GAther as many visual aids as you can

One of the first things I sent to Minimaliste along with my floorplan was a design inspiration guide. I am a visual learner, and working as a photographer, I know how beneficial a mood board can be for everyone involved. I laid out certain aspects that were important to me, included photos as examples, and tried to be as descriptive as possible. I think it helped give them a better sense of what I wanted and just a clear representation of what I was all about right off the bat. I sent a few different variations of the same floorplan, and explained what was working and what I wasn’t sure about for each.

You also don't need to do any of this to get a great design. This is just how I went about it, because it was important to me to make sure that we were all on the same page from the start.

Let them Help you

Perhaps you don’t have the time to peruse Pinterest, or you just want someone else to take the lead. Maybe you don’t really know where to begin and are having a hard time pulling together your ideas. The best thing you can do in this case is give them information about yourself and your life to get the conversation going. Especially if you’ve chosen a builder you really like, it will be much easier to trust them to create something really awesome just for you. Simple things like your job, your hobbies, your budget, your location, can really give your builder a solid jumping off point. Let them know if you plan to move often, what services may be available at your parking spot, and why you want a tiny house in the first place. Do you need alot of storage space? Which rooms are most important/where do you spend the majority of your time? All of this will help them create something just for you. Once they send you an initial floor plan, it will be much easier to make tweaks and changes to an existing floorplan than starting yourself from scratch.

COMMunicate your needs/wants clearly

Most notably in the earlier design phases of the process, there is a ton of back and forth going on between you and your builder. It is so important to have the ability to clearly communicate not only what you don't like, but what is working with the design. Try to be as prompt as you can. Try to lay out your ideas and thoughts clearly, not just in a stream of consciousness through an unorganized email. Get excited and stay excited! You want your builder to get to know your habits and preferences well so they can better anticipate your design ideals. Now that my build is all said and done, I feel like Minimaliste really knows me well!

Be an Active Participant

Even though you are having someone build your house for you, I would advise you to take ownership of this process and remain active. You will have moments where you may want to change something, but are afraid to bring it up, or don't want to waste anyone’s time, or feel like you're being too picky on things that don't matter, or just don't have the energy to nitpick. But, it’s your house. You’re the one thats going to be living in it. Make it perfect. If something is important to you, bring it up. Don't let things fall by the wayside if something is bugging you. I had many times where I felt like I was being the most annoying person on the planet, but I got the house I wanted because I stayed active throughout the entire process.

Go visit!

If your builder is cool with it, take a visit to check out the progress! I went to Quebec just as my house was being finished and it ended up being a very special trip.

Last, but not least, this process can become very stressful very fast. There is a lot to learn and it can be intimidating. Your builder is dealing with you during what is likely a very stressful time - you’re simultaneously moving, probably downsizing your life significantly, changing your lifestyle, and making a significant investment all at once. Theres many ups and downs along the way. Be nice, be grateful…

And HAVE FUN! This really is the best part. You get to watch your house go from an idea to a real life thing. It’s pretty awesome. Enjoy it!

Have any tips from your own experience? Send em my way!