Living Simple Loving Small

Interest in tiny homes is skyrocketing across the country, and Central Oregon is no exception.

Curiosity is certainly at play — a national television show and a barrage of recent media stories have made thousands ponder whether it would work for them.

To downsize and simplify while getting rid of all the extra “stuff” packed away in garages, attics and storage units, is strong motivation for entertaining a move to a tiny home. Furthermore, who wouldn’t want to dump their 30-year mortgage, and slash costs for taxes, utilities, landscaping and furniture?

With less space and less stuff also comes more time — leisure time. Hours spent cleaning a large house — scrubbing bathrooms, dusting, sweeping and mopping — and caring for a large yard — mowing, weeding and watering — is all time that can be spent engaging in adventures and relationships rather than maintaining those chores.

While some consider tiny houses as a way to transform their lives, others are driven by the idea of investment. Central Oregon’s hot rental market means excellent value comes from investing in small rental properties, which are bringing in significant rents throughout the area.

“From an investment standpoint, small homes make great rentals,” said Matt Munther, sales associate for Simplicity Homes, the on-your-lot division of Hayden Homes. “From a renter’s standpoint it’s their own little house, they have their own space that they can be proud of, which is a big deal.”

Through its WiseSize Homes division, Simplicity Homes has answered the local demand for more rental properties in part with its own 400-square-foot “kit home.” These tiny houses are built to suit and have most everything any homeowner needs.

Each home is customizable, including options with high-end finishes.

“It’s really just like any other house, just on a much smaller scale,” Munther said. “These homes have everything a traditional house has, full kitchen, full bath, laundry, etc.”

The homes are also quite eye-catching. So much so that they caused tremendous excitement during the 2014 Central Oregon Builders Association Tour of Homes, when Simplicity Homes put a 400-square-foot model on display.

“Literally thousands came through,” said Munther, noting that the company plans to put the same-size model on the tour this year.

Simplicity Homes can build units of any size on an approved lot, with a “turn-key” 400-square foot model starting at $58,000, said Munther.

The company is building a neighborhood for a client on Bear Creek Road boasting a variety of options for smaller-sized homes and duplexes, including single family homes as small as about 1,000 square feet and duplexes that sit at 400, 660, 880 and 1064 square feet.

Heather Leonard, a 39-year-old single mother of two, recently moved into one of the larger Bear Creek duplexes and is delighted. While living in Portland, Leonard had begun the search for a new home in Central Oregon and came across the Bear Creek neighborhood listing being managed by Plus Property Management. She immediately pursued the rental, sight unseen.

“We got real lucky,” she said. “There is big demand for rentals in Bend.”

Leonard is leaving behind her one-hour daily commute in Portland and downsizing from a 4,200 square foot house, creating a need for additional storage beyond her new rental. But, despite the much smaller space, Leonard feels at home beneath her high ceilings, spacious kitchen and bathroom as well as with her outdoor patio and single-car garage. She is also pleased to rent at $1,295 per month in Bend’s competitive market.

“Rentals go like hotcakes,” she noted. Indeed, the current housing market makes it tough for people looking to rent. Tiny houses are thought to be a possible partial solution to the rental conundrum.

Several builders in Bend now offer a wide variety of tiny house concepts, tapping into the growing trend.

Tiny Homes of Central Oregon offers a kit, which is made in Sweden and arrives in Bend wrapped in black plastic.

“People then assemble a shell and can take them as far as their creativity and imagination allows,” explained Buffy Busik, owner of the Bend-based company, noting that the kits are a snap to assemble.

“It’s kind of like assembling Lincoln logs,” she said.

The homes are made of Nordic pine and spruce, with tongue and groove construction. Silicone applied in the corners and screws tightened into pre-drilled holes create a strong structure. A rubber mallet serves to pound the materials in place. Exposed beams provide an attractive and strong feel to the interior as well as support for a roof built to withstand Central Oregon snowfall.

At less than 200 square feet, these tiny homes seem amazingly spacious, charming and beautiful once you step inside, Busik said.

“They are super easy to be passionate about,” she added.

Because of their minute size, models can be moved with a forklift and can be settled onto either a concrete or a skid foundation. When left without electrical wiring or plumbing, the structures are classified as sheds and do not require a building permit. However, adding power or running water changes that classification, regardless of size.

Busik, who also owns Mt. View Heating in Bend, plans to show three tiny house models during the COBA Tour of Homes. One will be outfitted as a “granny flat,” another as a “man cave” complete with a poker table as its center piece. The models range in price from $10,000 to $15,000.

“Even if you use a contractor to assemble, they are still really affordable,” Busik said.

A brochure from Tiny Homes of Central Oregon lists 28 possible uses for their product, with ideas ranging from setting it up as a rental, a camping yurt, a playhouse, a theater room, a trophy room, a spa house or even as a place for pets to call their own.

Another take on tiny homes is a structure built on wheels and completely towable, much like an RV.

High Desert Builders presented a 300-square foot home shell, with an unfinished interior, at the Central Oregon Builder Association’s Home and Garden Show in May, with a surprising level of interest.

“Over 5,000 people came through. It was a constant flow,” said Brian Wallace, who along with his family owns and operates High Desert Builders as well as Bend Fence & Deck.

Though the building company has yet to sell one of their mobile tiny houses, 42-year-old Brian — who has been in the construction industry for 20 years — has plans to build additional models during the upcoming summer months. His ultimate idea, he said, is to design and build custom tiny houses, modifying each according to client’s needs and desires. The homes will cost anywhere from $20,000 to $75,000 based on the size, materials, appliances and whether the structure is placed on a standard foundation or on a truck.

Brian’s mother, 64-year-old Deanna Wallace, currently lives with her husband, Randy, in the second tiny house the company built and has up for sale. The 125-square foot home is permanently attached to a 1973 Ford truck. In the beginning Deanna resisted the idea of branching out the family business into tiny houses. Then she tried it herself and settled right in.

The couple has lived with their home parked at the Green Acres RV Park in Redmond for about a year. The tiny house atop the truck is configured similar to a RV camper, with a master loft, a smaller loft and a living area. It has instant hot water, propane for cooking, and even a wood stove. Showers and laundry, however, take place at the RV park facilities. The interior features clear, red birch and cedar, giving the small space a warm feeling.

The warmth is not just an appearance, however. Boasting tight seals and sheep’s wool for insulation, along with the wood stove, the propane and electricity costs remain low year round, topping out at a mere $20 combined in May this year.

Living full-time in such a small space doesn’t come without its challenges, which can be seen as advantages with the right outlook.

“My husband and I have grown closer, even after 42 years of marriage,” said Deanna, chuckling.