advice for building a first tiny house

[noLimits]

my dad is 55 and has been dreaming about building a tiny house for years. he’s finally ready to pull the trigger!
the plan is to build it on a trailer and keep it on some family land for now, with the goal of moving it to his own permanent spot down the road

before we go out and hire an architect to get things moving, I wanted to see if anyone has some real world advice. it’s a pretty broad project, but if you’ve built one yourself, what do you wish you knew before you started?

 

[golden G00fy]

Most people tend to overlook the actual weight of the materials used in the build, not the floor plan. Make sure to use light and sturdy materials.

 

[dawsonlems]

my dad is 55 and has been dreaming about building a tiny house for years. he’s finally ready to pull the trigger!
the plan is to build it on a trailer and keep it on some family land for now, with the goal of moving it to his own permanent spot down the road

before we go out and hire an architect to get things moving, I wanted to see if anyone has some real world advice. it’s a pretty broad project, but if you’ve built one yourself, what do you wish you knew before you started?

+1 @golden G00fy And do not forget to do some research about the zoning laws immediately. Afaik, many areas do not allow people to live in a structure on wheels as a primary residence.

 

[palom4_rickey]

The most important thing is to be extra watchful of the budget! Tiny houses have a sneaky way of getting crazy expensive before you even realize it. Honestly, it’s often way cheaper (and you get more elbow room) to just buy a nice used trailer and get it set up than to build a tiny home from scratch.