In this special episode of THLP, your host Ethan Waldman joins forces with veteran tiny house designer, builder and instructor, Lina Menard, to chat about "what we wish we knew before we started".  Plus, we bring you a sneak peak of our upcoming LIVE course, Tiny House Considerations, an interactive, 8 week course with Lina and Ethan as your guides. To get on the waitlist for Tiny House Considerations, head over to: https://www.thetinyhouse.net/considerationsIn This Episode:Could we have built our houses faster?Better together: the positive effects of a good support systemHow your budget can get away from youAbout our new course and who it can helpThe importance of knowing the ins and outs of your systems before you begin buildingSend us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

Michael Janzen is a legend in the tiny house world, having started his website, TinyHouseDesign.com in 2007 and just continuing to work as a prolific designer pretty much since then. Michael has put a lot of plans out into the world and I have no doubt that there are many, many tiny houses that are built either directly from his designs or were inspired by them. On today's show, Michael stopped by to talk about the second edition of his book, Tiny House Floor Plans. It now contains over 350 tiny house floor plans and it's just a really cool book to look through. The houses are arranged from small to large and if you are in the design or planning process it's a really cool resource to just get some ideas about how you can lay out a tiny house. Our conversation is wide-ranging from things in the tiny house design world that Michael thinks are maybe not serving tiny houses, things that Michael is looking forward to, and more.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/171In This Episode:Tackling burnout and re-energizing afterwardEvolution of the tiny house through the yearsUnusual, innovative, and fun: Michael's designs and processWhat are we questioning in regards to tiny houses?Is it possible to build a tiny house for free?This Week's Sponsor: Tiny House EngageThe summer can be a little bit too much fun, full of family, friends, distractions, holidays... But for those of us who are planning and building tiny houses what we really need is motivation, inspiration, and accountability to get our tiny houses done. That's exactly why I started Tiny House Engage!Tiny House Engage is an online community that brings together tiny dreamers, builders, and dwellers to inspire and support each other as we build tiny together. In Tiny House Engage, people are celebrating wins and navigating our challenges together. Let's face it: planning, building, and living tiny can be lonely. Tiny House Engage is a 24/7 online community designed to connect you with fellow tiny housers, get your questions answered, get inspired, feel that accountability, and progress toward your goal of living tiny.I really look forward to connecting with you in Tiny House Engage and watching as your tiny house dreams progress into tiny house reality. Head on over to thetinyhouse.net/engage to learn more.Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

If you've been listening to the show for a while, you may recognize the name Natalie Bogwalker because she's been a guest in the past! Natalie is a wealth of knowledge about natural building techniques. In today's show, we are going to do a deep dive into two natural building techniques: slip straw and hempcrete. I went in knowing nothing about these and I asked really basic questions and Natalie really did a wonderful job explaining everything. Natalie also tells us all about how her online building school, Wild Abundance, had to shift to online learning during the pandemic and how she's now created what sounds like a pretty amazing online tiny house building course. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/170In This Episode:How Wild Abundance adapted and thrived during the pandemicAre online classes as effective as in-person classes?Slip straw vs cob: what's the difference?Natalie explains the slip straw techniqueShould you use slip straw in your THOW?What is hempcrete?Why we need to be using thatched roofsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House Engage Tiny House Engage is a really special online place where you can connect with other tiny house hopefuls, people who are DIY building their tiny houses, buying tiny houses, and even living the tiny house lifestyle. It's a really supportive community and there are a lot of cool features and bonuses that you get when you are a member of Tiny House Engage, one of which is that you are actually able to listen live as I interview all the podcast guests and you are even able to submit questions for the show. You'll hear in this conversation with Natalie that there are actually some really great questions that I was able to ask on behalf of Tiny House Engage members and I would love to be able to do the same for you.If you'd like to learn more and get on the waitlist to be notified when Tiny House Engage goes live on Tuesday, head over to thetinyhouse.net/engage. Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

 My Guest today is Betsy Barbour. Betsy’s tiny dreams began in 2017. After downsizing and selling her condominium, she moved into her 200 sqft tiny home in 2019. She has since lived in 3 unique communities in 2 states. Betsy has become passionate about tiny house advocacy and community development. On today’s show, we’ll talk about the different kinds of communities that Betsy has found, the wins and challenges that tiny living has presented for Betsy, and more. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/169In This Episode:Betsy's tiny house storyHow Tiny Circles are helping build tiny house communitiesIs your tiny home really built for all seasons?Not all SIPs are created equalThe long road(trip) to tiny house advocacy in RV parksWhat it's like to live in a tiny house communityBuild your community before you need itReasons you may want to rethink the loftThis Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempPrecisionTemp is making one product to solve two issues that I know everyone deals with in a tiny house: running out of hot water and heating your tiny house. PrecisionTemp has made the amazing TwinTemp Junior propane tankless water heater, which provides unlimited hot water for your tiny house and hydronic heating. This means you get warm heated floors, so there are no cold spots. It's designed specifically for tiny houses and features whisper-quiet operation as well as high efficiency. If you want more information on how PrecisionTemp can help make living tiny easier and more comfortable visit precisiontemp.com. While you're there, use the coupon code THLP for $100 off the TwinTemp Junior plus free shipping.Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

Can developing the tiny house mindset help you start tiny living sooner? What is the tiny house mindset anyway? My guest Angela Barnard is not only a tiny dweller but a life and career coach who specializes in helping people change the direction of their lives. IN this interview, Angela gives us the Be - Act - Have framework and explains how to use it to become a tiny dweller… even if you‘re not living tiny yet! I was really inspired by this conversation and I think you will be too!Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/168In This Episode:You can entertain in your tiny home without feeling crampedAre you doing it backward? Angela's tips for living intentionallyWhich habits set tiny homeowners apart?Becoming who you want to be using the power of your mindHow Angela financed her tiny homeUsing your tiny home mindset in other areas of your lifeWhat do values have to do with home design?This Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempPrecisionTemp is making one product to solve two issues that I know everyone deals with in a tiny house: running out of hot water and heating your tiny house. PrecisionTemp has made the amazing TwinTemp Junior propane tankless water heater, which provides unlimited hot water for your tiny house and hydronic heating. This means you get warm heated floors, so there are no cold spots. It's designed specifically for tiny houses and features whisper-quiet operation as well as high efficiency. If you want more information on how PrecisionTemp can help make living tiny easier and more comfortable visit precisiontemp.com. While you're there, use the coupon code THLP for $100 off the TwinTemp Junior plus free shipping.Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

 I wouldn't hesitate to say that my guest this week is one of my all-time favorite professional tiny house builders. JP Marquis from Minimaliste Houses has been building gorgeous, modern, premium tiny houses since 2015, early on in the movement and his company really has staying power because of their pursuit of building excellence. And I'm not reading any pitch, this is all coming from me. They have continued to innovate to make their tiny houses both safer and better to live in. In this conversation, we go kind of deep on building for cold weather, why JP thinks that SIPs are the only choice for building a safe and warm tiny house on wheels, heating systems, and more. It's a really great conversation and I do hope that you stick around. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/167In This Episode:Why ventilation is so important and JP's recommendationsWhat is thermal bridging?Building materials that reduce waste and costHeating tiny homes in very cold climatesWhy Minimaliste makes wider homesAvoid these mistakes with your wheel wellsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

I was really excited to invite Leslie on the show because she has just published a book called "Tiny Plants: Discover the Joys of Growing and Collecting Itty Bitty Houseplants" and I just knew I had to have her on to talk about plants that you can bring with you into your tiny house lifestyle. I had no idea that this was even a thing so I'm really excited to share this conversation! Leslie is a super outgoing and knowledgeable guest and she actually brought plants for show and tell. Members of Tiny House Engage were able to actually watch out interview streamed live, but she did send me some photographs of the plants we talked about. You can find pictures of those plants at thetinyhouse.net/166.In This Episode:The difference between tiny plants and plants that are kept smallWhere does one find tiny plants?What if you don't have a surface to put a potted plant on?Creative DIY and repurposed vesselsThe best plants for people on the moveDisturbing trends and how to find ethically sourced plantsTiny edible plants you can grow in a small spaceSustainably support your plant habit with plant swapsThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

I've known Sarah for close to 10 years but we only met in person last summer. Sarah is a bicycle touring professional and also a tiny house enthusiast who got in touch with me nearly 10 years ago when she was looking for people interested in both bicycle touring and tiny houses. It turns out that they are a lot in common! In this episode Sarah will share her story of how she fell in love with bicycle touring and how it goes so well with tiny house living. I also share my story of how bicycle touring led to tiny house living for me.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/165In This Episode:The various forms of bicycle touringAre your things bogging you down?Why Sarah chose not to build her tiny house and what she did insteadTiny living can take many formsVoluntary simplicity and living a life in reverseLessons learned about creativity, the DIY spirit, and learning what you needThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House EngageIs this the year that you're finally going to embark on your dream of living tiny? If you're serious about building or buying a tiny house, then I'd like to personally invite you to my online community where you can connect with other tiny housers, get your questions specific questions answered, and get support on your journey.  If you need some encouragement or just need to know how someone else solved a problem, you’ll get those answers in Tiny House Engage. I’m also very active in the community, answering questions and keeping an eye on things, so if you want to interact with me, this is a great way to do it. Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

My fascination with houseboats really started when I saw a video tour of Bonnie's houseboat, the River Den, on the Exploring Alternatives YouTube channel. I've been trying to get her on the show ever since. It turns out I had no idea that Bonnie was a talented entrepreneur who has multiple houseboats and unique Airbnb stays. In this interview, we go through the ins and outs of what it takes to actually build a floating house on the water and also some insight about how Bonnie thinks about designing these homes and her philosophy on building.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/164 In This Episode:Can a boat be a 4-seasons abode?Doing what you love with people you loveThe River Den: an overviewSometimes you have to tap into your inner pirateRecycled materials and innovationGreywater and toilets on the waterThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!

 In their own process for going tiny in 2014, Joshua and Shelley Engberg decided to design a custom trailer for their dream tiny home. Frustrated by how difficult the process was, they went into business as Tiny House Basics and now build over 450 custom tiny house trailers per year. In this interview, we’ll hear Joshua and Shelley’s tiny story, their tips for finding an ideal Parking spot, and we’ll nerd out about trailer features, from tube steel to threaded rods. Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/163In This Episode:How to approach the search for landWhy did they need a custom trailer?The one thing you probably haven't thought of - but shouldHow to calculate the weight of a tiny houseWhat to look for in your tiny house trailerIs weight distribution a big deal?Trends in the tiny house movementThe best way to attach your tiny home to the trailerThis Week's Sponsor: Tiny House DecisionsTiny House Decisions is the guide that I wish I had when I was building my tiny house. And it comes in three different packages to help you on your unique tiny house journey. If you're struggling to figure out the systems for your tiny house, how you're going to heat it, how you're going to plumb it, what you're going to build it out, then tiny house decisions will take you through the process systematically and help you come up with a design that works for you. Right now I'm offering 20% off any package of Tiny House Decisions for podcast listeners. Head over to https://www.thetinyhouse.net/thd and use the coupon code tiny at checkout!Send us a textSupport the showListen. Subscribe. Rate. Review. Apple Podcasts Spotify More... Follow Ethan. Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Facebook Want to say 'thank you' for the show? Buy me a coffee!