SO you wanna build a small house

Beekeeper's Bungalow by THE small HOUSE CATALOG

You’re excited by the tiny house movement and want to get on board but making such an extreme change is daunting. Maybe you have a family (like me) and don’t think you can maintain your sanity with your significant other and some crazy kids running around. Or you’ve decided that more financial freedom and less house to maintain is your style. Whatever your reasoning, congrats; it’s a big decision. I’m with you. I am excited about our small house and the lifestyle that will come with it. Having lived in large houses I am looking forward to less commitment to cleaning, maintenance and places lost objects could be hiding. A small house also allows me to design it with more of what I love and less of what was passed down. The details that were not affordable in a larger house are within my grasp: wrap around porch, subway tile to the ceiling, dramatic lighting, upgraded fixtures, and smart toys. Plus a small house makes it much easier to be sustainable. I can pick products that use less energy and afford them because a small house needs less, can fit less and uses less.

Since you are on board let’s talk about what you need to get started.

Our Beekeeper's build on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA

Land: you will need a place to build your small house. This piece of land will need to have no restrictions on the size of the finish square footage being built. Some towns and counties may have a stipulation of the size of home that can be built. However, building code variances can be requested to accommodate your plan.

House plan: Here a few great websites to check out for small, beautiful small house plans.

Mairanne Cusato's Economy House

THE small HOUSE CATALOG: this is the website that we obtained our house plan. We choose the Beekeeper’s Bungalow because it is so adorable and the floor plan is well laid out.

Allison Ramsey is one of my favorite home architecture firms. Their low country style reminds me of Savannah and Charleston.

Marianne Cusato designed beautiful Katrina cottages. These homes were originally designed to be a respectable alternative to a FEMA trailer in Louisiana but the homes have been requested around the country.

A budget: Once you have picked a plan you can ask for a free take-away from your local hardware store that has a lumber yard. Sit down with the employee and ask about different selections, changes you can make to stay within your budget and what materials, finishes and functions are important to you. This take-away doesn’t include everything or labor. The plumbing won’t be included nor the electrical. To determine labor you will need a contractor. However, there is the option to build it yourself but only take this on if you are well versed in construction and project management (there is a great deal of logistics involved). A contractor will give you more insight on the costs that are not included in the take-away. I will cover more on the DIY angle later in a DIY series.

Our build permit box

Permits: Before you even break ground you will need to obtain permits. For our build we needed a septic permit before we could apply for the build permit. Before we could be approved for the septic permit we needed a soil test. It took about a little over a month from when we were ready to start building until we could actually break ground. I will cover this later in a post on timelines.

Next week I’ll cover more on picking a plan for you and how you can make the most of it.

#SmallHouse #Buildingasmallhouse