Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 25 - Colorado Millenial Goes 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, oh, oh, 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.

Guess what I have for you!

This is not what I was
expecting from a tiny house.

Heather's got big
dreams for her new tiny house

in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Oh, wow.
This is really short.

You can get
something to drink

while you're sitting
on your couch.



But mom Maureen
and real estate agent Rebecca

are along to keep her grounded.

It still feels really dark
and cramped, though.

What do you expect
for 295 square feet? Come on.

Will this millennial
find a tiny home

where she can spread her wings?

Very... interesting blue color.

Snow's coming down, so pretty.

I'm Heather.
I'm 21 years old.

And I live in
Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

I absolutely love
Steamboat Springs.

I've been here for about a year,

and I've loved
every second of it.

I work at a local
engineering company.

Some of my hobbies
include skiing, snowboarding.

I like to snowshoe,

really any of the winter
kind of sports, I really like.

Everyone loves Steamboat
this time of year.

While Heather's been staying

at her aunt's condo in town,

she's ready to buy a place
of her own and has decided

to go tiny after a summer
in Alaska showed her

that less can be more.

It was
an interesting experience.

I had to get rid of almost
all of my belongings

and just make it
into two suitcases.

Having to shrink down
all of my possessions

completely changed me.

It was hard because
I really like clothes

but don't need all
these possessions to,

you know, be happy
and, you know, live comfortably.

You have to get rid
of a lot of stuff.

The person who will
be helping me

with my tiny house search
will be my mother,

who I'm actually excited
to have with me,

but she is a bit
of a helicopter mom

but not in a bad way.
She helps me out a lot.

No, that definitely has to go.
We definitely--This is awesome!

We definitely have
to pare down here.

I don't think
I'm helicopter mom.

But if you say I am,
then I guess I am.

She is.

It's going to be hard.

I can't get rid of
any of these.

I think I'm going to bring
to the table

bringing her back down
to Earth, definitely,

and keeping her
in her price range.

That's very important to us.

I don't know.

You might have to go
outside of Steamboat.

It's pricey here.

You might have to do
a little bit of a drive.

The budget I'm woking with
for my tiny home,

and the land as well,
is $125,000.

It's very important for me
to be close to my work,

but Steamboat Springs
is a ski town,

so everywhere around it
is definitely very pricey,

so it will be very hard
to find even a tiny home

in a reasonable
price range here.

Oh, that one looks
interesting right there.

Oh, wow,
with the orange door?

Heather's
hoping to find something

around 500 square feet.

I think it's going to be

a really tough transition
for Heather

because she's kind of a diva

and loves her clothes,
loves fashion.

- It's true.
- Yeah.

And I think it's going to be
difficult for her to go tiny.

She also wants something

with a rustic chic feel.

Rustic chic, in my mind,

is kind of like a cabin

but has its own little,
like, modern twists

and more color
than just all wood.

I also am really sucker for
a good view, love a good view.

I like a lot of windows.

I would also like
a really nice fireplace.

That's really important because
it gets really cold here.

I don't know. It looks kind
of small in that closet.

I have a lot of ski gear,

so it's really,
really important,

especially with a tiny home,

to have someplace
to put my skis and my snowboard

and just all of the extra stuff
that comes with skiing.

Ooh, look at that.

I am excited to just
get my first house.

I'm 21, and I've never
really had a house,

and I want to get in there
and make it my own

and just a little bit
of everything.

Heather and Maureen
have enlisted

the help of family friend
and local Steamboat Springs

real estate agent
Rebecca Bailey,

who's starting Heather off
with a tiny cabin

just outside of town.

So, Heather, you know how
everybody dreams of a log cabin

in the woods?
- Yes.

Guess what I have for you!

Oh, gosh.

It's actually really cute.

Heather is looking
for rustic chic,

and you can't get more rustic

than a little wood cabin
in the woods.

I like it a lot, very rustic.

I know we're a little bit away
from Steamboat.

- Mm-hmm.
- But, this community,

you're going to have
your own place.

You can do with it
what you like.

So how big is the house?

634 square feet.

Oh, wow.

It's a little bigger
than I need.

It would be good
for storage, though.

This one is listed at
$150,000.

I know it's a bit
over your range.

- Oh, wow.
- Wow.

That's definitely over budget.

Wow, it's so cute.

- Yeah, it is cute.
- Mm-hmm.

And it definitely has sort of
a feminine feel for a cabin.

And with these windows,
it just makes it a lot brighter

than a lot
of the typical cabins.

- Yeah.
- And they are newer windows.

- Oh, yes.
- So that's going

to save you
some money down the road.

- I like that.
- Which is a good thing.

Yeah.

I love this fireplace, though.
This is awesome.

I can definitely imagine myself

sitting in front
of the fireplace

with a cup of coffee

and maybe reading
something or watching TV

and just really enjoying it.

I don't like
the green very much.

That would have to be
painted over, definitely.

- That's an easy fix.
- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah, that is.
- Absolutely.

I can definitely see potential

to make it more chic
in here though,

with the fireplace.
- Yeah.

- Definitely.
- Definitely.

- So it's functional.
- Mm-hmm.

I love the natural light
from the window, though,

and the wood floors are great.

There's something
missing right here.

Yeah!

I'm not sure what happened
to those cabinets,

but if you did need
more storage space,

you can put in shelving
or get those shorter cabinets

to fit in there.

This doorway is very short.

But in this bedroom,
you do have that big window

that will let in light,

and it kind of makes it
feel a little bit bigger.

It still feels really dark
and cramped, though.

Yeah, with the low ceilings
and the small room.

And this paneling
makes it feel like a shed.

Yeah. And my biggest problem
is there's no storage.

So that's a huge thing for me.

Well, if that's a concern,

have I got something
for you to see.

Come on, this way.

Wow, this is not
what I was expecting.

Is there closet space in here?

Yeah, there is
- a closet to the right.
- Mm-hmm.

That would be great for you,
- Heather.
- Yeah.

With all your stuff.

I can definitely see

a lot of potential
to do in this room.

It's really nice
to have a second bedroom.

You know, I can put all my stuff
in the first one

and have a nice large area

that I can sleep
and have all my things.

Wow, I really like
this countertop.

I think it's super cool.

And the tile is really great.

It wouldn't have to be
remodeled or anything.

Ooh, I like this a lot.

I can fit,
and these tiles are super nice.

This bathroom needs
no remodeling at all...

- Absolutely.
- ...which I like.

I'm surprised it's so light
and airy in here for a cabin.

- Yeah.
- I would definitely want

to put my own style into it,
and I love the fireplace.

Yeah, the bathroom
was completely remodeled.

- Mm-hmm.
- We wouldn't have
to do anything in there.

- Yeah.
- It is turnkey.

And that's good for it
being over budget

because we couldn't
do very much anyway.

They're now headed to
see a less expensive option,

but it may need a little more
work than Heather wants.

Wow.
Very interesting blue color.

Didn't we get like
2 feet in, like, four days?

- Isn't that what they said?
- Yep, yep.

After living out of a suitcase

for a summer in Alaska,

21-year-old Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, resident Heather

is now ready for the adventure

of living tiny full-time.

Her mother, Maureen, is along
to keep her grounded

during her search.

Local real estate agent
and family friend Rebecca Bailey

has show Heather
a 634-square-foot cabin

with the rustic chic
appeal she loves,

but it might be more space
than she needs,

and it's above her
$125,000 budget.

Today, Rebecca wants Heather
to see a smaller option

in a multi-unit building
in the center of town.

- Hey, Rebecca.
- Hey, ladies.
How are you today?

- Good. How are you?
- Oh, good.

This is definitely not what
I'm expecting from a tiny home.

Well, it's a tiny home.

It is
in a multi-family complex,

but you are close
to the ski hill.

You're up away from
all the other condos,

and you're surrounded by
million-dollar houses, I mean...

- It's beautiful.
- Check that out.

The view is remarkable.

The style is not the rustic chic
I was looking for.

Well, keep an open mind.

Once you get inside,
you might decide

you really like it,
- and it will fit your needs.
- Mm-hmm.

- Which unit is it?
- It's the corner unit
right here.

- Mm-hmm. Oh. That's nice.
- So it's nice.

You don't have
a neighbor on that side.

- Mm-hmm.
- And you're super close

to the parking lot,

so groceries, ski gear,
boom, you're in.

- Mm-hmm.
- Definitely
has more of a lodge feel.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

I agree with you,
but I kind of like this.

This kind of goes
with my style of,

like, the rustic chic with a pop
of color which I like a lot.

What's the size of the place?

It's 295 square feet.

- Ah, interesting.
- Think that will work for you?

- Hopefully.
- It's within your budget.

It's listed at $122,000.

Ooh, that's the top,
though, Heather.

Yeah. Let's go check it out.

All right.

Okay, right after you.

Thank you.

Wow.
Very interesting blue color.

It's also very masculine-feeling
- and looking.
- Mm-hmm.

It's definitely not chic.
That's for sure.

I do actually really
like the wood.

It's kind of cool.

She was looking for
a wood-burning fireplace.

It's cosmetic.
- It is electric.
- Uh-huh.

It's so cold here
in the winter.

I have to have good heating.
That's important.

And, look, you can
get something to drink

while you're sitting
on your couch.

What do you expect
for 295 square feet?

- Come on.
- It's convenient!

I definitely see the potential
for renovations, though.

This property might be
a little bit outdated,

but Heather has a good eye
for color and fashion,

and I think,
with a little bit of work,

she can make it her own,
and she is going to love it.

Well, it is right
at your price level.

- Mm-hmm.
- It's $3,000 under,

so I'm kind of
concerned about that.

Well, kind in mind
these are cosmetic changes.

I mean, some bright paint
in here will open it up,

some new carpet.

I do like these
cabinets, though, Heather.

The kitchen
is somewhat updated.

- We wouldn't have to do that.
- Mm-hmm.

Yeah.
The cabinets are nice.

I like the wood.
I think it looks nice.

This thing is kind of
in the way, though.

I think this is actually
supposed to be,

like, your kitchen table,
like, eat-in area,

and maybe you could put
a chair underneath there.

Yeah. It doesn't really go

with my luxurious
style idea, though.

This is really short.

It's like a random
lower ceiling.

That's seems kind of
out of place.

It doesn't look like

you're going to hit your
head on it, so I think it's--

Well, that's true.
I see the bathroom

is right next to the kitchen
and the bedroom.

Wow. This is really small.

Very dated.

Let's take a look
at the bathtub.

Ugh. That is really dated.

Should I get inside
and see if I fit?

Yeah. See if you fit.

- You're tall, so...
- Ah!

- You fit.
- It's high enough.
Yeah, definitely.

And I notice that there's
no really storage

to put any extra towels
or anything.

This whole thing's
going to need to be

replaced and gutted.
- Mm-hmm.

Kind of concerned
- about the budget.
- Yeah.

Guess what color it is in here.

- Ah, the blue.
- Very blue.

- Mm-hmm.
- Again, a little bit of paint,
that'll take care of that.

Mm-hmm. But there's something
I really like is the closet.

It looks like there's
tons and tons of space,

which is awesome.

And look at this little bonus.

- If you want some privacy...
- Ah.

- ...little pocket door.
- Oh, that's nice.

Mm-hmm.

That's a selling feature
right there, isn't it?

It's not really my chic
rustic look I'm looking for.

Yeah, it is really
- super masculine-looking.
- Mm-hmm.

The good thing is the bedroom
is a really great size,

and it has enough storage
for my clothes, which I like.

But it is starting
to add up.

The bathroom's going to be
a total gut job.

- Absolutely.
- I agree on that,

but at least the kitchen
has been totally redone,

so you don't have to spend
any money on that.

The location is something
that you're looking for.

Yeah, but from the outside,
it looks nothing

like a tiny home
I'm looking for, you know.

I really would like to see
something more my style.

Rebecca's found them something

she hopes will work,
but it's not perfect.

Oh, wow.
This is really short.

This is cute.
You think I could pull this off?

Uh, it's a little bit big
for tiny houses.

After experiencing
the freedom of living

with less during
several months in Alaska,

Heather is ready to go tiny

in pricey
Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

With her mother Maureen along
to keep Heather on track,

she has a budget of $125,000

and is looking for something
that comes with land.

She's seen a cabin
with rustic chic potential

that she loves,
but it's over budget

and not as close to
Steamboat Springs

as she would like.

Heather and Maureen
also saw a tiny condo

in a perfect
Steamboat Springs location.

Although, it's within budget,

the footprint might be
too small,

and renovations
would add up quickly.

Today, local real estate agent

and family friend Rebecca Bailey

has found them a larger option
in a tiny home community.

So today we're going to look
at this cute bungalow,

and we're just
outside of Steamboat.

A lot of people
do commute from here

because, you know,
how the prices can be,

and this is
on a third of an acre,

so you've got plenty of space
to do whatever you'd like here.

That's awesome,
all the land.

Oh, wow.
It's really cute.

Kind of has like a cottage,
bungalow-type feel.

It's very rustic.

And I do like the tin roof.

That means you don't have
to shovel the roof.

It just kind of
all slides off the snow.

- That is really nice.
- That's a big plus

if you don't have
to shovel the roof.

Mm-hmm.

So what's the square
footage on this?

It's right at 600 square feet.

- Okay.
- Oh, wow.

This is really short.

- Ooh.
- Yeah, watch your head there.

Wow.

- But I like the porch.
- Mm-hmm.

You can actually put
some chairs out here,

and it's very homey.

- It is listed at $117,000.
- Wow.

- Oh, wow.
- That's good.

- That's awesome.
- It's in your budget.

Oh, wow.
It's really open in here.

Yeah, it is
a great open concept.

And I really like the pop
of color on the wall.

That's very chic.
It's definitely my style.

Yeah. And what about
the ceiling height in here?

Do you think
it's okay for you?

Yeah, compared to the porch,

which was super low,
this is a lot better.

And I noticed that the light
fixtures are a bit dated.

Those definitely
will have to be replaced,

and there was no fireplace.

- Yeah.
- Well, right now,

there is electric
baseboard heat.

- Mm-hmm.
- But you can easily
add a fireplace.

Just remember you
are $8,000 under budget.

Wow, this is
a huge kitchen in here,

and I really like
how this kind of flows.

Yeah, I definitely
like the vaulted ceilings.

There's the nice
pop of color that I like.

I really like this butcher block
right here.

- That is great.
- Yep.

- That's cool.
- You've got the butcher block, granite.

And then, over here,

you've got this
nice ceramic backsplash.

- Yeah, that's great.
- And a dishwasher.

- Wow.
- That's definitely a plus,

and lots of storage, I see.
- Yeah.

I noticed that there wasn't
any storage

for my ski gear out there.

- Is there any extra?
- Yeah.

Out back, there is
an actual shed out here,

so you've got plenty of space
for all your gear.

Oh, wow.

- This is a great space.
- It's a lot of land.

Just imagine it in the spring
with all the buds on the trees.

I could really see you

entertaining your friends
- out here.
- Absolutely.

I love the amount of land
this tiny house comes with.

It's great.
I can go out there

and have a good time and just be
with my friends or, you know,

garden or whatever I feel like.

It's nice in here.
It's pretty open,

like the living room
and kitchen.

And the carpet, I'm actually
okay with it in the bedroom.

I don't like to wake up
and have my feet on the cold,

so this is good.

But I noticed there's
no storage in here for you,

and I know that's
one of your issues.

Right.
Well, with this size room,

you can put in a closet,

I think, either on that wall
- or that one.
- Mm-hmm.

Or you can have a free-standing
wardrobe in the bathroom.

Oh.

You are going to love
this bathroom.

Oh, wow.
This is a great bathroom.

And you've got the stackable
washer and dryer.

- That's included.
- That's awesome.

- Yeah.
- That's really good.

That is a great thing
- to have in a tiny house.
- Mm-hmm.

And I really love
this sink area.

It's very chic.
And I really like this mirror.

It's definitely my style.

Let's check out the shower.
Oh, wow.

It's definitely
big enough for me.

It's really great.

It is move-in ready.

You can do so much
with this place,

and it's really not that
much you'll be spending.

Mm-hmm.
There's a lot of potential,

and then the backyard
is amazing.

And I like how
the shed has things

for my skis
and things like that,

but there's really no clothes
storage for in here.

$8,000 under our budget.

- Mm-hmm.
- We can probably
do a lot with this place.

That's true.

The only thing I really
worry about is location.

That's true.
The commute will be hard.

For Heather, deciding
which tiny home feels right

won't be an easy task.

So we're going to have
- to make some decisions.
- Yeah.

With the help of her
mother, Maureen,

and a budget of $125,000,

21-year-old Heather
wants to buy a tiny home

in the pricey alpine community
of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

She's seen several options,

but choosing one
isn't going to be easy.

What do you think
about the cabin?

I thought it was a super cute
cabin in the woods, definitely.

It was pretty big, though.
It was 634 square feet.

It was $150,000,
so that is over budget,

which leave no room
for remodeling.

Yeah. Luckily, it doesn't need
that much remodeling.

But the kitchen felt
a little cramped,

and the bedroom had
absolutely no storage.

So how did you feel
about the condo?

It is the smallest
with 295 square foot.

Yeah, and it is $122,000,

so it's right up
on your budget.

The tiny condo was really,
really masculine

and had a really dark,
cramped feel.

Yeah, it will definitely
take a lot of renovation,

but I can see
the potential in it.

The kitchen was remodeled.

Yeah, the kitchen
was pretty nice,

and it was the perfect size
for me.

The location was awesome.

So how did you feel
about that cottage?

I think the cottage was great.
It was $117,000,

so that's in your price range.

And it was 600 square feet,
which is awesome.

Yeah.
The bedroom didn't have

any storage, though.
- That's true.

You'd probably have
to get creative with that.

- Mm-hmm.
- It does need some work.

- Just a little bit.
- It did have a lot of land.

Yeah, with the storage

for my skis and stuff,
that was great.

There were a lot
of good options.

Yeah, it's going to
definitely be tough

to choose which one.

Rebecca was definitely right.

Everyone would want
a cabin in the woods,

and it was really cute.

However, that one will have
to go, unfortunately.

Yeah, it's just way over budget.
So what do you think?

I know it's really blue

and very masculine
on the inside,

but the location
was awesome on the condo,

and I really like that.

Yeah, the location
can't be beat.

That's definitely the one
I want to choose.

But I like the short sleeves
being on one side

and the long sleeves
being on the other.

I know this tiny house

was the smallest
out of all the options,

and it definitely had the most
work to be done to it,

but the location was exactly
what I was looking for,

close to my work
and everything like that.

I think it's good to have summer
or warmer clothes

and then winter clothes here.

But what if it's like
a sheer long sleeve shirt.

Where would that go?

I've officially been living here
for about a month now.

I have actually been
doing well with tiny living.

I've been able
to organize my clothes

and just use different tricks
on how to store things.

I love the bedroom.
It's exactly my style.

It's very luxurious,
and it's so comfy.

The final purchase
price was $112,000,

which gave us extra money
to make some renovations.

This place started out
very dark and masculine.

It had dark blue walls everywhere,

and it had this huge cabinet

that was taking up way
too much space.

Painting the walls and getting
a brighter color in here

definitely opened up the space,

and it doesn't feel
as closed-in.

Rebecca was really sweet

and got me this
really cute housewarming gift

of those skis,

and it's definitely my style
of glam, which I really like.

This bathroom
was really terrible,

but we painted the walls
and put a little pop of color

and extra storage as well.

But once the funds allow us to,

we'll definitely be
renovating this whole thing.

So how do you
like the place, Autumn?

It's good.
It's a perfect size.

Yeah, for me.

Has enough room
for all my stuff.

I think I kept her
on budget and definitely,

with the remodeling,

I think we learned
a lot about each other.

We definitely had to work
as a team together.

- This looks really good.
- Mm-hmm.

I would definitely tell
people to consider it.

It's actually not
as crazy as, you know,

some people think it is.

You know, you can really do
a lot of things

with tiny houses.

I absolutely think
I made the right decision,

and with the renovations
we've done to this place,

it looks exactly
the way I wanted.