It’s been almost four years since The Big Tiny came out – jeez, time flies! Dee roved the country for the better part of that year, speaking with audiences from Brooklyn to Sebastopol, sharing her pioneering version of what it looks like to live lightly with her signature humor, candor and heart. But tiny houses…Read more
By Billy Ulmer So what’s that thing on top of our van, and how did it get there? As I mentioned in my introduction post to the van, my partner and I knew we wanted a full head height van from the beginning. Sprinters were out of our price range, and Ford Transits and Ram…Read more
Whoa Nelly you guys! Are tiny houses legal in Portand? Not quite, but they will be “allowed” through a creative workaround: the laws about “camping” in tiny houses and RVs on private property will no longer be enforced! Rachel Monahan from Willamette Week has the scoop: “In a sweeping change to Portland housing policy, City…Read more
The heart of small housing is about giving people more options for what to call home. At PAD, we’ve never cared much to discriminate about “small vs. tiny”, or “on wheels vs. on a foundation.” What we care about is people having access to affordable, sustainable places to live in a way that serves their…Read more
By Billy Ulmer I once mentioned the tiny house movement to an outdoor guide who remarked, “Oh, I’ve got a tiny house! It’s called a campervan.” And he’s right, in a lot of ways. Vans outfitted for camping or living have quite a lot in common with tiny houses on wheels. I’m learning this every…Read more
It’s both hard and fun to design a tiny house on wheels. You have Department of Transportation requirements for height and width, limited square footage, and you’re trying to accommodate key functions, systems, possessions… and trying to make it all multi-purpose and flexible over time. It’s a lot to handle! That’s why we sell tiny…Read more
One of the most exciting things about offering tiny house designs for sale is seeing them built in the real world by our customers. All of our tiny house plans have already been built in real life for custom clients, but it’s a new thrill to see them built by others. Some look just like…Read more
If you’re tired of seeing the same layouts and configurations in tiny house designs, it might be time to look at some tiny house alternatives. Step into the related small-space worlds of vans, travel trailers, and even truck camping, and you’ll see some truly unique and ingenious designs. Some people start their small home search…Read more
Wondering how to power your tiny house with solar power? I was, too! My current little house has been running on solar power for 13 years, but when it came time to set up a system for my new, littler house, I was starting from square one. My book, The Big Tiny, explained my solar…Read more
Everyone wants to know: how much does a tiny house cost? Tiny houses, just like big houses, can range in price greatly depending on size, systems, materials, and whether you build it yourself or hire someone to build it for you. Whether a house is 300 square feet or 3,000 square feet, how you intend…Read more
Are you looking into buying a tiny house? Now comes the hard part – finding a tiny house builder. New tiny house builders are opening up shop every day. While it’s great to have options, it’s also a very confusing market for potential buyers. We’ve heard from a number of people lately who bought tiny…Read more
By Billy Ulmer What if tiny houses – and all small housing – were the norm? What if we stopped pretending that anybody is any happier in a big, fancy house than they are in a simple one? What if we admitted that the most important things in life are our relationships and our feelings, and…Read more
Is Portland paving the way for a new generation of tiny house villages for people experiencing homelessness? Tuesday’s City Hall unveiling of the “POD Initiative” designs for “sleeping pods” for houseless people is the best momentum we’ve had in some time. Where the initiate is headed is anybody’s guess, but it’s made some pretty interesting…Read more
We’re quickly spinning toward the holiday gift-giving season, and that has me questioning my options for friends, family and co-workers. What could I possibly offer them that they don’t already own, or that would help them lean into their plans for the new year? What could I offer that will make them laugh, sigh, or…Read more
We’ve been updating people about Iron Eagle Trailers’ new website in our newsletter recently without really celebrating the awesome news the site introduces – the PAD Series Trailer, designed specifically for tiny homes on wheels! We put our heads together this past summer (Dee Williams — aka me–, Derin Williams from Shelter Wise and Rob Mandzig…Read more