Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 8 - Freedom in Going 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.
- Wow.
- What is this?
- This is the bedroom.
It's a fold-down sink.
That's so cool.
- Ho-ho-ho-ho!
- Wow. This just got weird.
But the smaller the house,
the bigger the challenge
fitting inside.
It'd be six of us up here.
Where am I gonna sleep?
This swings back.
- That's the loft.
- Whoa.
I think I see
a problem already.
Whoa, this is cool.
Yeah. I've never seen
- anything like this before.
- Yeah.
To get a foot
in California's pricey
real estate market,
Rodney and Molly
are going tiny.
Check this out. And voilà.
- Whoa.
- How much more do you want?
This, like, totally
transforms the space.
I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
But finding a home
that blends both their styles
while staying in budget
will require some compromises.
Here's your closet.
I mean, this-- this is it?
That's all you got.
Feel it comin'.
Oh, no!
Uh-oh!
Oh! There it is.
- I'm Rodney.
- And I'm Molly.
And we live
in Gilroy, California.
I'm a substitute teacher.
And I'm a student
studying animation.
The main reason we love
this area so much
is because it's 30 minutes
to the beach,
an hour and a half
to San Francisco,
which we go often.
We love to just be outside.
- We like to ride bikes.
- Hike.
Hike. Going skiing, snowboarding,
which we obviously like
to do in the winter,
so we love it.
Rodney and I have two cats.
Uh, their names
are Maggie and Mochi,
and they're 4 years old.
Rodney and Molly have
been staying with his sister
while they look
for a place of their own.
But the area's
steep housing market
has got them
thinking creatively.
We want to go tiny
because we want
to just really live
a simple lifestyle
and just not have to be
shackled to our jobs
and worry about,
like, big mortgage.
Right now,
in Northern California,
rent is just crazy.
We want
to spend time outside
and just appreciate nature
and everything.
And it just was really
important for us
not to work 60-plus hours
a week
just in order
to make ends meet.
What I kind of like about
the idea... Mm-hmm.
...is I wouldn't want
to buy a house right now
because I don't know where
we're gonna be in the next,
like, 5, 10, 15 years.
Yeah, I mean, we're young.
We're-- we're not ready
to settle roots yet.
Right. So having one that we can
move would be really cool.
When we buy our tiny house,
uh, I think we're gonna keep it
at my parents' house
for a little bit
until we can save
and buy land of our own.
The budget for our tiny house
is $60,000.
I would definitely be willing
to spend a little bit more
on our tiny house
if it's something that--
that we're in love with and...
Something that comes
furnished maybe.
Something that came furnished,
if it was--
the price was
a little bit higher,
that would be--
that would be nice, too.
It's important for us to find
a furnished tiny house
because it's hard enough
to find furniture
that fits your regular house,
let alone a tiny house.
I'm kind of looking for, like,
a industrial type of house.
Uh, something with, like,
interesting metal and,
like, wood textures.
I'm looking for more
of a farmhouse kind of style
and has the natural
sustainable wood hopefully,
um, but--
but has that nice big farmhouse
sink would be awesome.
That's one thing that I wouldn't
want to compromise is,
like, I want a kitchen.
Gotta have, like,
- a full-sized stove.
- Yeah.
A washer and dryer
is important to me
because I don't want
to have to, like,
go down to the river
to wash my clothes every time
I need a new fresh
pair of underwear.
So how about
entertaining people?
I mean, how are we gonna fit
everyone in that little space?
Yeah, I-I thought of that, too.
I mean, as long as we have,
like, a nice outdoor area with,
like, music and,
you know, light.
I wanna spend
more time outdoors.
Yeah. Definitely.
Trying to do that anyway.
And I think we can do it.
I think I'm looking for
a slightly larger tiny house,
probably something more like
in the 300 square feet range.
I love the idea
of us going tiny.
But what about the cats?
That is true.
I just wanna make sure
that the cats have their own
little area to relax.
- A catio or something.
- Or building a catio, yeah.
So they transition
into being outdoor cats.
- Yeah. That's, uh...
- Yeah, that one's pretty cool.
- Yeah.
- The ladder is the only thing.
Um, kind of want stairs.
Guiding them on their search
is family friend Israel Gonzalez
who, lucky for them,
happens to be
a real estate broker.
I'm excited for Israel
to help us.
Um, I think he'll do
a really good job.
- He-- he knows us pretty well.
- Definitely does his homework.
- Yeah. He-- he knows his stuff.
- He's gonna find great places.
He knows our styles.
Our friends have actually
been very supportive
for us to go tiny.
I guess everyone just thinks
that the rent out here
is crazy enough to do
something like this.
Home prices in the Bay Area
right now are crazy high,
so tiny homes just makes
a lot more sense.
Israel's starting them off
with an industrial style home
that's big on
repurposed materials.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Whoa, this is cool.
Yeah. I've never seen
anything like this before.
Yeah. Is that
a shipping container?
I think so.
- Hey, Israel.
- Hey, Rodney.
- How's it goin'?
- It's goin' well.
- Good, how are you?
- How are you doin' today?
- Good. It's great to see you.
- Yeah.
So we have
- a swanky box house today.
- All right.
- Okay.
- Made out of
a storage container.
Oh. That's--
Yeah, you were right.
240 square feet, $75,000.
- Wow. Okay.
- Okay.
That's comin' in
a little over budget.
It is a bit over budget.
- It's got a big kitchen.
- Okay.
High-end finishes
and high tech.
It's not fully furnished, Molly,
but it is move-in ready.
Okay. That's good.
And I noticed
it's not on wheels.
But it's a shipping container.
So how would we transport it?
It's not the easiest thing
to move,
but it's not the hardest.
The-- the seller will
actually move it for you.
The top comes apart.
- Okay.
- Shouldn't be a big deal.
Okay.
Wow. I really like it.
It-- it feels
a little small, have to say.
I mean, we are in
a shipping container.
It's-- I can't really
see us entertaining,
having friends over, if this is
supposed to be the living room.
Do you want a little
more square footage?
- I would love some.
- All right.
Well, check this out.
- Whoa.
- Voilà.
- All right.
- That's so cool.
How much more do you want?
- It's amazing.
- Build a deck.
And you have
extra square footage.
- Yeah.
- On a nice day,
can you imagine
just opening those up?
Yeah. I mean, this, like,
totally transforms the space.
I love this.
It does have a lot of space.
It's-- it's not
a full-size oven,
but, you know,
it is a little small.
I don't even know if you can fit
a whole cookie sheet in there.
- But...
- Yeah, a little hen.
Yeah. One thing I do
really want in our house
is a farmhouse sink,
and I don't see it.
Yeah. This sink
is more my style.
- It is.
- Well, what about
the refrigerator?
- Look how big this is.
- I saw that.
- That is huge.
- Yeah.
That is a great size.
Yeah. Cabinet space, too.
- Yeah. Tons of storage.
- Plenty of space.
There's a full-size bathroom
I think you guys are gonna like.
- All right.
- I like it.
Ideal size for
a tiny house, huh?
- Not bad, right?
- Yeah.
- I like the marble.
- Yeah. It feels really clean.
Um, and I like the,
uh, silver finishes.
Yeah, your style.
Well, let's take
a look at the loft.
There's your stairs.
- Oh, wow.
- All right.
Okay. Quite an ordeal. But...
I mean,
they are stairs, though.
There's-- That's stairs, yeah.
- No ladder.
- You were looking for that.
Every time you want
to go upstairs,
you have to pull that out
and pull it back up.
And, you know, it's just not
something I wanna do.
Wow. Lot of room up here.
Yeah. This is awesome.
Feels like
a full-size bedroom.
I know it's separated
from the rest of the home,
but it does open up
to a great patio.
- Whoa.
- Pretty cool over here, huh?
This is incredible.
I mean, how often do you see
a built-in patio
in a tiny house?
- Or do we call it a catio?
- I think--
I think
- it's officially a catio.
- I think it's a catio.
- Okay.
- Because, you know,
part of this space
would be perfect
for the cats.
And we can-- it's so big
we can still have room for us.
I love the patio,
and I love how it incorporates
that indoor/outdoor feel
that we're looking for.
- Mm-hmm.
And plus it
has a cool bedroom.
How-- how often
do you see that?
But to get up in there,
it's kind of scary,
and it-- I don't like it.
I love the kitchen.
I mean, the appliances
are a little bit small.
But they're stainless steel.
And I think we could
really entertain in here.
Yeah. I mean, I-I love that
the double doors open.
That's something
you don't see a lot.
To have that
extra space is great.
Yeah. I love
the industrial style.
It has a lot of the things
that I was looking for.
And I know that it
doesn't necessarily
have everything
that you were looking for,
but it has a couple things
that tie in together.
Yeah.
Israel's found
something exactly Molly's style,
but it could be missing
some key features.
- I mean, this-- this is it?
- That's all you got.
Are we-- are we crazy
for doin' this?
I-I think so.
But a good kind of crazy.
Hoping to spend less
time working to pay rent
and more time
enjoying the outdoors,
Molly and Rodney
are looking to buy
a tiny house
in Gilroy, California.
They'll be placing the house
on Molly's parents' land.
Their friend, Israel Gonzalez,
who's also a real estate broker,
has shown them a 240-square-foot
modified shipping container
that has Rodney's
industrial style
and an outside patio
for their two cats.
But it's over their $60,000
budget, isn't furnished,
and a ladder to the bedroom
is a concern for Molly.
Today, they're seeing
something that's
more Molly's farmhouse style.
- Oh, my God.
- Wow.
That's so pretty.
Yeah. This is definitely
that farmhouse style
you're looking for.
Yeah. I-I love it.
- Hi, Israel.
- You guys ready?
I'm ready.
It's 250 square feet
with a 1-bedroom loft.
- 250? Kind of...
- A little small for you?
- Yeah, little small.
- Little small.
It's priced at $69,000.
I know it's a little
over your budget.
- Okay.
- But it does
come fully furnished.
And I did notice it's on wheels.
So can we move it?
Totally mobile.
You can pull it
with a large SUV.
Awesome.
- Oh, wow.
- Wow, yeah.
Is this nice or what?
- This is really nice.
- Yeah.
Definitely has
that farmhouse look.
Yeah, it does. It does.
It definitely looks more
like what Molly's looking for.
I don't see
the industrial touches.
That's sort of a drag.
I don't know exactly where
the cat food would go.
Well, we'll have
to build that catio.
That's a good point, yeah.
That would be something
that we really have to do now.
- Their own little tiny house.
- Yeah.
The table.
Having friends over.
Can definitely, you know,
we can cooking.
Our friends could be
sittin' down,
waitin' for their meal.
- I could see it.
- Yeah. I love the kitchen.
- Yeah.
The farmhouse sink
that I wanted so badly.
Wow, yeah. You got
your farmhouse sink.
- Yeah. This is awesome.
- Full-size stove right here.
I love it.
What are these, uh,
in the walls here?
- Air conditioning units?
- These are actually heaters.
Is there an A/C unit in here?
- No, no A/C.
- No A/C.
- Yeah.
- Mm. That's kind of a bummer.
Full-size refrigerator.
And over here
is a nice little area
that maybe you can
put that washer and dryer
that you were
looking for, Rodney.
Doesn't look like
there's a hook-up for it.
Seems kind of like
a lot of work.
It's just kind of a bummer.
I don't want to have to go down
to the river
to wash my chonies.
So this loft has a queen-size
bed for you, Molly.
Oh, wow. I do like the loft.
But the only thing
I'm a little worried about is,
you know, if--
if you have to do homework,
or you have to go
to sleep early
and wake up for school
the next day,
and I have friends
over or something,
it's not a whole lot of privacy.
- No.
- Well, you could fix that
by just putting
a wall right here.
That's true.
Love the stairs.
- All right. So...
- So bathroom's over this way?
You're going to love
this bathroom.
- All right. I'm excited.
- All right.
- Wow. That's pretty big.
- Right?
- I'm impressed.
- It is, huh.
Yeah, definitely.
Full-size sink with little,
uh, backsplash there.
- Yeah. I love that.
- Wow, that's pretty nice.
- And the copper detail.
- And the copper.
Kind of gives it that
industrial look a little bit
- Yeah, it does.
- ...that you're looking for.
And the shower looks like
it's a decent size as well.
So now let's take
a look at the closet.
All right.
I'm a little nervous.
This is the closet.
I mean, this-- this is it?
That's all you got.
I have never seen
a closet that small.
I have no idea how we would
downsize that much.
There is no closet.
I don't know where two people
would put their stuff.
I know tiny living is
what we're goin' for,
but that is absurd.
I really like it overall.
Uh, one thing that--
that comes to mind
is the closet, of course.
- Right.
- That's gonna be
really hard to adjust.
- Right.
- I obviously
the farmhouse, you know,
that kind of rustic feel,
and it--
it kind of ties into
your industrial a little bit.
- Yeah.
- Maybe not as much
as you want it to.
It definitely has those
industrial touches.
The only thing is I wish
it had a washer and dryer.
That's kind of
a deal breaker for me.
And then the only last thing
is the-- the privacy.
You know, the bed
is right there,
right in top of the kitchen.
So it-- that might
be kind of hard to--
- to get used to.
- Yeah, separate
the different areas.
I think the cons,
you can fix.
But the closet space,
I mean,
that's something that you guys
are gonna have to work with.
Yeah, that's-- that's kind of
a huge thing that might be--
more difficult than we think.
Israel's showing them
a house with more space,
but the style
could be an issue.
I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
Whoever gets a strike first
gets to-- maybe not pick
the tiny house,
but they definitely get it--
- Outside color.
The outside color. Okay.
Looking to escape
the rising rents
in the Bay Area,
Molly, a substitute teacher,
and Rodney,
an animation student,
have $60,000 to buy a tiny home
on wheels that they can place
on Molly's parents' land
in Gilroy, California.
They've seen a 240-square-foot
shipping container
that has the industrial style
Rodney loves,
and the patio is perfect
for their two cats.
But it doesn't have
enough room inside
to have their friends over.
Next was a slightly larger
tiny farmhouse
that was perfect for Molly.
But like the shipping container,
it lacked the washer and dryer
Rodney's looking for.
And it wasn't
his industrial style.
Plus, it has limited
closet space.
Friend and real estate broker
Israel Gonzalez
is showing them something that
blends both of their styles.
- It's really cute!
- Wow. I like it.
- Me, too. Hey, Israel.
- Hey, guys. How's it goin'?
- Good, how are you?
- Good, good.
- Good to see you.
- 300 square feet.
- Two lofts.
- Oh.
- Washer and dryer.
- Nice.
- Whoa, all right.
- Priced at $75,000.
- Okay. Little bit...
- Little over our budget.
Yeah, definitely.
- It come furnished?
- Fully furnished.
Okay. Well, that helps
a little bit.
But it is
kind of over our budget.
- Yeah.
- And you can easily
pull it with a 1-ton truck.
Okay. So we can move
- this one as well.
- Yeah.
Oh, my gosh.
Wow.
- This is really nice.
- This is definitely my style.
- Yeah. Definitely.
- Nice, right?
I really like this
exposed metal beam.
That really gives it
that industrial feel.
I see us
snuggling up with a book.
It's a little small.
It's not--
I would maybe want
some windows in here.
I mean, there's that one,
but, this wall,
I kind of would like some
natural light would be cool.
Yeah, you can easily
put a window here.
Molly thinks that the living
room is a little bit cramped.
I think it's completely fine.
There's plenty
of overhead space.
And there's plenty of space
to just stand around
if we do have a party.
It's a foldable couch.
So it turns into a bed.
- Awesome.
- Oh, cool.
- Yeah.
- For when people sleep over.
Yeah. That's really cool.
Ooh, I really like
these kitchen counters.
- Looks like you can move this.
- Exactly.
- Yeah.
- Move it around.
- Wow. Yeah.
- That's really cool.
I love the amount
of counter space that's in here.
- It's really nice.
- Is that sink chic or what?
- The chicest.
- Yeah. Full oven, too.
Stove. Propane. That's awesome.
- And there's a microwave.
- Look at the storage, though.
It's-- The wine glasses rack.
It's-- it's awesome.
And this fridge is really nice.
- Nice size fridge.
- Plenty of space.
Yeah. And I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
I kind of like that white
- farmhouse style.
- Mm-hmm.
But it feels comfortable
with both of us in it, too.
Yeah. I don't feel like we're
running into each other.
Yeah. There's plenty of space
for us to have guests.
- Mm-hmm.
- I do notice, you know,
there's a lot of space in here.
- Yeah.
- Pretty--
a lot of a tiny house.
- And...
- And... da, da, da.
Washer and dryer.
There you go.
Oh, is that a dual kind of
- washer and dryer combination?
- Yeah.
Wow. And the shower is awesome.
You know what?
I did notice there's tons
of cupboard space and storage.
Got it?
Got it.
That-- that is one thing,
that is the stairs.
You know, I do want
those stairs.
- Yeah.
- It is kind of a little bit
troublesome for you to have
to pick up the-- the ladder.
- It is a bit of a hassle.
- Right?
- Very wide.
- Wow, yeah.
This does feel
pretty spacious for a loft.
Yeah, it does.
It looks like there's
some space for your storage,
maybe a small, uh, closet.
- Yeah, that's true.
- This is
where you put your clothes.
It is kind of small.
And the loft across,
look at that.
I know. It looks such a--
like a cute little area.
Yeah. That would kind of take
away the issue with the ladder.
Exactly. Put some more
shelves over there.
You just store your clothes up
there and... Mm-hmm.
- Definitely.
- You don't have
to worry about guests.
- They can sleep on the couch.
- Absolutely. Yeah, that's true.
There you go.
I love the loft.
Um, not a huge fan
of having to go up
and down the stairs
every time.
Yeah, that ladder
is sort of cumbersome.
But I do like
the architectural details,
especially the exposed
metal beams.
I love that this house
has a washer and dryer.
The fact that this is move-in
ready and fully furnished,
it's definitely
on our checklist.
I-I love that part of it.
The couch is awesome,
fits the space great.
One thing that I'm not
so fond of is the living space.
We do have friends
over somewhat often.
Might be troublesome to--
to have people over and watch
movies in that small space.
With several
tiny homes to consider,
it's time for Molly and Rodney
to pick the perfect one.
I agree. This house just really
isn't that practical.
House hunting just got
a little bit smaller
with people on the hunt
for tiny homes.
Could you live
in such close quarters?
Learn more at...
- Cool.
- Yeah?
Gilroy, California,
couple Rodney and Molly
are looking to go tiny
to escape the rising rents
in the Bay Area
and spend more time
enjoying the outdoors.
With a budget of $60,000,
they've seen several
unique homes,
and it's time
to make a decision.
I love that swanky
shipping container
that's 240 square feet
for $75,000.
I mean, it's industrial style,
which, obviously, I like.
- Yeah.
- And it has that deck,
which is awesome.
We were talking about
building a catio.
That can kind of be--
- It's pretty much there already.
- That already built-in.
Plus we can enjoy it
with coffee and, you know,
cocktails when
our friends are over.
- Yeah, definitely.
- One thing
about the shipping container
is it's not
that easy to move.
The ladder to get upstairs
was kind of sketchy.
I didn't really feel safe
going up and down,
and also it's not furnished.
So we have to put that
into the budget
because it's already
$15,000 over budget.
So what do you think
of the hip farmhouse
that's 250 square feet
for $69,000?
The fact that it was fully
furnished was a huge plus.
I am a little concerned
about the size of it, though.
We would definitely
have to build a catio
or something for the cats
to have their space.
The kitchen was great.
Wish that it had
a washer and dryer.
I love that it has a closet,
but that's kind of it.
You know? I don't know where
you're gonna put your stuff.
The industrial chic house
that was $75,000
and 300 square feet
was really cool.
I really liked the--
the kitchenette.
I feel like that one really tied
our styles in together well.
- And it has a washer and dryer.
- Yeah.
Which is definitely something
on the top of my checklist.
I'm glad that it had a couch
and a separate living room,
but it was kind of tight.
And the ladder to get
into the loft was--
was kind of hard.
You know, you have to--
Every time you wanna go
to either loft,
you have to move the ladder.
The swanky shipping container
is really cool.
But it doesn't have
a lot of living space.
Yeah, I agree. This house just
really isn't that practical.
The industrial chic house
is really cool.
The ladder would be
very difficult
to move back and forth.
Might be kind of a problem.
Yeah.
Does that mean that we're going
with the hip farmhouse?
I think it does.
Yeah. I mean, I could
totally see us livin' there.
- Totally.
- It's small.
But the space is just really
utilized well.
Absolutely. It just--
Everything is perfect about it.
See. It's easy.
Yeah. Decent amount
- of storage underneath there.
- Definitely.
I think we chose this house
because it's a nice blend
of both of our styles.
It's a little bit
more farmhouse,
but it does have
industrial touches.
The final purchase price
was $69,000.
We have been living
in the tiny house
for a month and a half.
It was a little overwhelming,
having to downsize
as much as we did.
We had a lot of stuff
that we didn't realize,
until moving out
of our apartment,
how much stuff
we actually had.
Oh. This-- See. We--
we found room for your clothes.
You know, it wasn't
that big of a deal.
- Yeah, a couple things.
- Yeah.
Luckily, there's storage
- underneath the couch.
- Yeah.
In the beginning,
it was hard going tiny
because we had
so many things.
But we adjusted.
We got rid of things.
And we kind of made
the space our own.
I had to compromise
on the washer and dryer.
But now
that we've moved here,
I realize that goin' to
the laundromat every week
is really not
that big of a deal.
I never thought that
we would actually have, like,
be able to have
a full-functioning,
like, fridge
- and stove and oven.
- Yeah.
And, like,
what would we ever want more?
- So...
- Yeah.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- I think the cats like it.
- They love the stairs.
It's like we almost don't
even have to build a catio
because it's kind of built in.
We're in the process
of building a catio.
So we're really excited
to get them in there.
- Pretty good.
- It's really nice.
Yeah. The kitchen's
nice and spacious.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
And it's small enough
so that we could transport it,
you know, take it anywhere
we need couple next--
in the next couple years.
- Mm-hmm.
I'm really excited for
the future with the tiny house.
It affords us opportunities financially.
We can hang out
with friends on weekends.
Living in this house is, like,
the best thing ever.
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.
- Ho-ho-ho-ho!
- 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.
- That's the loft.
- Whoa.
I think I see
a problem already.
Whoa, this is cool.
Yeah. I've never seen
- anything like this before.
- Yeah.
To get a foot
in California's pricey
real estate market,
Rodney and Molly
are going tiny.
Check this out. And voilà.
- Whoa.
- How much more do you want?
This, like, totally
transforms the space.
I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
But finding a home
that blends both their styles
while staying in budget
will require some compromises.
Here's your closet.
I mean, this-- this is it?
That's all you got.
Feel it comin'.
Oh, no!
Uh-oh!
Oh! There it is.
- I'm Rodney.
- And I'm Molly.
And we live
in Gilroy, California.
I'm a substitute teacher.
And I'm a student
studying animation.
The main reason we love
this area so much
is because it's 30 minutes
to the beach,
an hour and a half
to San Francisco,
which we go often.
We love to just be outside.
- We like to ride bikes.
- Hike.
Hike. Going skiing, snowboarding,
which we obviously like
to do in the winter,
so we love it.
Rodney and I have two cats.
Uh, their names
are Maggie and Mochi,
and they're 4 years old.
Rodney and Molly have
been staying with his sister
while they look
for a place of their own.
But the area's
steep housing market
has got them
thinking creatively.
We want to go tiny
because we want
to just really live
a simple lifestyle
and just not have to be
shackled to our jobs
and worry about,
like, big mortgage.
Right now,
in Northern California,
rent is just crazy.
We want
to spend time outside
and just appreciate nature
and everything.
And it just was really
important for us
not to work 60-plus hours
a week
just in order
to make ends meet.
What I kind of like about
the idea... Mm-hmm.
...is I wouldn't want
to buy a house right now
because I don't know where
we're gonna be in the next,
like, 5, 10, 15 years.
Yeah, I mean, we're young.
We're-- we're not ready
to settle roots yet.
Right. So having one that we can
move would be really cool.
When we buy our tiny house,
uh, I think we're gonna keep it
at my parents' house
for a little bit
until we can save
and buy land of our own.
The budget for our tiny house
is $60,000.
I would definitely be willing
to spend a little bit more
on our tiny house
if it's something that--
that we're in love with and...
Something that comes
furnished maybe.
Something that came furnished,
if it was--
the price was
a little bit higher,
that would be--
that would be nice, too.
It's important for us to find
a furnished tiny house
because it's hard enough
to find furniture
that fits your regular house,
let alone a tiny house.
I'm kind of looking for, like,
a industrial type of house.
Uh, something with, like,
interesting metal and,
like, wood textures.
I'm looking for more
of a farmhouse kind of style
and has the natural
sustainable wood hopefully,
um, but--
but has that nice big farmhouse
sink would be awesome.
That's one thing that I wouldn't
want to compromise is,
like, I want a kitchen.
Gotta have, like,
- a full-sized stove.
- Yeah.
A washer and dryer
is important to me
because I don't want
to have to, like,
go down to the river
to wash my clothes every time
I need a new fresh
pair of underwear.
So how about
entertaining people?
I mean, how are we gonna fit
everyone in that little space?
Yeah, I-I thought of that, too.
I mean, as long as we have,
like, a nice outdoor area with,
like, music and,
you know, light.
I wanna spend
more time outdoors.
Yeah. Definitely.
Trying to do that anyway.
And I think we can do it.
I think I'm looking for
a slightly larger tiny house,
probably something more like
in the 300 square feet range.
I love the idea
of us going tiny.
But what about the cats?
That is true.
I just wanna make sure
that the cats have their own
little area to relax.
- A catio or something.
- Or building a catio, yeah.
So they transition
into being outdoor cats.
- Yeah. That's, uh...
- Yeah, that one's pretty cool.
- Yeah.
- The ladder is the only thing.
Um, kind of want stairs.
Guiding them on their search
is family friend Israel Gonzalez
who, lucky for them,
happens to be
a real estate broker.
I'm excited for Israel
to help us.
Um, I think he'll do
a really good job.
- He-- he knows us pretty well.
- Definitely does his homework.
- Yeah. He-- he knows his stuff.
- He's gonna find great places.
He knows our styles.
Our friends have actually
been very supportive
for us to go tiny.
I guess everyone just thinks
that the rent out here
is crazy enough to do
something like this.
Home prices in the Bay Area
right now are crazy high,
so tiny homes just makes
a lot more sense.
Israel's starting them off
with an industrial style home
that's big on
repurposed materials.
- Oh, my gosh.
- Whoa, this is cool.
Yeah. I've never seen
anything like this before.
Yeah. Is that
a shipping container?
I think so.
- Hey, Israel.
- Hey, Rodney.
- How's it goin'?
- It's goin' well.
- Good, how are you?
- How are you doin' today?
- Good. It's great to see you.
- Yeah.
So we have
- a swanky box house today.
- All right.
- Okay.
- Made out of
a storage container.
Oh. That's--
Yeah, you were right.
240 square feet, $75,000.
- Wow. Okay.
- Okay.
That's comin' in
a little over budget.
It is a bit over budget.
- It's got a big kitchen.
- Okay.
High-end finishes
and high tech.
It's not fully furnished, Molly,
but it is move-in ready.
Okay. That's good.
And I noticed
it's not on wheels.
But it's a shipping container.
So how would we transport it?
It's not the easiest thing
to move,
but it's not the hardest.
The-- the seller will
actually move it for you.
The top comes apart.
- Okay.
- Shouldn't be a big deal.
Okay.
Wow. I really like it.
It-- it feels
a little small, have to say.
I mean, we are in
a shipping container.
It's-- I can't really
see us entertaining,
having friends over, if this is
supposed to be the living room.
Do you want a little
more square footage?
- I would love some.
- All right.
Well, check this out.
- Whoa.
- Voilà.
- All right.
- That's so cool.
How much more do you want?
- It's amazing.
- Build a deck.
And you have
extra square footage.
- Yeah.
- On a nice day,
can you imagine
just opening those up?
Yeah. I mean, this, like,
totally transforms the space.
I love this.
It does have a lot of space.
It's-- it's not
a full-size oven,
but, you know,
it is a little small.
I don't even know if you can fit
a whole cookie sheet in there.
- But...
- Yeah, a little hen.
Yeah. One thing I do
really want in our house
is a farmhouse sink,
and I don't see it.
Yeah. This sink
is more my style.
- It is.
- Well, what about
the refrigerator?
- Look how big this is.
- I saw that.
- That is huge.
- Yeah.
That is a great size.
Yeah. Cabinet space, too.
- Yeah. Tons of storage.
- Plenty of space.
There's a full-size bathroom
I think you guys are gonna like.
- All right.
- I like it.
Ideal size for
a tiny house, huh?
- Not bad, right?
- Yeah.
- I like the marble.
- Yeah. It feels really clean.
Um, and I like the,
uh, silver finishes.
Yeah, your style.
Well, let's take
a look at the loft.
There's your stairs.
- Oh, wow.
- All right.
Okay. Quite an ordeal. But...
I mean,
they are stairs, though.
There's-- That's stairs, yeah.
- No ladder.
- You were looking for that.
Every time you want
to go upstairs,
you have to pull that out
and pull it back up.
And, you know, it's just not
something I wanna do.
Wow. Lot of room up here.
Yeah. This is awesome.
Feels like
a full-size bedroom.
I know it's separated
from the rest of the home,
but it does open up
to a great patio.
- Whoa.
- Pretty cool over here, huh?
This is incredible.
I mean, how often do you see
a built-in patio
in a tiny house?
- Or do we call it a catio?
- I think--
I think
- it's officially a catio.
- I think it's a catio.
- Okay.
- Because, you know,
part of this space
would be perfect
for the cats.
And we can-- it's so big
we can still have room for us.
I love the patio,
and I love how it incorporates
that indoor/outdoor feel
that we're looking for.
- Mm-hmm.
And plus it
has a cool bedroom.
How-- how often
do you see that?
But to get up in there,
it's kind of scary,
and it-- I don't like it.
I love the kitchen.
I mean, the appliances
are a little bit small.
But they're stainless steel.
And I think we could
really entertain in here.
Yeah. I mean, I-I love that
the double doors open.
That's something
you don't see a lot.
To have that
extra space is great.
Yeah. I love
the industrial style.
It has a lot of the things
that I was looking for.
And I know that it
doesn't necessarily
have everything
that you were looking for,
but it has a couple things
that tie in together.
Yeah.
Israel's found
something exactly Molly's style,
but it could be missing
some key features.
- I mean, this-- this is it?
- That's all you got.
Are we-- are we crazy
for doin' this?
I-I think so.
But a good kind of crazy.
Hoping to spend less
time working to pay rent
and more time
enjoying the outdoors,
Molly and Rodney
are looking to buy
a tiny house
in Gilroy, California.
They'll be placing the house
on Molly's parents' land.
Their friend, Israel Gonzalez,
who's also a real estate broker,
has shown them a 240-square-foot
modified shipping container
that has Rodney's
industrial style
and an outside patio
for their two cats.
But it's over their $60,000
budget, isn't furnished,
and a ladder to the bedroom
is a concern for Molly.
Today, they're seeing
something that's
more Molly's farmhouse style.
- Oh, my God.
- Wow.
That's so pretty.
Yeah. This is definitely
that farmhouse style
you're looking for.
Yeah. I-I love it.
- Hi, Israel.
- You guys ready?
I'm ready.
It's 250 square feet
with a 1-bedroom loft.
- 250? Kind of...
- A little small for you?
- Yeah, little small.
- Little small.
It's priced at $69,000.
I know it's a little
over your budget.
- Okay.
- But it does
come fully furnished.
And I did notice it's on wheels.
So can we move it?
Totally mobile.
You can pull it
with a large SUV.
Awesome.
- Oh, wow.
- Wow, yeah.
Is this nice or what?
- This is really nice.
- Yeah.
Definitely has
that farmhouse look.
Yeah, it does. It does.
It definitely looks more
like what Molly's looking for.
I don't see
the industrial touches.
That's sort of a drag.
I don't know exactly where
the cat food would go.
Well, we'll have
to build that catio.
That's a good point, yeah.
That would be something
that we really have to do now.
- Their own little tiny house.
- Yeah.
The table.
Having friends over.
Can definitely, you know,
we can cooking.
Our friends could be
sittin' down,
waitin' for their meal.
- I could see it.
- Yeah. I love the kitchen.
- Yeah.
The farmhouse sink
that I wanted so badly.
Wow, yeah. You got
your farmhouse sink.
- Yeah. This is awesome.
- Full-size stove right here.
I love it.
What are these, uh,
in the walls here?
- Air conditioning units?
- These are actually heaters.
Is there an A/C unit in here?
- No, no A/C.
- No A/C.
- Yeah.
- Mm. That's kind of a bummer.
Full-size refrigerator.
And over here
is a nice little area
that maybe you can
put that washer and dryer
that you were
looking for, Rodney.
Doesn't look like
there's a hook-up for it.
Seems kind of like
a lot of work.
It's just kind of a bummer.
I don't want to have to go down
to the river
to wash my chonies.
So this loft has a queen-size
bed for you, Molly.
Oh, wow. I do like the loft.
But the only thing
I'm a little worried about is,
you know, if--
if you have to do homework,
or you have to go
to sleep early
and wake up for school
the next day,
and I have friends
over or something,
it's not a whole lot of privacy.
- No.
- Well, you could fix that
by just putting
a wall right here.
That's true.
Love the stairs.
- All right. So...
- So bathroom's over this way?
You're going to love
this bathroom.
- All right. I'm excited.
- All right.
- Wow. That's pretty big.
- Right?
- I'm impressed.
- It is, huh.
Yeah, definitely.
Full-size sink with little,
uh, backsplash there.
- Yeah. I love that.
- Wow, that's pretty nice.
- And the copper detail.
- And the copper.
Kind of gives it that
industrial look a little bit
- Yeah, it does.
- ...that you're looking for.
And the shower looks like
it's a decent size as well.
So now let's take
a look at the closet.
All right.
I'm a little nervous.
This is the closet.
I mean, this-- this is it?
That's all you got.
I have never seen
a closet that small.
I have no idea how we would
downsize that much.
There is no closet.
I don't know where two people
would put their stuff.
I know tiny living is
what we're goin' for,
but that is absurd.
I really like it overall.
Uh, one thing that--
that comes to mind
is the closet, of course.
- Right.
- That's gonna be
really hard to adjust.
- Right.
- I obviously
the farmhouse, you know,
that kind of rustic feel,
and it--
it kind of ties into
your industrial a little bit.
- Yeah.
- Maybe not as much
as you want it to.
It definitely has those
industrial touches.
The only thing is I wish
it had a washer and dryer.
That's kind of
a deal breaker for me.
And then the only last thing
is the-- the privacy.
You know, the bed
is right there,
right in top of the kitchen.
So it-- that might
be kind of hard to--
- to get used to.
- Yeah, separate
the different areas.
I think the cons,
you can fix.
But the closet space,
I mean,
that's something that you guys
are gonna have to work with.
Yeah, that's-- that's kind of
a huge thing that might be--
more difficult than we think.
Israel's showing them
a house with more space,
but the style
could be an issue.
I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
Whoever gets a strike first
gets to-- maybe not pick
the tiny house,
but they definitely get it--
- Outside color.
The outside color. Okay.
Looking to escape
the rising rents
in the Bay Area,
Molly, a substitute teacher,
and Rodney,
an animation student,
have $60,000 to buy a tiny home
on wheels that they can place
on Molly's parents' land
in Gilroy, California.
They've seen a 240-square-foot
shipping container
that has the industrial style
Rodney loves,
and the patio is perfect
for their two cats.
But it doesn't have
enough room inside
to have their friends over.
Next was a slightly larger
tiny farmhouse
that was perfect for Molly.
But like the shipping container,
it lacked the washer and dryer
Rodney's looking for.
And it wasn't
his industrial style.
Plus, it has limited
closet space.
Friend and real estate broker
Israel Gonzalez
is showing them something that
blends both of their styles.
- It's really cute!
- Wow. I like it.
- Me, too. Hey, Israel.
- Hey, guys. How's it goin'?
- Good, how are you?
- Good, good.
- Good to see you.
- 300 square feet.
- Two lofts.
- Oh.
- Washer and dryer.
- Nice.
- Whoa, all right.
- Priced at $75,000.
- Okay. Little bit...
- Little over our budget.
Yeah, definitely.
- It come furnished?
- Fully furnished.
Okay. Well, that helps
a little bit.
But it is
kind of over our budget.
- Yeah.
- And you can easily
pull it with a 1-ton truck.
Okay. So we can move
- this one as well.
- Yeah.
Oh, my gosh.
Wow.
- This is really nice.
- This is definitely my style.
- Yeah. Definitely.
- Nice, right?
I really like this
exposed metal beam.
That really gives it
that industrial feel.
I see us
snuggling up with a book.
It's a little small.
It's not--
I would maybe want
some windows in here.
I mean, there's that one,
but, this wall,
I kind of would like some
natural light would be cool.
Yeah, you can easily
put a window here.
Molly thinks that the living
room is a little bit cramped.
I think it's completely fine.
There's plenty
of overhead space.
And there's plenty of space
to just stand around
if we do have a party.
It's a foldable couch.
So it turns into a bed.
- Awesome.
- Oh, cool.
- Yeah.
- For when people sleep over.
Yeah. That's really cool.
Ooh, I really like
these kitchen counters.
- Looks like you can move this.
- Exactly.
- Yeah.
- Move it around.
- Wow. Yeah.
- That's really cool.
I love the amount
of counter space that's in here.
- It's really nice.
- Is that sink chic or what?
- The chicest.
- Yeah. Full oven, too.
Stove. Propane. That's awesome.
- And there's a microwave.
- Look at the storage, though.
It's-- The wine glasses rack.
It's-- it's awesome.
And this fridge is really nice.
- Nice size fridge.
- Plenty of space.
Yeah. And I kind of wish it was
a little bit less modern.
I kind of like that white
- farmhouse style.
- Mm-hmm.
But it feels comfortable
with both of us in it, too.
Yeah. I don't feel like we're
running into each other.
Yeah. There's plenty of space
for us to have guests.
- Mm-hmm.
- I do notice, you know,
there's a lot of space in here.
- Yeah.
- Pretty--
a lot of a tiny house.
- And...
- And... da, da, da.
Washer and dryer.
There you go.
Oh, is that a dual kind of
- washer and dryer combination?
- Yeah.
Wow. And the shower is awesome.
You know what?
I did notice there's tons
of cupboard space and storage.
Got it?
Got it.
That-- that is one thing,
that is the stairs.
You know, I do want
those stairs.
- Yeah.
- It is kind of a little bit
troublesome for you to have
to pick up the-- the ladder.
- It is a bit of a hassle.
- Right?
- Very wide.
- Wow, yeah.
This does feel
pretty spacious for a loft.
Yeah, it does.
It looks like there's
some space for your storage,
maybe a small, uh, closet.
- Yeah, that's true.
- This is
where you put your clothes.
It is kind of small.
And the loft across,
look at that.
I know. It looks such a--
like a cute little area.
Yeah. That would kind of take
away the issue with the ladder.
Exactly. Put some more
shelves over there.
You just store your clothes up
there and... Mm-hmm.
- Definitely.
- You don't have
to worry about guests.
- They can sleep on the couch.
- Absolutely. Yeah, that's true.
There you go.
I love the loft.
Um, not a huge fan
of having to go up
and down the stairs
every time.
Yeah, that ladder
is sort of cumbersome.
But I do like
the architectural details,
especially the exposed
metal beams.
I love that this house
has a washer and dryer.
The fact that this is move-in
ready and fully furnished,
it's definitely
on our checklist.
I-I love that part of it.
The couch is awesome,
fits the space great.
One thing that I'm not
so fond of is the living space.
We do have friends
over somewhat often.
Might be troublesome to--
to have people over and watch
movies in that small space.
With several
tiny homes to consider,
it's time for Molly and Rodney
to pick the perfect one.
I agree. This house just really
isn't that practical.
House hunting just got
a little bit smaller
with people on the hunt
for tiny homes.
Could you live
in such close quarters?
Learn more at...
- Cool.
- Yeah?
Gilroy, California,
couple Rodney and Molly
are looking to go tiny
to escape the rising rents
in the Bay Area
and spend more time
enjoying the outdoors.
With a budget of $60,000,
they've seen several
unique homes,
and it's time
to make a decision.
I love that swanky
shipping container
that's 240 square feet
for $75,000.
I mean, it's industrial style,
which, obviously, I like.
- Yeah.
- And it has that deck,
which is awesome.
We were talking about
building a catio.
That can kind of be--
- It's pretty much there already.
- That already built-in.
Plus we can enjoy it
with coffee and, you know,
cocktails when
our friends are over.
- Yeah, definitely.
- One thing
about the shipping container
is it's not
that easy to move.
The ladder to get upstairs
was kind of sketchy.
I didn't really feel safe
going up and down,
and also it's not furnished.
So we have to put that
into the budget
because it's already
$15,000 over budget.
So what do you think
of the hip farmhouse
that's 250 square feet
for $69,000?
The fact that it was fully
furnished was a huge plus.
I am a little concerned
about the size of it, though.
We would definitely
have to build a catio
or something for the cats
to have their space.
The kitchen was great.
Wish that it had
a washer and dryer.
I love that it has a closet,
but that's kind of it.
You know? I don't know where
you're gonna put your stuff.
The industrial chic house
that was $75,000
and 300 square feet
was really cool.
I really liked the--
the kitchenette.
I feel like that one really tied
our styles in together well.
- And it has a washer and dryer.
- Yeah.
Which is definitely something
on the top of my checklist.
I'm glad that it had a couch
and a separate living room,
but it was kind of tight.
And the ladder to get
into the loft was--
was kind of hard.
You know, you have to--
Every time you wanna go
to either loft,
you have to move the ladder.
The swanky shipping container
is really cool.
But it doesn't have
a lot of living space.
Yeah, I agree. This house just
really isn't that practical.
The industrial chic house
is really cool.
The ladder would be
very difficult
to move back and forth.
Might be kind of a problem.
Yeah.
Does that mean that we're going
with the hip farmhouse?
I think it does.
Yeah. I mean, I could
totally see us livin' there.
- Totally.
- It's small.
But the space is just really
utilized well.
Absolutely. It just--
Everything is perfect about it.
See. It's easy.
Yeah. Decent amount
- of storage underneath there.
- Definitely.
I think we chose this house
because it's a nice blend
of both of our styles.
It's a little bit
more farmhouse,
but it does have
industrial touches.
The final purchase price
was $69,000.
We have been living
in the tiny house
for a month and a half.
It was a little overwhelming,
having to downsize
as much as we did.
We had a lot of stuff
that we didn't realize,
until moving out
of our apartment,
how much stuff
we actually had.
Oh. This-- See. We--
we found room for your clothes.
You know, it wasn't
that big of a deal.
- Yeah, a couple things.
- Yeah.
Luckily, there's storage
- underneath the couch.
- Yeah.
In the beginning,
it was hard going tiny
because we had
so many things.
But we adjusted.
We got rid of things.
And we kind of made
the space our own.
I had to compromise
on the washer and dryer.
But now
that we've moved here,
I realize that goin' to
the laundromat every week
is really not
that big of a deal.
I never thought that
we would actually have, like,
be able to have
a full-functioning,
like, fridge
- and stove and oven.
- Yeah.
And, like,
what would we ever want more?
- So...
- Yeah.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
- I think the cats like it.
- They love the stairs.
It's like we almost don't
even have to build a catio
because it's kind of built in.
We're in the process
of building a catio.
So we're really excited
to get them in there.
- Pretty good.
- It's really nice.
Yeah. The kitchen's
nice and spacious.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
And it's small enough
so that we could transport it,
you know, take it anywhere
we need couple next--
in the next couple years.
- Mm-hmm.
I'm really excited for
the future with the tiny house.
It affords us opportunities financially.
We can hang out
with friends on weekends.
Living in this house is, like,
the best thing ever.