Micro-housing just might be the wave of the future, and loads of tiny houses are popping up everywhere. Traditional houses can’t hold a candle to these new micro-domiciles, which come with all kinds of super-efficient features like low upkeep, eco-friendly elements, and other splendid specs.
Real estate prices are climbing, so now may just be the best time to consider scaling down to a micro home. If you’re also looking to save energy, cash, and bring simplicity to your life, this is definitely the way to go. Let’s take a look at the market, shall we?
The Shiny & Chrome Homemobile – $129,995
If you’ve always been looking for the shiny micro-home of your dreams and wanted to put it on wheels to boot, look no further. Although it’s not the cheapest, this Matthew and Joanna Hofmann’s creation is on the top of our list, and for good reason.
It has the whole shebang and more; from a fully-functional shower and washing machine to a kitchen basin. This mobile living space combines it all; a peaceful lifestyle and a flair for adventure. And since it’s built to handle rough terrain, you can even live comfortably in the highlands.
The Butterfly Home – $44,000
When you absolutely, positively have to enjoy both the comfort inside and the fresh air outside, accept no substitute. Who wants a conventional door, when you can have a huge rolling shutter instead? Ladies and gentlemen, we give you The Breezeway, a 32-foot tiny house made by Tiny Heirloom.
Its bedrooms are found in both sides of its butterfly-winged roof, and its long kitchen is fully-equipped with a stove, microwave, Belfast basin, breakfast bar and any other extras that you’ll need. Hop in and get ready to throw the best off-grid bash/pizza party/hangover chill out session in the world!
The Ecocapsule – $89,228
There’s micro-housing, and then there’s the Ecocapsule, a no-slide wind-powered egg! This eco-friendly green innovation has its own integrated airstream turbine and a roof topped with solar cells, which powers up a big battery, giving you power anywhere—even in the harshest conditions. It’s lightweight enough to fit on a trailer.
This micro home features a modest, but uber-ergonomic interior. Clearly, a lot of thought went into this one’s design. It comes with a kitchenette as well as a bathroom with a thermal shower and a fully-functioning flushing toilet. Plus, it also gathers rainwater from the roof to be filtered and reused.
The Sakura Subzero Explorer – $93,000
We get you’re adventurous, but how far can you go to get some privacy? Is it in the Arctic? Well then, this tiny house by Minimaliste ought to be your number one option. One of the amazing features this freeze-proof wonder has is that it can handle minus 40° Celsius temperatures.
Furthermore, it features state-of-the-art heating technology. It comes with a roof terrace, a living area, a kitchen, and a lavatory. Did we mention it also has a composting toilet? It does. The fact that it’s being pulled by an enormous truck makes it even cooler (pun intended)!
The Cardboard In The Woods – $33,502
Are you a cabin-in-the-woods type of person, but traditional ones are a bit too rustic? Then we might just be looking for the Wikklehouse, a handmade home by furniture fabricators Fiction Factory. You’ll be amazed to know that this classy prefabricated lodging is made mostly from cardboard.
In creating every Wikklehouse, 24 layers of cardboard are cautiously wrapped around a revolving house-shaped mold. The frame is finished with a coating of waterproof foil and some lightweight wooden casing is added to make it sturdier and long-lasting. You can connect it to the grid or make it your rustic paradise.
The 7-Person Drake Sandcrawler – $139,900
Although it looks as if it came from a Star Wars desert scrap yard, any resemblance between Land Ark’s Drake with Tatooine design is entirely coincidental (no matter what those droids are telling you). It’s an expansive home with sufficient space to comfortably accommodate seven people.
With its three sleeping stations, it’s tough to think of a reason why anybody wouldn’t want to set up his Jedi camp …err, mobile home in one of these. The interior of this model is chic, pure, and fresh-looking; it also has a cooking area with all the modern conveniences.
Le Koroc, The River Abode – $61,000
Why settle for a house on wheels, when you can have a house on the water? Waterways always connected people, so you just might want to meet them in the comfort of your very own luxury home-craft. Enter Le Koroc, a micro houseboat by Daigno.
The narrowboat’s definitive log cabin has been revamped into a cozy floating abode, easier to handle than the dock classic. The eco-friendly house’s electricity is supplied by the cabin roof’s solar panels. This micro dwelling also features a deck, a full kitchen, a lavatory, and a changeable bed/table that saves space.
The Contemporary RoadHaus – $63,500
Nothing compares with a life close to nature, and RoadHaus’ designers know it. Not only is this tiny cabin super-easy to set up below the canopy, its glass facade and raised, slanted roofing lets in tons of sunlight, making it feel bright and roomy indeed.
This mobile home also comes with streaming TV – if you find yourself missing civilization, and need to Netflix your woodland stay a bit. This one’s also smartly arranged, so the bathroom and kitchen are expertly put out of the way, for an even more comfortable off-grid living experience.
Aspen, Your Winter Haven – $89,500
Here’s another micro-home designed for the biting cold, although not quite for such extremes as the Sakura. This one is made by Borealis Tiny Homes which can easily withstand winter weather (try saying that fast 3 times) and leaving a carbon footprint more elusive than a sasquatch.
You can tell the people who build these mean business, by the super-ergonomic use of space; the second story bed can be reached by hopping on the kitchenette’s counter. Its kitchen section comes with a fully-functioning oven and a springy tap. In addition, there’s also plenty of room inside the benches.
One of A Kind Leaf House – $41,500
Now we arrive at another top-notch eco camper, The Leaf House. You’ll surely enjoy this one, as Leaf House is entirely tailor-made to the owner’s specifications. This snowflake of a micro-home takes approximately 6 months to construct and you can bet that no two of these are ever alike!
It’s designed to fit in a 16 to 20-foot trailer, and its weight ranges between 5,000 lbs and 20,000 lbs (depending on the furnishings you stuff into it). The manufacturer doesn’t mass produce these homes; only one or two per year. You’d better get on their website’s waiting list pronto!
The True Tiny Living – $40,000
There’s tiny, there’s efficient, and then there’s this one. We stand corrected; this Modern Tiny Living creation is actually the tiniest micro home on this article. If you are really serious about micro-housing, this miniature cutie is about as tiny as you can get.
It has a charm that’s unrivaled and is probably the loveliest twelve-foot abode you’ll ever set foot in. It’s like a zen garden transformed into a house. Might we add, it looks perfect for a lovebird destination too? This might be the ideal romantic getaway home to rekindle your relationship.
The Tiny Palace On The Water – $550,000
Ok, this micro-home comes with a mega-price tag, but if you can afford it, it’s worth every penny. If you thought the previous water-bound entry had a wow factor, wait till you see what this one is like. The manufacturer really rewrote the definition of a floating household.
You see, this “tiny” palace offers 600(!) sq.ft. of luxury living space. Made sometime in the late ’80s, it comes complete with a cooking station and a sunroom. At the moment, it’s docked in Friday Harbor, Washington. When the ocean is your backyard, the possibilities for exploration are endless!
Dream Fortress – $65,000
Have you ever fancied living in your own fortress with a fully-functioning drawbridge? Is the answer yes, but the mortgage would be murder? Well, this just might be your lucky day. Behold, the GreenMoxie, a home that’ll make you feel like the ruler of your own off the grid castle.
This is a world apart from the day-to-day grind. Efficient, elegant, and eco-friendly, this tiny house comes with a wood burning cooktop, a retrieved decade-old brass window, a 200-liter rainwater container, and a whole boom box system. Just picture yourself overseeing your woodland realm out of this forest fort.
The Custom Caravan – $11,995
This tiny caravan-turned-cuteness-overload is easily the most affordable choice on our list. At 56-square-feet, this gypsy wagon camper is lightweight enough for most vehicles to pull, which, we’re sure you’ll agree, is perfect if you have a wandering soul. A constructor in New Jersey makes them per order.
In their ready-to-go version, they include an aluminum roof, eight windows, full insulation, a Dutch door, and a twin XL mattress. They can also be customized. The only downside? There’s no bathroom. But hey, you can always add a composting toilet. It doesn’t get more off-grid than this.
School’s Out Forever – $30,000
The Skoolie isn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill schoolbus conversion home. We know; we are kind of obsessed with house conversions. What it serves is mostly as a great example of what’s possible if you really put effort and imagination into bringing your dream house to reality.
Luke and Rachel Davis are high school sweethearts who have taken on the challenge. They bought the vehicle in 2015 and have since built a kitchen, a four-burner stove, bedrooms, and a solar-paneled roof along with many features for their Skoolie. And they’ve raised their daughter Charlotte in this wonderful home.