Tiny House Hunters (2014–…): Season 4, Episode 9 - Freedom to Roam in Charleston - 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!

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.
- Ohhh.

I think I see
a problem already.

Go at it
with an open mind.

It's like
cotton-candy cottage.

Yeah.
- In a good way.

Sarah is excited
to buy a tiny home

in Charleston, South Carolina.

- Push that over
- What?!

And that'll roll out.
- Wha-a-a-t?

But finding something tiny
that's still big enough



will be a challenge.

This is supercute.

Cute as pie, y'all!

I feel a little
like a sardine.

To make it work, girlfriend
and professional woodworker Tess

needs to come through.

There's no stove,
no cabinets.

This place is gonna
put me to work.

This is the Charleston
way of life:

having a drink
on a big old porch.

Yeah.
My name is Sarah

and I live in Charleston,
South Carolina.

Good touch, Toby.

I'm from Houston, Texas, originally,

but I moved up to
North Carolina to go to school.

And then, when I graduated,
about a year and a half ago,

I moved down here
to Charleston.

I work at the local hospital
and I'm a research assistant.

Currently, she's living in her
girlfriend, Tess's, house.

It's this big, old Charleston
house that's got two stories

and right now, she's got
a couple of roommates,

four dogs, and two guinea pigs
in the house,

so a lot's going on.

It's great but, you know,
I kind of want my own space.

It kind of just hit me
that I didn't have to just

keep saving
for a $200,000 house,

but that I could go tiny
and get this now,

in this moment,
when I would like it.

I'm also gonna be applying
for grad school

and so this is possibly
gonna be portable.

So I could always just
take it to grad school.

Sarah's decision
to go tiny.

Like what do you
think about that?

She could live in a POD, honestly.

- I know.
- Yeah. Like you're capable.

Wrap, like swaddle me
and I'm good.

Tess, my girlfriend, is gonna be
helping me out on the search.

She is a woodworker
as well as a bartender,

so I really want her influence

when it comes to the place
I'm gonna be living in.

I'm a woodworking instructor,

so hopefully, that
background lends itself

to maybe being able
to see things

that Sarah might not
and kind of advocating

for the best craftsmanship
and quality.

But they won't be
searching just for Sarah.

Toby's a rescue and I've only
had him for about 3 months,

but it feels like
I've had him for years.

I mean, we go
everywhere together.

I take him out to bars,
to breweries.

He's just the perfect
little guy.

So in the tiny house,
it'll be just me and Toby

and I'm sure Tess'll
come visit every now and then.

I mean, I'm thinking like
250 or 200 square feet.

- That is small.
- I need it to be portable

and I need it to be able
to be towed by a truck.

She has $25,000 to spend
and will need to find

a place to park it
while in Charleston.

Do you have some
particular styles in mind?

Cottagey? Like on the outside
- Okay.

But I still want that like
simplistic-modern-type thing.

It's definitely gotta
have a loft, right?

Yeah. Definitely.
If it frees up

that whole like bottom floor,

I need it.
- Yeah.

And I'd really like
stairs, too.

Which I know cuts down
on living space,

but it can give me like
some more cabinetry,

some more storage,
- Yeah.

And let Toby up to the loft.

Which is number-one
priority for you.

Oh, yeah. Definitely.

So what are you thinking
as far as the bathroom?

I really just need like
a shower and, hopefully,

a composting toilet.

So I'm gonna keep saying,
out loud,

that I'm open
to a composting toilet.

I think if I do
that enough times,

I might start
to believe it.

I'm open to compromising,
you know.

It's a wish list.
- You are?!

- Yeah. Yeah. I am.
- Okay. All right.

That's good to hear.
- I am.

But we're gonna have to
have that porch space.

Yeah. Do tiny houses
even come with porches?

Is that even a thing?
- That's a really good question.

We might have to DIY it.
- Yeah.

I don't have any reservations
about going tiny.

I know it's
the right move for me.

I know I can handle it.

I think it's just
gonna be good.

It's gonna be
really good for me.

For help going tiny,

Sarah is working with tiny-house
expert Trey Barbaree,

who's taking her
to see a model home

constructed by a local builder.

I brought Sarah to this house
today to show her a model.

It has really good rustic

and modern features
that balance each other out

and I know that Tess would
really love it as well.

All right.
So this is a modern cabin.

And, Sarah, it's got the porch
- Yeah!

- That you were talking about.
- I could come out here

in the mornin'
and sit with Toby.

There's a lot of wood
on it though.

Well, this is
definitely pine.

It's gonna keep bleaching,
the longer it's in the sun.

- Okay.
- But you could totally paint it

and that might update
the look a little bit.

- How big is this?
- It is 260 square feet.

That's huge!
How much is this gonna cost?

This is listed
at $35,000.

$35,000, Trey?

I know it's
above the budget.

This is just a model.
You could have it downsized

to 200 square feet,
- Okay.

Which would
put you at $25,000.

I like the idea that I could get
a smaller house for $25,000,

but I don't know.
I'm just nervous about this one.

- Ooh. I love it.
- I don't know.

It's still really
rustic in here.

Everything in here
is Eastern white pine.

Okay.
- Okay?

So the same as the
exterior, essentially.

- Exactly. But if--
- Oh, I like this couch.

This couch is nice.

- It's also got storage.
- Oh, I see.

Wow, there's a ton of--

You could put a lot
down there.

And you've also got
your dining table right here.

- That's really nice.
- Ohhh.

- Flips up.
- And there's storage underneath!

This kitchen is okay,

but I definitely don't
need this giant fridge.

But keep in mind,
this is just a model

and you can shop down appliances.

But it's got really
great features, Sarah.

You've got
your spice rack here,

but it also opens up
and you have more

storage possibilities.
- What?!

- Ohhh.
- That's pretty cool.

And you've got this
really deep sink.

- Yeah.
- That's pretty great.

- And you can push this over.
- I wanna see that.

- Push that over.
- What?!

And that'll roll out.
- Wha-a-a-t?

The kitchen's pretty cool,
you know.

It's got a lot of shelving,
a lot of storage.

It's got that beautiful sink,
but maybe if we could tone down

some of this wood
and some of these extra gadgets

that kind of seem
to get cluttered,

I could live in this space.
- You can also, Sarah--

You don't have to
have this.

This, I believe,
it's $1,500.

- What?
- Okay. But--

I mean, Tess,
what would you charge?

I could make you
one of those

for $200, easy.
- $200, okay.

And this is another feature
that's an option.

- That I don't need.
- What, use it one month

out of the year?
- Yeah. Like Charleston,

you don't really
need heating

and this takes up
so much space.

This house has a lot of extras

that I don't think
Sarah necessarily needs

and it's a lot of stuff that I
could build for so much cheaper.

Throw me a couple hundred bucks
and a six-pack.

We'll make it work.
Ooh!

- Oh, wow.
- This is big.

- Yeah.
- Look at the shower!

Oh, my god. It's giant.

- We could have a party in here!
- I know, right?

- Trey. Come on.
- Like this could be our bedroom.

Get in here, Trey. Get in here.
- Yeah. All right.

The bathroom's great.

It's giant,
which is a little odd

because I don't think
I wanna dedicate

that much space
to a bathroom.

But I really like the metal,
so, can't go wrong with that.

And there's a real toilet.

I know you want
a composting toilet,

- Mm-hmm.
- But, again, you can always

have the composting toilet
and the one you want, made.

Yeah. That's true.

Okay.
I like it up here.

I like all the lights.

- Yeah. There's a ton of room.
- Yeah.

- Look at this.
- This is pretty spacious.

- Yeah. Definitely.
- There's room for Toby.

Yeah! There's
definitely room for Toby.

This might be my favorite
part of this house.

Hmm.

I mean, I would still like
some stairs for Toby.

- Okay.
- You know, babe,

if you don't need
this shelving,

we could get rid of this
and potentially

have some stairs up
against this wall here.

Okay. I mean,
that's a good option.

I really do like
the size of the loft,

that metal in the bathroom,
- Yeah. That's nice.

And I do like the sink
in the kitchen.

I like that this model
gives us

a lot of room
to play around.

You've got
a lot of options.

It's just, still,
maybe too much.

You can always downsize,

do 200 square feet
at $25,000.

That's true.

They are now looking
at an even smaller tiny home.

But it may be pushing
the limit for Sarah.

I can touch the ceiling
with my head.

I can't believe
you built this.

It's so amazing.
- Thank you, babe.

Soon-to-be-grad-student Sarah

is going tiny in Charleston,
South Carolina.

She wants to be able to take
her dog, herself, and her home

wherever her academic
future takes her.

Girlfriend and woodworking
instructor Tess

is along for the ride,
to provide personal

and professional support
in making sure the craftsmanship

of the homes meet her standards,
as well as Sarah's needs.

Sarah loves
the hidden storage and sink

that a 260-square-foot
cabin provides.

But she'd have to opt
for the smaller,

200-square-foot model footprint

to stay within
her $25,000 budget.

Wanting to give Sarah a smaller
and more budget-friendly option,

tiny-house expert Trey Barbaree
is showing them

a for-sale-by-owner retro camper
with some unique features.

Trey, I know I said I wanted
something smaller, but...

I brought Sarah and Tess
to see the retro camper today

just because it's different
and it's way under their budget

and I know something that is
portable is important to Sarah.

It's 14 feet long,
- Okay.

- 8 feet wide,
- Okay.

Just under
120 square feet.

This is super-retro
and cute.

Yeah.
It's definitely towable.

You could totally
throw this on your car.

- Oh, my goodness!
Look at all these.
- Oh, it's like a whole bank

in the front here.
- It's like a cockpit.

I love that.
- Yeah. It kind of reminds me

of like boat construction.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Look at the little
leveling device.

I need that.

I probably won't
be good at that.

It would come
in handy for sure.

I love all the windows.

The outdoor storage is great

and the retro
look's kind of fun.

But, you know, it's a camper,
which is great.

You know, I could take it
anywhere, but I don't know.

I know that there's no deck,
like you were lookin' for.

Yeah. It doesn't really
have that house feel.

But I could see us
working with it.

- Absolutely.
- Maybe you could...?

Well, it depends on where
the price point's at, Trey.

- Oh, it's actually $8,800.
- $8,800?

- Yeah.
- That's nothing.
- Wha-a-t?

- Oh, my god.
- We could do so much.

I almost wouldn't know where to
start with 16 grand left over.

It's a little overwhelming
'cause I know

all these great ideas
come with a lot of labor.

But, still, the deck
of her dreams?

Are you kidding? That would be
so much fun to get into.

Okay. Wow!
This is supercute.

Cute as pie, y'all!

It's pretty tight
in here, though.

I can touch the ceiling
with my head.

The ceiling is 6 feet
high in here.

- Whew!
- I do like this space here,

where you've got all these
windows around ya.

- Yeah?
- We could have some coffee

in the mornin' here,
for sure.

Well,
you're also sitting

on storage, too, right now.
- Oh!

- Well, let's look at it.
- Oh, my goodness.

Underneath this
cushion, Sarah.

- Oh, wow!
- Storage.

- I love that.
- This is also a bed.

- Really?
- Yeah.
- What?!

- Show me that. Yeah.
- All right.

- Look at that.
- Hand that to you, Tess.

And this comes out. Y'all can
help me with the cushions.

Oh, my goodness!
Oh, yeah. I'll help.

And then, look at this.

- In there.
- It's quite the ordeal.

- And then...
- You make it look good,

but it's a little cumbersome

to be doing that
every single night.

- All right, well,
- Yeah. I don't know

if I could do that.
- There's also another bed

on the other side,
so you wouldn't have to.

Oh, okay.

So it's just another
bench seat, really.

And you just like
fold it out again?

Yeah.
Well, actually,

you just pull it out right here.
- Oh.

And it'll butt up right here,
so it'll fold all out.

- And this folds down?
- Correct.

It looks like maybe
there used to be

a bunk situation up here?

There used to be
a bunk bed there.

Oh, my goodness.
- Huh.
- Yeah.

Kids were smaller
in the '70s.

I guess so. Yeah.

What do you think
about this kitchen?

It's nice.
It's small.

But it looks like

this might be a range.

- Yeah.
- Yeah!

It's little,
but it sure is cute.

- Yeah.
- Got a little fridge.

I like the level
that it's at.

And you got a ton
of cabinet space.

That's true. But I'm nervous
about the bathroom.

Well, the bathroom
is right here.

- Show it to me.
- Mm-hmm.

Oh!

So it's a little wet bath.
- There you go.

- Okay.
- How are you feelin' in there?

I'm feelin' a little bit claustrophobic.

- Okay.
- I thought I could do
a bathroom like this.

But this isn't
a compost toilet.

Well.
- That is true, Trey.

That bathroom is rough.

Like I don't know if I could do
that every day, in that shower.

I don't know.
Like this space is amazing.

It's towable.
The kitchen is great.

There's the dual
sleeping spaces.

There's almost a little cave

under that bed for Toby.

And then, the dining room table:
that's awesome.

But it's a little bit kitschy
for me, to be honest.

If it's too retro-kitschy
for you,

- Yeah.
- Pull up this linoleum.

Throw some wood
floors down.

We can change out
all of these appliances

with all that money
we'd have left over.

God, that price is so nice.

- Right.
- That's hard to pass up.

Trey's found Sarah a tiny option
with more modern conveniences.

But the outside
isn't for everyone.

It's like
- Can you do that?

Cotton-candy cottage.

This kitchen is maybe twice
the size of your average tiny.

- Twice the size?
- Yeah! Twice the size.

You still feeling
good about it?

It'll be an adjustment.

Charleston, South Carolina,
local Sarah

is going tiny before
starting grad school

so she can not only
own her home outright,

but tow it to wherever
school might take her.

Tess, her girlfriend
and a professional woodworker,

is helping her
with her search.

They've seen
a 260-square-foot cabin

that has tons of space
and lots of storage.

But Sarah would need to downsize
to the 200-square-foot model

to fit within
her $25,000 budget.

Sarah likes the 120-square-foot
vintage camper

that's way under budget and has
two convertible sleeping spaces.

But the bathroom is small

and it may not be big enough
for both her and her dog.

Tiny-house expert Trey Barbaree
has found her

a privately listed home
that's a larger

and more-modern option.
- Go at it

with an open mind.
- Look at the color!

Go at it
with an open mind.

- Yeah!
- It's a minimalist-
style cottage.

It's like
cotton-candy cottage.

Yeah.
- In a good way, right?

Cotton-candy cottage.
- Okay. Yeah.

And it's right
at 200 square feet.

Okay.
What's this made out of?

- That is plywood siding.
- Okay.
- Ooh.

The longevity
of the composite siding

- Yeah.
- Makes me a little nervous.

- Okay. Well, and the reason why:
- I guess so.

It's a lighter material.

- Yeah.
- And it's really great for,

you know, moving the house
wherever you'd like.

- But there's no porch.
- But, you do have Tess.

I could maybe hook
something up for ya.

That's true.
What about the price?

- $25,000.
- Okay.
- Ooh.

- Okay?
- Okay

So it's like
right at the budget.

It is right at the top

of your budget.
- Makes me a little nervous.

Let's see what you got
in store inside.

Sure.
- Yeah.

Wow! It's a lot of white
going on here.

But that is the best way
- Yeah.

To make it look
as big as possible.

Exactly.
- It definitely looks like

wide and tall.

- There is nothin' here, though.
- Nothing.

No stove, no extra cabinets.
There's not even a fridge.

But you can always
shop down

the appliances
to help cut costs

and you have Tess, too,
to help you build things.

This place is gonna
put me to work, though.

There's a lot of potential
with this house

just in that it
is a blank slate.

But the other side
of that same coin

is that we would have
a ton of work to do

and I know a lot of that falls
on my shoulders.

I like this bathroom,
though. It's pretty big.

And it has
a composting toilet.

Yes! Which I was
so excited to see

- But where's the sink?
- We don't need one.

We've got one
right back here,

right outside the door.

Washin'.
- All right.

Yeah.
And the shower.

The shower's not bad,
at all.

This is pretty roomy.
- All right, guys.

You wanna
check out the loft?

- All right.
- Awesome.

If you wanna take a look.

- After you.
- Okay.

Wow! There's some little
compartments up here, Tess.

- Yeah?
- Yeah. More storage.

Let's see what
we're workin' with.

- I like it up here.
- Yeah. That's kind of nice.

What do you think, babe?

I feel a little
like a sardine.

Yeah?
Yeah.

The loft in this house
is pretty cramped.

And it's only gonna get worse
with a mattress.

I just don't know if I can
make it work with my budget

and my needs for Toby and I.

What's Toby gonna do?
There's no stairs.

Well, maybe Toby needs to have
his own bed down here.

That is a hard
sell for this one.

That is. I mean, could you
build stairs for this?

I'm not sure, honestly.

With the stairs needing
to be near the wall here,

you're still gonna be
hitting your head.

- Yeah.
- But we can put

some thought into it.

This like
open space is great.

And the bathroom's great.

But we've got stairs
to do.

We've got at least
a little bit more storage.

You need a range.
You need a fridge of some kind.

And a range is
an expensive thing.

But you can handpick
your own appliances

and shop them
down as well.

And you have Tess.
- I don't know.

- It's still a lot to ask for.
- Yeah.

After seeing several options,
it's time for Sarah to decide

which tiny house
she'll be calling home.

It is a close call
on all of these homes.

Yeah. I have no idea
what to do.

Our house hunters
are moving on up

to a much smaller space.

Could you live in a tiny house?

Soon-to-be-grad-student Sarah

wants to buy a portable,
tiny home

on a $25,000 budget
in Charleston, South Carolina.

She's seen a few different ways
to downsize and,

with the help
of her girlfriend, Tess,

is ready to figure out
which place to call home.

It's a hard choice.

Well, let's
talk it through.

What did you think
of the cabin?

It's 260 square feet
and $35,000.

Yeah. That's well
over your budget.

Yeah. And I know I could
get a smaller version,

200 square feet,
for my budget.

Yeah. I mean,
it was a model, so...

That couch,
we didn't need.

I could put something
together way cheaper.

Yeah. The porch was really
nice. I did like that.

And it had that
pretty big kitchen.

I did like that bathroom.

You could fit three people
in the shower.

And then, you really liked
that wood, right?

Yeah. I liked that
it was all pine.

I think it's
a more sustainable

building-material option.

- Yeah. I guess.
- But it was a lot

of exposed wood for you, huh?
- It was a ton.

But, I guess,
we could paint it.

What do you think
about that retro camper?

It was like, what,
120 square feet?

Yeah. The fact that
that thing

is only $8,800
is crazy.

I would love to see

what kind of deck
you would make me with that.

Like that's crazy.
- Any deck you want.

Literally
any deck you want.

- I love the little range.
- Mm-hmm.

I love the sleeping areas.
But that bathroom, oof.

- It's like a coffin in there.
- Yeah. It really is.

And what did you think about
the cotton-candy cottage?

There was just
nothin' in there.

Yeah. The 200 square feet
and $25,000,

so it was right
at my budget.

I do like

it's the most blank canvas
out of the three.

But I would need
all these different things

and I don't wanna put
that pressure on you.

- Yeah.
- But that bathroom's
pretty amazing.

- Yeah. It is pretty great.
- And it had

that composting toilet.

And that loft, which I love;
I'd just need stairs.

Yeah. We'd have to
work something out.

You gotta get Toby
up there.

Yeah. I have no idea
what to do.

So, that camper?

So portable
and so under budget.

I don't want to live
in that camper.

- Okay. No camper.
- Yeah.

You know?
I want the cottage.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

I want the
cotton-candy cottage.

It's simple and what you're
lookin' for, isn't it?

Yeah. It is, you know?
And we can

make it good, with some time.
- Absolutely.

It's got those
beautiful wood floors,

amazing white walls
that make it seem huge.

I think we can get
that thing

exactly
where you want it.

Absolutely.

All right.
What do you think?

It looks awesome.

I chose the
cotton-candy cottage.

You know, it's the right size,

it's simple,
and I can customize it.

And I have
and it's perfect.

The seller and I made a deal.

We got it down
from $25,000 to $20,000

and then, I could make
all the changes

that I really felt
were necessary.

And I actually got
to keep my house here

while I'm trying to find
another place to park it.

You wanna grab Toby?
- Whew!

- Whoo! Whoo whoo whoo whoo!
- Hit that fast.

When we came in here,
there was nothing.

And so, with Tess' help,
we've got a couch,

we've got the stove,

we've got a new wardrobe,

we've got shelving,

and we've got
the whole loft area.

So I couldn't do it without her.

Thank you for helpin' me.

- Of course.
- I love the bathroom.

I've got my composting toilet,
a pretty spacious shower,

and it's more of a bathroom

than I thought I would ever
have in a tiny house,

so I'm very happy with it.
Where's Toby?

So he's actually
under the porch.

Toby's handling
the house really well.

I really wanted stairs,
but, you know,

with talking with Tess, it just
didn't seem that feasible.

It would have taken up
half the house.

So I thought it was
gonna be hard

and that he was gonna be upset
when I go up into the loft,

but the whole bottom
floor is his.

So he's always happy
when I wake up in the morning

and he's waggin'
and standin' on the couch,

waitin' for me to come down.

This is the first time
I think we've had

more than two people
in here.

Yeah.
Two people and two dogs.

It feels okay,
though, right?

- Yeah.
- Not bad.

I've had a lot of friends over
and they're really surprised,

actually,
by how spacious it feels.

It's pretty silly,
packing 'em in there,

but with the porch
that Tess made,

it's made entertaining
a lot easier.

Sarah's the one that
came up with this idea

to use reclaimed materials,
to use pallets.

Really great job.

I have absolutely no regrets
about going tiny.

I'm gonna be applying
to grad school

and waitin' on fate to decide

and I'm lucky that I don't have
to worry about this house.

You know, I can just
take it with me

and all I have to do
is find a place to park it.