Tiny houses are vastly popular not only because they’re cute and environmentally friendly, but also because they’re cheaper to maintain. In reality, if you’re at all handy, you might have even considered curbing your expenses by building one for yourself.
The average estimates for building a 200-square-foot home run from $25,000 to $35,000. This cost varies widely beyond that approximate. For instance, some houses can cost around $8,270-$15000. Some tinier 120-square-foot tiny homes cost around $21,200 – $40,000, but this depends on the price and quality of materials used. This price difference and fluctuation is brought about by following key factors:
Permits – Find out whether you require a permit to put up a tiny house in your area and how much it will cost you. The fee for the tiny building permit can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending on the location.
Labor – Decide whether you are doing it yourself or hiring laborers to do it for you. This decision can cause a significant difference in the overall cost of building a tiny house.
Materials – Choose between using new or recycled materials. The cost of building a Tiny House can depend on the quality of the components. For instance, a granite countertop or a used countertop can give a difference of several dollars. You can combine used or reclaimed items like windows, doors, and siding and new items to reduce cost.
Insulation – This depends greatly on the owner of the tiny house. It is a matter of taste. One tiny house owner can spend up to $1600 to insulate 250 square feet, and another tiny house owner can pay $3500 to insulate same 250 square feet. But the former outlay pays off when it comes to slashed heating and cooling costs.
Electricity and plumbing – Going by estimates, most owners of tiny homes may spend around $1,500 on plumbing and $350 on wiring, but this depends on whether you’ll be living off or on the grid. Many tiny homes are solar-powered without connection to central water or sewer lines. In this case, you’ll spend around $4,200 for solar panels.
On the other hand, if it is not so handy to afford to build from scratch, you can try your hands on the tiny house kits which come with instructions, materials or some variation thereof to keep your floundering to a minimum. For instance, you can buy a bare-bone DIY kit for $6,780, which comes with blueprints, a customized trailer on which to build, and a list of materials to buy. Or for $20,873, you can get the semi-DIY version which comes with the shell of the house on top of a trailer complete with windows, doors, and a shower, leaving just the interior and exterior finishing touches to you.
Whatever is your take on this, whichever you settle for is determined by the cost, but ensure you weigh whether you’re biting off more than you can chew because a tiny house is, after all, still a house.
