Tiny Home Addition: How She Made a Tiny Home Feel Big
Pamela was about to retire and living in a two-story townhouse with three bedrooms and three bathrooms she didn't need. She moved to a tiny home community, Simple Life, instead, but then did something most tiny homeowners don't. A tiny home addition turned her planned porch into a sunny living room, extended the house for a dining room, and gave her a 12 by 12 bedroom. "I really just feel like I'm not in a tiny home," she says.
At a glance
Community: Simple Life tiny home community
Before: two-story townhouse, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, almost 2,000 square feet
Additions: closed-in porch (living room), dining room extension, 12 by 12 bedroom
Layout: one level, no loft
Too Much House for Retirement
Pamela downsized because she wanted her free time back. With retirement close, she didn't want to spend it on a big house and a yard.
"Purging and getting rid of things and starting new and starting over is probably one of the most uplifting things that I've done for myself," she says.
See how another homeowner went from 2,100 square feet to 600.
The Wall Where the House Was Supposed to End
In most homes in Pamela's community, the room past the kitchen is the living room. In hers, it's a dining room, because she extended the house.
"Initially this would have been the wall where the home would have ended," she says. The extension let her keep a real table for guests. She doesn't use it often, but with two windows and a ceiling she guesses is about 20 feet high, it keeps the house from feeling closed in.
A Porch That Became the Living Room
Pamela's favorite room was supposed to be a big porch. Simple Life let her close it in, and now it has eight windows.
"Truly this is where I live," she says. It holds regular-size furniture, the only television in the house, and her old bedroom dresser, which now serves as storage. Being allowed to close in the porch was a big reason she chose this community. "I can't imagine tiny home living without this extra space."
A 12 by 12 Bedroom on One Level
Her bedroom is another addition, and it fits a queen bed and two nightstands with room to walk around.
Her model offered a loft, and she passed. "I didn't want to get up in the middle of the night and bump my head trying to go down the stairs," she says.
The original bedroom is now a dressing room with custom closet shelving. That keeps the bathroom simple, with one sink and a one-piece shower that has no grout to scrub.
More homes like this in how a retired couple designed a no-loft tiny home.
Can You Move a Tiny Home After Adding On?
Usually not, and Pamela is clear about it. "You would not be able to take this house, put it back on its wheels, and roll it out of here," she says. If she ever relocates, she would sell the home instead of moving it. For her, the extra space was worth that trade.
A Small Kitchen Set Up for Company
Pamela's kitchen is small but planned for entertaining, with counter space for two people to prep. She chose a regular sink over a farmhouse sink to save counter space, and her full-size refrigerator is bigger than the one in her old home.
A closet company added shelves and two drawers, including the silverware drawer the kitchen didn't come with. That corner now doubles as a coffee or wine bar.
"Storage is going to be your biggest challenge," she says, so she keeps a step ladder handy for the high shelves.
More ideas in real storage hacks from real tiny homes.
She Turned the House Around
Pamela had her home set backward on the lot so the back porch faces a horse farm. In a community where neighbors live close, that gave her privacy, and afternoon shade in summer.
The unscreened porch is where she has coffee every morning, takes phone calls and tends her hanging baskets. With about 10 months a year of outdoor weather, she's out there most days.
What It Costs Each Month, and What It Covers
Pamela says a tiny home doesn't automatically mean a tiny budget. In her community, lot rent and HOA dues are one fee, and she suggests planning for around $1,000 a month.
That fee covers clubhouses, pools, dog parks, gardens and lawn care. "Your cutting and edging and blowing is all included in your monthly fee. So that's a huge savings," she says. Her utilities are also a good deal lower. Since she doesn't own the land, she doesn't pay property taxes on it, though she still pays yearly taxes as a homeowner.
Most of her neighbors are over 55, though some still work and some are young families.
Another couple shares what tiny home community life is like.
Letting Go of the Stuff
Pamela calls getting rid of things the hardest part. Her good work clothes went to a local program that helps women prepare for job interviews, and the rest went to Goodwill. In the kitchen, her rule is to toss duplicates and keep the one that works.
"I think tiny home living takes keeping up with the Joneses completely off the slate," she says.
Her Advice If You're Deciding
Look online at as many tiny homes as you can.
Drive to the closest tiny home community, tour a few models and ask questions.
Be honest about whether it fits you.
"Tiny home living is not for everybody," Pamela says. "But I will have to say that I think I have made a great decision and I'm really happy.
FAQ
Can you build a tiny home addition in a tiny home community?
Some communities allow it. Pamela's Simple Life community let her close in the planned porch as a living room, extend the house for a dining room, and add a 12 by 12 bedroom. Ask the community what it allows before you buy.
Can you move a tiny home after adding on to it?
Usually not. Pamela says that once you build permanent additions, you can't put the house back on its wheels and roll it away. If she ever relocates, she would sell the home instead.
How much does it cost each month to live in a tiny home community?
It depends on the community. In Pamela's, lot rent and HOA dues are one fee, and she suggests budgeting around $1,000 a month. That covers the amenities and lawn care.
Is a tiny home community a good fit for retirees?
It can be. Pamela, who moved to a Simple Life community as she retired, says most of her neighbors are over 55, and the monthly fee covers amenities and lawn care, so she spends her time on activities instead of upkeep.
Can regular-size furniture fit in a tiny home?
In Pamela's home it does. Her bedroom holds a queen bed and two nightstands, her living room holds her old bedroom dresser, and she has a full-size refrigerator and a regular-size washer and dryer.
Community: Simple Life
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