10 Affordable Tiny Homes For Under $50’000
The notion of becoming a homeowner seems so out of reach for many in today’s world, and for many millennials, the dream of being able to afford to buy their own home is as unrealistic as Darth Vader becoming the next President of the United States. But itโs not just graduates straight out of university who are feeling the pressure; people of all ages are either finding themselves without the funds to purchase a house of her own and are sick of forking out all of their hard earned cash on rent every month with nothing to show for it. Perhaps this is why there has been a rise in the number of affordable tiny homes on the market?
The alternative living movement is more significant now than it has ever been before, with vandwellers and tiny house advocates all over social media showing us that you can get on the property ladder without having to rob a bank or work five different jobs. From the tiny eco house to the luxury off grid caravan, there are a whole host of different tiny homes out there to help with your off grid living dreams. If living the van life doesnโt appeal or if trailer life leaves you less then enthused, then perhaps one of these affordable tiny homes might do the trick? Weโve scoured the internet to find the best tiny homes for under $50โ000, with a range of different prices to suit everyone.
10 Affordable Tiny Homes For Under $50โ000
The Shipping Container House – $19โ600
The first entry on our affordable tiny homes list is one of my all time favourites and is at the top of my list of dream houses in the future. The shipping container house is a great idea for anyone who wants to build a home from scratch because itโs so rigid and doesnโt have any niggly corners to contend with. Much like a box van camper conversion, you can put up a frame in no time and be cladding and insulating before you know it. But for those of you that would prefer to buy a ready made shell with all of the rubbings attached, โContainer Conversion Design & Buildโ have the perfect solution.ย
Creating unique and individual affordable tiny homes, Container Conversion DB provides the answer for any digital nomad who wants to build his or her own off-grid empire in the wilderness. For under $20K (thatโs just under ยฃ15K and around โฌ17K) you can get a pre-designed and ready-made shipping container thatโs ready for you to move in once it has been installed; thatโs a far cry from having to fork our ยฃ400โ000 on a terrace house, isn’t it!
These shipping container houses come with a full height sliding door with a window to let in external light, two exterior walls with treated cladding in your choice of stain, underfloor heating under the solid oak floor, a partition wall to create two separate rooms, and an LED lighting system. Everything is wired up and ready to roll, and Container Conversion Design & Build include delivery and installation in the price. Itโs worth mentioning at this point that you can also buy a cheaper shell without any fixtures and fittings for just under $12K (around ยฃ9K or โฌ13K). It comes with all of the electrical gubbins pre-attached, so this could be an excellent option for the minimalist homeowner who wants to save some cash by decorating themselves.ย
The Roving House – $49.884
84 Lumber Tiny Living has been on our radar for a while now, and when you look at the affordable tiny homes that you make itโs not hard to see why. While this next addition to our affordable tiny home list, the Roving, comes in at the far end of the $50โ000 price mark, itโs still fantastic value for money considering the craftsmanship that goes into each tiny home. Bright, airy, and full of funky-fresh ideas to make tiny space living a breeze, the Roving is perfect for tiny home owners who want everything including the kitchen sink in a house that utilises every inch of space perfectly.ย
At 154 square feet, the Roving is practically a mansion for anyone who has spent time living in a van and utilises reclaimed wood and durable natural materials to make it eco-friendly too. Inside youโll find an upstairs mezzanine level with a full sized bed and large windows to look up at the stars, a kitchen with walnut butcher block tops and all of the top cooking accessories that any off-grid chef could dream for, a composting toilet, energy saving LEDโs, and numerous power outlets to charge up either from the grid or using the power of the sun.ย
These affordable tiny homes are fully insulated and made to withstand the harshest weather, but if you donโt like where your house is parked then you can always tow it to the back of a truck and move to sunnier climates; now the โhome is where you park itโ hashtag doesnโt just belong to the van life crowd!
The Tiny Living House – $37โ000
Tiny Home Builders make insanely nice affordable tiny homes, and the prices vary depending on the size of your build and whether you purchase a basic or standard shell. You can expect to part anything between $12K for a basic 12โ shell with a trailer, framing and sheathing, Rain & Ice Shield wrap and metal roofing; and $37K for a fully finished 24โ house with doors and windows. Weโre going to look at this option today, but be sure to check out the Tiny Home Builders website to discover all of the available options.ย
The โTiny Livingโ design is one of Tiny Home Builders most popular designs, consisting of a spacious family room with a large vaulted ceiling to give the create the impression of having more available space. At the front of the trailer, youโll find a comfortable 7-foot sleeping loft with a bathroom and kitchen underneath. Like the Roving house above, these affordable tiny homes can be towed over any terrain thanks to the sturdy trailers that theyโre housed on, but if youโre happy staying in one place, then the standard shell also comes with all plumbing and electrical rough inโs pre-attached for ease. In our opinion, this option is great for the off-grid couple who like to travel around and would mould seamlessly into a little patch of forest or a mountain glade.ย
The Easy Dome House – $20โ000
What happens if you cross a golf ball with a Death-Star escape pod? This must have been the question that the creators of the Easy Dome house asked themselves when they were planning these incredible looking affordable tiny homes. Easy Domes LTD design and deliver flat pack houses that you can put up with ease, and they arrive in containers that you could probably convert into an outdoor shower room!
The price that weโre quoting above is for one small dome, which gives you around 31 square metres of space, one main door, and aluminium fittings. The great thing about these Dome houses, however, is that you can always expand and attach more domes on when you have the money, creating a small escape pod village for you and family to live in and pretend youโre in the deserts of Tatooine.ย
The inside of these affordable tiny homes is even more impressive, with bamboo floors and enormous windows that frame the landscape perfectly. It takes around 4-6 weeks for three people to build the small domes, with the larger domes taking 12 weeks to complete. All of the pieces are prefabricated, so itโs just a case of slotting them all together and screwing them down. If youโre good at Tetris, then you might be able to finish one even quicker! Prices vary depending on the size of the dome, so check out Easy Dome LTD for more information.ย
The Perfect Tiny Home Starter House – $15โ000 – $39โ000
Continuing the strong โDIYโ theme of the Easy Dome houses, our next entry on our affordable tiny homes list champions those that want to build their houses with their own bare hands. These DIY Tiny Home Shells from Tiny Heirloom are the perfect solution for anyone that wants to get a little bit crafty but doesn’t want the responsibility of making sure the roof truss beams are 100% accurate.ย
Tiny Heirloom provides the trailer that the house sits on, as well as the all-important wall & roof framing and sheathing, and the first layer of weatherproofing. After that, you can take over and design your house exactly as you have always wanted it to look, using your inner decorator and crazy ideas to bring your home to life. If, however, you just want to concentrate on the interior and would like a ready-made house to move straight into, then Tiny Heirloom also provides a package that comes with the exterior walls, windows and doors built in.ย While it might be cheaper to rummage around scrap yards for your own doors and windows, not everyone wants the hassle.ย
The custom built affordable tiny homes that Tiny Heirloom build is out of this world, looking more like a country manor than a rolling home. The mezzanine loft levels add so much more space in the living area below, and each house comes equipped for solar and other off-grid sustainable packages to reduce your carbon footprint and your bills at the same time.ย
Keep Scrolling For More Affordable Tiny Homes!
The Backcountry Tiny House – $36’000
From beautiful forest glades to mountain passes, tiny homes know no bounds. This next eco-house on our affordable tiny homes list takes inspiration from the colours of nature and lends itself well to beautiful country scenescapes in the very depths of the wild. The Juniper from Backcountry Tiny Homes utilises a plethora of creative storage solutions to make it one of the handiest affordable tiny homes on the market. Theyโre completely customisable too, so if you have specific needs or need to make them pet-friendly, then Backcountry will assist wherever possible.ย
The juniper that weโre quoting the price of is a standard shell with utilities, so youโll get a fully framed tiny home on top of a trailer; exterior walls that are all sealed and ready to go; and windows, doors, and roofing to give you a watertight, ready to decorate home. This Juniper shell also comes with all of the electrical pigtails, plumbing runs and electrical box pre-installed, so you don’t have to give yourself a headache working out the science bits.ย
Weโd recommend taking a closer look at what Backcountry Tiny Homes has to offer, so head on over to their website and take a closer look!
The Ark Shelter House – $50โ000
If youโre dying to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and longing for a more peaceful, relaxing, and mindful way of life, then the Ark Shelter house should be at the very top of your affordable tiny homes list. These tiny mobile homes are designed to have the least ecological impact on their surroundings, making them top eco campers for any off-grid aficionados who want to blend in while not disrupting nature. Rather than sticking out like a sore thumb, these houses blend into the wilderness, allowing you to become as one with the environment. Namaste readers.ย
These high-quality wooden structures are built to withstand whatever Mother Nature throws at them, and the panoramic windows give you a full view of your surroundings, making for a relaxing holiday retreat or a serene full-time home. They might be one of the more minimalistic affordable tiny homes on our list, but theyโre designed in a way that reduces clutter in both your life and your mind; I think that we could do with one of these for the Van Clan team to work in.
At the very top of our budget range, the Ark Shelter house comes in at the full $50K but is still not a great deal to ask for considering the beautiful home that you could create inside. Check out Ark Shelter for more information on these off-grid cabins.ย
The Wikkelhouse – $34โ000
Eagle-eyed readers may remember that we covered this house in out Top Eco Campers article, but Iโm adding it into this list because itโs such an affordable way to own your own home, and it also looks impressive too. Unlike the other affordable tiny homes on our list, the Wikkelhouse is made of cardboard (thatโs right!) and is still one of the most durable structures that youโll find on the market. Itโs fully recyclable, has an expected minimum lifespan of 50 years, needs no foundations, and is three-times more eco-friendly than any other tiny house.ย
Each segment of the Wikkelhouse is built in Amsterdam and shipped to your desired location. These affordable tiny homes are modular, so you can add extra bits into your floorplan or take them away depending on how much space you need. They only take a day to build once delivered, and because they are so light, they can be moved to a different location with ease.ย
I am a huge fan of tiny living, and itโs always been a toss-up between building a shipping container house or buying a Wikkelhouse. They get my seal of approval, but I urge you to check out their website and to learn about the incredible building process in detail (you wonโt regret it!).
The Hobbit House – $30โ000-48โ000
No list would be complete without the obligatory Lord Of The Rings reference, and Number 9 on our list of affordable tiny homes ticks this special box. Say hello the Hobbit House on wheels; if Bilbo Baggins had known about this, then he could have battled Smaug from the comfort of his armchair!ย
This is the creation of Incredible Tiny Homes, a tiny house company that more than live up to their name. Their tiny custom homes come in so many shapes and size that weโd be here all day if we listed every single one. From designer kitchens to energy efficient heating solutions, if you want it, then theyโll include it. For a 20 foot long trailer complete with your own tiny home, youโll be looking at anything between $30-48k, depending on what you would like to add, how much room space you need, and any optional extras that you might want to add. Head over to the Incredible Tiny Homes website to find out more. Be warned though; you might lose a couple of hours scrolling through their site!
The Earth Dome House – $300
Last but not least is a range of affordable tiny homes that you can make by hand for just ยฃ300! From a hobbit house on wheels to a real-life Hobbit house, the Earth Dome is a simple way to make an eco-friendly, sustainable house with no prior building knowledge. Using bags, earth, twigs and twine, you can make a small home that would look just as at home in the middle of a forest as it would in the middle of The Shire. While you might need more than one hobbit to help you out with making an Earth Dome house, tall-folk can usually manage to do it on their own without too much effort.ย
This is an excellent idea if you really want to blend in with your surroundings, and itโs also an easy way of making a large home for next to no money! It might not be portable or as flash as some of the other affordable tiny homes on our list, but it has certainly won the prize of being the cheapest!ย
More Content From The Van Clan Team!
- 25 Van Life Ideas your next camper conversion.
- Eco Campervans are becoming the vandwellers vehicle of choice.
- This off road camper trailer is built for the toughest adventures.
COMMENTS
Please note that all comments will be checked by our team before being approved.