A tiny home tour: Jay Shafer's 89-square-foot home on wheels

[@abbymartin554]

I’m so glad that this video came up in my recommendations after all these years! Jay’s tiny home was the very first one I saw and I became inspired from there. Then I saw Lulu’s DIY shipping container home video and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love tiny homes, their simplicity, and the whole lifestyle.

[@googlify406]

I'm building my tiny home in the back of a short school bus! Good luck with your projects!

[@bork572]

I remember watching this video 9 years ago I was 13/14 and I thought: this is how I’ll afford living in the Bay Area 😂 but I also loved the concept of living with JUST what you need. I’ve been following the tiny house movement since it launched and the word “tiny” seems to have lost its meaning. In both square footage AND price. So it’s nice to come back to see where it all “started”. Of course I use that term loosely because “tiny living” isn’t new. BUT regardless I wish I had this first model and a decent landlord to let me park this in San Francisco. One can only dream.

[@clovermark39]

Yes I think this is the best model! Love it.

[@jwkygirl6509]

South beach bounhE

[@muhammedabdul-ghaffar8765]

I appreciate how the camerawoman zoomed in on Jay Shafer's book shelf, thumbs up!

[@peterpiper487]

This is the best Jay Shafer house I've ever seen... and I think it's his first. I don't care for the other tiny houses he built later for himself. I DO like the ones he designed for sale though. For a while I was serious about buying one, but the codes and complications of putting one on a piece of land were just not working so I turned my attention to RVs and just being on the road all the time.

[@azimuth361]

Interesting. My personal goal was to live in a house where I could vacuum the whole house and not have to move the vacuum cord.

[@clovermark39]

How’s that working?

[@gardenofroses197]

He got a cordless vacuum and his life was complete

[@Protectedbikelanes]

*whispers* central vac

[@gypsyhermitishtarot]

Jay Shafer was the first person I ever heard of, who made tiny homes and it was genius! Now there are builders everywhere, financing and private citizens converting vans, trucks, school buses and/or creating all manner of small dwellings. The GOAT, fr...

[@kirstendirksen]

In many US counties single family zoning laws set minimum size standards: usually from about 260 square feet and up). By building on wheels, many tiny home builders try to get around regulations, but they still are required to find a "legal" spot to park it (i.e. a trailer park). As for parking behind your house or the home of a friend/family member, many counties will allow you to build a tiny home on wheels, but they don't consider it a legal residence.

[@markwhite2687]

A big thank you to Jay.. This is truly where it all began!

[@bork572]

love coming to the video that (for me) really launched me into the world of tiny homes. funny to see all these "extra large tiny homes" now. I never knew how close this original tiny home was to where I live in CA!

[@1987shanellpearl]

My daughter started school this year. They did a lead test. The letter they sent home said house paint where most lead came from. I love how he doesnt use paint in his houses.

[@andy4an]

"I figure with the money I save on morgage I can rent out the holiday inn if I want a huge party." I love the way this guy thinks

[@LeakedFiles101]

To believe the office I'm sitting in right now is 3x the size is astonishing. This, ladies and gentleman, is space used extremely wisely, and with such precise detail. ABSOLUTELY GENIUS!

[@strangevision99]

I'm really interested in these homes. Would love to make one myself

[@PlanoPrincess]

You did a fabulous job at organizing this and getting use out of every little bit of space. Thank you so much for listing the cost. I hate seeing everyone talking about tiny/small homes but not listing where to buy them or the cost. You would really have to be able to do it yourself to make it worth it I think. Great for college students I bet.

[@DoggyAjax]

This house is great for my dogs to live in it!

[@Gollybone]

Simple. Functional. Had to come back to these roots to ground my design ideas. Such an inexpensive setup. I am learning.

[@heyitskon]

Once you fart, there's no escape

[@saltystephen5626]

+Pickachu gamerman tru

[@private15]

Open the door.

[@beanstalker3292]

just keep the windows open....

[@minimalistgecko4867]

Cross-ventilation, but you can run through the mansion, since you are the source, you will instead just permeate all spaces.

[@DaChovies]

This man is the OG of tiny houses

[@123RADIOactive]

Actually, one of the reason why the building industries requires the houses to be built within a certain size isn't entirely about profits. It partially has to do with safety and health reasons. Safety - What if there's a fire by the door? That means that the only likely entryway would be blocked, then you're likely be screwed. There's obviously many possible ways to accidentally cause a fire, such as a cooking accident, circuits shorting out, fireplace malfunction so to speak, etc. So the point is a small house as small as that might pose a problem if fires or whatever were to start. Health - For health and hygienic reasons, the toilet shouldn't exactly be so close to the kitchen or wherever you might be cooking, even if you do put a door in between the 2 rooms.

[@kirstendirksen]

@BJ219 From his website: "Jay Shafer lives in a very mild climate in Northern California and he uses just a small fan for cooling in his loft at night on those warm days. However, if you live where you have extreme hot weather you will need more than a fan!" They suggest compact portable air conditioners for really hot climates.

[@snapshopped]

I miss the possibility to wash and dry clothes. What's the idea for this problem?

[@GooglFascists]

Its called a "Groovy Fad", something certain Americans do during times when they're frustrated or bored, such as back when Ford & Carter, (2 pea-brains), were in the White House. Then it was the "Mother Earth News", "Back To The Land", "Live in a Yurt or Teepee" thing. It'll pass like every fad, because you're not gonna find too many fools that will pay $225 per square foot to live like you do in a $300 travel trailer.

[@kirstendirksen]

@jjpharissTheReal1 They're not mine. I just filmed the video. Jay sells them, as I wrote in the text, as plans for $859; ready made for $45,997 & to build it yourself for $19,950.

[@ozzmonaut]

The cost just wouldn't match the space in my town. My neighbors house is 2 stories, about 1900 square feet and just sold for $18K. He spent almost that just in materials for this micro. Granted the details and quality may be higher, but if independence and lack of debt are the issue, my house is one story 1060 sq ft with a decent basement and was $12K.

[@notthere83]

Holy crap, are houses in the US really THAT cheap? I just took a look at what people are selling where I come from and even a 600 sqft, sketchy looking farmers house is €40K! Hell, even two huts with a total of 400 sqft on leased property are €35K!

[@ozzmonaut]

Maybe not all over the U.S., but in my town and surrounding ones, a decent mid-size house can be anywhere from $7k-$45k. There's an 8 bdrm for sale right now for $79k on main street, really nice area but too close to downtown for my tastes.

[@GooglFascists]

ozzmonaut Word has it, (from the same experts who predicted the last real-estate crash), that prices are going to DROP ANOTHER 60% in the next few years. That will put homes in reach of many more families and bring the OUTRAGEOUS costs of houses down to more realistic levels. It was like the 1920s for awhile- people were just goin' HOG WILD.

[@8MikeO]

You must live in Detroit

[@iluvyoungMAsomuch]

ozzmonaut wow that's awesome where do you live at that's an amazing price

[@kirstendirksen]

@dydypig I just filmed the video with Jay, but he has a company called Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. If you google it you can see all their houses. They sell plans as well as completed homes (they also do workshops). These aren't cheap. I just checked their website and it says this for the Epu (which is the home featured in the video): Ready made: $45,997
 Build it yourself: $19,950 Purchase plans: $859

[@jukio02]

ready made 45,000?!?!! 20,000 for yourself?!?! i could build a small house for like 5,000-10,000, probably less than that actually

[@chloecnpets7338]

He should just go to home depot and get a shed for 400 bucks. Much cheaper and pretty much the same thing :|

[@rosemarywilliams9969]

Juki0h build one me.

[@clovermark39]

But would you!

[@ejoan279]

This is great! I'm an interior design student who just completed an assessment task requiring the design for a small space. It was difficult to generate solutions for a space so small. Actually your home is a little smaller than the space I had to work with. I liked this video and your house!

[@nostalgicperson8888]

why do I wanna live there ._.

[@danholocaust7364]

***** What makes you think they're hobos? I'd actually buy that house so when I have nothing interesting to do I'd go and hang out in this house.

[@pforce9]

As with any house the watchword is; location, location, location. That little place would be hell to live in if you parked it in an alley in a big dirty city. Trailer parks are not much better. What makes that house fun is the space all around it. Without the ambiance, you would feel like you were living in a shipping crate.

[@stevehadley3550]

pforce9 to say that the dems had nothing to do with the crash is ignorant..... maybe you mean barney frank , who assured us that fannie and freddie were working just as planned pelosi, dodd , waters , means... all ...pointed fingers at the republs for even sugesting we look into it..... everything was fine then WHAM 3 months later... crash. and it was the republicans who warned of the real estate crash in 2008 . not the dems bush was blasted by the left for asking to rein back fannie and freddie.. where the dems control...... is where the highest level of poverety exist. crime ridden streets of cChicago, NY LA..... libs wont stop until the entire country look just like detoit

[@pforce9]

Steve Hadley Republicans engineer these financial disasters. Democrats pretend to want to fight the the republicans until they get elected and then they go to the republicans and ask them what they should do. Basically, republicans lie about facts, democrats lie about intent.

[@stevehadley3550]

sooooo. the democrats are just stupid and just do what they are told.. i'll buy that

[@mannyespinola]

"I've been called the Imelda Marcos of tiny house people because I've so many shoes." LOL!

[@houseofmarshall]

he has to live in an extremely small house with really bad plumbing and an unnecessarily bad shower experience, yet he somehow feels having a gym membership is totally normal. makes sense he has a large bottle of vodka next to the toaster oven. get some proper plumbing in your house and go run outside and play for free to get your exercise.

[@ozzysangel]

I love the idea of living tiny. I could probably build one cheaper using refurbished materials but I love the concept of living off the grid.

[@GooglFascists]

Our travel trailer was this size but self-contained and cost $200. To me paying $20K for 89 sq. ft. is as ludicrous as paying $500K for 4,000 sq. ft. But its a FAD, I know that...tsk tsk, (what will the kids think up next?)

[@averagejoe511]

I can see why Jay is the poster boy for tiny homes. He is handsome, charismatic, and uses the best quality materials with best design.

[@GooglFascists]

Looks like GILLIGAN, and the cottage is his S.S. MINNOW, (but you'd never fit the Skipper in there and couldn't get too romantic with Ginger).

[@GregoryEsman]

Wow imagine how warm and cozy this house would be in the winter. I would love to live in this house more than ANY house out there.

[@kirstendirksen]

@ThePsycheSociety The plumbing in this house was pretty basic, even for Jay. He had to fill both the sink and shower systems himself. The one for the shower was in the loft and he would just carry water up there so the water pressure was based on the height of the bucket up there. I know that he has much more advanced systems in some of his other homes, but this was just very basic.

[@sailorstarkitty]

I say your video on a small place is great. The whole outside and inside is great. I would love a 2 bedroom home like this.

[@sharamaelopez632]

So amazing! I'm in love with the house

[@sherryabbottbrooks6366]

I am a disable women and live on a very very fixed income in Ca.. I have always dreamed of having a small space of my own..I also had a dream of having a small house community for people like myself with limited income.. When i saw your tiny house, it was just as i had dreamed.. I am going to try to make my dream come true, by saving to have one of these homes.. I know it will take me years but one day I pray I will have my dream...

[@rawnie79]

i spent 5 weeks living in a small "cabin", which i would call a shed about the same size as this house. it was about 8x10 and half of that room was taken up with a bed, it also had a 3x4 bathroom. with a fridge, toaster oven, micro wave, bathroom and bed, it really is all you need. just be ready to get rid of ALOT of your stuff! LOL!

[@AleczEco]

Love to see some of your designs,I own land but it is in a flood zone in Fla, and a home like yours is just what I have been looking for.

[@kirstendirksen]

@ophiacation Many people who live in tiny homes do use solar panels as a lot of these homes are used for off-grid living. Not sure how many solar panels you'd need to run AC. I do know that running an AC can double your energy needs so might mean a lot of solar cells needed.

[@fredstmoritz]

Thanks for the video I love the house and the way the country is heading looks like a great deal.

[@N89J00X]

Such a wonderful use of space as far as storage, etc. And it's really beautiful! I would think if you live in a house this size you would probably spend a lot of time outdoors, which is absolutely great.

[@cooldude1234500]

I would absolutley love to have a house like this, honestly.

[@Angelikannicole16]

LOL at the Smirnoff in his little cabinet. But i love this tiny house thing!

[@LeighSanders3]

LOL @ showing the big house then zooming into the tiny house! I want one, I'd drive it everywhere!

[@kirstendirksen]

@ReviewCam Those at the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company (I just filmed the video, they build them & sell plans) say on their website regarding one of their models: "Yes, a small ceiling a/c unit can be added to keep the house cool in any climate within the US."

[@GiovanniMorenghi]

JAY SHAFER IS A REAL GENIUS ! ! !

[@bigman55434]

I love it....make sure you leave room for the Smirnoff !!

[@Jex134]

You'd think, but it actually gives you a sense of security, and coziness. In a small house / trailer, the entire structure is just a few feet away---it feels.. more defendable. . I lived in a big house---it felt like living on a ship. A million little things I had to know, 50 potential entrances, a couple dozen rooms, dozens of doors, hundreds of switches outlets and lights, and so many names faces and schedules to remember. Its an enormous pain in the ass. . Small homes feel cozy, and secure.

[@TheGreenAppleHome]

I would love to build my own housse- I love the way there is no wasted space- unlike traditional built homes- who don't hink to add in bookshelves, etc. for storage space where there could be some.

[@knighthawk464]

these houses are so beautiful

[@hedonistic2008]

I love this house!!!! Saving your energy on cleaning.

[@RosyBibliophile]

I love this idea too! Imagine having a house mortgage free, barely any water or electricity bills and using only what is necessary. Even if I ever get a small home, I would like to build up the storage space and utilize every inch of the house. =)

[@DIANNEELEE]

Love this guy and his sweet little house. It would be ideal for a kid that still lives "At home". Or a gramma house, bed on bottom floor of course.

[@kirstendirksen]

@HiatusLucari Great sleuthing work. It was actually titled 96 sq ft house for the first year or so and then I realized I had the square footage off and changed it. I didn't realize the Internet had such a memory.

[@Kyledillon]

I love the space the style and my favorite the porch

[@questionsleadtotruth]

I love this. This would be a dream to live! Travel the country and sleep wherever I want. Freedom. The way it's supposed to be!

[@armyguardmom]

I would love to have one of these. I was given my dads car carrier. It would be perfect to build on that and then go traveling around the country, taking home with us.

[@Darksong1212]

I love the house and the wood fence is beautiful.

[@VivaLaRevolucionViva]

I like the way you think about the things we really need.

[@ohshit109powercorrupts]

Kirsten I love all your videos! This is so fascinating to me.

[@950espinosa]

The thing is, at least in my opinion, that these tiny homes are of a high quality and are aesthetically pleasing as well. Im a teenager and like most, I have to admit that I'm pretty materialistic. With that being said I love the idea of living simply and the only way for me to make that work is by having a top notch tiny home I can be proud of.

[@skydivingnikki]

I love this! I can't see why everyone has such a negative reaction! It must really threaten people to think that anyone could possibly suggest that they live off a little less - an that's ok - BUT don't attack others that realize that happiness doesn't come with material possessions. To all you negative people commenting, try to open your mind just a little. As the old cliche goes "less is more."

[@midnightimp6187]

Cant believe this was 10 years ago already

[@shulamite1]

Brilliant little house!

[@L0veAyeXoxo]

It looks so cozy and just so cute .. x

[@kirstendirksen]

@JonnyPxN I'm not an expert on his homes (I just shot a video with him), but I read from someone who bought one of his plans that there are insulation panels in the roof.

[@ItsALoweNation]

I live in a 5th wheel camper. LOVE IT!!!!

[@Pretty12Princess786]

I love this house!

[@Klutzy68]

Not what I would want, but you sure did a great job. Very attractive and efficient.

[@IdahoBorn72]

Exactly. My local hardware store has sheds this size for about $1500. Add another $1,000 tops for electrical and plumbing, etc. and there you go.

[@patricksmith3863]

man this is so much better than big houses I mean you get everything you have in a big house theres room to even put a tv 2

[@Lisaj4431]

my husband and I are getting ready to downsize to a yurt and I cannot wait we live in 3000 sq ft now and it is constant cleaning and chores I'm over it.

[@kirstendirksen]

I don't remember the exact costs that Jay told me, but I know he sells this model for about $45K ready-made or $20K if you build it yourself.

[@Bubba93000]

when his child grows up he can live in the little house, that'd be awesome!

[@kirstendirksen]

@JonnyPxN He does use insulation in his tiny houses. I believe it's a foam insulation.

[@lja64]

adorable tiny house - adorable man

[@kirstendirksen]

@roderik1990 It definitely would be more efficient to live in an apartment- at least from the perspective of shared walls for heating and even in building materials with more shared walls/floors/ceilings. Also, apartments usually mean more density which can mean easier access to public transit or stores/work, etc. Though this is a good option for those spots like Jay's home in the country where there are few apartment complexes. It's also portable for the more transient types.

[@bluRhonda]

That is totally awesome! I love it

[@PJason10]

It is a nice house, a little small for my liking, I'd like to be able to stretch out after work and be able to put my feet up a little, however having a tiny house sounds like an adventure in itself, imagine the complements this man receives. Another thing is that it's on wheels, so he can get around and go anywhere he wants and live in it. his pots and pans were nice too.

[@havocdaemon]

This is an awesome idea, had to favorite it. Oddly enough, it`s the small minded people that can`t see the POINT here. I think I might just make it my goal to see just how small of a footprint I can have from now on. Thank you for sharing this!

[@johndoe4983]

This guy did me a favor. MORE SPACE FOR ME on this planet. That's for sure.

[@kirstendirksen]

@guitargeek1122 From the Tumbleweed website: "All of our houses on wheels are plumbed to be connected to public water and sewer. The water comes in through a white RV hose, and leaves via an RV sewer valve. A sewer hose would connect the house to the sewer. In the event you aren’t connected to the sewer, we recommend a portable tank (or two)..."

[@frugalgreengirl]

I think the main differance is insulation. I lived in an rv for 2 years and it is not "4 season" built. It was always cold in winter, even right next to the heater. Still though, I agree, I dont think its worth thousands more to have a tiny house vs. and rv but some people do.

[@funkyflights]

HEY my friend your really onto something... seriously... I have been thinking about this for a long time now ... THERE IS NO reason we should have to get in debt up to our ears to own a home... This is a really really good way to live very cheaply and still have a warm place to sleep at night ... I"m tired of having banks OWN me with outrageously large mortgages and ridiculous interest over the years.... WE NEED to really consider what this guy is doing... VERY very good idea

[@pixybell4]

This is AWESOME!!

[@joebazooks]

@caveatemp I will be sure to check that out... thanks for the suggestion! I can't stop watching these videos. To me, it's the only way to go nowadays.

[@Corerrai]

I'd love one of these! Soooooo cool!

[@Elizabethmetevier]

That's such a cool house!

[@qualqui]

WOW your Tiny home is AWESOME,....hmm...so this is what Snoopy's doghouse looks like, Charles Schultz never got around to drawin' the interior!!!LOL....thumbs up kirstendirksen!! = D

[@Kari2025]

This is AWESOME.

[@alexisedwards775]

that house is so tiny omg love it

[@notjord4n]

ikrrrrrrr

[@iamceino]

The ones who dis- liked this video are the mortgage companies, their mad, HAH! Keep doing your thing bro, Im getting one soon.

[@znaagh99]

A fantastic little abode, well done, but here in NZ there are some rather snazzy cabins (and offices, workshops etc) being built out of 20ft shipping containers (160sq ft). These have the advantage of being easily relocatable and enlarged by adding modules. However after the big Christchurch earthquake a couple of years ago the cost of containers doubled.

[@kirstendirksen]

@stidham07 I believe that is to do it yourself. If you want to buy one built it's about $45,000.

[@kirstendirksen]

He uses a type of mattress that rolls up (he shows it in the video "Tiny open house" in the Video Responses here).

[@kirstendirksen]

@illchillkyle If you don't want to have a mobile option or avoid zoning laws (one reason many small homeowners build on wheels), I like the natural building option. Though I'd go for a straw bale and cob mix: it's better for passive solar (straw bale for insulation on the north facing side and cob on the south facing side for thermal mass). For more I have a video on the topic called " An earth-built passive solar house: cob (south), strawbale (north) ".

[@MrAscetic23]

Wow... i want one but just a bit different. Plan to go to college and then eventually buy one of these.

[@clydelaz]

@DIYDaveT I live in an apartment and the laundry is in the basement. They have about 20 washers. I do laundry twice a month, minor on the 15th, 2 loads just shirts and pants. Then major on the 1st, 8 loads, socks underwear towels etc. It takes me 3 hours start to finish including gathering and folding or hanging up. Would not trade this situation to my own washer/dryer for anything. That way you are always doing laundry instead of having it over and done with twice a month.

[@kirstendirksen]

@ektachopra75 Once Jay got got married and had a child he moved into a 500 square foot home next door to this. I filmed a newer video with him last summer that I put here as a video response ("Tiny open house"). I can understand how people would want more space than this if they have a family & especially extended family. But I don't think people always need all the space we think we do. I have a video of a family of 3 living in 320 sq ft: "Shotgun shack redux: mortgage-free in 320 square feet".