A tiny house on wheels or foundation? That depends on your needs. When you’re looking for a mobile home, there are some things you should consider before buying.
First, if you want to park your trailer in an RV park, you’ll need to check whether the park allows trailers. Second, you’ll need to make sure the trailer you buy meets local building codes. Third, you’ll also want to know what kind of foundation you need. Finally, you may want to ask yourself how much space you really need.
Cost Of Ownership
You are going to need a lot of money to buy land and pay for building supplies. In most cities, vacant infill lots cost less than $10,000. Residential lots can cost up to $100,000. Your best bet is to build your own tiny house on your own property. This way, you’ll save more money over time.
THOWs are affordable housing options for people who want to live in smaller spaces. Most THOWs are built by foundations, and therefore require less maintenance than other types of housing. Cities usually charge high fees for utilities and infrastructure, but these costs are often offset by lower property tax rates.
Tiny houses are built by people who want to be independent from the volatility of the real estate market. People who build tiny houses must first buy land, then build a foundation, then build walls, then build floors, then build roofs, etc. A tiny house is much more expensive than a THOW because of these additional expenses.
Design Flexibility
Tiny houses on the foundation allow you to create a wide variety of designs. You won’t be restricted by height, width or length like in the case of a tiny house on wheels.
You’ll also have more control over your floorspace. You can even add a crawl space. Parking options are more limited when building a wider tiny house.
Utility Hookups
Tiny houses on wheels have limited utilities options. You need to come up with alternative solutions, especially if you want to be mobile ready.
Composting toilets, freshwater tanks, solar power, and connecting to the city grid are some of the things you should consider when building a tiny house.
Safety
A good reason why building your home on a foundation is worth while is safety. Regardless of the type of foundation you choose to use, your home will be firmly rooted into the ground, keeping you safe in case of harsh conditions. Natural disasters can destroy or adversely effect all kinds of homes. You can move your home if you have a tiny house on wheels.
You should know that building a tiny house requires local permits, as well as potential location restrictions. Zoning and building codes dictate the standard size, positioning, and construction rules of dwellings. Each state and city have their own regulations. Before building a tiny house on an existing foundation, make sure you understand what you’re allowed to build, where, and the permits you’ll need.
Mark is a contributor and author at FindTinyHouse.com. He loves exploring tiny houses and sharing his experiences and ideas. Mark lives in a tiny house himself and enjoys inspiring people to live simply.