Oregon Tiny Home: The Upgrades She Paid Extra For
Updated: 1 day ago
Debbie knew what she wanted retirement to look like. She wanted to be debt free, have the freedom to travel, and not have the expense of maintaining a 2,500-square-foot house. As she started sorting through her belongings and deciding what to keep, someone knocked on her door and offered to buy the house. From there, things moved quickly. She had already found a builder she liked, and a lot became available at just the right time. A year into tiny living, she has a pretty good idea of which upgrades to her Oregon tiny home were worth the extra money.
At a glance
Home: 10 feet by 40 feet, a 38 foot model with 2 feet added
Builder: TruForm Tiny, Eugene, Oregon
Where: Oregon, on a rented lot with a garage space
Layout: main floor bedroom, plus a loft with two fold-up beds
Before: a 2,500 square foot house with three bathrooms
Extras: fireplace, double doors, drawer dishwasher, full-size furniture
The Two Feet She Paid Extra For
Debbie had two things she really wanted in her new home: double doors at the entry and a fireplace. The original floor plan didn't have enough room for both, so she had the builder add two feet to the length of the home.
That cost about $10,000, and she does not hesitate about it. "I felt like it was far worth it." The doors bring in the light she was after, and she says you cannot tell from outside that anything was added.
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A Bedroom Downstairs and a Loft Upstairs
She was firm about sleeping on the main floor, which is what pushed her toward a longer home. She then chose a full bed over the queen the builder said would fit. "I can't imagine having to get around a queen bed. It would be very tight." The smaller bed bought her a cabinet and room to walk.
The whole bed platform lifts, and that space holds her suitcase, the off-season half of her wardrobe, and spare bedding. "I can't imagine not having it."
Upstairs is for the grandchildren. The loft holds two full-size beds that fold up into couches, shelves for games and books, and the overflow from her textile crafts. She also checked the stairs before she bought. She had seen ladder-steep versions in other homes and wanted none of it. "At my age, I wanted something a little bit easier to climb." Hers are regular stairs, and every one of them is a drawer, holding her pantry overflow, extra towels and a snack drawer for the grandkids.
The Kitchen Choices She Would Change
She is straightforward about the ones that missed. The range has four burners and she uses one, mostly to boil water or make soup. "If I were doing it again, I would put in just a two-burner stove." Even with guests, the cooking is a charcuterie board rather than a hot meal.
What she got right was subtraction. She swapped a separate microwave and air fryer for one unit that does both plus convection, and gave the old air fryer away. She chose a drawer dishwasher over the cabinet space that would have gone there, and she does not miss the storage. She owns one mixing bowl where she used to own four sets. "I need one bowl to live here."
The island came attached, and she put it on casters so she can push it back when there are more chairs than floor.
The Tiny Home Upgrades She Would Choose Again
Her list, in her order:
The two feet, for the double doors and the fireplace.
The drawer dishwasher, instead of the cabinet it replaced.
The white oak bathroom cabinetry, matched to the kitchen, which cost more than the standard white.
The garage space, which came with the lot for a small amount extra and now holds the lawnmower, the yard tools, her engraving machine and the Christmas tree.
Full-size furniture. "I'm not a small person, so having small furniture did not suit my comfort level." She found a couch that pulls out into a second bed and two ottomans that move wherever the company sits.
The one she is still weighing is the washer dryer combo. It works for one person, and she says plainly that it would not for a family, because a second load cannot start until the first has finished drying.
What Fit, and What Did Not
She gave away things of value that meant nothing to her and kept the things that did. Her son's artwork and her daughter's, a sign from her daughter, and an old radio collection she assumed would not fit. The radios are dotted through the house now. The clothes were the bigger cut. Twenty years of them, and about 50 pairs of shoes when she wore five. What she lost that she actually misses is counter space. Her old kitchen ran an island plus a counter into the living room, and at Christmas 28 to 30 people cooked in it. Six or eight fit here, and she says they make it work.
Another homeowner traded 2,100 square feet for 600, and her storage ideas are in our roundup of real tiny home storage.
What Her Oregon Tiny Home Costs Each Month
She is debt free, pays a lot fee, and puts her all in monthly cost under $1,000. No mortgage, no gardener, and nothing like the $500 utility bill she used to pay. What that buys is the part she leads with: travel, a winery membership, and time with her family. The house she left was not serving her either. "In my 2,500 square foot house, I sat in one chair. I slept in one bed, used one bathroom out of three." Her worry about losing family time turned out to be unfounded. "Ninety percent of the time I go to their house," she says, because the grandkids have sports and school.
Her Advice
Go look at one. "If you don't get out there and look, you really don't know whether you could live in this type of space." And she points out that the decision is not permanent. "If you want to go back to it, you can. It's not like it's forever."
A year in, she is not going back. "It feels wonderful at this point in my life."
FAQ
Which tiny home upgrades are worth the money?
For Debbie, the two foot extension that made room for double doors and a fireplace was worth about $10,000, and she would pay it again. The drawer dishwasher and the garage space also earned their keep. The upgrade she would skip is the four burner range, since she cooks on one burner.
Can you add length to a tiny home floor plan?
Many builders will extend a stock model. Debbie added two feet to a 38 foot plan so her double doors and fireplace would fit, and she says you cannot tell from the outside that anything was added.
Can a tiny home have a main floor bedroom and a loft?
Yes, if the home is long enough. Debbie chose a 10 by 40 foot home so she could sleep downstairs and still keep a loft with two fold-up beds for her grandchildren, plus storage for her craft supplies.
Is a washer dryer combo good in a tiny home?
It works well for one person and poorly for a family. Debbie's all in one unit washes and dries in a single drum, so a second load cannot start until the first finishes drying. She is happy with hers and says a household with more people would not be.
What should you look for in a tiny home builder?
Debbie shortlisted three builders and chose one close enough to visit during construction. Seeing other homes mid-build told her what the quality would be, and being 75 minutes away made delivery inexpensive and let her check the work as it went.
Builder: TruForm Tiny, Eugene, Oregon
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