With the housing market on an upswing, it is becoming more and more difficult to find affordable property. In some parts of the country, this has caused a shortage in starter homes. As home prices continue to rise, many people are beginning to look for less expensive options that offer similar amenities as larger properties.
The answer to this question is Yes but it depends on the type of lot you are living on. If you own a single-family home or duplex where your property extends to both sides of the street, then technically yes, but there may be zoning restrictions that prevent any structures from being built in areas like front yards.
One solution that may be worth considering is building a tiny house on your lot. Tiny houses can come with all the same features as traditional homes but typically cost less than $50,000! Find out how you too can build your own tiny house by reading our blog post today.
Determine the Size of Your Lot and How Much Land it Will Need
To figure out how much land you need to build your tiny house, you will need to measure the size of your lot in square feet. It is important to know the size of the lot you wish to build on because tiny houses can be built on a variety of lot sizes.
A tiny house will require at least 200 square feet, but less than 500 square feet; the average size is between 275 and 425 sq. ft.
However, you will need to take into consideration: how many people will live in your tiny home? Typical tiny house bedrooms are about 50 sq. ft. each so if there is more than one person living inside then it could get cramped pretty quickly.
If you are considering building an addition onto your tiny house later down the line to accommodate family members or guests for example, you should make sure that when designing your tiny home, its dimensions ensure space in the future with this possibility in mind.
Find out What Zoning Laws are in Place for Building a Tiny House
It is important to know what the zoning laws are in the area you choose to build. In many cases tiny houses are not permitted on empty lots and will need to be retrofitted onto an existing building foundation.
If you are looking for a blank lot, it is important to know if the zoning laws permit tiny house construction or if they only allow for mobile homes which have wheels attached. If this is not clear in your research, then contact either your local municipality or city government office with questions about tiny home regulations.
How to Get My Utilities Connected
Another important consideration is how you will connect to the utilities on your lot. Your tiny house may not have all the necessary infrastructure for a traditional home so it’s important that you figure this out before you start building or else, you’ll be spending extra money after constructions complete which could result in higher costs than anticipated.
Connecting to an existing water line is a good option if you know where it is and which service provider you are going to use.
If this is not clear in your research, then contact either your local municipality or city government office with questions about tiny home regulations.
Most municipalities have a building code requirement that will require utilities like water, sewer, power, telephone, and internet be connected before construction can begin on any new structure including tiny homes. So, make sure you check into all of these requirements when figuring out the logistics for your tiny house project so as not to get stuck paying more than anticipated after constructions complete.
Utility companies are required by law to maintain records of their customer’s addresses so they will need an address from you in order to provide services at the property, but there may also be additional information needed to provide services such as the size of your tiny house.
How Do I Get the Materials I Need on the Lot?
The other thing to consider is how you will get any building materials necessary for construction onto the property. There are a few ways to do this but if you live in an urban area the most likely way is by traditional delivery.
If that isn’t possible and your tiny house needs to be built on a lot with limited access, then it may be worth considering other transportation methods such as renting or leasing equipment for construction like trailers and forklifts.
Some communities will also require special permits from public works before being allowed onto private property so keep all these requirements in mind when figuring out the logistics for your tiny house project.
Allow Space for Vehicles like Cars and BoatsÂ
If you are building a tiny house on a lot that does not have access to any kind of transportation, then it is recommended for building professionals and tiny homeowners alike to make sure there is enough space for vehicles like cars and boats.
This may not be an issue if the tiny house is built near or within walking distance from other property but planning ahead before construction begins can save time later. If not, make sure you have a plan for storing these items elsewhere.
Conclusion
Building a tiny house on your own lot is possible, but it will require some finesse and patience. You cannot just build the house anywhere you want to because there are certain zoning requirements for utilities such as water, sewer, or electrical hook-ups.
The first step in figuring out how big of a project this will be involves mapping out where these utilities are located. Some lots may have them all clustered together while others could need miles of trenching which would significantly increase the cost of construction depending on what type of soil condition they are dealing with. We hope that we helped shed light on how building a tiny house works.