Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 24 - Travelers Going Tiny - full transcript

Homebuyers
across the country

are saying good-bye
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 hoh!

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?

It swings back.
That's the loft.

Whoa.
I think I see
a problem already.

Now this is what
I'm talking about.

I like this.

It looks maybe
a little more your style.

Angela and Mac
are going tiny

outside of Greenville,
South Carolina,

so they can spend
more time traveling.

- It's a little tight in here.
- Ooh.

This looks a little dark.



- I actually like that.
- But with very different ideas

for the size and style
of their home,

finding the perfect fit
isn't going to be easy.

It looks like something
a bear would hibernate in.

Oh, Mac,
look at this.

Yes, that's nice.

I like that.
I like the color of it.

I'm Angela.
And I'm Mac.

I work in
the chemical industry.

And I work in
the medical field

and part-time
at an antique store.

- Oh, look at that storage.
- That's nice.

Mm-hmm.
I like that.

Now, this is a cool idea,
taking an old metal crate

and using it as a light.

Mac and I love
to go antiquing.

We love to find items
that are going to be discarded

and try to bring
new life into them.

Well,
I think this here looks great.

I think it's
turned out really well.

I do too.
I think I distressed it

a good bit,
but I like it like that.

If we don't use it,
we can always resell it.

We recently sold
our 1,200-square-foot home

and we're currently
staying with family

while we look for
a tiny home.

Mac and I are really looking
to work less and travel more,

so going tiny would provide
that opportunity for us.

Gypsy Rose,
are you ready to go tiny?

We'll have a tiny house
and a tiny dog.

Gypsy Rose is
our Chihuahua,

and we rescued her
from the Humane Society.

I think that
we definitely need

to consider Gypsy Rose
and her needs.

Oh, yeah, I agree.

They'll be parking
their tiny home

on family property nearby

and have a $40,000 budget
to find the perfect place.

I really like this cabin.

I like the cabin look,
I like the tin roof,

but that's an awful lot
of windows

down here and up here also.

I'm really looking for
a rustic cabin

because we've always lived
in the mountain area,

and it just fits the area.

I think windows
are a good thing.

I like that it could be
light and airy.

I'm really looking for
a nautical-type feel to a home

that makes you feel like
you're on the beach somewhere.

I really like that one.
I like the size of it.

It looks big,
the permanency of it.

Style isn't
the only thing Mac and Angela

don't see eye to eye on.

He wants a tiny house

that's at least
300 square feet and not mobile

while Angela has
her eye on something

no bigger than 200 square feet

that's towable
for their travels.

Now, that's what
I'm talking about.

I like that camper.
That is awesome.

That is way too small.

Can you really see us
living in it full-time?

Yeah, I could see us
on the road all the time.

For guidance finding
the right tiny house,

they've asked family friend
Daniel Collins

to join the search.

He's not only a friend
but also a real estate agent

well-versed in tiny.

I've known Mac and Angela
for quite some time now

and my dad deals in tiny houses,
so I'm quite positive

I can find them
what they're looking for.

Number one for me
is flushable toilet.

Now, I don't do
compost toilets, though.

We definitely need
a ground-floor bedroom.

We don't want to walk up
and down the stairs

in the middle of the night.

And she and I do a lot of
cooking together and baking,

so we'd really like to have
full-size appliances

and a decent-sized kitchen

to where we could actually
get in and enjoy the kitchen.

Sounds like you got your work
cut out for you on this one.

Yep, I definitely do.

I think this house
is going to be a new start.

We're going to be able
to free up some of our finances,

work a little less,
travel a little more,

and just kind of start
the next chapter in our lives.

First up,
Daniel wants them to see

a tiny option that he thinks
blends their differing styles.

- This is really nice.
- Mm-hmm.

I love the shape of it.
I love the style of it.

Yeah, it's very cute.

Part of it kind of
looks like a cabin

and part of it kind of looks
like it has driftwood on it.

Oh, yes, the nautical
look that you like.

Yeah,
and I love the porch.

Oh, the front porch
is really nice.

- Well, welcome.
- It's nice.

It kind of has a little bit
of everything

you guys are looking for.

Space-wise here,
this one's 263 square foot.

- Okay.
- Still under budget
at $39,500.

- Wow.
- But how would
you move this?

It does take
a professional mover.

It costs between
$500 to $700.

Depends on how far
you're moving it.

I was kind of hoping to be
a little bit more mobile,

but that's not a bad price.

But on the other hand,

it is pretty close
to our budget,

so we wouldn't have a lot left
over for travel or to move it,

so that's something
we need to consider.

I like this.

Obviously an open
floor plan here.

The living space
is all together.

- Yeah.
- Lots of windows for you.

- Right.
- But of course,

the windows does have
the blinds on it too,

so we can close it up at night,
have privacy.

You and closing it up.

And it has the wood
that Mac likes.

Yes, it has the wood.
I love a cabin look.

- It looks really good.
- Yeah.

I'm seeing a lot of wood

in this space
everywhere I look.

It's wood on the floor,
the walls, the ceiling.

I didn't think I would
like the cabin look,

but because there's
so many windows in it

and it does have
the vaulted ceilings,

it doesn't make it feel like
it's an enclosed space.

I like that there's
a full-size refrigerator,

stove, microwave.

- That is nice.
- Plenty of room
for baking,

which I know
you love to do.

Not a lot
of counter space,

but with the dining room
being right here,

you could always use that
as a prep area.

Trade off for getting
the full-size appliances.

That's true.
Now, this is a cute bedroom.

Mm-hmm. Yeah,
it's got plenty of room

to walk around with
around the bed.

And the elevated
ceiling in here

makes it feel
more roomy.

You don't feel like
you're closed in.

Right.
It does.
It really does.

I really like the fact

that there's storage
in here for clothes.

And the fact that
we wanted it to be

on the main-floor level,
that's good as well.

- Oh, yes.
- Yeah.

Yeah, it'd be very safe
for Gypsy Rose.

Yeah, we could put a little bed
for her right there

and she would be fine.

Oh, yeah.

I like the toilet.

Yes, it's not
a compost toilet at all.

Not a compost.

It's actually
a flushable toilet.

Nice-size bathroom.

There's a window.
I like the window.

Frosted for privacy.

Right,
but letting light in.

To me, it's really clean.

I like the white,

and it just kind of gives it
that nautical feel.

And much larger shower
than one would expect as well.

It is,
it's a good-size shower,

but I'd like to have
something a little bigger.

You're 263 square feet,
so at least you're not,

like, in a tub, like,

a little galvanized bucket
where you're one foot in

and the other foot's out, and...

But if we got rid
of that closet,

it could actually be
a whole lot bigger.

Mm-mm.

At $39,500,
this home is on

the upper end of our budget
plus the cost of moving it

whenever we need to.

It would kind of take away
money for travel,

which is our reason
for downsizing.

The higher we go in our budget
and this need to be towed,

I'm not sure about that, Daniel.

But we do have the full-size
appliances in this one.

That's a plus.

I like the size of the bathroom.
The bathroom's nice.

I love the fact that it
has so many windows.

Same-floor bedroom.

I was really looking
for something

a little over
300 square foot.

The floor plan
is really nice,

but it's still
a little bit tight.

At least it's light-colored,
but there's wood on the walls,

the ceiling, the floors.

You would have to
add your touches.

Yeah, it's a little woodsy.

Daniel's found
something that's Angela's style

but might be too small for Mac.

I love
the colors of it.

It's a little tight,
a little tight in here.

Well, look at
this little nook.

I love these hanging
in the window.

Yeah, that looks
really nice.

Angela
and her husband Mac

are going tiny outside of
Greenville, South Carolina.

While she's angling
for something small

that they can take
on their travels,

Mac wants something bigger
with a more permanent feel

to place on
their family's land.

They've seen
a 263-square-foot cabin

that has Mac's rustic interior,

but it's at the top of their
$40,000 budget

and it's too big
to move themselves,

which is a problem for Angela.

It's also not
her nautical style.

Wow, Mac.
Look at this.

I love the colors of it.

Yes,
but it's still a camper.

Today, family friend
and real estate agent

Daniel Collins is showing them
something more easily movable

and more Angela's style.

All right, so obviously we have
a camper here, 195 square feet,

so it's a little small for Mac,
I know.

But we're also
under budget at $19,000.

I love it.
I love the colors

and I like the fact that
it's still going to be able

to be moved anytime we want to.

I'll keep an open mind
and look at it, and we'll see.

Check it out,
get out of the cold?

Oh, yes. Sure.

Oh, wow.

I love this.
I love the color.

- Wow.
- This place just makes me smile.

All the turquoise
and the windows,

it makes you happy.

The space is, you know,
still small, but...

- It is.
- I really like
the finished look.

The camper
feels a little bigger

on the inside
than it does the outside,

but it's still a camper.

We know it's only
195 square feet.

- Oh, yes.
- They use every ounce.

This jackknifes down into a bed
for a smaller person.

Wow. That's very cool.

So what do you guys
think about the layout?

- I like the layout.
- The layout is really nice.

I love the kitchen area.

This is really not bad at all.

It looks like there's not
a lot of counter space,

so that's something that we
have to think about as well.

- I like the oven.
- Yeah.

I do like that it has
a three-burner stove

and it has an oven,
so you could probably

at least bake a cake
or a small ham.

I even like this fridge.
It's turquoise.

Not quite full-size,

but maybe I could
live with that.

- Yeah.
- Maybe I could live with that.

You know,
that's not too bad.

I just didn't want one
of the under-counter

area ones and stuff.

- Right.
- That's just really too small.

Back here's the bedroom.

Oh, I like this.

It has a little sink.

Yeah, this is nice.

A little tight in here,
but at least it's a queen bed

and it's on the ground floor.

- Mm-hmm.
- And I think that would actually
be better for Gypsy Rose.

This is actually a good open
floor plan for the whole thing

so that she can actually
move around in and stuff.

And then over here,
these actually have bars

in them
so you can hang clothes.

I was kind of hoping
to have a little bit

more room for the clothes,
but at least it has

a small space
and you can hang things.

Right, and you got
the curtain here

that you can hook across
when you have company in

and you want a little privacy.

That's nice. Right.

And then directly behind me
is the bathroom.

- Okay.
- You want to open that up?

It's a flushable toilet.

It is a flushing toilet,
as you requested.

I like that,
and at least it's big enough

where you can get in and move
around and take a shower.

It's not too small.

And we could give Gypsy Rose
a bath in the tub,

so that's a good space.

I think the tub would be great,
you know, for Gypsy Rose,

because I didn't
even think about that.

I do love that this is
a tiny house on wheels.

It would give us the option
to travel as much as we want.

I like that
it's bright and airy,

but I am concerned
a little bit

about the clothes
storage space.

It's got
a great vintage look

and it's great that
it's under budget,

but I still think
that I need something

that is going to be
a little more permanent.

I'm not so much worried
about the being permanent.

I like
the square footage.

I do like
the kitchen somewhat.

At least we have a stove.

I'd like to have
the full-size appliances too,

but these may be
the largest appliances

we can get in a camper.

Yeah, and the fact that
it's still one level,

it doesn't have a loft,
that's a good feature as well.

Daniel's found
something much larger

that's perfect for Mac,
but Angela has her doubts.

It looks maybe
a little more your style.

That would be nice about
being mobile in a tiny house,

because if it gets this cold,
then we would be able

to just pull up
and go somewhere else.

Oh, yes.
That'd be awesome.

We could go south,
at least, you know,

and get some nice,
warm weather.

Angela and Mac
are hoping to free up

more time for traveling,
so they're looking to go tiny

outside of Greenville,
South Carolina.

Angela wants a home that's easy
to take on the road with them,

but Mac would prefer
something larger

and more permanent that can stay
on their family's land.

They've seen
a 263-square-foot cabin

with a style Mac loves,

but since it has to be
professionally towed,

it doesn't leave much room
in their $40,000 budget.

Their friend and real estate
agent Daniel Collins

has also shown them a much
smaller vintage-style camper.

While Angela loves
the look and portability,

there's not enough
elbow room for Mac,

and it doesn't feel
permanent enough for him.

Now, this is what
I'm talking about.

I like this.

I think it'd be
big enough for us.

Today,
Daniel wants them to look at

a much more spacious place
that he knows Mac will love.

It's a little larger
than what I was hoping for.

It looks maybe
a little more your style.

It's got the cabin look about it
that I'm looking for.

- So what do you think?
- I really like it.

I think you hit this one
dead on for me.

Well, this one is
399 square feet.

The list price
is only $25,000.

Do you know
about how much it would be

to move something like this?

It costs around $1,000
each time you move it.

Well, with this being a little
bit larger of the tiny home,

I don't think we'd be
moving it very often.

Ooh, this looks
a little... dark.

I actually like that.

Mac would have
some sort of

little log stick-built home

way back in the woods
with no windows,

shut off from everyone.

I'm the opposite.

I want to be out,
be light and be airy.

It looks like
a basement/dungeon/

something a bear
would hibernate in.

It just...
that's too dark for me.

I'm really going to have
to sell Angela on this one

because it is my style,
but it's nothing like her style.

Maybe we can do a few changes
or something of our own

and add some touches
to it to make it,

you know,
lighter and airier.

I do like the amount of space, though.

- Plenty of room to stretch out.
- Right.

We definitely need to
beach this up a little bit.

I'm really not sure if
I can make this place mine.

It looks so much like a cabin
and it's so dark in there,

and I was really wanting
something that

we can move around from
state to state and travel in.

I mean, the whole place
is like a blank slate, really.

You guys are going to
bring your whole touch,

but you do have
a lot of space.

And it'd be good
for Gypsy Rose.

She would have
plenty of room

with her wheelchair
to go back and forth.

I do like the fact
that the kitchen

is open to
the rest of the home.

You do have more
prep space in here

than some of the other
tiny homes.

And we actually have
plenty of room here for like

a dining table and stuff
right here in the middle.

Right,
and this full-size fridge,

that's a good option.

But over here,
I'm noticing that

there's no oven,
just a stovetop.

Yeah, that could actually be
a deal breaker, Daniel.

You would have to
add one underneath,

or there's plenty
of counter space

for a convection oven.

It's a decent size.
It's not bad.

It's actually
a very large bedroom

- for a smaller space.
- Mm-hmm.

I like the fact that it
does have a window,

but I think it needs
more than just one window.

Right, and back here,

we've got plenty
of storage space.

I do like the cabinets,
but I'm seeing that

there's not anywhere
to hang your clothes.

Right. There is a hanging rod
inside the bathroom here.

Enh, I don't know.
That's... ew.

I don't know about hanging
the clothes in the bathroom.

I do like that it's
a ground-floor bedroom

and it'd be really great
for Gypsy Rose.

And you have
the bathroom.

This is
a decent-sized bathroom.

Really nice size.

I love the flushable toilet,
and a big shower.

Yep, a very large shower
for one of these tiny houses.

I like that it has
the frosted window.

It keeps it airy,
kind of like I was hoping for.

It just still feels
kind of like a dungeon to me.

It's too dark, and even though
we're 400 square feet,

I still feel like it's large.

That's what I actually
really love about it.

The only drawback for me
is the no oven,

because we do bake
and cook a lot.

It does have
good counter space.

There is room for a table,
so that's a good point.

Right. Well, we're still
very well under budget.

There's plenty of room
for you to move around,

plenty of room for
Gypsy Rose at this point.

With a few very
different ways to go tiny,

Mac and Angela need to decide
which place to call home.

I think at the end of the day,
we need to eliminate that one.

I agree.

Angela and Mac
are looking to go tiny

outside of Greenville,
South Carolina.

With a budget of $40,000,

they've seen several
very different options,

and it's time to pick
their ideal home.

So what do you think
about the modern cabin?

That one was
263 square feet.

The price on that
one was $39,500.

My worry is it's at
the very top of our budget,

and if we decided
to have it moved,

it would have to be
moved professionally.

$500 to $700 every time
we want to go somewhere?

I don't like that.

But with all the windows,
it was very light and airy.

Yeah, and that house
was definitely

a mixture of
all of the styles.

I just wasn't crazy
about all the wood.

I really loved
the kitchen.

The kitchen had that real
full-size refrigerator

and full-size stove,
full-size microwave.

It was nice.

What did you think
about the vintage camper?

It had 195 square feet
and at $19,000.

I loved the fact
that it was mobile

and I loved
the colors in that.

It definitely had more
of a nautical feel to it.

I'm not so sure about
only 195 square feet

or being so mobile.

It has a lot of windows.

It had a lot of windows,

and that was one of the issues
with me a little bit.

You know, I like
a little more privacy.

But I do like that it has
a ground-floor bedroom.

And that would be really
great for Gypsy Rose,

and we don't have
to worry about her

falling out of a loft
or anything.

- Yeah.
- But I just don't think

that we'd be able to
live in that long-term.

What do you think
about the traditional tiny?

It was 399 square feet.

The price was $25,000.

I liked the price because
it's well under budget.

We'd have plenty
of money to travel.

I liked
the permanency of it.

It was larger
than I wanted to go.

I'd rather it be
a little bit more mobile.

Said it only cost
like $1,000 to move it,

so if we wanted to
have it moved,

we could have it moved.

Right. This doesn't really
have that nautical feel

that I'm looking for.

It did have
full-size appliances

except for an oven,
so that would be something

that we would
have to work around.

I really like
the modern cabin,

but the price of it is right
at the top of our budget.

I think at
the end of the day,

we need to
eliminate that one.

I agree.

So, the little
vintage camper,

I really like that
because it was light and airy.

But I just can't see us
living in it full-time.

I can understand that,

so that leaves
the traditional tiny?

I really like that house
because it is a lot larger

and I like
the permanent foundation.

I know you do,

and that one was
way under budget,

so with the money
that we can save,

I think we can put
our own touch on it

and make it
a little bit more my style.

I think we can make it both
of our styles blended into one.

I agree.

I think that may stay.

I think that
looks pretty good.

We chose the 399-square-foot
traditional tiny home.

They purchased
their new home for $25,000.

She's really liking this
new tiny house, Mac.

She really is.
- She loves this.
- Yeah.

Having a bedroom
on the ground floor

is very important for us
because with Gypsy Rose,

I just like everything
on one floor.

You know, I'm glad that we got
this convection oven.

It's big enough that it'll do
a pie or cake.

I mean, anything that we really
need, it's going to do.

We're adjusting to life
in a tiny house pretty well.

We thought it was going to be
a little tight for us

to work in the kitchen
and stuff together,

but we have actually
had no problem

being able to work around
each other quite a bit.

To make this place lighter,
we changed the window coverings,

added some new pieces
of furniture

that we had repurposed
in a really light color.

We changed the cabinets,
the countertops, the sink.

We changed the color
of the outside.

It went kind of
a pretty driftwood gray.

We changed the front door
to let in more natural light,

and it really opened
the space up.

In addition to
the changes they made

in their new tiny house,

they also made
one other big purchase.

We couldn't stop thinking about
that little vintage camper,

so we got both,
so now we have two tiny houses.

These look really good
with the camper.

They match the camper
really well.

Yeah.
They match the color good.

- They do.
- Think we're going to have

enough storage in here
for all of our stuff?

Oh, yes, there's plenty
of storage in here.

We paid $19,000
for our vintage camper.

We went a little bit
over budget,

but it was worth it.

That way, we have a little bit
permanent foundation for Mac

and we have the mobility
that I wanted.

I'm really glad
that we chose both

because I really
could not decide.

I think the future will
hold a lot of freedom for Angela

and I because we could
be able to travel

and be able to enjoy at least
six months on the road

and six months in a stable home.

I'm looking forward
to the new adventure.

Me too.