Tiny house as a first home solution for my son?

   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #1  

rbstern

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Sorry for the long backstory; just think it's necessary to get accurate feedback.

My son, currently living at home, just recently graduated from college and landed a very solid job with a stable company, working remotely. We're extremely proud of him. He earned it with hard work.

He and his fiancee are starting to look at rental properties in our area. Pickings are slim in the nearby small towns. If they go to one of the small cities within a 45 minute drive (Gainesville, GA to the south, Anderson, SC to the north), there are many more choices. Pricier, and some iffy neighborhoods the wife and I would not love to see them living in.

We have plenty of acreage with numerous potential home sites, although 75% of our property is in conservation status until 2024. We've always told him, if he ever wanted to build a house on the land, we would help in any way we could. He's open to that. One possibility is building/buying some type of tiny home to put on the property; not a trailer mounted tiny house, but something built on skids, like a 14x40 shed that many people seem to be repurposing for something like this. My back-of-the-envelope estimations suggest a 500 to 600 sq foot building, set up as a 1 bed/1 bath, could be nicely finished for about $40K, including plumbing, HVAC, septic, electrical and fixtures.

We have no zoning restrictions. If we did it in reasonable proximity to our current residence, we could skip digging a separate well. They could use our Internet access (something he needs for his job; we have excellent 1Gbps fiber service). Electricity install would be relatively cheap because of the established power lines on our property. In other words, there are a bunch of fiscal advantages to making a living solution here.

Downsides we readily acknowledge: Less independence from us. Also, they'd be building equity in something that exists on our land. If they left, we'd very likely never rent it to anyone else; certainly not a stranger. We value our privacy. We expect to leave this place to him (he's our only child); barring a financial disaster that forces us to sell, all of the property will be his someday. Any property improvements theoretically benefit him in the long run.

We could also just wait until 2024, and carve off a piece of land on the other side of our property, for him to build a genuine, stick built starter house on. More independent solution for them. They'll have spent about $35K tp $50K on rent between now and then, if they rent until then.

So: Thoughts on tiny homes for this type of solution? What haven't I considered? What are the challenges involved with tiny house type solutions? Thanks in advance for the comments!
 
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   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #2  
I would use a temporary/mobile home for 1 1/2 years and then do the stick built on site. Rather than a tiny on skids, the temp could be easily towed away again.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #3  
Congrats to your son, first. Big accomplishment. (y)

One of my concerns about a tiny home is resale value. As with trailers, do they every go up in value or even hold their value? I'd look into that. I've watched quite a few tiny home shows. It would be a very big challenge to be that close to your significant other that many hours a day.

I told my wife that I could live in a tiny home if I had a huge pole barn with a full bath, sitting room and kitchen... (that's a house!) :ROFLMAO:

Also, don't discount a duplex. Live on one side and have renters pay 3/4 or more of your mortgage.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #4  
Moss may be correct - Build a pole barn (just a barn), put the 14x40 inside. Maybe as an apartment in the back.
I've a 40x60 building where the original owner put a 15x40 apartment (kitchen/living room, shower, bathroom, bedroom) inside across the back. Makes a nice man-cave.
Just limit your use in the rest of the barn until they "graduate". Don't raise pigs :)
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #5  
In looking at tiny homes, I've found they are very expensive per sq/foot, and would be fine for vacationing, but not so much to live in. Unless like Moss said, you build a nice outbuilding to hold all yer stuff and winter/summer cloths that you aren't using all the time.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #6  
I've thought (for my kids) about carefully designing a small house with later expansion being considered. Things like putting the plumbing for a little kitchen where it makes sense for a bathroom in the next "phase" and the new real kitchen (plumbing) is on the adjoining wall of the future addition. Rooflines and even headers and other structural considerations should all be considered as well.
Browse through some on line plans and look for something that you can build a portion of that will work.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #7  
Did they ask for this type of a solution or are you and your wife discussing it only?


If they have a child they will be looking for more room really quickly....Not sure if that is a consideration. I looked into Tiny Homes a bunch when we were considering a cabin on our place (and part time living).

I recommend against it. Let them go their own way and help where you can.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #8  
Barndominium. When they leave, you get a heck of a shop with a mother-in-law apartment so they can come visit with the grandkids.

Better yet. Tell them "Fly. Be free". Let them figure out life on their own.
 
   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #9  
The "tiny house on skids" could easily be put into place on the property not under restrictions at the moment and utilize the existing utilities you mentioned, then just move it to the 'other side' that you deed off to him once the restrictions are no longer in place. Investments is not lost, they could continue to live in the tiny house at the new location or just while a larger house is built. That's the beauty of the tiny house, it can be moved reasonably easy, with little to no damage or distress.

I will stress this... make sure you're listening to what they want. My wife and I ran into this issue with my parents and hers, we wanted to build on family land, had a plan that would have benefitted everybody and kept the family together. The end result both times the subject was discussed (10 years apart) led to us buying our own farm nearby years ago, and more recently, relocating 3 hours away. It became obvious that what our parents envisioned and what we needed were very far apart.

Communication is key.
 
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   / Tiny house as a first home solution for my son? #10  
Have you talked to your son about the solution? More importantly, did he talk to his wife? If they are both amenable to the idea of being so close, (and you all get along well) then I would go the Big shop with apartment approach until they get into a financial position to be "on their own". I left home at sixteen with no intention of looking back, & even though I'm close with my Dad now, my wife didn't want to be too near, since mine is typical of Eastern European families (don't value privacy of family members, show up unannounced, & have all sorts of "helpful" advice whether it's asked for or not) ... her family was a bit different. I'd say your son is on a good track & may well stay on a good track whether he gets cheap living arrangements from you or not. Bigger question (IMO) is whether the wife can.
 
 
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