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If you’re new to this blog, welcome!   My name is Macy and I am delighted to know others are interested in smaller living.   If you’d like to learn more About Us or see the bucket list that started this all feel free to click those links, otherwise feel free to say hi, I would love to know who you are and where you’re from!

I had the idea to ‘go tiny’ in November of 2011, by December I was working on getting my trailer ready.  I moved fast, unfortunately construction moved slow :).  18 months after starting my build I moved in, 2 years after starting I officially called my house ‘finished’.   I currently ‘live tiny’ full time with my partner (James), my daughter (Hazel) with another kiddo on the way, and our Great Dane (Denver).

This is the site I used to chronicle my tiny house design and construction, because of how blogs work you sort of have to go through it backwards in order to follow the build from the beginning.  You can find my very first post HERE, from there you can navigate to the next.  There are also search bars on the bottom for searching by date or by topic and a general search bar at the top, if those don’t get you what you want to know I am more than happy to help get you answers!  You can email me at mizacy@gmail.com anytime.

If you don’t want to go through 300+ posts you can learn about my ebook or purchase it HERE. It summarizes everything you would want to know about my house build with pictures and explanations (plus some extras), it’s also a great place to start to see all of the choices that go into building your own tiny house.

You can see pictures of the entire construction process from flatbed to finished house HERE.  More on my design HERE, and purchase the plans HERE.

This site is my personal blog but I also work very hard to provide information to others, I co-host a tiny house podcast which you can find at tinyhousechat.com, I help provide information at PlanningTiny.com and I moderate a great facebook group about tiny houses called Tiny House People.  I hope you can find the information you need to explore the right sized living option for you!

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39 Comments

  1. Hey Macy, I love your design and that it’s built on a fifth wheel trailer which makes a lot more sense than a bumper pull when you look at the weight of the finished home.
    I’ve designed and built four custom live in trailers and two tiny cabins and I think this concept is going to eventually become more appealing as less and less people are thrilled about taking on a 25 year half million dollar mortgage.
    Kudos for your design concept and the obvious talent you have for decorating. Your home is not only efficient but it looks like thoroughly enjoyable and comfortable space. My only question is where does the Great Dane sleep? 🙂

    1. Thanks Doug for the very kind words! He used to hog my whole damn bed it seemed but he recently get evicted and has found his new bed in the couch 🙂 Occasionally on the floor (where he’s SUPPOSED to go) but mostly the couch 🙂

  2. Hi Macy,
    love the tiny house idea, am looking into trying something like that for my own family (which includes besides 2 grown ups also a little one, another little in the works and 2 dogs), since land is so expensive here and building even more so … that in the end we can afford only one or the other ;-p

    Since boise is really cold in winter, or so i heard, how do you keep your pipes from freezing?

    lots of love from Vienna, Austria
    Cate

    1. Hi Cate!
      I skirted around where the water goes into my house, then I wrapped the pipe with heat tape and insulated it. it got me through a winter with temps down to -12 degrees! Glad youre interested!

  3. Aloha Macy and greetings from Kona Hawaii. I have been pretty obsessed with tiny houses for a while and save all the photos of ones that I like. Yours is one of my all time favorites. Love that you only have kind of a mini loft where the bed is instead of a steep ladder, and I love the lay out of your REAL kitchen with a full size refrigerator. Looks like you may have a washer dryer combo in the kitchen too. I really appreciated your in depth review on the sun mar composting toilet as well. Wonderful and inspirational work. Hope to have my own tiny house for retirement soon.

      1. Hi Macy,
        I feel like I know you a little through your work on this blog. I am very interested in your story, and I can see why you have received so much press. I have begun a blog onetinyhouse.wordpress.com and I now follow you. My blog isn’t much, yet.

        With your book download, is it something I can download on my computer and my iphone? I recently learned my iphone will read selected text to me, which I find very useful. But I also like to see things on my laptop.

        A little about me. My name is Tami and I am by choice a daycare mom. My children are 24, 18 & almost 3. I would love to free up my time and money so that I can travel to see my oldest son, and be there for my all my children. My partner may be renting, or following me, whatever he decides. I have lots of ideas about little ones if you have any questions. I would love to see your co-sleeper installed. Currently I spend my days with children between the ages of 6mo and 3 years old and I really love it and all my parents are great. When all is said and done I’m lucky if I make $6 an hour to watch 4-6 children (counting my own), so I can see myself living in a tiny home and working as a substitute teacher or a temporary nanny.

        1. Hi Tami! Thank you also for your kind words! Thank you also for the link to your blog, I cant wait to check it out!
          My book download is a pdf, you should be able to open it on either device, not positive about the reading though, if it’s like my ap that is always hit and miss! Can’t wait to follow along with you!

  4. Hi Macy! I love your design and philosophy! My husband and I have been seriously thinking about selling our suburban “dream home” because all we seem to do is work to pay for our mortgage and daycare and we are just exhausted. We are a family of 3 and hope to become a family of 4 in the near future. Reading about how you live in your tiny home with an infant has given us hope that this could truly be a possibility for us. Your design is beautiful and pretty much everything I would want for our tiny home. Thank you!

    1. Thank you SO much Jean for your kind words!! Just so you know I think its pretty possible, and even feasible that this will be the home of a family of four in the near future. there are LOTS of ways you could incorporate more space, I may be enclosing the patio and putting bunk beds in there so the kids can have their own room, who knows, we will see what the future brings! Thanks again!

  5. Hi, Macy.
    I just discovered your blog and i need to go through to find out more about this awesome home you’ve built, such as how much it cost, why people thought you were either ripped off or couldn’t be serious that it cost so little.

    Your journey has me so excited it’s hard to focus!
    I SO want to live the Tiny(or small)house dream. I even have money stashed away from the sale of my huge house when i got divorced. I’m now in a nice, tiny, but ridiculously expensive apartment weighing my options.
    I’ve looked at so many ideas and designs my head starts spinning. But i think i’ve found my focus with you.
    I love the idea of building on a trailer so i can move, but i’d like to have a home base at or near where i live now, which is in Central New Jersey.
    Would you have any advice on how or where i can look to find the land to build and base my tiny home and if they’re allowed?
    I will be getting your plans and, unlike you, i will be working CLOSELY with a friend of mine who is a contractor. I hope we can do half the job you did. It’s inspirational!

  6. So glad to have found your blog! I have a 5 month old son and am in the planning stages of going tiny. Hope to start building next year. Finding an organized blog with details is awesome. I can’t wait to sit down and read through everything.

    1. Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you find it helpful! Let me know if there is ever anything I can do to help you navigate the path!

  7. Beautiful house! I see that your bed is located on the top of the gooseneck portion of the trailer. What size mattress were you able to fit there. I cannot tell if it’s a queen or a king size. Thanks, in advance, for your response. –Samantha

    1. Thanks Samantha! Initially I had a king-sized bed, I have resized to a queen since my daughter was born so her co-sleeper can fit beside my bed.

  8. Hi Macy, I’m starting to read through the comments and your replies and learning a lot. One question, what about radiant heating in a home like yours ? Wonder if it would be possible ? Do you have wood floors or tile or… what ? I have read enough to know that radiant heating works better with tile as wood shrinks and warps with heat over time….

    1. Is it possible?? I have radiant floor heat :), I use tile. It adds a lot of weight (its why I added the third axle), all in all I don’t think its ‘worth’ the cost unless you REALLY like radiant floor heat. I will have to write up a review here shortly about the reasoning behind it but there are less expensive equally efficient systems in small spaces.

  9. Hi Macy! I attempted to leave a comment last night but I don’t think it posted! Anywho, I am an interior designer out of MI and have just started my tiny project! I may pick your brain a bit in the process! 🙂 Love your creativity and awesomeness!

  10. Hi Macy,
    I am so excited to have found your blog, and start reading. My husband and I are new to the idea of tiny living but are so excited by it. We have always lived in small apartments and are drawn to the idea of truly living simply and having time and money for the things that are truly important. We also like to move (lived in California, Arizona, illinois, and now are in Texas). While we do not plan on moving out of state any time soon it is nice to have the doors open to taking our house with us! Anyway it is great to read articles and get any ideas we can. It’s great to meet you 🙂

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words and dropping a note to say hello! I agree with you, it is nice to have options to move WITH your home! Best of times! Good luck!

  11. Hi Macy!
    I love your tiny house, out of all the ones I’ve seen it’s definitely in the top 5.
    I have a question though for you or any other tiny house owners with tile flooring and finished sheetrock walls. Do you have any problems with the tile coming loose, grout joints cracking, or drywall joints cracking when moving the house?

    1. I havent had any issues at all with either the tile or the drywall, they do make a flexible grout, I didn’t even use that but it’s probably a good idea to use it if you want tile It is a lot heavier than other floorings but if its worth it its worth it. I hate mine only because its dark and shows ALL flecks of dirt and then some, I am going to be ripping it out and replacing it shortly actually but not because there were any functional issues. 🙂

  12. HI Macy! What are the top 3 things you wish that you had done differently from the start (not including the radiant floor!)

    1. gosh, I am not certain. Its not that I wish I had done things different maybe so much as life changes… there have been plenty of times I wish I had added a bathtub, or could find the time/energy to add one… but I NEVER bathed for years… then you have kids and it would be nice… The dark floors, more than just tile were a no-no. they showed everything. I skimped on my cabinets, not using 3/4″ wood and they have warped over time, I wish I could have a re-do there… 🙂

  13. Sweet Macy, how wonderful are you to be so giving of your time, advice and talent!! I am completely blown away. It’s no wonder you and Ethan are friends. He has been a constant source of support.

    I do love the design of your home and especially love the way you put in the bed. I cannot climb a ladder safely and am not sure I want a loft with stairs yet, so your creativity has given me another option I wouldn’t have foreseen.

    I downloaded Ethan’s free decisions book and purchased his book/workbook combo at a reduced rate so I could afford to make the decisions that need to be made ageadbif time and learn from his mistakes.

    Thank you for your generosity andbig look forward to chatting with you in the future.

    Smiles, Jane

  14. Just saw you on the movie, “Tiny:….” like many others. I have had a fascination of doing something like this ever since reading “Building Thoreau’s Cabin”. Have you ever read and if so, found it inspiring or impractical?

    Since you have gone through the building process, and I have not, would you think it would be a practical bonding experience between my 10 yr old son and I or just way too much for a little hands (and his great big, unrestricted mind)?

    Thanks for all of the work you have done documenting your experiences……

    1. I think it would be a phenomenal experience to do together, especially at 10! It is empowering and freeing, I don’t think that is lost on anyone! I have not read Building Thoreau’s Cabin, sorry I am no help there!

  15. Hi Macy! I was referred to your site by Claudia over at Two Cup House. I love reading about their journey towards tiny living. It fascinates me. I actually grew up in a trailer (2 adults/4 kids in an 8×50′) and was always so embarrassed about it. Back then, even though we kept our home clean and nicely decorated, there was still a stigma. But, I feel like I mastered tiny living for the first two decades of my life. Because of the stigma though, I have been working my entire adult life towards higher education (I now have my master’s in a scientific field) and BIG living. So big, in fact, that my husband and I nearly committed financial suicide last year by buying a large home we couldn’t comfortably afford. Thankfully there was mold and the contract fell through. That situation gave rise to mt own PF blog and a revelation that I don’t need to keep up with the Joneses. After all, they’re probably broke. And, our 1300SF home is plenty big. 🙂

    Nice to meet you!
    Mrs. Mad Money Monster

  16. Macy, thanks for your work. As a retired city planner, zoning code official and housing rehabilitation specialist and tiny home enthusiast; The IBC, International Building Code, as I understand has been adopted nationally. opinion; if you want to build tiny, you need to be more open and flexible in order to achieve this (you are fighting regulations and history). You need to ask your officer, “How can I do something like this?” and if the answer is no way, go to the Head of the department or building code official, not inspector.
    Building Codes and Zoning Codes are for the protection and security of the home owner and the community. Cities adopt building codes, which are pretty rigid and not variable. Zoning code can be varied. Research what kind of variances have been granted in the past. The variance will go to an Adjustment Board, which meets on their schedule, and may take weeks or months, depending.
    Don’t get insulted or angry or impatient; it won’t help. There is a thing called “accessory structure” with rules, and some are for assisting the sick or elderly in the main house. Study your zoning ordinance. I don’t know what kind of proof might be required.
    Cities and Counties only modify the codes very little, not a major change. It might be possible to add another classification; I haven’t experienced that. I have worked in 4 states, 5 cities and one regional government. I also am planning on building my own tiny home in a very ergonomic and physically sensitive (round corners) way. I see so many “stairs” that are not built to code or standards. These construction rules should not be ignored. If it is awkward to live in people will sell giving the problems to the next person.
    I don’t know if this is helpful or not. I hope it is. When you are doing something that is not the norm, in the construction business, it will cost you more, take more time to design and construct and then the codes. So be patient.

    1. Thank you for the feedback, all great advice. I have been working toward more than just a one off solution, I think this sort of housing should be accessible to everyone without a HUGE headache of approval. I was a part of an effort lat last year that got a tiny house appendix added to the IRC which specifically addresses the hardships tiny homes have with meeting code. It borrowed most of the language from other portions of code. And the best news is that the International Code Council (ICC) approved the appendix and it goes into effect whenever the 2018 code is adopted at various locations. Since it is in there I have already petitioned my state to approve it proactively (now), and they have! Those are some HUGE hurdles to overcome and honestly what I saw as the hardest part. NOW onto zoning. That’s been my mission and so far so good, we are well on our way to a repeatable solution that can be adopted everywhere, right away. And will be if only organically.

  17. Mmm… nice home! I have been looking and planning, but the climate where I live is very hard to plan around….-30 during winter is common, so it’s not easy to build something within code and lite enough that it’s possible to move on your own if needed.Most towns frown on tiny homes around here and cities will not allow anything under 400sq’…..even mobile home parks are reluctant. Insurance companies are even less cooperative with coverage unless it is a certified RV or mobile home.
    The lobbying from the building industry and real estate groups against approval of such houses is phenomenal !! Very hard or almost impossible to convince politicians of the fact that it is a feasible alternative.All about the all mighty $$ . In any case I do like your design, your toilet would be a hard one in my climate, would have to go with a diff. type and emptying more often for sure. Insulation would have to be at least R25 in the walls and better in ceilings.
    Best regards, cheers.

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