If you’re still in the planning stages of your Tiny dream and you’re tossing up whether to go the shipping container or THOW- this one’s for you.
The first and most important question I would be asking is- do you ultimately want to buy your own land? Or are you planning on renting long term?
If you’re on your own land and don’t plan to move the dwelling, then 100% I’d recommend a container or Tiny on skids. Yes, the swoon-worthy Instagram pics you’ve seen are usually glamorous Tinies on wheels.. but you really do need to think about whether this is the right move based on your personal situation. If you don’t need to move it (often), save yourself the $10k trailer cost.
If, however, you’re planning on renting land, there’s a major factor to consider:
Many hosts are simply not comfortable renting to someone with a container or similar structure on skids. Whether true or not, the perception is that they’re harder to move and more “permanent”.
There’s also a higher perceived risk of the land owner getting a knock on the door from council. A dwelling on foundations is subject to planning guidelines and can have legal implications if not approved. This can also draw unwanted attention from council- and if the property has other non-approved structures or uses, the host risks having these brought under scrutiny too.
Some property owners really aren’t fussed what goes onto their property so long as it doesn’t cause a nuisance and they continue to receive rent.
However the majority of land owners I’ve encountered (so far at least), have a level of hesitation around these dwellings that they don’t have with Tiny Houses on Wheels.
Many land owners are also aware of the Tiny House movement and choose to list on our platform purely because they want to support it.
For these people, THOWs are the only applicants they will consider.
Perhaps ask yourself this question: Could it hurt my chances of finding land if my house is on foundations or stumps?
Given that we’re in the early days of the movement and land hosting is still a relatively small pool, ANYTHING you can do to increase the likelihood of a host giving preference to your application over someone else’s, should be carefully considered.
xBry