Tiny Home Communities are just as popular as they are all around the United States of America. There are several reasons for opting for tiny houses, but one of the most common reasons is the cost.
Everything around us keeps increasing in cost, and finding a home that can help you cut such costs should probably be at the top of the list. People in the USA have suddenly fallen in love with tiny houses. They are highly recommended for their functionality, portability, and, above all, for the luxury they offer.
Clearly, the square foot area might be reduced, but that really does not mean that there will be a dearth in amenities. As the tiny house movement gathered momentum with time, designers started building cozy homes with unique designs.
Nonetheless, the cost depends on location, popularity, and building materials used to build the tiny home. Instead of buying the whole place, you can just choose to rent tiny homes in Texas. It can be a good way to try out the tiny home lifestyle before buying one.
Tiny houses are, in a way, cost-effective, and by purchasing them, you can get rid of heavy mortgages and utility bills. Texan tiny houses movement invests in building small houses, which makes life simpler. Small spaces are skillfully utilized to make anything from ecovillages to vacation retreats.
As time has passed, people’s economic and social anxieties have increased with time. The pandemic has only urged people to spend less and has sparked a new interest in tiny houses, which are away from the teeming population and the noise of cities.
Tiny home can be a good trial to see if you can get along with fellow tiny house enthusiasts. From Dallas, Fort Worth, to San Antonio, small houses are the new rage in Texas. Photo By Enrique Macias – Unsplash Copyright 2018[/caption]
1. Tiny Homes or Tiny Houses
Tiny houses are a well-established concept in the United States of America as that’s where the Tiny House Movement started. Concurrently, this movement reached the Netherlands and gained ground in that country as well. But, there are still many people who have yet to hear about these comfy tiny homes. Furthermore, they have no idea about how the people live in such small houses.
Tiny Home or Tiny House means different things to different people. Moreover, there are as many interpretations as possible all around the world. The Tiny House movement is all about the philosophy of being content with having just enough.
Also, it is about creating a life that is brought back to the essence of what is important. Tiny houses put into perspective – how much space one needs to live happily without the ballast.
Nevertheless, the answer to the question is different for every person. Living in a tiny home is a way to create a living situation that is as environmentally friendly, healthy, and free as it can be. Also, you can spend time in nature and focus on having eccentric experiences. However, a tiny house is not exactly a goal; it is a means to create and live the life you want.
In short, a tiny house is a full-fledged, primary residence unit on a small scale. Building and living in such houses is done out of choice or choosing to live a simpler life. People who choose tiny homes as their residences are less focused on material possessions and more on a smaller eco-footprint. Like IKEA makes furniture to best utilize the space, tiny homes do the same using innovative technologies.
Their main characteristics are the designs and construction layout. Ideally, a tiny house is up to 50 m2 and partly self-sufficient with high-quality interiors and full-time functional for inhabitation. Additionally, tiny homes can be mobile and/or off-grid, located in deep nature, but it is not a necessary requirement. Besides that, tiny houses are sometimes called micro houses or small houses.
Generally, a micro home is an even smaller and portable dwelling place, which is very useful for travel. A tiny house on wheels, also known as THOW, can be moved around but is usually not built to travel around with it. A small house is a little bigger than a tiny house and is often built on a foundation. It has both benefits and drawbacks just like any other state in the US. Photo by Matthew Moloney on Unsplash[/caption]
2. Advantages of Living in Tiny Houses
Freedom to travel wherever you want and still have a home without worrying about housing costs. Simple living with fewer material possessions as opposed to the modern-day standard of living. Sustainability and carbon footprint reduction contribute to the environment-friendly movement. Great aesthetics, craftsmanship, and custom designs are both good to live in and look at.
Save money as you only need to pay bills, if any, and no requirement to pay housing costs. With a home available to you all the time, you can have free time to travel anywhere you want. Also, it does not take much time to clean and maintain tiny houses. You will be spending a lot of time roaming outside and can form social connections with nearby people.
Nevertheless, there are certain disadvantages to building a house on a trailer. Firstly, you will be confined to strict dimensions, which means no means for expansion. The maximum dimensions allowed without obtaining a special official permit are 8 feet 6 inches in width, 13 feet 6 inches in height, and 40 feet in length. However, even though this is the maximum dimensions it is rare to see tiny homes longer than 32 feet. It is difficult to travel with a 40-foot-long home attached to a vehicle. Secondly, portable homes require parking or a legal place to put the homes.
Codes and laws are something that change in different states, counties, and cities. So, it is not easy to just pull in and state that you are going to buy this property and place your tiny home on it. A lot of places will decide that you cannot just live in a vehicle on a property for more than thirty days because these THOWs are considered RVs.
Lastly, financing and insurance can be problematic as well. Companies in the financing and insurance sectors heavily rely on accurate values for the items they finance and insure. In addition, tiny house values are not always clear or reliable. For example, if a particular individual builds their particular house and does it incorrectly, the whole structure could be worthless. Photo by on Shutterstock[/caption]
3. Tiny House Movement
The Tiny House Movement is a movement for social and architectural purposes that encourages people to live a simpler life in a smaller space. In addition, people from different lifestyles have decided that a large home or the large cost that comes with it is unnecessary. Such people have turned towards living in tiny home communities to reduce emotional and financial burdens. A large number of the people involved in the tiny house movements are Do-It-Yourself creators.
Hence, they like and are more interested in building their own homes rather than buying or renting. Furthermore, it is incredibly empowering and fulfilling to construct your own home from zero. Nonetheless, the tiny house movement is becoming more mainstream. So, more and more companies are trying to capitalize on the increased demand. They do this by offering pre-built and custom homes for individual needs.
Tiny houses have always been around in some form or another. But, most people just called them houses because all houses used to be tiny. However, homes became increasingly larger after some time and so our concept and definition changed with it.
Jay Shafer built one of the first tiny homes on a trailer in 1999. He was also one of the first to initiate the modern tiny house movement. Also, while the common interests grew gradually over time, it was not until 2014 that
this movement went mainstream. Moreover, that was the year that the TV show, ‘Tiny House Nation’ aired, and the term ‘Tiny House’ was popularized among the general population.
Overall, there are many tiny home communities with different amenities for different people.3.1. Tiny Home Builders in Texas
A debt-free life is something that many Americans crave today. No longer do they want to build big houses for themselves. If you are ready to live in a tiny house, you need to find the correct builder who will do it for you. A small home should categorically measure less than 600 square feet.
While choosing a builder for your tiny house you must be looking for certain things. You must be looking for positive reviews from past clients.They should have a reputation for building top-quality houses in the near past. They should have a friendly customer support team. There should be no upfront deposit and the pricing structure of the house should be quite transparent so that there are no hidden fees that you have. Here is the list of the top 5 if not top 10 home builders in Texas.
Source: Shutterstock[/caption]Construct Volstrukt does the job of fine engineering. Some of the specially manufactured kits that it produces are machine-manufactured frame kits for tiny homes.
The other goods that it produces are tiny house trailers, trailer subfloors,s, and insulation kits. The other materials that it produces are pre-assembled steel framing, strapping plus anchoring hardware, and fasteners plus sheathing.Volstrukt avoids the risk of offsite construction and all the frames can be purchased online. You can always do the job of assembling yourself or hire a contractor after you receive the construction frames.
Small House SolutionsBased in Austin, Texas this custom design build firm serves the residents of Texas. The company deals with several tiny home-type structures. These structures are custom made and your house can receive the perfect photo finish if you are able to assemble them properly.
Homes made by Small House Solutions stand on a gooseneck trailer or bumper pool. They are 8.5 feet wide and 13.5 feet tall. You will find these trailers in the RV Park and in the rural property that is located outside the safe limits of the city.Nook Tiny Homes
Tiny homes that will manage your budget and lifestyle are specially made by Nook Tiny Homes. There is a team of experienced designers, skilled craftsmen, and talented builders who work together to make the most beautifully crafted home in Texas.Austin Tiny Homes
Austin Tiny Homes’s some of the most ambitious tiny homes are situated in the Central Texas region. It has more than four decades of experience in building and remodeling homes.The team at Austin Tiny Homes will work closely with you and help you to build a house that is artistically appealing but something that is livable and completely functional. Then there are greywater systems and compost toilets which save a lot of space and are the ultimate solution for custom-made homes.
Nomad Tiny HomesSimplicity, a green touch, and cleanliness are some of the terms you can use to define Nomad Tiny Homes. The houses built by this company have a number of windows and open floor plans. The aim behind designing the first Texas homes that let the outside air come in and where you get a feel of nature is the motto this company follows. There is really no lack of devotion on the team’s part and it gives attention to even the minutest details.
4. Tiny Home Communities4.1. Waters Edge
Waters Edge is one of the tiny home communities created by Texans for Texans. It is an evolution in tiny house living and more and more people are realizing that living in a tiny house is smarter. You can enjoy one of Texas’s best lakes if you opt for Waters Edge’s tiny house community. It is known for its rustic beauty, comfort, and resort-style lakeside community surrounded by nature.These new construction homes in Texas are located in the vicinity of Lake Conroe and it is really a beautiful place to live. You have a scope to enjoy in the lake, splashing around water from the pool and playing miniature golf and then you can also go fishing.
Waters Edge has the maximum number of houses in Texas. The trend of owning a tiny house in Texas is catching up and the cost of maintenance is quite low and depending on the place where you are parking your tiny house you have to pay for the insurance and land rental. Photo By Aaron Burden – Unsplash Copyright 2015[/caption]Amenities
- Great things to do for every age.
- Amenities are available both on the lake, lakeside, or mainland.
- Each home has free parking with a parking lot within walking distance.
- Wonderful serene lake views and beautiful wooden scenery
- Weekly family-friendly movie nights and community caters for all ages
- Showers, restrooms, and showers open to the public
- Local discounts as incentives throughout the Houston area
- Outdoor sports include basketball, tennis, beach volleyball, cornhole, horse-shoes, washers, and more.
- A gated, private entrance that only allows access to visitors and residents.
- A place to store and launch boats for enjoyment on the lake.
- Clubhouse and event center for hosting parties, meetings, or events.
- Miniature golf field available for all ages
- RV parking and other facilities
Majestic Hills is another one which is minutes from The Woodlands, Lake Conroe, and Houston. They have more than ten tiny home models available on-site to choose from they are new homes in Texas under $200k.
Majestic Hills community is gated and offers a variety of amenities that all homeowners can enjoy. Additionally, there are concrete roads leading to the place allowing easy access to each site. Each of these homesites has spaces for parking for owners and guests. Photo By Anna Demianenko – Unsplash Copyright 2015[/caption]Amenities
- Community center
- Workout facility
- Heated pool or hot tub
- Indoor theater or flex space
- Outdoor living center with kitchen or grill
- Outdoor lawn games
- Landscapes irrigated
- Dog park and garden
- Access to cable television and the internet
- 4.3. Lake Dallas
Lake Dallas Tiny Home Village is located in Lake Dallas, Texas, which is in the Lake Dallas downtown district. Moreover, it is just two blocks from Main Street, north of Dallas between Denton and Lewisville. Furthermore, the Lake Dallas Tiny Home Village accepts any THOW built to the International Residential Code and Appendix Q. Lake Dallas Tiny Home Village.
Also, homes must be certified or inspected by a Texas-certified inspector. The maximum tiny house size allowed is 8.5 feet wide and up to 40 feet long. The Lake Dallas tiny home village does not accept RVs, park models, mobile homes, or shipping containers.Homes are clearly small ranging from 200 to 400 square feet but with a small garden adding up to fill the extra area of 500 to 600 square feet. The owners of this tiny house also pay rent at the rate of 500 dollars for availing certain services like washeteria, and clubhouse facilities.
Amenities- Thirteen lots are available with eight lots having dimensions of 20×40 for a total of 800 square feet and five large lots at 900 square feet.
- On-site washeteria is available for residents- 4 washers and 4 dryers along with a utility sink and sitting area.
- A large area is a community garden with each resident having their own gardens.
- The backyard area with a large tree, classic metal chairs, picnic tables, benches, and a fire pit.
- Central trash bin located on-site
- The central courtyard with a large part of it is ‘Grasscrete,’ which is concrete with open cells filled with soil for grass to grow.
- Grasscrete also serves as a fire lane for residents
- Rent for lots ranges from $600 to $650- includes sewer, trash, water, mowing, minor weeding of each lot, and use of washateria.
- Lake Dallas’s tiny home village is located in the Lake Dallas Independent School District. Hence, the Lake Dallas Elementary School, the Lake Dallas Middle School, and the Lake Dallas High School are nearby.
- Also, the North Central Texas College campus in Corinth, the University of North Texas, and Texas Woman’s University in Denton are near to this community.
- The Lake Dallas library and city park are just across the street from the village.
- Lockable mailboxes are on-site and the post office is located a block away.
- Vehicle parking on the North and East perimeter of the Village. Source: Freepik[/caption] 4.4. Constellation ATX
Constellation ATX is taking in more reservations for those who intend to buy homes with a $500 deposit. In the near future, four hundred tiny homes will be added and this will be added in four phases. This is the best example of simple living in a sustainable environment. Eco-conscious features are an added advantage. Recycled building materials, solar roofs, rainwater harvesting, and water-efficient fixtures are some of the facilities that residents enjoy.
Amenities- Bike Racks, Natural Swimming Pool, and Multi-use wellness space for yoga stretching, or any other classes.
- Restricted access using gates
- Clubhouse with Wi-Fi access and commercial kitchen
- Area for barbeque, outdoor fireplace, and gathering
- Workspace in the community center
- Rooftop decks
- Overnight micro home rentals for guests
- Onsite carshare facility
- Laundry and extra storage units
- Professionally landscaped parks, mature trees, and stylish common areas.
- Nearby food places, groceries, shopping, and entertainment.
- Use of renewable energy, captured rainwater, native plants, and onsite recycling. 4.5. Village Farm
Redefining living in Austin, Village Farm is located less than ten miles East of downtown Austin. It offers low-cost tiny homes that are free-standing and rooted in sustainable design. Residents can enjoy peaceful living with unique Austin experiences. People of America are adopting the tiny house trend. Affordability is often an issue and a comparatively cheaper house can always help you to cope with the continuously rising prices of single-home residences. You can always find them in Texas Home Builders with prices.
Amenities
In short, irrespective of whether you are a Texan or not, the idea of living and traveling in that massive state of vast topography is truly larger than life. Tiny house communities in Texas are becoming more and more popular. With the gradual sweep of time, our social and economic anxieties are increasing and we are gradually thinking of lifestyle downsizing. The pandemic has spelled further disasters for people who really did not have sufficient cash in their hands. The principal aim of these tiny housing communities is that residents can participate in outdoor activities, walking trails, and community barbeques and also have a lot of amenities which are available at their doorstep. Someday, who knows it could become a necessity when there is not enough land for everyone. But, for now, the tiny house movement is literally sweeping the country and it does not come as a shock that Texans have adopted and adapted to this lifestyle.
Nevertheless, anyone seriously thinking about living in a tiny house would really want to take the time to explore the many possibilities. USA Tales[/caption]Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology