg's houses.

A tiny home on wheels
with a land rental
option for $450 a month.

Wow! This land is great!

And that house is
- huge for a tiny house.
- Yeah.

It's about 360 square feet.

Wow. That's a lot larger
than what we anticipated.

Yes, but look at what you get.

This is definitely in the
rustic that I was looking for.

It's beautiful
and feels like farmhouse chic--
what I like, too.

- It's both of our styles.
- Yeah.

What is this?

It's called Ghost Wood,
and the unique thing about
Ghost Wood

is over time
it's gonna change colors.

Yeah, you can tell.
Some are lighter,
some are darker already.

What I'm concerned about
though really is what
do we need to tow this?

It looks extremely heavy.

You're gonna need at
least a 1 ton dually.

Oh, which we don't have.

No, more in the budget.

What's the price on
this again, Greg?

$73,000.

That's not do-able.

I don't even know why we're
bothering to look at this.

I'm showing Keith and Phillina
a $73,000 house

because their budget
realistically is not realistic,

and so by showing them this
house I think they'll get

a better understanding
of what they need to subtract
to fall within the budget.

Whoa!

This is really nice.

This is farmhouse chic to me.

Surprise!

I love these white walls.

They're beautiful,
but I do have to say

this might be too much white
with August and Asher--

their dirty little fingers.

Might be a lot of work.

A lot of time spending
wiping them down.

But this is a pretty
cool room here, babe.

I think this is where
the office could go.

It even has a door I
can close you guys out.

Separated during the day.

I can have my phone calls
in here which is nice.

I need to have that
separation really.

There's a second door
where you can step outside
if the kids are being loud.

If you want to escape Keith

you can close this door and...

What's up here?

Uh, I just really
don't like that.

We don't have stairs up there.

I think it's great,
and this loft space is
awesome for the kids.

And they can learn how
to crawl up the ladder.

No. There is no safety rail.

I'm concerned about
their safety, too.

As an option, you can
actually run the railing across

just like what you see
right here on the stairs.

It'd still have an open
feeling without closing it
off, and still look very nice.

Yeah.

This kitchen is awesome.

Modern-stainless.

We've never seen a refrigerator
that big in a tiny house.

That's a $2,000
refrigerator itself.

The best thing overall
is the appliances.

I really love them--
a nice modern feel to them.

Everything matches except
for the washer and dryer
but I can get over that.

Wow! Keith.
This is huge!

And look at this vanity.
This is great!

And there's a tub.

Oh yeah, she's smiling Keith.

You're in trouble.

Yeah, it's pretty cool.

This is an exceptional bathroom.

This is a top of the
line composting toilet.

It's about $2,000.

I see why this is $73,000 now.

Yeah.

It's really sad because
this house is beautiful.

I brought you here
to show you what it would cost

to fulfill all of your needs
but I want you to keep in mind,

on the open market,
this house could go for

as high as $85,000
so it's still a smoking deal.

All right. Well...

While we're here, let me
take a look at this loft.

Oh sure, go ahead.

Wow! This is massive.

Could we get a king size
bed up here?

Easily with
plenty of room to spare.

Ah, that's cool.

But still no safety rails

and I'm just not sure
about these stairs.

It's got that farm
- chic that I'm looking for.
- Yeah.

It's got the office
that you wanted,
the two lofts that I wanted,

the kitchen we both loved

with modern appliances,
that bathroom.

But, I can't get over
how much this really is.

$73,000 is way outside
our budget,

and I don't even want to
tow this thing. Looking at it.

This is massive.

I understand your budget, guys.

I brought you here
for the sole reason
so you could be realistic

so you'd see what
that would entail budget-wise.

- Yeah.
- But again, if this doesn't work
for you we can keep looking.

- Absolutely.
- Let's do it then.

Yeah, absolutely.

Because price and size
are concerns,

Greg is showing them a smaller,
less expensive option,

but that doesn't mean
it's perfect.

How's this?

This is awful.

- Put it in there.
- Tada!

Phoenix, Arizona
residents, Keith and
Phillina are going tiny.

They want to downsize
so they can simplify their lives

and travel the country
with their two young kids.

Tiny house expert,
Greg Montoya,

is showing them
a 360-square-foot
mobile farm house

that has most of
what they're looking for,

but they're worried about
towing it

and it's well over
their $60,000 budget.

Today, Greg wants them to see
a smaller and less expensive
tiny house model

that they can
base their build off of,

But they would need to
find land to put it on.

A basic model and I wanted
you to see the outside first

- and get your opinion.
- I really do not like the color.

Yeah, I'd like to see it
painted gray,

give it the rustic feel,
maybe some black
around the trim.

And what kind of
material is this siding?

This is composite
with wood trim.

It's weather resistant
and very low maintenance.

Babe, I love this blue door.

I love the color.

What's the size of
this tiny house?

It's about 230 square feet

and it comes in
at about $50,000.

Below budget, but below
on square footage.

- Yeah.
- You can get this
model in a larger size.

- Absolutely.
- That sounds great.

So, let's go inside
and take a look.

Oh, wow, Keith! This is
actually really cute inside.

Very clean lines--
I like that.

Yeah, there's a lot of wood,

but they did a good job
balancing it out
with the white cabinetry.

- Yeah.
- Look at these windows.

This makes it so light
and airy inside here.

Where are the appliances?

Okay, this model does not have
them inside

but the $50,000
it does come with

the full size refrigerator
and the stove top and oven.

- Okay.
- And there is a lot
of counter space.

Overall, I like the height.

It feels open and airy,
and very clean inside.

Yeah.
But Greg, I don't see a
place for my office.

How's this?

Stand up office. You can
have your laptop right here.

This is awful.

I need something a little more
quiet away from the kids.

And that's the second loft?

That is so small, Greg.

Not only does Keith not have
his own office space,

but there's no where
to put the kids.

That second loft is way too
small and we're really hoping
for a space for them, as well.

On the flip side,
there is a ladder
instead of stairs

going up to the lofts
so that's a huge bonus points
for me.

There's no stairs in here.

Unfortunately,
there's no stairs.

What would that be though to add
stairs into something like this?

With this model you're looking
at about $1,500 to add stairs.

Wow! There's a really
great loft up here, babe.

Nice windows.

Wow! A little treacherous.

Again, no railing.

I think it is a wise option
to consider

having something there
for the kids.

Yeah.

All right, let's go.

Oh, my gosh.

This is way too small, Keith.

Yeah. I don't know how
both of us plus the kids
are going to get in here.

There's no tub, Greg.

There's definitely no room
for a tub in here,

unless you
want to go with a cowboy tub.

What the heck is a cowboy tub?

It's basically,
a metal tub like cows
feed out of

and the cowboys,
that's what they used
to take their baths in.

Okay.

Well, the answer is no,
this bathroom doesn't work.

Yeah.

It's really light and
bright and airy in there.

There's really
great counter space.

The white cabinetry,

the material used for
he ladders was more that
urban feel that you like.

Yeah, I do like the kitchen
and how clean it is,

but it doesn't have an office,

and I'm still looking for stairs
with the extra storage space,

and the second place
for the kids to sleep.

Yeah.

If you did go with
the larger model of this style,

we could squeeze in office.

I believe we could create
more room for the kids,

and within your budget.

Greg has found
them another option

that fits the size and price
they're looking for.

Plus, some unexpected extras.

- Oh! Wow!
- Very nice.

I'm going to do a
double espresso.

Phoenix,
Arizona couple Phillina
and Keith are going tiny.

Phillina wants to
spend less time cleaning

and more time with her family,
but they're having difficulty

finding a place
they can both agree on.

Tiny house expert,
Greg Montoya,

has shown them
a $73,000 mobile farm house

that has most of the wish list
items they're looking

for, but it's above their
budget of $60,000

and at 360 square feet,

it's too big to tow themselves.

A 230-square-foot
contemporary tiny home

is easy to tow and
well under budget,

But it would take some
major build modifications

to get Phillina's bathtub
and Keith's office space.

Today, they are seeing
a modern cabin model

that could be
custom built to their liking.

While it doesn't come
with a land rental option,

the price
is well within their budget.

Hey Greg, how you doing?

- Good to see you.
- Hi Greg.

You wanted a house
around 250 square feet.

This one comes in
about 230 square feet.

As far as your budget
of $60,000,

this house comes in
at about $46,000

so you have a lot of room
to work.

- That's great.
- Yeah.

I do see that it has
these beautiful French doors,

and it looks like
some pretty good windows.

You could also have
a nice deck out here.

Especially with this
feature here with this
extendable awning.

Oh, wow!

That's very nice.

The awning was great.

We could really play
underneath there.

We could barbecue as well.

It would be fun to
spend time off there.

Oh, babe. This is way
- too cabin-y for me.
- Yeah.

But keep in mind, we're
- looking at the floor plan.
- Yeah.

It's nice, but we'd
have to remove the couch

to provide a desk
for me to work

and also have capability
for kids to play here.

But your whole focus was
a separate office space.

- True.
- And this loft area

looks way too small
for the kids to sleep in.

You could put a single
bed up there, no problem.

I enjoy the loft and you know
I really enjoy the stairs.

It has all the storage space
that we'd really need.

That's just more
storage space for junk.

The point is downsizing.

These stairs could be
removed and a ladder
could be added,

and you could also add
storage next to the ladder.

Ladder all the way.

Not having stairs
is something I'm going to fight
tooth and nail to the end.

You could add 6 feet
to the front pretty easily.

Yeah, we need that extra
6 feet, don't we Greg?

Well, you're the mommy
with the kids,

so definitely something to
consider, every inch matters.

The kitchen is nice.

They have a stove,
a washer/dryer.

They don't even match.

You have a black fridge
and then a stainless sink.

And we would like, maybe,
a dishwasher in here.

How much would that cost, Greg?

$800 to $1,000.

- Something to think about.
- It is.

There are a lot of storage
space for dishes
and pots and pans

which is nice for
as much cooking as we do.

Yeah, that is nice to have.

This pocket door is super cute.

Wow!

That's a bathtub
- in a tiny house.
- Yeah.

That's what I want.

This makes for an easy climb
with these stairs, babe.

- Okay.
- Wow.

It's a little enclosed feeling
- with that dresser, right there.
- Yeah, it is.

These nightstands are
- super cute and the lights.
- Yeah.

I think we really need
to add a railing right here
for the kids.

I mean, look they could
hit their head right on
the corner of the counter.

It is pretty steep now
that I'm up here, so I mean
definitely to consider that.

The electric awning
is really nice to have

especially if we're going to
spend a lot of time outdoors.

It has great windows
for natural light

And good flow into the kitchen,

Nice counter space,

And it's got that bathtub
in there which is something
huge on my wish list.

Yeah, the stairs are nice.

I do like the storage, but
it doesn't have a dedicated
space for my office.

Okay, everything
that we talked about

can be done within your budget.

We can change your appliances
and we can add

another 6 or 7 feet
onto this house,

so again, it
boils down to compromise.

If we could update the
walls and paint them white,

this one
- could be a contender.
- Yeah.

With a wide variety
of options to choose from,

it's time for Keith and Phillina
to decide which tiny house

is right for their family.

I mean, we gotta get
serious about this and we
have to make a decision.

Our house hunters
are upgrading to tiny houses.

Could you live in
something this small?

Keith and
Phillina are going tiny
in Phoenix, Arizona.

With a 2 year old daughter
and a 1 year old son

they're looking
to downsize so they can travel

and live a clutter
and stress free lifestyle.

With a budget of $60,000
they've seen several tiny homes

and now it's time to decide
which place they should buy.

I want to talk
about the mobile farmhouse.

That was beautiful.

At $73,000? Yeah,
it better be beautiful.

350 square feet
gave me my office

but it's just a lot to tow.

But that tub, I loved.

It had the modern
appliances. It was a great
blend of both of our styles.

And the capability
to have the kids

sleep up in the loft but
it's so far over budget.

I think we really need to
focus on the other ones.

What about the
contemporary tiny house?

At 230 square feet,
this model is on the small side,

but it is customizable.

$50,000, so well within
our budget.

Surprisingly,
it was really cute for
having that wood inside.

Yeah, and there is an option to
have the appliances in there.

Yeah, and it had two lofts
if you could even consider

the second one a loft,
and no tub.

Doesn't
have stairs either.

But it had
the ladder I love.

Yeah, I know Greg tried
passing off the table
as an office,

but there is no way
I could work there.

Yeah, but, again it's
within our budget.

We can possibly make
the changes we need.

Well, let's talk about
that modern cabin, then.

At $46,000 this
model is the least expensive,

and can be customized
to make it their own.

230 square feet feels
really small to me.

It didn't have your office.

But it was towable.

Yeah, it has a shower/tub combo.

Those appliances...

They didn't even match,
but it did have two lofts also,

but the second loft really
wasn't feasible for us.

Uh, I hate the stairs.

It takes up way too much
room on the floor space.

But I hate the fact
that there is no safety
railing for the kids.

I'll give
you that but you know
I want an open feeling.

I mean, we have to get serious
and we have to make a decision.

The one that makes the most
sense is the farmhouse.

I agree with you, but how
would we come up with $13,000?

We'll make cuts
in our lifestyle.

Yeah, well...

That one has everything we want.

I think we need to call Greg.

- You think we've made a decision?
- I think we did.

- You hanging up the blinds?
- Yeah.

We've just been in the house
about 2 days

so we're really still
getting used to the space
and making it our own.

And we paid full
price at $73,000.

- Ouch.
- Yeah, big ouch.

The owners of the property,
where it's parked,

were willing to let us
stay here for a small rent

which is great until we decide
where we're moving to next.

Here's the Christmas
- decorations.
- There's another one.

It was everything
that we wanted.

The exterior, Keith loved
the interior farm chic
look that I was wanting.

Appliances and the
countertops were gorgeous.

But I have to say, I'm in
love with the bathroom.

The tub, the amount
of vanity space
and storage space in there,

I love that we can all
be in there at the same time.

But, my office was really
important to me, and that was
really the deciding factor.

- Hi, Bubba.
- Say "Hi!"

Yeah, we're outside saying hi
to the horses and the dogs.

Nice.

Keith and
Phillina have ordered
mattresses for the kids,

and until they arrive,
they're all sleeping
in the loft together.

We are co-sleeping with them

which has been an adventure.

We're gonna have lots of
sleep overs up here, huh?

We debated a lot during
our tiny house search,

the railings, the stairs,
we both kinda compromised.

- Yeah.
- I gave up the stairs

and we are going to use
a safety railing

that matches the railings
on the stairs

So it will allow
that open feel

that I'm looking for, but also
provide safety for the kids.

- One railing at a time.
- There you go.

I'm really proud of our family
for being brave enough

to step out of our comfort zone
and downsizing,

especially with
a family of four.

I'm excited for where the
journey is going to take us.

And maybe we'll be tiny
house dwellers for life.

Maybe.