- Tiny homes can cost as low as $10,000 to $12,000 to build – far below the typical $200,000 price tag of a house in the US.
- Tiny house owners also save on expenses, spending usually less than $1,000 per month on home-related expenses.
- Elizabeth Silva spends just $600 per month to cover her housing expenses, including rent, internet, utilities, and home insurance.
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Tiny homes can cost anywhere from $8,000 to $150,000 to build, which is far less than the cost of the average standard-size home in the US. The savings don’t stop there, however.
Living in – and maintaining – a tiny home is also typically less expensive. After speaking with six homeowners in the tiny house community, it’s clear that most spend less than $1,000 on expenses every month.
Keep reading to see how their expenses break down.
Lindsay Wood lives in California with her husband in what she calls her “luxury tiny house.” They spend just over $1,000 a month on expenses.
Lindsay Wood initially spent $65,000 on her home. When her builder went out of business mid-project, she said she had to spend another $35,000 to fix that builder’s mistakes and to finish the job. She and her husband, Eric, live on a rented plot of land in Sebastopol, California.
Cost of lot: $500 per month
Utilities: Included in the cost of lot
Insurance: $116 per month
Groceries: $400 per month
Total: $1,016 per month
Mickie Boehm, who has lived in a 250-square-foot tiny house with her husband since July 2018, spends about $1,000 per month on expenses.
Boehm spent $68,000 building her tiny house. She also received $12,000 worth of upgrades for appearing on "Tiny House Nation." Once her house was completed, she had to pay a one-time fee of $200 upfront to join the waitlist at Orlando Lakefront, a tiny house community in Florida, to ensure a spot.
Cost of lot: $450 per month
Utilities: $50 per month
Insurance: $100 per month
Groceries: $400 per month
Total: $1,000 per month
Amanda Burger lives in her 26-foot-long tiny house with two small children. She spends almost $1,000 per month on expenses.
Burger paid $16,000 to have a contractor build the frame of her house. She decided to finish the rest herself. In the end, she spent $40,000 on her tiny house and paid the $200 to ensure a spot at the Orlando Lakefront.
Cost of lot: $500 per month
Utilities: $40 per month
Insurance: $50 per month
Groceries: $400 per month
Total: $990 per month
DJ Gilley has lived in her 220-square-foot home since February 2019, and spends about $745 per month on expenses.
Gilley spent $65,000 on her tiny house, which her son built. She had to pay three months of rent at Orlando Lakefront before her home was even finished because Gilley did not want to lose her spot in the community.
Cost of lot: $650 per month
Utilities: $50 per month
Internet: $45 per month
Total: $745 per month
Misty Gilley spends about $645 per month on expenses related to her 240-square-foot home.
Gilley initially spent $40,000 on the frame of her tiny house, but she quickly learned her house was built all wrong. Fixing the plumbing, wiring, and flooring cost her another $40,000, so she spent $80,000 and counting on her tiny house in Orlando.
Cost of lot: $550 per month
Utilities: $50 per month
Internet: $45 per month
Total: $645 per month
Elizabeth Silva has lived in her 170-square-foot tiny house since August 2019 and spends about $640 per month on expenses.
Silva spent $50,000 on her home and then paid an additional $200 to get on the Orlando Lakefront waitlist to ensure a spot in the community.
Cost of lot: $450 per month
Internet: $66 per month
Utilities: $40 per month
Insurance: $83 per month
Total: $639 per month