Planning & Designing Your Modern Tiny House
The prospect of moving into your own modern tiny house is an exciting one. There are so many awesome benefits to living in a smaller space, not to mention the lifestyle, which many aspire to. As the journey towards building, or buying a modern tiny house begins, there are a multitude of things to consider. This article outlines some of the important things to consider, and processes to undertake as your preparations evolve.
Prioritize
Prior to beginning to plan what your Tiny House is going to look like, it is a great idea to take some time to list all the things you do in your home. Take some time to pay attention to what you do each day, and to those that you only do from time-to-time. After you’ve established your list, it is wise to spend some time prioritizing your activities, and write down all the things you will need in order to do them. So, for example, if you are fond of cooking, and you find yourself cooking large meals each day, then obviously you will want to itemize the key pieces you use, and highlight those items. After you have completed this exercise, you will have a more clear idea of the form your house should take, the things you need to achieve them, and this will guide you in the steps the follow.
Role Play
Now that you have a general sense of your priorities, there are many who recommend finding some space where you can actually create a life-sized mock-up of the space you will live in. So, if you have a 20 ft. length idea in mind, chalk or tape out a 20×8 ft. outline of your space (or whatever size is appropriate).
Take some time to move around in the space, and outline the dimensions of counter-tops, sink, chairs, tables, closets and the bathroom. As you move around within this space, you can adjust the placement to give you a sense of the functionality of the form and design you are envisioning.
As you work through this, you will notice things that don’t work and need to be changed. Once you are comfortable with your initial plan, take some time. Take some photos, sketches and measurements, and then walk away from your work and leave it for a period of time. After a few days, go back to your mockup and do the whole procedure another time. This exercise will surprise you, as you will note many things that escaped your notice during your first walk-through. It is even helpful to bring others into the mock-up space, and get their opinions and feedback, as this will help guide you to a having a more useable.
Creating Your Plan
Now that you have a rough draft of your home design, it is a great idea to have a look at many of the plans that are already available. The majority of these are very well thought out, and the designers have a wealth of experience in the practicalities of small spaces, and are filled with great ideas and innovative solutions. It is entirely possible, that everything you want and need has already been worked out in detail, which you can use and save yourself a great deal of time and headache in the planning of your future home. Tiny Home Builders have a comprehensive collection of training tools and designs that may help you along the way, as do Tiny House Plans – both are filled with great ideas, tools and plans that you can review.
If you choose to workout your own plan, and work from there, the process is continued by developing some skill in design. Many people work with software tools such as Sketch-up, which is a free tool that offers an enormous array of features to assist you. This does come with a learning curve, but with time you can complete your plan.
It is always recommended that you review your plan with someone who is familiar with building and construction, and even better, with someone familiar with building modern tiny houses. There are unique and specific building requirements, which experienced builders of tiny homes will have, and it is really valuable guidance to seek their perspective on your planning and designs.
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