Tiny homes

By Brent Burgess Standard-Radio Post Editor

We Americans love our homes. Owning one is the epitome of the American dream.

Because that dream is so valuable, Americans also become very creative in how they protect and pursue that dream when times get tough.

In a difficult housing market where property values have skyrocketed, construction costs are up and interest rates are high, small homes and tiny homes have become more than just a trend, but a necessity for some. This is especially true in Gillespie County.

With the average home cost in Fredericksburg nearing $700,000, home ownership in Gillespie County has become less of a dream and more of a fairy tale.

Todd Eidson is a custom home builder in Fredericksburg who is regularly involved in the construction of tiny homes and small houses. In addition to building custom homes, Eidson volunteers with a Fredericksburg High School program called Casa Über Alles, where high school students are building tiny homes each year to engage in a hands-on experience with the building trade.

“There are two reasons they became popular — one was for accessory dwelling units,” said Eidson. “That, and then the popularity with a generational change and millennials not wanting a 2,500 square foot house, which is the American average.”

Television shows and social media vlogs popularized the appeal to millennials who wanted to escape from a bigger-is-better mentality. With the current state of the market, true tiny homes might become a regular part of the home culture of Gillespie County and the Texas Hill Country.

True tiny home

The phrase “tiny home” is not just a general statement regarding a small living arrangement. There are certain building codes and permits unique to a true tiny home, thus, a true tiny home must meet certain qualifications.

“There’s literally a definition for building code for a tiny house and that’s anything that’s 400 square feet or less,” said Eidson. Because of that qualification, many small homes are called tiny homes that do not truly qualify, sometimes pushing into the space range of 700-800 square feet. However, these small homes can still possess the same benefits of a true tiny home in cost and portability.

“When you look at a true tiny house, it’s really modeled after an RV architecture on the inside, so everything is small and compact,” said Eidson. “You use every little bit of space, under stairs or under cabinets.

“Basically, a tiny house is an RV with a finished house exterior.” Eidson’s point is especially relevant considering that tiny homes are generally constructed on wheels, and then delivered to their permanent property.

True tiny homes are RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association) certified to a specific building code.

John McGilvray owns John Anthony Homes and Development located in Kerr County. McGilvray has made the production and sale of tiny homes a fine-tuned machine and has a sales lot of tiny homes ready to be viewed.

“The RVIA makes it so much easier for county or municipalities,” said McGilvray who claims that true tiny homes are easier to qualify through county permitting restrictions.

“Normally, if I have a piece of property and it’s in the flood zone, I can’t put a building there without the property permitting and it’s a huge hassle. With an RVIA building, because it’s built on wheels, you can actually park that thing in a floodway. So, there are some benefits there. That’s all going to be dependent on your county.”

Better than an RV

Even though RVIA certified tiny homes are built to RV specifications, they are notably better built.

“The exteriors are much better and are made of quality materials that home builders use themselves,” said Eidson who has experience building more high-end homes. “So, you’re going to have a lower maintenance cost and you’re going to have a longer lifespan.”

Another advantage to a tiny home over an RV or camper trailer is the resale value. Since tiny homes are constructed on wheels or built onto a chassis, they are somewhat portable. McGilvray builds his tiny homes so that a hitch can be reinstalled to the platform and the home can be hauled away the same way it was once delivered. This means that an owner can sell the home. And in the case of tiny homes, the market value does not decrease the same as it would for an RV or a mobile home, which is also made with more lightweight and less durable materials.

“Most of the time (the owners) get 8090% of what they paid for it five or six years down the road,” said McGilvray.

Tiny home appeal

In many cases, homeowners are installing small homes and tiny homes onto their land as an alternative to a larger custom or manufactured home. There are two common reasons for this in the Texas Hill Country.

The most popular use is for short-term rental (STR). With high property taxes and a rising cost of living, many landowners choose to place a tiny home on their property as a source of passive income.

In Gillespie County, it is not unusual to see a beautiful historic home on a country road with a couple of tiny homes or small cabins nearby on the same property to provide some income for the property owner.

“I think here (Fredericksburg) we will continue to see them as STRs first and foremost,” said Eidson who knows that the STR market in Gillespie County continues to have high demand.

The second option for a tiny home is for long-term rental of a full-time home. Like a starter home, a tiny home can help a first-time home buyer who wants to keep their overhead low, as opposed to a traditional house.

“The biggest advantage is obviously you’re going to spend less money,” said McGilvray. “And you’ve got some really cool ways to design and set up your property.”

McGilvray’s business with John Anthony Home and Development makes the purchase of a tiny home a turn-key operation, even providing the ability to clear land and set up the land with water and septic.

“This is such a great alternative for people because it gives them the opportunity to get into a full-time living situation and realistically start living out their lives,” said McGilvray.

Eidson noted that one disadvantage of a tiny home is that the floor plans are very limited. Due to the space restrictions and the RVIA codes, there are only so many options for how to layout a practical living area in such a small space.

Despite that challenge, many individuals or small families might see the benefits of a tiny home or a small cabin as a viable solution in an expensive housing market.

For anyone still wanting to pursue the American dream of home ownership on a tight budget, a tiny home might be a tiny step toward a big dream.