What to know before choosing a tiny house

In the vein of minimalism, which aims to get rid of the superfluous and keep only the essentials in your life, a new style of living has gained momentum in recent years. The tiny houses, tiny but well-appointed houses equipped with everything necessary for modern comfort, are increasingly popular for their low environmental impact and their very low price. Are you interested in the concept? Here are some tips to get you started.

Mini-houses, instructions for use

You may have already seen photos of these small homes on social networks and especially on Instagram, where the hashtag #tinyhouse has more than 2.3 million posts. If they know a craze in the Anglo-Saxon countries, in particular in the United States, in Canada and in Australia, the French are also allured by these micro-housing.

This type of alternative habitat is often subject to stricter regulations in France than elsewhere. Thus, the dimensions should not exceed 12 meters long and 2.55 meters wide, for a floor area of ​​30 m2 (most of these miniature houses have high ceilings of up to 4.3 meters and sleeping arrangements on the mezzanine). It is therefore vital to optimize every square meter.

An ecological habitat

Usually constructed from wood from sustainably managed forests and equipped with structures that reduce energy consumption, tiny houses are one of the options to minimize the impact of habitats on nature.

Life on the roads

Some tiny houses can be mounted on a trailer in order to be transportable. As a mobile home, your tiny house will be subject to the same rules as caravans and trailers, and will therefore not be able to park for more than three months in the same location without authorization from the town hall.

To move it, you must also have previously obtained your BE trailer license if its weight exceeds 3 tonnes – below that, a classic B license is sufficient. Finally, don’t forget to have it insured as a residence and as a vehicle.

A limited budget

If you are a very good handyman, you can try to build your own tiny house, by respecting the regulations in force in France and the rules specific to the town planning plan of your municipality. You will only have to pay the price of the materials, which is around 15,000 euros for a standard mini-house.

But if the building trades are not your strong suit, it will be better to turn to specialized builders who, for 40,000 to 70,000 euros on average, will provide you with a ready-to-use wooden house, delivered with the necessary equipment (cupboards , bathrooms, kitchen) and whose finishes are generally customizable. In terms of deadlines, allow a minimum of three months.