Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 21 - Empty Nesters Go Tiny - 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 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 going to sleep?
- This swings back.
- Whoa.
- That's the loft.
- Whoa.
I think
I see a problem already.
- That is beautiful.
- This is awesome.
This has really got
that kind of cabin feel.
With their children
off to college,
Rob and Tami are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado.
That's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
Wow, this is-- this is cozy.
But getting Tami onboard
for living in close quarters
is an uphill battle.
Are you okay with, like,
just that amount of space
from your face to it?
- I am.
Are you thinking
you're going to beat me?
No. I'm just going
to take up the whole path.
Aw, so you're going
to make me wreck.
I'm Tami,
and I'm a wellness coach.
I'm Rob, and I'm a minister.
We live in Boulder, Colorado.
Tami's really into cycling.
I'm really into trail running.
I love the mountains.
We love being in Colorado.
Oh, good hike.
Oh! I'm ready to get
in the car, though.
It's freezing.
It's a little chilly.
We have two kids.
We have a daughter and a son.
My daughter's name is Irish.
She's 21.
She goes to college
here in Colorado,
and Boston is 19,
and he goes to college
in Nashville.
We got married while
we were in college,
and we were married
for a whopping 11 months
before we had our daughter,
so we had to get a babysitter
for our year anniversary,
so we started kind of early.
- Good times.
And so the nice part
is that they're out now,
and we're ready
for our next adventure.
Having sold their
2,500-square-foot home
when their kids
went off to college,
they're currently
staying with friends
while they look for
a very different
living situation.
Okay. I'm going to check
on the salmon.
We really wanted to go tiny
because we'd like
to simplify time
and energy and money.
All those things go towards
keeping up a big house,
and so we just want to be
relieved of some of that.
So our budget, right now,
is about $75,000.
I would like to stay as close
to that as we can,
but I know we may have
to make some compromises.
For me, for a tiny house,
I really want the look
to be modern and updated.
I would really enjoy something
that's kind of a A-frame,
and it's got that
kind of cabin vibe to it.
I'm kind of, you know,
that Colorado feel.
I guess I just want to make sure
that we have something, like,
we have some kind of space
to cook in, like, you know?
- Right.
- Like, I want an oven.
I want a normal refrigerator,
you know,
a little space to cook in.
- Yeah.
Also, it's got
to be on a trailer.
It's just I think
that's the smartest thing
as far as finding
someplace to put it
and moving around
to different locations
just because we want to live
around this area,
and we don't know where
we're going to put it yet.
I'd want something
bigger than that for sure.
I'm comfortable
with something really small,
so I would be good
with something
like 150 square feet
or something like that.
I would not be comfortable
with 150 square feet.
For me, a tiny home
is more like 400 square feet.
There's a big difference there.
I think I could live
in that one maybe.
- Right.
- I don't know.
It does have a loft though.
It's important, to me,
to have a main-level bedroom.
I don't want to crawl
in my bedroom,
so a loft just isn't
going to work.
- That's a compostable toilet.
- Yeah. That's not bad.
That's what you're
thinking, right?
That's what I'm thinking.
Ooh, I don't know.
I know one thing.
When our kids come home
to visit us from college
and that kind of stuff, I mean,
and our son is, like,
you know, 6'1",
and so, you know,
we'd have to find someplace
for him to squeeze in,
a loft or something like that.
When we first started talking
about doing a tiny house,
I was the one
who was the most passionate
and the most excited
about it.
Tami wasn't excited
about it.
I think I realized
it was kind of a little bit
of a dream for him,
and so why not do
this fun adventure
while we can? We're free.
We don't have children
in the house,
so I think I just jumped
onboard finally.
We'll see how that goes.
- That's cute.
- I like it.
To help them find
the perfect place,
they're working with expert
and consultant Billy Cocciante,
who's found them a tiny cottage
that's an ideal size for Rob.
It's a little A-frame-style
cottage.
- Uh-huh.
- 165 square feet.
Well, so how much are
we talking as far as--
- Way under your budget, $48,000.
- Mm-kay.
- Yes.
- So it actually gives
you a lot of room
for any improvements
you'd like to do.
- Okay.
- Like adding
another 165 square feet?
- 165 is small.
- Anything can be done, right?
Oh, wow.
This is-- this is cozy.
I like it.
The interior feels really close,
which I'm okay with.
I think she didn't
quite feel that way.
What do you think
about the kitchen?
I thought maybe having
regular-sized appliances
would be ideal for me.
- Right.
I mean, it's only two of us now,
so it's not that bad.
- I know.
- You guys are downsizing, so...
- Right.
- Yeah.
So we're not cooking
for four anymore.
We're just cooking for the two
of us, so that's not too bad.
But think about this.
I mean, this is
the only cabinet that I see.
Right.
You got some
- drawer space below.
- Yeah.
For your electric-induction
cooktop here.
You have a cabinet
- below your sink also.
- Right. I...
And there's this
little cabinet up here,
a little space up here.
- Okay.
You have the upper
loft up there.
Is that where
I put my Crock-Pot?
I could boost you up there.
This is a kind of nice space
as far as, like,
just preparation.
- Right.
- These shelves are cute.
I love how they did this.
What do you think
about the living area?
- A love seat.
- Can you and I fit right here?
We can.
We can sit here in a love seat.
- This is cozy.
- This is.
And you are resting
your arm on the stove, so...
That's a good point.
This ladder actually slides
out of the way here.
- Okay.
- Okay.
And then, your bathroom.
Oh!
I honestly did think
that was just a closet, Billy.
A closet.
Actually, this shower
is much bigger
than what I thought it would be.
So you got the toilet
and got the sink.
We got a little bit
of storage down here.
It's not bad. We can do that.
Yeah. That's not bad at all.
That's nice to have
a bed down here,
but it's a twin, so...
This space could be used
whenever the kids come home.
- Come on up.
- Is there really room?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
See? Look because it leans
over like this,
I look like I'm always
trying to be...
- Seductive?
- Seductive.
We'll feel so claustrophobic
up here, seriously.
Are you okay with, like,
just that amount of space
- from your face to this?
- I am.
I feel like, in the loft,
I would need to wear a helmet.
I'm going to forget that
that ceiling is
right there in my face.
- No way.
- What if--
I think a loft is out
of the question for me.
I don't think it's that bad.
It's probably not
quite as modern
as I would like for it to be,
but I think the biggest thing
is the bed and the kitchen.
Like, I...I cannot sleep
that way.
I really do like, you know,
just that it's on a trailer.
I like that we can
take it anywhere.
I like that the ceilings
are high.
I do think that
a smaller kitchen like that
will start
to get on your nerves.
The shower was actually a lot
bigger than what I thought.
The kitchen just doesn't seem
to be super functional,
and as much as I cook,
I feel like
that's super important for me.
Billy's found something
with more room for Tami,
but size is still an issue.
That's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
Let's get a couple
- bell peppers.
- Do you want onions?
Do you-- Yeah.
Would you grab a couple?
With both their kids
off to college,
Tami and Rob
have sold their home
and are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado,
so they can spend more time
enjoying the outdoors.
They've seen
a 165-square-foot cottage
that's under
their $75,000 budget.
Rob loves the small size
and rustic feel
and that it's easily movable
since they'll need
to find land to place it on,
but Tami wants something
modern with more space,
and finding a full-sized kitchen
is top priority for her.
They've recruited tiny house
consultant Billy Cocciante
to help them with their search,
and he's now
showing them something
that should have
enough space for Tami.
That is beautiful.
But it's really big
for a tiny house.
- All those windows.
- Yeah.
320 square feet.
320 square feet, I mean,
that's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
This house is listed at $82,500,
and Rob and Tami
could rent the land
it's currently sitting on.
It's on a trailer.
I like that because we want
to be able to move it around,
but something this big...
You'd need a 1-ton vehicle.
That can cost you
upwards about $1,000.
- Just to move it? Wow.
- So it's over budget,
and it's-- okay.
Oh, wow.
This is so pretty.
Man, it's long. It's big.
Yeah.
It doesn't have an A-frame
- like I like.
- Yeah.
I mean, I'd prefer to have
- more of a cabin feel.
- Mm-hmm.
But this feels more
modern than that.
I think the biggest difference,
for Tami and I with this house,
is that it just
doesn't feel tiny to me,
but she wants more space
than what I'm comfortable with.
It's big. I like it.
It does have
full-sized appliances,
Tami, that you were looking for.
- Yeah.
A real refrigerator
and a stove and an oven.
This is great.
The only thing is just there's
not continuous counter space,
so this is very small for
the amount of cooking that I do.
Would you agree?
I mean, look.
Yeah.
- That's pretty small.
- It is.
These windows
are really awesome.
I do like how it
let's lots of light in.
It's got a loft. That's nice,
so if we had company
they'd go right here.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
We could also use that
as storage, I guess.
You could use it
as storage also.
- If we needed to.
- And there's a bedroom.
Oh, my goodness.
- And...
- Wow.
You can actually
stand up in here.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I do like the fact
that it's got
all the shelves up here.
Do you like this, though?
Like, this is up
against the wall,
so there's no getting
out over there.
Right. I could sleep here,
and you could sleep in the loft.
That's another option.
Oh, that's a great idea.
Main-level bedrooms
are rare in tiny homes,
so it's huge that we found that,
so I think that is something
that we're both kind of excited
about as far as this one goes.
I do like the fact
that it's got the loft,
and when the kids come home,
- one of them could stay there.
- Yeah.
And could this be
a loft up here?
- It could be.
- Yeah.
Just have to get rid
of the ceiling fan?
You'd have to get rid of
- the ceiling fan and frame it in.
- Great.
So this is kind of like
the living room,
- the living area?
- This is the living
room here, yes.
Okay, so we could
put a TV here, and...
It's all prewired for cable,
so... Okay.
- Okay.
- That's not bad.
You got a couch here.
We could actually sit here.
That actually folds
down into a bed.
- Oh, nice.
- Nice.
So you'd actually have
some more sleeping space.
Yeah. So, wow.
We could have two lofts,
a bed and a fold-out bed.
We could have the entire
family over here.
I'm not sure
that's a good idea.
- Oh, wow.
- That's a big bathroom.
This is, like,
a real bathroom.
It's got a full-sized tub.
Washer/dryer combo unit,
and there's a composting toilet.
- Oh.
- Oh, so...
This is not a flushing toilet.
- Okay.
- No.
Tami doesn't seem to be
a big fan of
the composting toilet,
so that's something we're going
to have to talk through.
I don't think
it's that big of a deal.
So that means everything
stays in here
until somebody takes it out.
One of you two does, yeah.
- Somebody.
- Yes.
Well, we'll make the kids take
it out whenever they come over.
Right. Okay.
Once a year we're going
to have it taken out.
I love the bedroom, Rob.
I think that's just awesome.
- Yeah. The same-level's nice.
- Yeah.
We don't have
to sleep in a loft,
and I love the kitchen,
the big-size appliances.
My only concern is
just this counter space.
- Right.
- It's not much.
I kind of prefer
more of a A-frame.
- We live in Colorado.
- Mm-hmm.
I prefer kind of a darker wood,
more of a cabin feel.
The other thing that I'm worried
about is just the size of it.
- I mean, we wanted to go tiny.
- Mm-hmm.
And this just doesn't feel tiny.
It's over budget.
We're going to have
to get it towed,
somebody to move it for us,
so those are just things I think
that we need to think about.
Billy now wants them
to see something within budget,
but it might lack
some crucial components.
This one does look
a little interesting, very--
I don't even know
how to use that.
Can we scale it down
a little bit because...
You can.
We can scale your stuff down.
...let's be really honest.
Like, most of the stuff,
in the garage
belongs to you.
Recent empty nesters
Rob and Tami are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado.
With their kids
out of the house,
they've sold their home
to simplify their lives
and enjoy more time outdoors.
They've seen
a 165-square-foot cottage.
Rob thinks it's the perfect size
and loves the rustic style,
but Tami wants something larger
and more modern.
They'll need to find
land to place it on.
But they like that it's on
wheels and easy to move.
Next was a 320-square-foot
modern home
that has
Tami's full-sized kitchen,
but it's way too big for Rob.
The land it sits on
can be rented,
but moving it will cost
an extra $1,000,
and it's already over
their $75,000 budget.
- Hi, Billy.
- Morning.
Morning. How are you?
Tiny-house consultant
Billy Cocciante
has found another option
that should blend their
ideal styles and sizes.
This has really got
that kind of cabin feel.
Right up your alley, Rob,
rustic A-frame cabin.
- Okay.
- 300 square feet.
- Right.
- Under your budget, $64,800.
- Wow.
- That is awesome.
- Yeah.
- And, man, it's on a trailer,
so that's important to us.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.
Yeah, the reclaimed wood
is really nice,
and I love it just mixed
with that corrugated metal.
- It's a cool look.
- Yeah.
- Oh, this is so cute.
- This is awesome.
- Look how cozy this is.
- I like this.
I do want to check out
this kitchen over here.
- Yes.
- Right.
I am not seeing an oven
- or a stove or anything.
- Right.
There is a little convection
oven underneath the island here.
- Oh.
- Okay.
- For a tiny pizza.
- And a cooktop, so...
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
It's narrow, very narrow.
And this doubles as kind
of our table I guess,
dining room table?
- Yep, yep.
Like, you could do vegetable
- chopping or stuff over here.
- Right.
I mean... It's a decent amount of space
for you to work.
Rob could probably survive
on cereal, and I can't.
I'm not sure if I could
function in that kitchen.
The refrigerator--
that's kind of a mid size.
- Yep. It's not full size.
- Yeah. It's not bad.
But it's larger
than most, so...
Right.
There's not a lot of space for,
like, dishes and food
- and that kind of thing.
- Right.
I like the living space,
- though.
- Mm-hmm.
With the couch
and the fireplace and all that.
The living space is cute.
It's very cozy.
I also like how these windows,
you got them on both sides.
It brings all the light in.
What about having people over?
Do you think this is doable?
You can just turn
this like this.
You can have
a couple friends over.
We don't more than
- a couple of friends over.
- Just a couple. Yeah.
- Two people max.
- Yeah. It's not bad.
And the loft--
it's a pretty good size.
Yes. It has a queen-sized bed
up there.
- Okay.
- I would love to see that.
Well, what do you think?
- Come on up.
- You can actually at least
sit all the way up with this.
- Yeah. Right here you can.
- Yeah.
I mean, I think I could actually
sleep in here comfortably...
- Right.
- ...and not feel claustrophobic.
I would love to be able
to stand up in my bedroom
- though, you know?
- Right.
This bathroom's not bad.
- This is a big bathroom.
- This is a decent size.
Yeah. That's kind of cool.
- That's your tub/shower.
- Yeah.
- So it has a composting toilet.
- Yes, it does.
And I...
This one does look
a little interesting.
Very... I don't even know
how to use that.
- It comes with a manual, right?
- Something to get used to, so...
- Right? Yeah.
- For sure.
There's lots of things
I like about this one, so...
- Yeah?
- It's got the A-frame.
I love the way
- the outside looks.
- Mm-hmm.
It's got that cool
cabin kind of vibe.
You were looking for rustic,
- and it's rustic.
- It is.
It does have
- some modern things.
- Right.
Like, it kind of has
- that mixture that I like.
- Yep.
The loft is surprisingly open,
and I do feel good about that.
Now, I do admit the kitchen
is one thing that,
yeah, I mean,
without an oven
and that kind of stuff,
that's going to be
a big change for both of us.
The kitchen is rough for me
because there's not much space
to put dishes
and that kind of thing,
and it's just really narrow.
With three tiny homes
of all sizes on the table,
it's time for Tami and Rob
to decide
just how small they want to go.
So I think this is going
to be really challenging.
Now that their kids
are off to college,
Rob and Tami are downsizing
to a tiny home
in Boulder, Colorado.
With a budget of $75,000,
they've seen several
unique homes,
and it's time to pick one.
So what did you think
- about the cottage style?
- Right.
Well, I like that feels
like a real tiny house to me.
It's 165 square feet.
We can pull it
with our own vehicle.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's way under budget
at $48,000.
- The loft was way too tight.
- Yeah.
But it did have kind
of that downstairs twin bed,
which was a little awkward.
- Yeah.
But I guess we could
use it for guests.
The shower was big.
I mean, it just had
a normal shower.
- Right.
- And I was surprised by that.
Yeah. It did have a kitchen,
and it felt like it
did have some space
as far as counter space goes.
It did.
That's true, but just thinking
about what I could fit in there,
I don't think that
it's very functional.
So what do you think
about the modern one?
It is over budget.
- It's $82,500.
- Mm-hmm.
Plus, the fact that, I mean,
you gotta--
that thing is so big.
- We've got to tow it.
- Yeah.
It's big, 320 square feet
- which is so awesome.
- I know.
It just doesn't feel tiny
to me though, and so...
It is tiny, though.
It's still tiny.
The bedroom being
on the main level.
That's sweet.
Haven't found it anywhere else,
so that was really nice.
- Something we both want.
Yeah. It actually
had full-sized appliances.
The loft
was another great thing
because that would be
a great place for guests.
- Yeah.
- The counter space
is the only thing in there
that bugs me a little bit because...
- Not a lot of space to cook on?
- Yeah.
There's just, like,
these little spaces,
and I don't know.
It might get
a little frustrating.
What do you think
about the cabin?
The cabin was a good size,
like, 300 square feet.
- It was under budget.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah. It was $64,800.
- Right.
It really kind of had
that cabin vibe to it.
I would say the kitchen,
well it had a lot
of counter space.
Like, there was plenty of room
- to prepare food.
- Right.
But absolutely no oven.
Right.
It had a good-sized shower.
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
That loft, I think
it had enough space
that you wouldn't
feel claustrophobic.
I still want
a main-level bedroom, I think,
but I did not feel
claustrophobic in that loft.
- Right.
- ...which was nice.
So I think
this is going to be
really challenging, actually,
because there's
a lot of good stuff
and a lot of things
- that aren't so great.
- Right.
The cottage is just
so under budget.
That's just really
attractive to me.
But that layout,
it just is not practical.
We got either
the modern or the cabin.
The more I think
the modern one... Yeah?
- ...I kind of like that one.
- I do, too!
So you think that's...
I think it might be worth paying
the extra for the things
that we really like about
- that one.
- Right.
Is that the one we're doing?
- I think so.
- Yeah?
- Let's do it.
- You want to call Billy
and everything?
- Like, make it official?
- Yeah.
Okay. [ Doorbell rings ]
Like, I just feel like
we have a lot of space.
It's not crowded,
so that's nice.
We chose the modern house.
We felt like, even though it was
a little over our budget,
it met a lot of the needs
that we needed long-term
to live comfortably.
We did end up paying $82,500,
which was over our budget,
but we felt like
it was worth it.
Right now, our house--
the tiny house
is on the same place where
it was when we looked at it,
and we're just making payments
to rent this spot for now.
We've been moved in
about two months,
and it's been great.
Don't you love just having
that shelf space up there?
The adjustment of going tiny
has been good, actually.
We've had to pare down
a lot of things
and just kind of get
used to kind of working
around each other
a little bit.
- It's been good.
- Yeah.
I was definitely nervous
after looking through
some tiny houses
just going,
"Wow. Maybe there's--
maybe that doesn't exist
what I-- what I want.
Maybe the full--"
But we have
the full-sized appliances.
The stove, the refrigerator,
microwave,
I mean, it's great,
and now that we've
added that extension,
I feel like I'm not
missing anything.
The compromise we had to make
was the compostable toilet.
- Mm-hmm.
- And so it hasn't been that bad.
I was scared, but it is
actually turning out okay.
Hey,
can you put this up there?
Boston forgot it
- while he was home.
- Yeah.
Our kids have come over.
We've had dinner with them.
- They slept over here.
- Yeah, we all squeeze in.
Our son slept in the loft.
Our daughter slept
on the coach,
and it really wasn't bad.
- Mm-hmm.
It's kind of a fun whole
sleepover kind of vibe.
Can you believe
he fit up here?
- I didn't...
- I was kind of concerned.
...think he was going to fit
as well as he did, so... I know.
My favorite part is
probably the bedroom.
It's really open up top.
There's lots of places
to do more storage
and things like that.
Really, this bedroom's
kind of the exact opposite
of a loft, I feel like.
Yeah, I'm not bumping
my head on anything.
This is done. How is it?
Pretty good.
- I love this window.
- Yeah.
It's probably one
of my favorite things.
I don't have any regrets
in going tiny.
In fact, it's been way better
than what I even expected.
Yeah, and it was
my idea at first,
and I was really excited
about it, and Tami wasn't,
so I've been really excited
that she's into it
and enjoying it.
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.
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 going to sleep?
- This swings back.
- Whoa.
- That's the loft.
- Whoa.
I think
I see a problem already.
- That is beautiful.
- This is awesome.
This has really got
that kind of cabin feel.
With their children
off to college,
Rob and Tami are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado.
That's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
Wow, this is-- this is cozy.
But getting Tami onboard
for living in close quarters
is an uphill battle.
Are you okay with, like,
just that amount of space
from your face to it?
- I am.
Are you thinking
you're going to beat me?
No. I'm just going
to take up the whole path.
Aw, so you're going
to make me wreck.
I'm Tami,
and I'm a wellness coach.
I'm Rob, and I'm a minister.
We live in Boulder, Colorado.
Tami's really into cycling.
I'm really into trail running.
I love the mountains.
We love being in Colorado.
Oh, good hike.
Oh! I'm ready to get
in the car, though.
It's freezing.
It's a little chilly.
We have two kids.
We have a daughter and a son.
My daughter's name is Irish.
She's 21.
She goes to college
here in Colorado,
and Boston is 19,
and he goes to college
in Nashville.
We got married while
we were in college,
and we were married
for a whopping 11 months
before we had our daughter,
so we had to get a babysitter
for our year anniversary,
so we started kind of early.
- Good times.
And so the nice part
is that they're out now,
and we're ready
for our next adventure.
Having sold their
2,500-square-foot home
when their kids
went off to college,
they're currently
staying with friends
while they look for
a very different
living situation.
Okay. I'm going to check
on the salmon.
We really wanted to go tiny
because we'd like
to simplify time
and energy and money.
All those things go towards
keeping up a big house,
and so we just want to be
relieved of some of that.
So our budget, right now,
is about $75,000.
I would like to stay as close
to that as we can,
but I know we may have
to make some compromises.
For me, for a tiny house,
I really want the look
to be modern and updated.
I would really enjoy something
that's kind of a A-frame,
and it's got that
kind of cabin vibe to it.
I'm kind of, you know,
that Colorado feel.
I guess I just want to make sure
that we have something, like,
we have some kind of space
to cook in, like, you know?
- Right.
- Like, I want an oven.
I want a normal refrigerator,
you know,
a little space to cook in.
- Yeah.
Also, it's got
to be on a trailer.
It's just I think
that's the smartest thing
as far as finding
someplace to put it
and moving around
to different locations
just because we want to live
around this area,
and we don't know where
we're going to put it yet.
I'd want something
bigger than that for sure.
I'm comfortable
with something really small,
so I would be good
with something
like 150 square feet
or something like that.
I would not be comfortable
with 150 square feet.
For me, a tiny home
is more like 400 square feet.
There's a big difference there.
I think I could live
in that one maybe.
- Right.
- I don't know.
It does have a loft though.
It's important, to me,
to have a main-level bedroom.
I don't want to crawl
in my bedroom,
so a loft just isn't
going to work.
- That's a compostable toilet.
- Yeah. That's not bad.
That's what you're
thinking, right?
That's what I'm thinking.
Ooh, I don't know.
I know one thing.
When our kids come home
to visit us from college
and that kind of stuff, I mean,
and our son is, like,
you know, 6'1",
and so, you know,
we'd have to find someplace
for him to squeeze in,
a loft or something like that.
When we first started talking
about doing a tiny house,
I was the one
who was the most passionate
and the most excited
about it.
Tami wasn't excited
about it.
I think I realized
it was kind of a little bit
of a dream for him,
and so why not do
this fun adventure
while we can? We're free.
We don't have children
in the house,
so I think I just jumped
onboard finally.
We'll see how that goes.
- That's cute.
- I like it.
To help them find
the perfect place,
they're working with expert
and consultant Billy Cocciante,
who's found them a tiny cottage
that's an ideal size for Rob.
It's a little A-frame-style
cottage.
- Uh-huh.
- 165 square feet.
Well, so how much are
we talking as far as--
- Way under your budget, $48,000.
- Mm-kay.
- Yes.
- So it actually gives
you a lot of room
for any improvements
you'd like to do.
- Okay.
- Like adding
another 165 square feet?
- 165 is small.
- Anything can be done, right?
Oh, wow.
This is-- this is cozy.
I like it.
The interior feels really close,
which I'm okay with.
I think she didn't
quite feel that way.
What do you think
about the kitchen?
I thought maybe having
regular-sized appliances
would be ideal for me.
- Right.
I mean, it's only two of us now,
so it's not that bad.
- I know.
- You guys are downsizing, so...
- Right.
- Yeah.
So we're not cooking
for four anymore.
We're just cooking for the two
of us, so that's not too bad.
But think about this.
I mean, this is
the only cabinet that I see.
Right.
You got some
- drawer space below.
- Yeah.
For your electric-induction
cooktop here.
You have a cabinet
- below your sink also.
- Right. I...
And there's this
little cabinet up here,
a little space up here.
- Okay.
You have the upper
loft up there.
Is that where
I put my Crock-Pot?
I could boost you up there.
This is a kind of nice space
as far as, like,
just preparation.
- Right.
- These shelves are cute.
I love how they did this.
What do you think
about the living area?
- A love seat.
- Can you and I fit right here?
We can.
We can sit here in a love seat.
- This is cozy.
- This is.
And you are resting
your arm on the stove, so...
That's a good point.
This ladder actually slides
out of the way here.
- Okay.
- Okay.
And then, your bathroom.
Oh!
I honestly did think
that was just a closet, Billy.
A closet.
Actually, this shower
is much bigger
than what I thought it would be.
So you got the toilet
and got the sink.
We got a little bit
of storage down here.
It's not bad. We can do that.
Yeah. That's not bad at all.
That's nice to have
a bed down here,
but it's a twin, so...
This space could be used
whenever the kids come home.
- Come on up.
- Is there really room?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
See? Look because it leans
over like this,
I look like I'm always
trying to be...
- Seductive?
- Seductive.
We'll feel so claustrophobic
up here, seriously.
Are you okay with, like,
just that amount of space
- from your face to this?
- I am.
I feel like, in the loft,
I would need to wear a helmet.
I'm going to forget that
that ceiling is
right there in my face.
- No way.
- What if--
I think a loft is out
of the question for me.
I don't think it's that bad.
It's probably not
quite as modern
as I would like for it to be,
but I think the biggest thing
is the bed and the kitchen.
Like, I...I cannot sleep
that way.
I really do like, you know,
just that it's on a trailer.
I like that we can
take it anywhere.
I like that the ceilings
are high.
I do think that
a smaller kitchen like that
will start
to get on your nerves.
The shower was actually a lot
bigger than what I thought.
The kitchen just doesn't seem
to be super functional,
and as much as I cook,
I feel like
that's super important for me.
Billy's found something
with more room for Tami,
but size is still an issue.
That's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
Let's get a couple
- bell peppers.
- Do you want onions?
Do you-- Yeah.
Would you grab a couple?
With both their kids
off to college,
Tami and Rob
have sold their home
and are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado,
so they can spend more time
enjoying the outdoors.
They've seen
a 165-square-foot cottage
that's under
their $75,000 budget.
Rob loves the small size
and rustic feel
and that it's easily movable
since they'll need
to find land to place it on,
but Tami wants something
modern with more space,
and finding a full-sized kitchen
is top priority for her.
They've recruited tiny house
consultant Billy Cocciante
to help them with their search,
and he's now
showing them something
that should have
enough space for Tami.
That is beautiful.
But it's really big
for a tiny house.
- All those windows.
- Yeah.
320 square feet.
320 square feet, I mean,
that's kind of big as far
as what I'd want to find.
This house is listed at $82,500,
and Rob and Tami
could rent the land
it's currently sitting on.
It's on a trailer.
I like that because we want
to be able to move it around,
but something this big...
You'd need a 1-ton vehicle.
That can cost you
upwards about $1,000.
- Just to move it? Wow.
- So it's over budget,
and it's-- okay.
Oh, wow.
This is so pretty.
Man, it's long. It's big.
Yeah.
It doesn't have an A-frame
- like I like.
- Yeah.
I mean, I'd prefer to have
- more of a cabin feel.
- Mm-hmm.
But this feels more
modern than that.
I think the biggest difference,
for Tami and I with this house,
is that it just
doesn't feel tiny to me,
but she wants more space
than what I'm comfortable with.
It's big. I like it.
It does have
full-sized appliances,
Tami, that you were looking for.
- Yeah.
A real refrigerator
and a stove and an oven.
This is great.
The only thing is just there's
not continuous counter space,
so this is very small for
the amount of cooking that I do.
Would you agree?
I mean, look.
Yeah.
- That's pretty small.
- It is.
These windows
are really awesome.
I do like how it
let's lots of light in.
It's got a loft. That's nice,
so if we had company
they'd go right here.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
We could also use that
as storage, I guess.
You could use it
as storage also.
- If we needed to.
- And there's a bedroom.
Oh, my goodness.
- And...
- Wow.
You can actually
stand up in here.
- Oh, my goodness.
- I do like the fact
that it's got
all the shelves up here.
Do you like this, though?
Like, this is up
against the wall,
so there's no getting
out over there.
Right. I could sleep here,
and you could sleep in the loft.
That's another option.
Oh, that's a great idea.
Main-level bedrooms
are rare in tiny homes,
so it's huge that we found that,
so I think that is something
that we're both kind of excited
about as far as this one goes.
I do like the fact
that it's got the loft,
and when the kids come home,
- one of them could stay there.
- Yeah.
And could this be
a loft up here?
- It could be.
- Yeah.
Just have to get rid
of the ceiling fan?
You'd have to get rid of
- the ceiling fan and frame it in.
- Great.
So this is kind of like
the living room,
- the living area?
- This is the living
room here, yes.
Okay, so we could
put a TV here, and...
It's all prewired for cable,
so... Okay.
- Okay.
- That's not bad.
You got a couch here.
We could actually sit here.
That actually folds
down into a bed.
- Oh, nice.
- Nice.
So you'd actually have
some more sleeping space.
Yeah. So, wow.
We could have two lofts,
a bed and a fold-out bed.
We could have the entire
family over here.
I'm not sure
that's a good idea.
- Oh, wow.
- That's a big bathroom.
This is, like,
a real bathroom.
It's got a full-sized tub.
Washer/dryer combo unit,
and there's a composting toilet.
- Oh.
- Oh, so...
This is not a flushing toilet.
- Okay.
- No.
Tami doesn't seem to be
a big fan of
the composting toilet,
so that's something we're going
to have to talk through.
I don't think
it's that big of a deal.
So that means everything
stays in here
until somebody takes it out.
One of you two does, yeah.
- Somebody.
- Yes.
Well, we'll make the kids take
it out whenever they come over.
Right. Okay.
Once a year we're going
to have it taken out.
I love the bedroom, Rob.
I think that's just awesome.
- Yeah. The same-level's nice.
- Yeah.
We don't have
to sleep in a loft,
and I love the kitchen,
the big-size appliances.
My only concern is
just this counter space.
- Right.
- It's not much.
I kind of prefer
more of a A-frame.
- We live in Colorado.
- Mm-hmm.
I prefer kind of a darker wood,
more of a cabin feel.
The other thing that I'm worried
about is just the size of it.
- I mean, we wanted to go tiny.
- Mm-hmm.
And this just doesn't feel tiny.
It's over budget.
We're going to have
to get it towed,
somebody to move it for us,
so those are just things I think
that we need to think about.
Billy now wants them
to see something within budget,
but it might lack
some crucial components.
This one does look
a little interesting, very--
I don't even know
how to use that.
Can we scale it down
a little bit because...
You can.
We can scale your stuff down.
...let's be really honest.
Like, most of the stuff,
in the garage
belongs to you.
Recent empty nesters
Rob and Tami are going tiny
in Boulder, Colorado.
With their kids
out of the house,
they've sold their home
to simplify their lives
and enjoy more time outdoors.
They've seen
a 165-square-foot cottage.
Rob thinks it's the perfect size
and loves the rustic style,
but Tami wants something larger
and more modern.
They'll need to find
land to place it on.
But they like that it's on
wheels and easy to move.
Next was a 320-square-foot
modern home
that has
Tami's full-sized kitchen,
but it's way too big for Rob.
The land it sits on
can be rented,
but moving it will cost
an extra $1,000,
and it's already over
their $75,000 budget.
- Hi, Billy.
- Morning.
Morning. How are you?
Tiny-house consultant
Billy Cocciante
has found another option
that should blend their
ideal styles and sizes.
This has really got
that kind of cabin feel.
Right up your alley, Rob,
rustic A-frame cabin.
- Okay.
- 300 square feet.
- Right.
- Under your budget, $64,800.
- Wow.
- That is awesome.
- Yeah.
- And, man, it's on a trailer,
so that's important to us.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yes.
Yeah, the reclaimed wood
is really nice,
and I love it just mixed
with that corrugated metal.
- It's a cool look.
- Yeah.
- Oh, this is so cute.
- This is awesome.
- Look how cozy this is.
- I like this.
I do want to check out
this kitchen over here.
- Yes.
- Right.
I am not seeing an oven
- or a stove or anything.
- Right.
There is a little convection
oven underneath the island here.
- Oh.
- Okay.
- For a tiny pizza.
- And a cooktop, so...
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
It's narrow, very narrow.
And this doubles as kind
of our table I guess,
dining room table?
- Yep, yep.
Like, you could do vegetable
- chopping or stuff over here.
- Right.
I mean... It's a decent amount of space
for you to work.
Rob could probably survive
on cereal, and I can't.
I'm not sure if I could
function in that kitchen.
The refrigerator--
that's kind of a mid size.
- Yep. It's not full size.
- Yeah. It's not bad.
But it's larger
than most, so...
Right.
There's not a lot of space for,
like, dishes and food
- and that kind of thing.
- Right.
I like the living space,
- though.
- Mm-hmm.
With the couch
and the fireplace and all that.
The living space is cute.
It's very cozy.
I also like how these windows,
you got them on both sides.
It brings all the light in.
What about having people over?
Do you think this is doable?
You can just turn
this like this.
You can have
a couple friends over.
We don't more than
- a couple of friends over.
- Just a couple. Yeah.
- Two people max.
- Yeah. It's not bad.
And the loft--
it's a pretty good size.
Yes. It has a queen-sized bed
up there.
- Okay.
- I would love to see that.
Well, what do you think?
- Come on up.
- You can actually at least
sit all the way up with this.
- Yeah. Right here you can.
- Yeah.
I mean, I think I could actually
sleep in here comfortably...
- Right.
- ...and not feel claustrophobic.
I would love to be able
to stand up in my bedroom
- though, you know?
- Right.
This bathroom's not bad.
- This is a big bathroom.
- This is a decent size.
Yeah. That's kind of cool.
- That's your tub/shower.
- Yeah.
- So it has a composting toilet.
- Yes, it does.
And I...
This one does look
a little interesting.
Very... I don't even know
how to use that.
- It comes with a manual, right?
- Something to get used to, so...
- Right? Yeah.
- For sure.
There's lots of things
I like about this one, so...
- Yeah?
- It's got the A-frame.
I love the way
- the outside looks.
- Mm-hmm.
It's got that cool
cabin kind of vibe.
You were looking for rustic,
- and it's rustic.
- It is.
It does have
- some modern things.
- Right.
Like, it kind of has
- that mixture that I like.
- Yep.
The loft is surprisingly open,
and I do feel good about that.
Now, I do admit the kitchen
is one thing that,
yeah, I mean,
without an oven
and that kind of stuff,
that's going to be
a big change for both of us.
The kitchen is rough for me
because there's not much space
to put dishes
and that kind of thing,
and it's just really narrow.
With three tiny homes
of all sizes on the table,
it's time for Tami and Rob
to decide
just how small they want to go.
So I think this is going
to be really challenging.
Now that their kids
are off to college,
Rob and Tami are downsizing
to a tiny home
in Boulder, Colorado.
With a budget of $75,000,
they've seen several
unique homes,
and it's time to pick one.
So what did you think
- about the cottage style?
- Right.
Well, I like that feels
like a real tiny house to me.
It's 165 square feet.
We can pull it
with our own vehicle.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's way under budget
at $48,000.
- The loft was way too tight.
- Yeah.
But it did have kind
of that downstairs twin bed,
which was a little awkward.
- Yeah.
But I guess we could
use it for guests.
The shower was big.
I mean, it just had
a normal shower.
- Right.
- And I was surprised by that.
Yeah. It did have a kitchen,
and it felt like it
did have some space
as far as counter space goes.
It did.
That's true, but just thinking
about what I could fit in there,
I don't think that
it's very functional.
So what do you think
about the modern one?
It is over budget.
- It's $82,500.
- Mm-hmm.
Plus, the fact that, I mean,
you gotta--
that thing is so big.
- We've got to tow it.
- Yeah.
It's big, 320 square feet
- which is so awesome.
- I know.
It just doesn't feel tiny
to me though, and so...
It is tiny, though.
It's still tiny.
The bedroom being
on the main level.
That's sweet.
Haven't found it anywhere else,
so that was really nice.
- Something we both want.
Yeah. It actually
had full-sized appliances.
The loft
was another great thing
because that would be
a great place for guests.
- Yeah.
- The counter space
is the only thing in there
that bugs me a little bit because...
- Not a lot of space to cook on?
- Yeah.
There's just, like,
these little spaces,
and I don't know.
It might get
a little frustrating.
What do you think
about the cabin?
The cabin was a good size,
like, 300 square feet.
- It was under budget.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah. It was $64,800.
- Right.
It really kind of had
that cabin vibe to it.
I would say the kitchen,
well it had a lot
of counter space.
Like, there was plenty of room
- to prepare food.
- Right.
But absolutely no oven.
Right.
It had a good-sized shower.
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
That loft, I think
it had enough space
that you wouldn't
feel claustrophobic.
I still want
a main-level bedroom, I think,
but I did not feel
claustrophobic in that loft.
- Right.
- ...which was nice.
So I think
this is going to be
really challenging, actually,
because there's
a lot of good stuff
and a lot of things
- that aren't so great.
- Right.
The cottage is just
so under budget.
That's just really
attractive to me.
But that layout,
it just is not practical.
We got either
the modern or the cabin.
The more I think
the modern one... Yeah?
- ...I kind of like that one.
- I do, too!
So you think that's...
I think it might be worth paying
the extra for the things
that we really like about
- that one.
- Right.
Is that the one we're doing?
- I think so.
- Yeah?
- Let's do it.
- You want to call Billy
and everything?
- Like, make it official?
- Yeah.
Okay. [ Doorbell rings ]
Like, I just feel like
we have a lot of space.
It's not crowded,
so that's nice.
We chose the modern house.
We felt like, even though it was
a little over our budget,
it met a lot of the needs
that we needed long-term
to live comfortably.
We did end up paying $82,500,
which was over our budget,
but we felt like
it was worth it.
Right now, our house--
the tiny house
is on the same place where
it was when we looked at it,
and we're just making payments
to rent this spot for now.
We've been moved in
about two months,
and it's been great.
Don't you love just having
that shelf space up there?
The adjustment of going tiny
has been good, actually.
We've had to pare down
a lot of things
and just kind of get
used to kind of working
around each other
a little bit.
- It's been good.
- Yeah.
I was definitely nervous
after looking through
some tiny houses
just going,
"Wow. Maybe there's--
maybe that doesn't exist
what I-- what I want.
Maybe the full--"
But we have
the full-sized appliances.
The stove, the refrigerator,
microwave,
I mean, it's great,
and now that we've
added that extension,
I feel like I'm not
missing anything.
The compromise we had to make
was the compostable toilet.
- Mm-hmm.
- And so it hasn't been that bad.
I was scared, but it is
actually turning out okay.
Hey,
can you put this up there?
Boston forgot it
- while he was home.
- Yeah.
Our kids have come over.
We've had dinner with them.
- They slept over here.
- Yeah, we all squeeze in.
Our son slept in the loft.
Our daughter slept
on the coach,
and it really wasn't bad.
- Mm-hmm.
It's kind of a fun whole
sleepover kind of vibe.
Can you believe
he fit up here?
- I didn't...
- I was kind of concerned.
...think he was going to fit
as well as he did, so... I know.
My favorite part is
probably the bedroom.
It's really open up top.
There's lots of places
to do more storage
and things like that.
Really, this bedroom's
kind of the exact opposite
of a loft, I feel like.
Yeah, I'm not bumping
my head on anything.
This is done. How is it?
Pretty good.
- I love this window.
- Yeah.
It's probably one
of my favorite things.
I don't have any regrets
in going tiny.
In fact, it's been way better
than what I even expected.
Yeah, and it was
my idea at first,
and I was really excited
about it, and Tami wasn't,
so I've been really excited
that she's into it
and enjoying it.