Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 3 - Living Smaller in Austin, TX - full transcript
Homebuyers across the country
are saying goodbye
to big houses...
Wow! Look at that.
That is tiny.
...and hello to small spaces.
With the push of a button,
this house contracts
to half its size.
- Wow.
- Wow.
- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.
- It's a fold-down sink.
- That's so cool!
Oh!
Wow,
this just got weird.
But the smaller the house,
the bigger the challenge
fitting inside.
It'd be six of us up here.
Where am I gonna sleep?
- This swings back.
- Whoa.
- That's the loft.
- Ohh.
I think I see
a problem already.
Aah!
It's a tiny house!
Meri Sue and M.J.
are new to Austin, Texas,
and new to tiny living.
Doesn't it feel like
you're in a submarine?
You're my shipmate.
That's crazy.
And a tiny learning
curve is bound to be steep.
Okay.
That's old-school for sure.
- Ugh.
- That looks so sketchy.
Yeah. I don't know
how I feel about this.
My name's Meri Sue.
I am a preschool music teacher.
I'm M.J.
And I work
for an international
architecture firm.
♪ Beauty in the fee ♪ Fee ♪
- I'm a singer.
- Very good singer.
Um, and, uh, I-I play guitar.
Go get it!
We have two dogs, and their
names are Willy and Luke.
We've been living in a suburb
called Grapevine,
which is in the Dallas,
Fort Worth area.
Recently moved to Austin
because it's cheaper living.
We lived in a really nice
two-bedroom apartment.
About 800 square feet.
But with the move
to a brand-new city,
they're also ready to try out a
radically smaller way of living.
It was definitely her idea
to go tiny, for sure.
I was constantly
reading these blogs
about going tiny
and this movement.
I think the main reason why I
actually started considering it
was because, financially,
we were trying
to figure out places
- that we could save money.
- And pay off our student loans.
Going tiny seems
right for us now.
One, because of the financial
soundness of it.
Two, it presents a challenge
to change our lifestyles
and, um, you know--
Use less,
experience more.
Probably won't be able to get
this kind of counter space.
We're staying
with some friends
while we're looking
for our tiny home.
We plan to put our house
in an RV park
here in Austin.
Our budget for our tiny house
is $18,000.
And we don't want to budge
at all on that. Yeah.
Do you realize
the size of the tiny house
we're probably looking at
is gonna fit in this kitchen?
- Yeah, I know.
- We really want to stay
around 200-square-foot
or less.
So have y'all seen
anything you like yet?
I really like campers.
I love the look.
I really love
the feel of it, too.
But tiny houses
are just so neat.
And they can still
be on wheels, so...
That's true. My style
is modern and contemporary.
It's very clean.
It's very organized.
My style, um, can be
a lot more eclectic.
I love anything that's vintage
or antique-looking.
I love this beer, dude.
You like it?
- Yes. It is so good.
- Yeah. It is really good.
So how you gonna figure out,
like, what you put in it
- when there's this much space?
- I know. Right?
What's important,
I guess?
I really want something
that has curbside appeal.
- Okay.
- Has a desk space
- where we could draw.
- For me, I'm, like,
really concerned
about the kitchen,
because it's
so important to me.
I really want a place
that has display space.
As an architect, I want a place
to put out my work or books
that I have been able
to collect over the years.
And we want to have something
that's ready to go,
ready for us
to move right in.
If we go in it,
we're going all the way.
- Yeah.
- What if your family grows?
- Oh, man.
- Oh.
We'll talk about that later.
I am most excited
about having the option
to move around.
There's a lot of freedom
that comes with that.
The other thing
is just paying down debt.
I am so excited
to be free from that.
We don't need
all the things.
We don't need
all the things anymore.
We want experiences.
We want stories.
I'm pretty excited
for you to see it.
Aah!
It's a tiny house!
For assistance navigating
the tiny market in Austin,
they've called on local
real estate agent A.J. Abrams.
The budget is difficult.
$18,000 is a pretty, pretty good
challenge for me,
especially in this
Austin market.
I will do my best.
But the budget really is
the biggest hurdle we have.
A.J. has found them
a contemporary model cabin
that they can customize
to their liking.
This is beautiful.
As someone
who really appreciates design,
I just am loving
this craftsmanship here.
It's not a camper, though.
But it has the modern
contemporary feel to it.
- Ah, this is cute.
- Oh, my gosh.
- You guys falling in love yet?
- Yes, I'm already in love.
- This is cute.
- Aww.
Well, it's actually
194 square feet.
- Okay. I'm a little worried.
- Okay. What is the price?
- Price is gonna be--
- Uh, this actually is a model.
Okay. And this model,
as is, is $26,000.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Okay? But don't worry.
You can still build this
in about 6 to 8 weeks...
- Okay.
- ...which you can take
Some of the aspects out of it
to kind of fit your budget.
I don't know how I feel
with it being so long,
'cause we're still
crashing with friends, so...
Okay.
Can we go inside now?
- Absolutely. Take a look at it.
- Okay, perfect.
We will need to remove our shoes
before we go in, all right?
Okay.
Oh, my gosh!
This is so cool!
Take a look.
Wow!
This is amazing.
It feels homey.
These are real,
high-end laminate floor.
Oh, wow.
You can't even tell.
- Yeah, you really can't tell.
- This is beautiful.
If you do choose to build,
you can do a different
type of flooring,
which can save you
a couple hundred dollars.
I just love
the windowsill here.
The wood,
I'm really digging that.
I, you know, usually go
for, like, the vintage look.
But this just still has
so much character to it.
And I think that's
really what I'm drawn to.
It doesn't yet match,
like, the contemporary
feel that I like.
But it still feels light
and airy in here.
Okay, and, M.J., I know
this would be good for you.
You get your own
little work area.
- Oh, wow.
- Now we're talking.
This is great.
See all this storage
space that you get in here?
You can do
all your model stuff.
Look at how small
the sink is.
Which is nice, because
it gives you more counter space.
- So that's really great.
- This is a quartz countertop.
We can do a tile or a different
type of countertop
which would save you
a couple hundred dollars.
Right. That's something
to think about, for sure.
All right, guys.
Here's your bathroom.
Okay. Uh, wish this was
a door, first of all.
Oh, my gosh.
- Wow.
- This is so cool.
This is a nice size.
If you get rid of some
of the fixtures,
the granite countertops,
it could save you
about $1,000.
- Wow.
- All right, guys.
Let's go take
a look at your bedroom.
You got to really watch
your step here.
Oh, my gosh.
This is tight.
Holy moly.
The bed is, like,
super small, first of all.
But I think
there's enough room
that we could get maybe
a queen in here.
But our dogs,
I'm a little worried
about them making
the climb up here.
- It's kind of-- kind of narrow.
- Or falling off.
Or falling off.
So there's this loft.
And looks like there's
another one over there.
Yeah, how do you
even get up there?
Just pull that
marine ladder down.
And then that's the way
you can access the second loft.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, man.
- Can you do it?
That looks so sketchy.
I wouldn't ever get up there.
It was so scary
and so hard to use.
The average person
just couldn't climb it.
Yeah. I don't know
how I feel about this.
I'm so blown away
by the, uh, space.
It wasn't really
what I expected.
But it's got the curb appeal.
Maybe a little less wood
- would have been better.
- I really love the kitchen.
The storage is wonderful.
That marine ladder situation
is just so not
functional for us.
But then also,
the waiting two months for it.
- Sure.
- Because we're trying
to figure out
our living situation.
And our friends will have to,
like, put us up for longer.
We're just so concerned
about the budget.
It really does come down
to if we can get to $18,000.
A.J. is showing them a home
with a price tag
that's easier to swallow.
But you get what you pay for.
There's some stuff going
on here with the windows.
Do you know
what's going on there?
It's vintage is
what's going on there.
Lake Austin.
Yeah, this is beautiful.
- I kind of want a boat now.
- We need a tiny house first.
One thing at a time.
Wanting to pay off student loans
and live debt-free,
married couple Meri Sue and M.J.
are crashing with friends
while they look
for their very own tiny home
in Austin, Texas.
Real estate agent A.J. Abrams
has shown them
a contemporary model cottage
that they both loved.
But it's well above
their $18,000 budget.
And though they could customize
it to bring down the cost,
the house wouldn't be ready
for at least 6 weeks.
This is cool.
With budget in mind,
A.J. is now taking them
to see something
a little less updated.
- This is an Airstream.
- Wow.
Today, I'm showing Meri Sue
and M.J. a retro camper.
It fits right at their budget.
But it is a little bit
of a fixer-upper.
- It's vintage. Yeah.
- It's vintage.
It's got the curbside appeal.
- What year is this?
- It was built in, uh, 1976.
- Oh. Wow.
- Um, and let me tell you this.
- It's 188 square feet.
- Okay.
So it's right at your budget,
right at $18,000.
- Wow, that's awesome.
- That's great.
It's definitely
a timeless piece.
I mean, it looks like
it's gonna be
a bit of a fixer upper,
- you know?
- Just a little bit.
What is this made out of?
This is interesting.
It's actually, um, aluminum.
Wow. I notice some stuff
going on here with the windows.
It's kind of concerning
a bit.
Do you know
what's going on there?
It's vintage
is what's going on there.
That's true.
I just don't know
how I feel about this.
I like that it's vintage.
But aesthetically, yeah,
it's a fixer upper for sure.
Wow. This looks a lot
different than I expected.
- This is neat.
- You like it, don't you?
- I really like it.
- Yeah.
Doesn't it feel like
you're in a submarine a bit?
I mean, the curved walls.
- Yeah.
- You're my shipmate.
Okay.
So, this window,
I can definitely tell
that it's old.
- I mean, things like this?
- Yeah.
I mean, these little things
are gonna add up.
- That's money.
- Yeah, exactly.
What do you guys think about
these storage bins up here?
Those are cool.
I feel like I'm in an aircraft.
Like, this is--
that's what it feels.
It's like accordion.
I really like this
prime display space
in front of natural light.
One thing I do like
is this chandelier.
- Isn't it nice?
- Yeah.
I mean, that's pretty cool.
- Uh...
- Retro.
Okay. But now, this fixture
is, like, hideous.
- It's got to go.
- Boom.
That's not vintage.
That's just ugly.
Okay.
So this is
obviously the same
that's going on the outside
that we saw right there.
Right. Right.
With the tint, yeah.
That's not very attractive.
No, I don't even know
what to do about that.
- Do you?
- Maybe we could replace
the windows over time
or something like that.
Eventually. But I have no idea
when we'd be able to do that,
because there's just no room
in our budget right now.
There's still so many things
that need to be fixed or updated
that I'm just afraid
it's gonna be a money pit.
It'd be a really tight
squeeze to try to get,
like, a desk or a table in here.
This comes up.
- Wow. Look at that.
- Oh, okay.
So there's a lot
of storage in here.
Yeah, absolutely.
What do you guys
think of your kitchen?
Um, this looks really old.
It is old.
Ew. Does it work?
I promise you
it does work.
Okay, what-- what is this?
You know what?
That was something
that was incorporated years ago
when this was built.
It has a blender
and a knife sharpener.
And those are the items
that you can use
- to plug in right there.
- Oh, my gosh.
If it worked, it would be
a pretty cool feature.
Okay. Doesn't work.
That's old-school for sure.
- That's really old school.
- Okay.
- Okay. So this is the closet?
- This is the closet.
Look at how much space
you guys have.
- This is actually pretty nice.
- Some more storage.
Okay. Wow, man.
Look at this wallpaper, though.
It is funky.
- That's weird.
- And if you guys
look to your left,
you'll see
your master bathroom.
And it does have
a stand-up shower.
- Retro.
- It's a shower.
Yeah, from the '70s.
These fixtures
are so outdated.
Not even a cool
kind of vintage that I like.
Look, there's even
a sliding door right here.
- Oh.
- See you later.
Guys, let's take a look
at your bedroom.
- Go ahead.
- Oh, my gosh.
This is so tight.
I like the curveness
of the room.
It's definitely the most
unique bedroom
I've ever been in.
This is actually
kind of modern looking.
Yeah. I mean,
it's really cool.
It has its pros and cons.
- Yeah, it does.
- I liked it.
The kitchen was really great.
I really liked how roomy it was
and the extra counter space.
But the appliances
are original,
which is a little concerning.
The display space, like,
there wasn't as much.
But I could see
some opportunities
to put some cool things,
some more, like, pictures.
But I don't have a work space.
That's one big thing.
And the bathroom
is really tight.
I can't believe
I'm saying this.
But I think it may be
a little too vintage.
There's still a lot of things
that need to be done to it.
And it's already
at the top of our budget.
A.J. is now showing
Meri Sue and M.J.
something they can
move into right away.
That is insane.
That's crazy.
What do you think, Luke?
Do you like it?
Recent Austin, Texas,
transplants M.J. and Meri Sue
want to pay down
student loan debt
to have the freedom
to enjoy life as they choose.
They're downsizing
and searching for a tiny home
that's move-in ready
and has enough space.
They both love the craftsmanship
and charm
of a 194-square-foot
contemporary model cabin.
But it's well above
their $18,000 budget
and would take 6
to 8 weeks to have built.
They've also seen a retro camper
with plenty of vintage style
for Meri Sue.
But while it's
within their budget,
it would need lots
of potentially costly updating.
- Hmm.
- That is cool.
Hey, guys.
How's it going?
Today, their real estate
agent, A.J. Abrams,
is taking them to see a more
move-in ready tiny option.
- What do you guys think?
- It's a camper!
It's not exactly
the curbside appeal
that you were looking
for, though.
- But it is really big.
- It's really big.
You get 220 square feet.
That's actually
more than we wanted,
Yeah, that's great.
- So what's the price on this guy?
- Yeah.
Honestly, it's a little
out of our budget.
It's $23,000.
Oh, man.
That's more than a little.
- Yeah, that's a lot.
- I know.
This place is move-in ready.
And it will justify the price.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, my gosh.
This is gorgeous.
This is amazing.
This is pretty modern.
And look at how white
everything is.
This is really cool, too, M.J...
This is, like, desk, work space.
- Oh, this is perfect.
- Yeah.
Go ahead and flip that up.
Oh, this is great.
- Now you have your work space.
- Oh, wow.
Oh, cool.
Oh, this is nice.
The floor
is not my favorite.
But I think it would work
really well for the dogs
'cause a lot of dirt,
like, it won't show up.
- Right.
- So that's kind of nice.
I'm okay with seeing something
a bit more updated.
And from the little research
that I have done,
I've seen a huge resell value
in this type of camper.
For a camper, it doesn't
even feel like a camper.
No, it doesn't.
Like, the outside does not
do the inside justice.
- Let's talk about the kitchen.
- The stovetop's nice.
It's only two burners.
But It's still a stovetop,
which makes a difference.
And then they've got
a little convection oven.
Yeah, that is nice.
What is this right here?
- Yeah, this is gorgeous.
- Believe it or not,
this is contact paper
made to look like marble.
I don't mind it.
For me, I guess,
as an architect,
I'd like more real materials.
- Right, okay.
- This space is so big.
- It's so functional.
- Let me give you an idea
of what it would look like
if we had to put that in.
Oh, my gosh.
That is insane.
That's crazy.
This is
getting a little creepy!
Wow. Can we open
this up now, you think?
It's a bit tight
in here now.
You guys feeling
a little claustrophobic?
Say if you guys like
having people over,
- they want to stay the night.
- Yes, for sure.
They have even
more space now.
Oh, my goodness.
That is so fantastic.
You can just have
another queen-size bed.
- Yes.
- That is so great.
Love it.
Down this way
is your master bedroom.
Master. I like it.
- Oh, wow. That's cool.
- Open that one right there.
- Okay.
- More storage.
Oh, it's a little closet
space here maybe.
That is a lot of storage.
- There is. I got to try it out.
- You got to test it out?
Oh, my gosh.
I'm all about just
living it up right now.
Meri Sue, take it
for a test drive.
Uh, no, I'm okay.
And, guys, you technically
do have an en suite.
- Wow.
- Okay.
Oh, wow.
This is really cool.
Yeah, this is a lot bigger
than I thought
you could get a bathroom
in a camper.
It's really pretty, too.
And the shower's,
like, to die for.
This is probably
my favorite part so far.
I really, really like it.
One thing I really
liked was the kitchen.
But there wasn't
a lot of counter space.
The bedroom and having
the en suite was really cool.
But what about the exterior?
That's one thing
I'm kind of hung up on.
Yeah, it doesn't have
that curbside appeal.
And it's still
$5,000 over our budget.
$5,000 is a lot.
The whole point of this
is to cancel our debt.
It just doesn't really make
sense to go that much over.
Ready to move out
of their friends' place,
it's time for M.J.
and Meri Sue to decide
which of the tiny homes
feels right.
We need to talk
tiny house.
Our house hunters
are upgrading to tiny houses.
Austin, Texas, couple Meri Sue
and M.J. want to live debt-free
and are staying with friends
until they find a tiny home.
They have a budget of $18,000.
And it's time for them to decide
which tiny option feels
right for them.
- We need to talk tiny house.
- Yes.
I want to talk about
the contemporary cabin first.
- Okay.
- I just loved it.
It did have
the dedicated work space.
Right.
And the kitchen was fantastic.
Yes. It is very spacious,
194 square feet.
But it is $26,000,
way over our budget.
You know, I'm really also
concerned about the timeline.
And we need to find
either new friends
or compromise with our friends
right now
- that we're living with.
- That's true.
I want to talk
about the retro camper.
I loved it.
But it was still a camper.
And I don't know
how homey it felt inside.
At 188 square feet,
it's already at the top
of our budget at $18,000.
It's got that curbside
appeal that you like.
Yes, definitely
curbside appeal.
Definitely character.
Timeless design.
But, I mean,
all those old fixtures,
we'd still have
to update those.
And it's already
at the top of our budget.
It's so old, I don't know what
we're getting into with that.
So I don't know
how comfortable I feel.
Let's talk about
the updated camper.
I know the outside
wasn't the curb appeal
that we were really wanting.
But the inside, I mean,
it's already got
everything we want.
It's the contemporary style
that you really like.
At 220 square feet,
it gave us the most room
out of all of them.
But it's still over
our budget at $23,000.
- So I don't know.
- I think that
for the budget that it is,
it's definitely
the most move-in ready.
And then the en suite
was pretty cool.
That was really nice.
Okay.
We need to make a decision.
I know we do.
Let's go
with the retro camper.
Okay?
We want to try to cancel
our debts as soon as possible.
Over time, we can update
certain fixtures.
It doesn't have to be
all of them at once.
I actually agree with you.
I think in the end,
if the biggest reason
why we're doing this
is for financial reasons,
we should probably
stay at our budget.
Awesome.
So should we call A.J.?
- Yeah, I think we should.
- Okay, I'm gonna text him.
Okay. Well, I'm gonna eat
my taco, 'cause it's cold now.
Nice.
- Yeah.
- Putting you to work.
Yeah, someone's got to iron
my shirts over here.
Just kidding.
We've been in the camper
about a month.
They were asking $18,000.
We paid $18,000.
And it has definitely
been an adjustment.
- Yeah.
- For sure.
M.J. loves the modern,
contemporary feel.
And the Airstream
is just so timeless
that it kind of
fits both of us.
It's a sleek design.
But at the same time,
it's old.
It's retro. It's vintage.
And so, I don't know.
It just kind of meets us
in the middle.
Eventually, I would
really like to update
the whole kitchen
and bathroom.
It's just
such a big project
that we'd have to have someone
come in and do it.
As you can see,
there's no table or work space.
So right now,
we're using our day bed
as our dedicated
work space.
We kept the swag lamp.
Yes. That's my favorite.
The dogs
are having a hard time
getting used
to the small space.
Since they're so low
to the ground,
they get kind of caught up
under our feet sometimes.
I'm so happy that we made
the move to Austin.
We got a great
group of friends here.
They have been
so encouraging to go tiny
and to just stick
with our gut on this.
I don't think
that it's for everybody.
But if you're someone
that's young
and wanting to save up
really quick...
And you have
the opportunity.
Yeah, we would highly
encourage you to do it.
- We did it.
- We did 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.
- Wow.
- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.
- It's a fold-down sink.
- That's so cool!
Oh!
Wow,
this just got weird.
But the smaller the house,
the bigger the challenge
fitting inside.
It'd be six of us up here.
Where am I gonna sleep?
- This swings back.
- Whoa.
- That's the loft.
- Ohh.
I think I see
a problem already.
Aah!
It's a tiny house!
Meri Sue and M.J.
are new to Austin, Texas,
and new to tiny living.
Doesn't it feel like
you're in a submarine?
You're my shipmate.
That's crazy.
And a tiny learning
curve is bound to be steep.
Okay.
That's old-school for sure.
- Ugh.
- That looks so sketchy.
Yeah. I don't know
how I feel about this.
My name's Meri Sue.
I am a preschool music teacher.
I'm M.J.
And I work
for an international
architecture firm.
♪ Beauty in the fee ♪ Fee ♪
- I'm a singer.
- Very good singer.
Um, and, uh, I-I play guitar.
Go get it!
We have two dogs, and their
names are Willy and Luke.
We've been living in a suburb
called Grapevine,
which is in the Dallas,
Fort Worth area.
Recently moved to Austin
because it's cheaper living.
We lived in a really nice
two-bedroom apartment.
About 800 square feet.
But with the move
to a brand-new city,
they're also ready to try out a
radically smaller way of living.
It was definitely her idea
to go tiny, for sure.
I was constantly
reading these blogs
about going tiny
and this movement.
I think the main reason why I
actually started considering it
was because, financially,
we were trying
to figure out places
- that we could save money.
- And pay off our student loans.
Going tiny seems
right for us now.
One, because of the financial
soundness of it.
Two, it presents a challenge
to change our lifestyles
and, um, you know--
Use less,
experience more.
Probably won't be able to get
this kind of counter space.
We're staying
with some friends
while we're looking
for our tiny home.
We plan to put our house
in an RV park
here in Austin.
Our budget for our tiny house
is $18,000.
And we don't want to budge
at all on that. Yeah.
Do you realize
the size of the tiny house
we're probably looking at
is gonna fit in this kitchen?
- Yeah, I know.
- We really want to stay
around 200-square-foot
or less.
So have y'all seen
anything you like yet?
I really like campers.
I love the look.
I really love
the feel of it, too.
But tiny houses
are just so neat.
And they can still
be on wheels, so...
That's true. My style
is modern and contemporary.
It's very clean.
It's very organized.
My style, um, can be
a lot more eclectic.
I love anything that's vintage
or antique-looking.
I love this beer, dude.
You like it?
- Yes. It is so good.
- Yeah. It is really good.
So how you gonna figure out,
like, what you put in it
- when there's this much space?
- I know. Right?
What's important,
I guess?
I really want something
that has curbside appeal.
- Okay.
- Has a desk space
- where we could draw.
- For me, I'm, like,
really concerned
about the kitchen,
because it's
so important to me.
I really want a place
that has display space.
As an architect, I want a place
to put out my work or books
that I have been able
to collect over the years.
And we want to have something
that's ready to go,
ready for us
to move right in.
If we go in it,
we're going all the way.
- Yeah.
- What if your family grows?
- Oh, man.
- Oh.
We'll talk about that later.
I am most excited
about having the option
to move around.
There's a lot of freedom
that comes with that.
The other thing
is just paying down debt.
I am so excited
to be free from that.
We don't need
all the things.
We don't need
all the things anymore.
We want experiences.
We want stories.
I'm pretty excited
for you to see it.
Aah!
It's a tiny house!
For assistance navigating
the tiny market in Austin,
they've called on local
real estate agent A.J. Abrams.
The budget is difficult.
$18,000 is a pretty, pretty good
challenge for me,
especially in this
Austin market.
I will do my best.
But the budget really is
the biggest hurdle we have.
A.J. has found them
a contemporary model cabin
that they can customize
to their liking.
This is beautiful.
As someone
who really appreciates design,
I just am loving
this craftsmanship here.
It's not a camper, though.
But it has the modern
contemporary feel to it.
- Ah, this is cute.
- Oh, my gosh.
- You guys falling in love yet?
- Yes, I'm already in love.
- This is cute.
- Aww.
Well, it's actually
194 square feet.
- Okay. I'm a little worried.
- Okay. What is the price?
- Price is gonna be--
- Uh, this actually is a model.
Okay. And this model,
as is, is $26,000.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Okay? But don't worry.
You can still build this
in about 6 to 8 weeks...
- Okay.
- ...which you can take
Some of the aspects out of it
to kind of fit your budget.
I don't know how I feel
with it being so long,
'cause we're still
crashing with friends, so...
Okay.
Can we go inside now?
- Absolutely. Take a look at it.
- Okay, perfect.
We will need to remove our shoes
before we go in, all right?
Okay.
Oh, my gosh!
This is so cool!
Take a look.
Wow!
This is amazing.
It feels homey.
These are real,
high-end laminate floor.
Oh, wow.
You can't even tell.
- Yeah, you really can't tell.
- This is beautiful.
If you do choose to build,
you can do a different
type of flooring,
which can save you
a couple hundred dollars.
I just love
the windowsill here.
The wood,
I'm really digging that.
I, you know, usually go
for, like, the vintage look.
But this just still has
so much character to it.
And I think that's
really what I'm drawn to.
It doesn't yet match,
like, the contemporary
feel that I like.
But it still feels light
and airy in here.
Okay, and, M.J., I know
this would be good for you.
You get your own
little work area.
- Oh, wow.
- Now we're talking.
This is great.
See all this storage
space that you get in here?
You can do
all your model stuff.
Look at how small
the sink is.
Which is nice, because
it gives you more counter space.
- So that's really great.
- This is a quartz countertop.
We can do a tile or a different
type of countertop
which would save you
a couple hundred dollars.
Right. That's something
to think about, for sure.
All right, guys.
Here's your bathroom.
Okay. Uh, wish this was
a door, first of all.
Oh, my gosh.
- Wow.
- This is so cool.
This is a nice size.
If you get rid of some
of the fixtures,
the granite countertops,
it could save you
about $1,000.
- Wow.
- All right, guys.
Let's go take
a look at your bedroom.
You got to really watch
your step here.
Oh, my gosh.
This is tight.
Holy moly.
The bed is, like,
super small, first of all.
But I think
there's enough room
that we could get maybe
a queen in here.
But our dogs,
I'm a little worried
about them making
the climb up here.
- It's kind of-- kind of narrow.
- Or falling off.
Or falling off.
So there's this loft.
And looks like there's
another one over there.
Yeah, how do you
even get up there?
Just pull that
marine ladder down.
And then that's the way
you can access the second loft.
Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, man.
- Can you do it?
That looks so sketchy.
I wouldn't ever get up there.
It was so scary
and so hard to use.
The average person
just couldn't climb it.
Yeah. I don't know
how I feel about this.
I'm so blown away
by the, uh, space.
It wasn't really
what I expected.
But it's got the curb appeal.
Maybe a little less wood
- would have been better.
- I really love the kitchen.
The storage is wonderful.
That marine ladder situation
is just so not
functional for us.
But then also,
the waiting two months for it.
- Sure.
- Because we're trying
to figure out
our living situation.
And our friends will have to,
like, put us up for longer.
We're just so concerned
about the budget.
It really does come down
to if we can get to $18,000.
A.J. is showing them a home
with a price tag
that's easier to swallow.
But you get what you pay for.
There's some stuff going
on here with the windows.
Do you know
what's going on there?
It's vintage is
what's going on there.
Lake Austin.
Yeah, this is beautiful.
- I kind of want a boat now.
- We need a tiny house first.
One thing at a time.
Wanting to pay off student loans
and live debt-free,
married couple Meri Sue and M.J.
are crashing with friends
while they look
for their very own tiny home
in Austin, Texas.
Real estate agent A.J. Abrams
has shown them
a contemporary model cottage
that they both loved.
But it's well above
their $18,000 budget.
And though they could customize
it to bring down the cost,
the house wouldn't be ready
for at least 6 weeks.
This is cool.
With budget in mind,
A.J. is now taking them
to see something
a little less updated.
- This is an Airstream.
- Wow.
Today, I'm showing Meri Sue
and M.J. a retro camper.
It fits right at their budget.
But it is a little bit
of a fixer-upper.
- It's vintage. Yeah.
- It's vintage.
It's got the curbside appeal.
- What year is this?
- It was built in, uh, 1976.
- Oh. Wow.
- Um, and let me tell you this.
- It's 188 square feet.
- Okay.
So it's right at your budget,
right at $18,000.
- Wow, that's awesome.
- That's great.
It's definitely
a timeless piece.
I mean, it looks like
it's gonna be
a bit of a fixer upper,
- you know?
- Just a little bit.
What is this made out of?
This is interesting.
It's actually, um, aluminum.
Wow. I notice some stuff
going on here with the windows.
It's kind of concerning
a bit.
Do you know
what's going on there?
It's vintage
is what's going on there.
That's true.
I just don't know
how I feel about this.
I like that it's vintage.
But aesthetically, yeah,
it's a fixer upper for sure.
Wow. This looks a lot
different than I expected.
- This is neat.
- You like it, don't you?
- I really like it.
- Yeah.
Doesn't it feel like
you're in a submarine a bit?
I mean, the curved walls.
- Yeah.
- You're my shipmate.
Okay.
So, this window,
I can definitely tell
that it's old.
- I mean, things like this?
- Yeah.
I mean, these little things
are gonna add up.
- That's money.
- Yeah, exactly.
What do you guys think about
these storage bins up here?
Those are cool.
I feel like I'm in an aircraft.
Like, this is--
that's what it feels.
It's like accordion.
I really like this
prime display space
in front of natural light.
One thing I do like
is this chandelier.
- Isn't it nice?
- Yeah.
I mean, that's pretty cool.
- Uh...
- Retro.
Okay. But now, this fixture
is, like, hideous.
- It's got to go.
- Boom.
That's not vintage.
That's just ugly.
Okay.
So this is
obviously the same
that's going on the outside
that we saw right there.
Right. Right.
With the tint, yeah.
That's not very attractive.
No, I don't even know
what to do about that.
- Do you?
- Maybe we could replace
the windows over time
or something like that.
Eventually. But I have no idea
when we'd be able to do that,
because there's just no room
in our budget right now.
There's still so many things
that need to be fixed or updated
that I'm just afraid
it's gonna be a money pit.
It'd be a really tight
squeeze to try to get,
like, a desk or a table in here.
This comes up.
- Wow. Look at that.
- Oh, okay.
So there's a lot
of storage in here.
Yeah, absolutely.
What do you guys
think of your kitchen?
Um, this looks really old.
It is old.
Ew. Does it work?
I promise you
it does work.
Okay, what-- what is this?
You know what?
That was something
that was incorporated years ago
when this was built.
It has a blender
and a knife sharpener.
And those are the items
that you can use
- to plug in right there.
- Oh, my gosh.
If it worked, it would be
a pretty cool feature.
Okay. Doesn't work.
That's old-school for sure.
- That's really old school.
- Okay.
- Okay. So this is the closet?
- This is the closet.
Look at how much space
you guys have.
- This is actually pretty nice.
- Some more storage.
Okay. Wow, man.
Look at this wallpaper, though.
It is funky.
- That's weird.
- And if you guys
look to your left,
you'll see
your master bathroom.
And it does have
a stand-up shower.
- Retro.
- It's a shower.
Yeah, from the '70s.
These fixtures
are so outdated.
Not even a cool
kind of vintage that I like.
Look, there's even
a sliding door right here.
- Oh.
- See you later.
Guys, let's take a look
at your bedroom.
- Go ahead.
- Oh, my gosh.
This is so tight.
I like the curveness
of the room.
It's definitely the most
unique bedroom
I've ever been in.
This is actually
kind of modern looking.
Yeah. I mean,
it's really cool.
It has its pros and cons.
- Yeah, it does.
- I liked it.
The kitchen was really great.
I really liked how roomy it was
and the extra counter space.
But the appliances
are original,
which is a little concerning.
The display space, like,
there wasn't as much.
But I could see
some opportunities
to put some cool things,
some more, like, pictures.
But I don't have a work space.
That's one big thing.
And the bathroom
is really tight.
I can't believe
I'm saying this.
But I think it may be
a little too vintage.
There's still a lot of things
that need to be done to it.
And it's already
at the top of our budget.
A.J. is now showing
Meri Sue and M.J.
something they can
move into right away.
That is insane.
That's crazy.
What do you think, Luke?
Do you like it?
Recent Austin, Texas,
transplants M.J. and Meri Sue
want to pay down
student loan debt
to have the freedom
to enjoy life as they choose.
They're downsizing
and searching for a tiny home
that's move-in ready
and has enough space.
They both love the craftsmanship
and charm
of a 194-square-foot
contemporary model cabin.
But it's well above
their $18,000 budget
and would take 6
to 8 weeks to have built.
They've also seen a retro camper
with plenty of vintage style
for Meri Sue.
But while it's
within their budget,
it would need lots
of potentially costly updating.
- Hmm.
- That is cool.
Hey, guys.
How's it going?
Today, their real estate
agent, A.J. Abrams,
is taking them to see a more
move-in ready tiny option.
- What do you guys think?
- It's a camper!
It's not exactly
the curbside appeal
that you were looking
for, though.
- But it is really big.
- It's really big.
You get 220 square feet.
That's actually
more than we wanted,
Yeah, that's great.
- So what's the price on this guy?
- Yeah.
Honestly, it's a little
out of our budget.
It's $23,000.
Oh, man.
That's more than a little.
- Yeah, that's a lot.
- I know.
This place is move-in ready.
And it will justify the price.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, my gosh.
This is gorgeous.
This is amazing.
This is pretty modern.
And look at how white
everything is.
This is really cool, too, M.J...
This is, like, desk, work space.
- Oh, this is perfect.
- Yeah.
Go ahead and flip that up.
Oh, this is great.
- Now you have your work space.
- Oh, wow.
Oh, cool.
Oh, this is nice.
The floor
is not my favorite.
But I think it would work
really well for the dogs
'cause a lot of dirt,
like, it won't show up.
- Right.
- So that's kind of nice.
I'm okay with seeing something
a bit more updated.
And from the little research
that I have done,
I've seen a huge resell value
in this type of camper.
For a camper, it doesn't
even feel like a camper.
No, it doesn't.
Like, the outside does not
do the inside justice.
- Let's talk about the kitchen.
- The stovetop's nice.
It's only two burners.
But It's still a stovetop,
which makes a difference.
And then they've got
a little convection oven.
Yeah, that is nice.
What is this right here?
- Yeah, this is gorgeous.
- Believe it or not,
this is contact paper
made to look like marble.
I don't mind it.
For me, I guess,
as an architect,
I'd like more real materials.
- Right, okay.
- This space is so big.
- It's so functional.
- Let me give you an idea
of what it would look like
if we had to put that in.
Oh, my gosh.
That is insane.
That's crazy.
This is
getting a little creepy!
Wow. Can we open
this up now, you think?
It's a bit tight
in here now.
You guys feeling
a little claustrophobic?
Say if you guys like
having people over,
- they want to stay the night.
- Yes, for sure.
They have even
more space now.
Oh, my goodness.
That is so fantastic.
You can just have
another queen-size bed.
- Yes.
- That is so great.
Love it.
Down this way
is your master bedroom.
Master. I like it.
- Oh, wow. That's cool.
- Open that one right there.
- Okay.
- More storage.
Oh, it's a little closet
space here maybe.
That is a lot of storage.
- There is. I got to try it out.
- You got to test it out?
Oh, my gosh.
I'm all about just
living it up right now.
Meri Sue, take it
for a test drive.
Uh, no, I'm okay.
And, guys, you technically
do have an en suite.
- Wow.
- Okay.
Oh, wow.
This is really cool.
Yeah, this is a lot bigger
than I thought
you could get a bathroom
in a camper.
It's really pretty, too.
And the shower's,
like, to die for.
This is probably
my favorite part so far.
I really, really like it.
One thing I really
liked was the kitchen.
But there wasn't
a lot of counter space.
The bedroom and having
the en suite was really cool.
But what about the exterior?
That's one thing
I'm kind of hung up on.
Yeah, it doesn't have
that curbside appeal.
And it's still
$5,000 over our budget.
$5,000 is a lot.
The whole point of this
is to cancel our debt.
It just doesn't really make
sense to go that much over.
Ready to move out
of their friends' place,
it's time for M.J.
and Meri Sue to decide
which of the tiny homes
feels right.
We need to talk
tiny house.
Our house hunters
are upgrading to tiny houses.
Austin, Texas, couple Meri Sue
and M.J. want to live debt-free
and are staying with friends
until they find a tiny home.
They have a budget of $18,000.
And it's time for them to decide
which tiny option feels
right for them.
- We need to talk tiny house.
- Yes.
I want to talk about
the contemporary cabin first.
- Okay.
- I just loved it.
It did have
the dedicated work space.
Right.
And the kitchen was fantastic.
Yes. It is very spacious,
194 square feet.
But it is $26,000,
way over our budget.
You know, I'm really also
concerned about the timeline.
And we need to find
either new friends
or compromise with our friends
right now
- that we're living with.
- That's true.
I want to talk
about the retro camper.
I loved it.
But it was still a camper.
And I don't know
how homey it felt inside.
At 188 square feet,
it's already at the top
of our budget at $18,000.
It's got that curbside
appeal that you like.
Yes, definitely
curbside appeal.
Definitely character.
Timeless design.
But, I mean,
all those old fixtures,
we'd still have
to update those.
And it's already
at the top of our budget.
It's so old, I don't know what
we're getting into with that.
So I don't know
how comfortable I feel.
Let's talk about
the updated camper.
I know the outside
wasn't the curb appeal
that we were really wanting.
But the inside, I mean,
it's already got
everything we want.
It's the contemporary style
that you really like.
At 220 square feet,
it gave us the most room
out of all of them.
But it's still over
our budget at $23,000.
- So I don't know.
- I think that
for the budget that it is,
it's definitely
the most move-in ready.
And then the en suite
was pretty cool.
That was really nice.
Okay.
We need to make a decision.
I know we do.
Let's go
with the retro camper.
Okay?
We want to try to cancel
our debts as soon as possible.
Over time, we can update
certain fixtures.
It doesn't have to be
all of them at once.
I actually agree with you.
I think in the end,
if the biggest reason
why we're doing this
is for financial reasons,
we should probably
stay at our budget.
Awesome.
So should we call A.J.?
- Yeah, I think we should.
- Okay, I'm gonna text him.
Okay. Well, I'm gonna eat
my taco, 'cause it's cold now.
Nice.
- Yeah.
- Putting you to work.
Yeah, someone's got to iron
my shirts over here.
Just kidding.
We've been in the camper
about a month.
They were asking $18,000.
We paid $18,000.
And it has definitely
been an adjustment.
- Yeah.
- For sure.
M.J. loves the modern,
contemporary feel.
And the Airstream
is just so timeless
that it kind of
fits both of us.
It's a sleek design.
But at the same time,
it's old.
It's retro. It's vintage.
And so, I don't know.
It just kind of meets us
in the middle.
Eventually, I would
really like to update
the whole kitchen
and bathroom.
It's just
such a big project
that we'd have to have someone
come in and do it.
As you can see,
there's no table or work space.
So right now,
we're using our day bed
as our dedicated
work space.
We kept the swag lamp.
Yes. That's my favorite.
The dogs
are having a hard time
getting used
to the small space.
Since they're so low
to the ground,
they get kind of caught up
under our feet sometimes.
I'm so happy that we made
the move to Austin.
We got a great
group of friends here.
They have been
so encouraging to go tiny
and to just stick
with our gut on this.
I don't think
that it's for everybody.
But if you're someone
that's young
and wanting to save up
really quick...
And you have
the opportunity.
Yeah, we would highly
encourage you to do it.
- We did it.
- We did it.