Go Small or Go Home: 25 Tiny House Blogs to Follow
When looking for a home, you probably keep an eye out for certain features — a big backyard, multiple floors, beautiful views and lots of space.
Most people discount small properties, but why? A tiny house can sometimes afford you all the room you need if you know how to cut back and organize well. And if you're looking for how to organize that tiny garage in your life, check out what this New Jersey homeowner did to make the most of what they had!
Just can’t picture it? That’s OK. These 25 bloggers have all shrunk down their living spaces (and their mortgages) and couldn’t be happier. Let their stories guide the way.
And for ideas on how to organize your garage on a tiny home level budget, we've got you covered there too!
The Tiny Life
Having appeared on BBC News, The New York Times, NPR, ABC, Forbes, the Huffington Post and more, The Tiny Life is a blog that has grown exponentially over the years. Ryan Mitchell created the site in 2009 when he moved into his 150-square-foot home in Charlotte, North Carolina. If you want one just like it, he has a handy guide on all aspects of making your own small house. He even covers things you might not think of, such as homeowner’s insurance, how to find the space to move, and composting toilets.
The Tiny Tack House
The Tiny Tack House knows just how small you can go. Malissa Tack is one of the site’s writers and a 3D artist, and she has squeezed her life into a tiny house. As you can imagine, she prefers making her designs as microscopic as possible. Christopher Tack, the other blogger and a photographer, can “capture the beauty in smaller spaces.” Check out their Rabbit Hole section for other bloggers living the tiny life.
The Tiny House-Wife
Jordan Check is the Tiny House-Wife, and she lives up to that name in her 85-square-foot home. She’s big into saving money by going the DIY route with everything from clothes to organizers. You can even find some yummy recipes for speedy meals that you can make ahead of time and serve when you’re ready.
Tiny House Talk
2007 was the year that Alex Pino of Tiny House Talk started the journey of simplifying his life and his space. By 2009, he had settled into his happy place, which is about 500 square feet. With resources, newsletters and videos, Pino can help you make the same transition no matter how much (or little) space you have.
Tiny House Giant Journey
Guillaume and Jenna made a radical life decision by dumping their day jobs to see the world. To make sure they didn’t overspend, they built a wheeled home in 2014 that they could stay in during their travels, and the Tiny House Giant Journey blog was born. The two have gone more than 23,000 miles in the home, having seen such parts of the world as Iceland, Canada, and several US states.
Life in 120 Square Feet
Matt and Laura LaVoie (and their cat) live in a cozy little home that they built in North Carolina in 2009. Laura, a blogger and writer, details their day-to-day lives in the home on her blog Life in 120 Square Feet. If you need more than descriptions, you can check out the video tour she posted to get a good idea of how the LaVoies made their small space a reality.
The Tiny Project
Alek Lisefski decided to make the switch to a small house in 2013, building his own 160-square-foot abode and then moving it from Iowa to California. Lisefski, who works as a freelance web designer, also runs the Tiny Project blog, where he shares guides and ebooks, properties for sale, and plans for building your own small home.
Build Tiny
If you decide you want to follow in the footsteps of these bloggers and make or buy your own tiny house, Build Tiny can help you every step of the way. The site’s blog is very informative, but if you need more, there are workshops and consultations available. You can also just opt for a full building so you can get your own small house delivered right to you.
Simple Babe
Cory Jean went through major debt and a divorce, but these unfortunate events were the impetus for her to start her life over in a smaller home. She writes about her transition on Simple Babe. With a vision board and a list of Jean’s preferred small houses, you will certainly feel inspired. She also explains how much you should expect to shell out if you want to replicate a home you see on her blog.
This Is the Little Life
Lina Menard experimented with various small living spaces before making the move permanent. Having studied building architecture and receiving a Certificate in Sustainable Design and Building, Menard started her own company, Niche Consulting LLC. While she does offer workshops, she also runs a blog called This Is the Little Life, where you can learn all about her 100-square-foot property that she affectionately named the Lucky Penny.
Tiny House Blog
In 2007, Kent Griswold created the Tiny House Blog to discuss his love of small homes and share information with others interested in building their own. He and his team of writers share other tiny homes and teach you how to comfortably organize your space.
SHEDsistence
Samantha and Robert, the couple who started SHEDsistence, built their own small home from the ground up, giving readers a sneak peek at their progress as they did so. The two already had some experience living smaller, having gone on a road trip for a month in 2008 where they only had a tent and a Honda Civic for lodging. They organize their blog by their adventures before and during the construction of their property, and after they moved in.
Little Red Riding Heart
Amy Annette Henion of Little Red Riding Heart wears many hats, working as a dancer, actor, singer, illustrator, graphic designer and public speaker. Her affinity for tiny homes is well-represented on the Tiny House Life section of her blog, where Henion showcases small homes that she loves and talks about simplifying your life by decluttering.
Intentionally Small
Nicole Alvarez prefers her living spaces Intentionally Small. As an architect and designer, she moved into a Raleigh, North Carolina, apartment that’s just 306 square feet. While she’s happy to show her own small space, she also interviews other tiny house dwellers who talk about their experiences and share pictures.
Tiny House Design
Michael Janzen of Tiny House Design has all you need to get started on your own little home. Some house plans on the site do cost money while others are available for free. Janzen intersperses those plans with pictures of tiny properties, some of which are for sale.
Living in a Shoebox
While Living in a Shoebox doesn’t focus as much on designing and/or buying a small home, the writers do find chic and functional accessories for your new tiny property. You can also check out some small home makeovers, which yes, are possible. Just because you have a tiny space doesn’t mean that you can’t change it up.
Tiny House Swoon
Tiny House Swoon lives up to its name. There are pages upon pages of pictures of tiny houses of all shapes and designs to browse through, so that no matter which type of residence appeals to you most, you can see it from numerous angles and then get to work making a version of your own.
Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
Colorado Springs, Colorado, business Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (which also has locations in Olympia, Washington, and Sonoma, California) can help you design your very own tiny house, trailer or RV. Enroll in a workshop or check out the company’s blog, which often features others who have given up a traditional house for something more extraordinary.
Trainer Tiny House
Jennifer Chen and Jay Trainer (and their host of pets) are on an adventure in San Francisco to find the perfect space for their tiny home. Chen works as an environmentalist while Trainer is a chef, artist and musician. One section of their blog, Trainer Tiny House, is devoted to inspirational design ideas while another shows their building progress in stages.
Four Lights Houses
When Jay Shafer moved into a smaller home, he fell in love in a major way, writing articles on the subject and later opening his own company, Four Lights Houses. His Small Talk: A Tiny House Blog shows off even more of Shafer’s expertise as he talks about his own designs and posts about cool other little houses that he finds online or through people he knows.
Tiny Green Cabins
Jim Wilkins has built small homes for people for years, making sure each is sustainable and promotes healthy living. In 2008, he went into the home-building business, calling his company Tiny Green Cabins, which is also the name of his blog. While you can request Wilkins’ services on his website, his blog is a useful resource for those looking for a tiny house to buy, as he often finds properties with their floor plan and price.
Small House Society
Since 2002, the Small House Society has sought to educate others about the benefits of cutting down on possessions and shrinking your living space. “There has always been an interest in small houses. However, this interest is rapidly growing today as a result of various factors such as: economic conditions, concern about the environment, and a desire for simple more effective living,” the blog explains. “People who are able to make smaller living spaces work often end up having more time and money for other areas of life such as marriage, family, education, fitness, and career.”
Humble Homes
Keep up-to-date with the latest innovations in sustainable house-building when you read Humble Homes. Browse through available listings that the blog writers think are especially noteworthy. When you’re ready, you can even buy house plans for modular or smaller properties right on the blog.
Small House Style
Web magazine Small House Style focuses on a few areas that a potential small home builder or owner would want to know more about, including architecture, prefabricated kits, building information and home plans. The site has resource pages pointing you to other helpful websites and blogs so you have all the info you need to get started.
Tiny Midwest
In Omaha, Nebraska, designer Jamison Hiner has founded his own small home company called Tiny Midwest. He builds custom homes and offers consultations for those who have their own ideas for their small dream house. Make sure to check out the video tours of some of the properties Hiner has worked on.
images by:
Nicolas Boullosa, Susanne Nilsson