If you are in the beginning phases of deciding whether or not a tiny house is right for you, here is my step by step list of things to consider before you take the leap. Many of the articles on this website go into each of these topics in depth, but if you are looking for some quick facts or don’t know where to begin, this is for you.

1. Understand that tiny houses are a legal “grey area”

This is perhaps one of the biggest surprises and misconceptions regarding tiny houses. Many people do not realize that, in most circumstances, it is not in fact legal to put a tiny house on wheels on your property. There are exceptions, most recently with cities such as Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo adopting Tiny Houses as backyard ADU’s (about time!) into law. Similar ordinances are sure to be discussed in other cities and put into law soon enough, but outside of these developments, legal exceptions are few and far between and always involve direct communication and collaboration with your city and/or county.

In short, there is nothing to define what a tiny house is quite yet as far as the law is concerned. They are most often considered RV’s, and the laws surrounding RV’s can be strict depending on your city/county. Most commonly, you are not allowed to live in an RV for more than 30 days at a time. If you own a piece of property within city limits that is residentially zoned, you may be able to place your RV/Tiny House on your property, but you generally can’t live in it full time. Of course, this is a hard thing to regulate and is why many people live happily in their tiny houses. There is a nice workaround if you are currently in the process of building a foundation house on your property - in this case you are given a set amount of time that you are able to live in an RV or mobile home (usually about 4 to 5 years). In addition to this, if your property is zoned to allow for “recreational use” or “farmworkers housing,” you can work with your city to live legally full time.

These restrictions are limited to tiny houses that are on wheels. The laws for tiny houses on foundation, while completely different, are still regulated heavily and it’s still not as easy as you may think. In this case, cities have minimum square footage requirements (very often over 600 sq ft), set back requirements, electrical and plumbing requirements, ADU regulations, architectural requirements…you get it.

With all this in mind, most people living in tiny houses are doing so under the radar. This means being nice and considerate to your neighbors, being respectful, not blocking sight-lines, and if you can, try to be as hidden as you can from public view. I don’t say all this to deter anyone. There are not tiny house police roaming the streets. If the city finds you and asks you to leave, it is very likely because of a complaint from an individual who reported you to the city. All things to consider before suddenly owning this big thing and not knowing where to put it.

So, before you take the leap, just make sure you are ok with these limitations and the potential risks. Yes, you may be asked to leave, but know that that’s usually all it is - you’re asked to leave, you won’t go to jail or anything.

2. Consider your current lifestyle

Think about how you live your day to day. Are you comfortable in small spaces? Do you feel better with natural light? Do you work from home? Have pets? Kids? Frequent visitors? Do you have hobbies that require a lot of stuff? Think about all of this and more - does a tiny house fit into how you live your life?

A great way to test this is to stay in a tiny house on Airbnb. See how you feel in it, cook in it, sleep in a loft, spend as much as a “normal” day as you can in it and see how you like it. Check out my friends Bela and Spencer’s tiny house available on Airbnb in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You can get $55 off your first trip with Airbnb using my link here!

3. Consider your budget

It’s really easy to get caught up in the allure of tiny houses and forget that they are a big chunk of $$$. There are many financial options, but consider your expenses and make sure it’s something that works for you. For personal and RV loan options, check out Credible. This is a service that compares rates and terms from multiple lenders and provides you with a detailed rate breakdown for each in order to get you the best offer possible.

Besides the actual cost of the house, there are alot of expenses surrounding this decision that can add up quickly. Don’t forget about sales tax, DMV registration, land prep and delivery. Delivery can be EXPENSIVE depending on your route. Sometimes, it can be a good idea to choose a builder nearby to cut costs, but not always! In my case, the quotes I received from companies closer to my location still ended up being more expensive in total than having my house built in and delivered from Canada. Gather quotes from as many companies as you can go get a better understanding of what to expect and choose one that aligns with both your budget and build expectations.

4. Find Land

I am torn putting this before “Find A Builder,” because I started building before I found land. This is the tough one. You know you want a tiny house but don’t know where you’re going to put it yet. But you can’t really reach out to people and ask if you can put your tiny house that doesn’t exist on their land. When you come to someone with such an odd request they usually want details, details you can only give after you’ve started your build. BUT, I get that it’s a scary thing to start a build before you know where you’re going to put it. For me, I knew I needed this push. I just wasn’t going to find land until I started building. My advice would be to do both of these simultaneously if you can - always try to find the land beforehand but know that if you don’t, the act of actually starting your build will help you find a place to put it.

5. Find A BUILDER

On to the fun part…find your builder! Even though it is a very exciting process, I know how difficult it can be to finally decide on a builder when there are so many factors at play - for me at least, I wanted to know as much about the company as I could before making such a major decision. Do as much research as you can during this phase. Ask a lot of questions. Once you have a solid understanding of what builders are available to you and what you want out of your tiny house, it will become clear to you who should be the one to build it.

If you are building yourself, congrats! There are many incredible websites and youtube channels for self builders that detail this process in great length (my website is not one of them!). My favorite is Shedsistence.

6. Look into insurance options

You will definitely want to protect your investment and get insurance. Because this is a tiny house, you have to find an insurer who works specifically with tiny houses or RV’s, as they are very different than foundation houses. Depending on the purchase price of your house, the contents inside it, the risks involved with your specific parking spot, you’ll be given a quote. I hesitate to give a range because there are so many factors, but from others I’ve talked to, it seems that it ranges anywhere between $700-$1500 a year. I went with MAC Insurance and they have been wonderful.

7. prepare your LAND and yourself FOR DELIVERY

Next up is all the prep work you can do while your house is being built. Organization is key! Take an adventure to the container store and pickup big boxes, little boxes, and everything in between. Also, make sure you are all set with greywater safe products!

If you have your land, prep it for your delivery day. Make sure the ground you are placing your tiny house on is as level as possible, it will make leveling your house that much easier. You’ll need stabilizing jacks, a long level, tools, wheel chocks, a power cord if you are plugging into shore power, a drinking water safe hose if you are hooking up to city water…just to name a few things. Try not to stress out too much.

Lastly, try to have some sort of backup if your current parking spot doesn’t work out for whatever reason on move in day. Even if it’s just a temporary place to put it for a few days, knowing that you have somewhere to put it if all else fails will help ease your mind.

8. Look into your local DMV requirements

While you’re waiting for your house to arrive, make sure you have a plan to adhere to any local DMV laws. Because your tiny house will likely be considered an RV (if you decide to go that route), you’ll need to treat it like one and get it registered at the DMV. This means paying for registration (usually about $800 a year in California) and potentially paying sales tax if you haven’t already done so. Once your tiny house arrives in your home state, you’ll have anywhere between 10-30 days to get yourself to the DMV and get all this done (for me, it was 20 days). FYI, You do NOT need to bring your tiny house to the DMV - there are vin verifiers who will come to your property (for about $65) and do a “pre-verification.” They’ll give you some forms which you’ll take to the DMV. Much easier than towing your tiny house there!

Some people will choose not to register at the DMV or not pay sales tax and stay even further under the radar. That is completely your choice and your call to make. I just did not want to get into a situation where I would be given a hefty fine for delaying the payment if I was caught.

9. SETUP, level out, and Enjoy tiny living!

Your work has only just begun, but celebrate that you got here and that you now have a beautiful house to call your own!