Tiny Houses

No-frills tiny house keeps things simple to drive costs down

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Build Tiny estimates that the Purple Palace would have cost between NZD 150,000-170,000 (US$104,000 - 11,8000) without the cost-saving measures, but says that it came in closer to NZD 115,000 ($80,000)
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace has one bedroom, which is reached by storage-integrated staircase
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace includes a small stained glass window that already belonged to the owner
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's interior is heated with a small wood-burning stove
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's kitchen includes a folding breakfast bar that seats two people
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace has one bedroom, which is a typical tiny house-style bedroom and contains a double bed and some storage space. A lowered standing platform next to the bed makes getting dressed easier in the compact space
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's bathroom includes a shower, sink, and toilet
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's toilet is a composting model by New Zealand's Bambooloo
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's interior has been left unpainted to save money and this work will instead be carried out by the owner
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace's kitchen includes a washer/dryer, sink, cabinetry, and a propane-powered two-burner stove
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace is accessed through a large glass door that adds to the daylight inside and helps mitigate the lack of windows
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace consists of a steel frame and its exterior is finished in vinyl
Build Tiny
Build Tiny estimates that the Purple Palace would have cost between NZD 150,000-170,000 (US$104,000 - 11,8000) without the cost-saving measures, but says that it came in closer to NZD 115,000 ($80,000)
Build Tiny
The Purple Palace is based on a double axle trailer
Build Tiny
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The Purple Palace isn't actually a palace, nor is it even purple, but what it does offer is a compact tiny house at a relatively low budget. During the design process, New Zealand's Build Tiny went to considerable lengths to keep the price down by focusing on the basics and leaving the interior decor unfinished.

The Purple Palace has a total length of 7.4 m (24 ft) and width of 2.4 m (7.8 ft), making it a lot easier to lug around New Zealand than the massive North American models we regularly feature, which can be almost twice as long. It consists of a steel frame and is finished in vinyl. It gets power from a standard RV-style hookup but has been pre-wired to accept solar panels in the future, when the owner is ready to upgrade to an off-grid setup.

The decor inside is simple and the poplar plywood walls are left unpainted to save money (the owner plans to do it herself – and has already added a splash of purple). Additionally, to further cut costs, the number of windows were kept to the minimum required for light and ventilation.

As visitors enter, the living room is to the right. This is furnished with a small sofa, and is also home to a wood-burning stove, which is the sole source of warmth. The kitchen is nearby and contains a small drop-down breakfast bar area, washing machine, sink, a small two-burner stove (but no oven), and a fridge. The bathroom connects to the kitchen and looks quite compact, containing a shower, sink, and a composting toilet.

The Purple Palace's interior has been left unpainted to save money and this work will instead be carried out by the owner
Build Tiny

There's just one bedroom in the Purple Palace, though the owner does plan to install a second loft at a later date. The bedroom is reached by a storage-integrated staircase and is a typical loft-style tiny house, though it has the clever addition of a lowered platform area, which makes it easier to get dressed.

Build Tiny estimates that the home would have cost anywhere between NZD 150,000-170,000 (US$104,000 - 11,8000) without the cost-saving measures, but says that it came in closer to NZD 115,000 ($80,000) – which is obviously still a lot of money, but works out relatively inexpensive for a custom made tiny house..

Source: Build Tiny

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8 comments
Nobody
I hate tiny homes because they are totally impractical, have an exorbitant price tag and waste SO MUCH SPACE. A travel trailer this size would sleep 4-6 adults and children. A travel trailer would have cabinets and storage every where. A travel trailer would have heating, air conditioning, built in storage tanks for water and waste AND best of all, only cost $14,000-$25,000 complete. Most tiny home designs are not aerodynamic and would tow like a lead kite.
P51d007
These "tiny" houses with their overpriced prices, are sort of like SUV's. Just another "fad" that morons will waste money on just to say I have one.
For a TINY house that has a price over a typical price of a regular home (by regular, I mean out here in flyover country, not LA or NY), just nuts.
But, people routinely lay down $1,000 and more for a stupid "smartphone".
Spud Murphy
That pricing is nuts, clearly they need to learn what low cost actually means. How can it be so expensive?
Smokey_Bear
I Agree with everyone else.
If your gonna tow it around to live all over, but a camper, it's cheaper & better.
If your gonna stay in one spot, then get a cheap modular home or trailer.
Either option you'd be better off, and have less debt.
Don Duncan
It would only be "custom made" because it wouldn't sell widely. And the wholesale cost would allow for a 100%-300% markup, depending on the sucker.
Bricorn
I was quite impressed until I got to the price, are they having a laugh?
BlueOak
While tiny homes will never move mainstream and certainly are not for everyone, many of the comments here reflect ignorance about the Tiny Home industry. Tiny homes have their place, not even necessarily as permanent homes, for example as quick ways to get a home on vacation property as a 2nd home.

As to comparing them to RV’s - those are two different use cases. Tiny homes are not intended to be mobile RVs. They are transportable homes. And as anyone who has lived full time in an RV trailer will find out, they simply do not hold up under those conditions. Look at the resale value of a full time lived in RV - nobody wants it because it is worn out. For full time living, I’d much rather live in a Tiny Home than a dark, flimsy RV a trailer. If a community’s zoning and ordinances resist Tiny Homes, good luck getting them to accept living full time in an RV trailer.

As to cost, to get an RV trailer built to home standards and building code, good luck finding one - a “$14-25,000” trailer certainly isn’t it. These Tiny homes have most of the components of a permanent home and those infrastructure components drive a lot of the cost, not simply square feet. And yes, they are custom-built, driving up costs.
niio
You can get 1000sqft in a double wide mobile home for $65k. Six times as big for less money, plenty of storage and all the appliances. "Tiny" homes are no more durable than mobile homes; you can pick the level of quality you want in either product.