A Tiny house is a small wooden house, mounted on a trailer. So you can tow it behind a car and travel with it, or move as you wish. Much more functional than a caravan, a mobile home or a caravan, a Tiny house can be lived in all year round. Inside, the space is intelligently optimized to offer all the comfort of a real home. A Tiny house can be totally autonomous in energy! A type of housing that is increasingly attractive, responding perfectly to the economic and ecological constraints of our time. Living in a Tiny house is to live simply but comfortably, in the respect of nature and in harmony with its environment.

Tiny house: a movement born in the United States

The first builder of Tiny House in the world was Charles Miller. This American built the first house on wheels in 1929 in Ogden, Utah. It is at the dawn of the years 2000 that was born the first modern Tiny house. We owe it to Jay Shafer, an American architect. Starting from the observation that it was not necessary to live in a large space to be happy, he reproportioned his habitat. Objective: a dwelling as small as possible, while maintaining modern comfort. And that can also take into account its environment. Thus was born the Tiny house, mini-home on trailer, between 8 and 20m². But what Jay Shafer had certainly not imagined was that the Tiny house would become a real movement in the United States. In a context of economic and real estate crisis, this nomadic, functional and comfortable habitat which can be built without borrowing seduced the Americans. Travellers and students but also couples and families! The Tiny house movement has touched all those who dreamed of getting back to basics, of living in harmony with nature and of breaking away from financial constraints. In France, it is in 2013 that the first Tiny house was born, in the Channel. Today, there are already about forty manufacturers and fifteen auto-constructors across the country!

The basic principles of the Tiny house

Tiny house is also a philosophy. And like any philosophy, it has its principles. Ecological architecture, optimised layout and storage, modern comfort and consideration for the environment are the pillars of the Tiny house. Occupying less space, the Tiny house still offers a modern design adapted to the needs of its occupants. Space is optimized, with storage everywhere. Often, the stairs leading to the mezzanine are also storage cubes. Just like the couch! And to give the impression of living in a large space, the openings are numerous, just like the skylights. There are also all the modern comforts: shower, toilets, VMC, equipped kitchen, etc. Thanks to the solar panels and the water recovery system, a Tiny house can easily be autonomous. The materials chosen for its construction (mainly wood and/or steel) must also be environmentally friendly. Some Tiny houses use the principles of bioclimatic construction to limit the impact of their alternative housing as much as possible, while ensuring optimal thermal comfort. In short, the Tiny house must be minimalist, ecological and offer the freedom sought by its occupants.

How to build a Tiny house

To build a Tiny house, some rules must first be taken into account. To be able to circulate with it, it must be maximum 4m20 high and 2m55 wide. The length should not exceed 12m. But to respect the trailer weight of 3.5 tons, the length of a Tiny house is rather around 5 meters. But the Tiny is not necessarily on a trailer: some choose a fixed mini-home, which must not exceed 20m². Beyond that, a building permit is required. The realization of a Tiny house can be entrusted to a specialized builder, who generally proposes a construction out of water/out of air or turnkey, according to your budget and your implication in the project. It is also possible to build your own Tiny house in a few months and with a lot of involvement. This is also an opportunity to reduce the budget, as recycled materials can be used.

What rules for a Tiny house?

In addition to the limits mentioned above for the size of the Tiny house, we must think about its parking. The Tiny house is subject to the same rules as those imposed on caravans. Thus, after three months per year of parking on the same lot, you must apply to the town hall. The Tiny house, independent and cheap mobile home, has enough to seduce. But many are still waiting for legislators to address the issue of these mini-homes, to give them a framework and facilitate installation. Despite this, it is a beautiful way of housing for travel lovers and all nomads who do not hold in place.