Builder Brad Kittel makes these Texas "Tiny Houses" from 95% recycled materials. The only new elements of the home are electric systems, plumbing, and insulation. Unlike modern prefab mini-homes, each one is unique and reflects the style of its salvaged parts...
Based in Gonzales, Texas, Kittel's company specializes in scrap materials. This one-of-a-kind 170 square foot home includes a loft bed, single bath, and mini kitchen.
The homes are built on pier-and-beam foundations, and they're portable. Porches are bolted on for fairly easy disassembly.
Buyers can choose the components of their homes from Kittel's inventory of second-hand doors, windows, paneling, and trim.
Prices range from $42,000 to $155,000 depending on size. To see the entire article and 16-photo slideshow from This Old House, click here. For more information from Tiny Texas Houses, click here.
Photos: Sarah Wilson for This Old House
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Adorable! These would make a great cabin getaway.
view revolution9's profile
$42,000 to $155,000 for a 170 square foot house? Made out of salvaged and recycled materials? I'm assuming that it doesn't cover the cost of the plot to put it on either.
They're adorable, but that price seems a little steep to me. This girl managed to build hers for a quarter of the price: http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/yale_students_tiny_house-59847
Sure it might not look as nice, but why does this cost 4 to 10 times as much?
view inertia's profile
A series of 6 or so of these on a plot of land out back of an old ranch house in the Texas Hill Country would make for the perfect B&B.
view zuzupetals's profile
The photo of the second-hand doors reminds me of the hanging door scene from Monsters, Inc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9SnHOyyOdU
Otherwise, I have nothing constructive to contribute ;-P
view casafroggy's profile
Don't they have tornados in Texas? Not to mention the occasional hurricane? Looks fun if you want to play Dorothy!
view rbh68's profile
did anyone ever think this may be a good solution for our growing homeless population?
view Oneformybaby's profile
Homeless population? For $450 a sq ft? That's more expensive than high end homes.
They are cute and awesome but you really have to want to have a house made from salvaged materials to pay that much for it.
It's a great idea and she has an awesome talent but this isn't a solution for the rest of us.
view emilyalane's profile
"Sure it might not look as nice, but why does this cost 4 to 10 times as much?" i guess because she is making a living of it. it will take quite some time to build all that from scratch, so i am not surpised. (couldn't afford them myself, either.)
they are lovely, and i want them all :-D
view maike's profile
proving that not EVERYTHING is bigger in Texas...
sorry i had to go there. i'm a Texas native, so it's okay...right? :D
these are really wonderful though, like domestic hors d'oeuvres! i'd love to see a whole suburb... (just thinking about an SUV parked next to one of these babies cracks me up)
view abbatron's profile
Post-Katrina a number of companies jumped in with replacement/temp housing designs. I don't recall their prices but the dominant company was doing business through a link on Lowes Hardwares website.
view ldevere's profile
We have tornados, but no basements. If a big one hits, we're all dead, tiny house or not.
view kelleyk's profile