The Benefits of Living in an Expandable Tiny House

As the tiny house movement continues to grow and expand, we’re seeing new variations of these pint-sized abodes being built all the time. In addition to prefabricated cabins that can be expanded in size over time, there are also plenty of tiny houses on wheels that are specifically designed to be expandable later on. These kind of homes have many benefits, including being more affordable than a traditional home in most cases, while also allowing you the flexibility to move them if you want to down the road or sell your home as an investment property. If you’re considering buying an expandable tiny house vs. a traditional fixed one, here are some pros and cons to help you decide which is right for you.

A Tiny House with a Big Future

If you’re considering buying an expandable tiny house, you’ll need to find one that’s designed to be expanded multiple times. For example, a modular home that comes in a 10’ by 20’ configuration can be expanded to 20’ by 40’ over time, giving you a lot more living space as you need it. You can also look for a build-to-suit tiny house on wheels that comes with either a 20’ or 24’ width, which will allow you to add more width in the future if necessary. This can be especially helpful if you want to rent out your tiny house to make extra income or if you’re planning to park it in an RV park where the minimum width requirements may be lower than for a fixed tiny house.

More Living Space

One of the biggest benefits of living in an expandable tiny house is that you can easily add more living space later if you need to. Buying a fixed tiny house with 8–10’ of width means you’ll be living in a very cramped space in a few years, while an expandable tiny house gives you the option to add a few more feet in width whenever you need it. You can also customize the floorplan of your tiny house to better suit your needs in the future. For example, if you’re single and childless, you may only need a kitchen/living area and one small bedroom in the beginning. But later on, if you decide to start a family or move in with a spouse, you’ll have plenty of extra space to add another bedroom at that point. Or, if you’re a couple and want to be able to have your own separate bedrooms, an expandable tiny house lets you customize your home to suit your needs.

Easy to Move

Because an expandable tiny house has wheels on it, this type of home is easy to move when you decide to sell it or move somewhere else. You can simply take off the side walls, unhook the home from the foundation if it’s on wheels, and then hook it back up again at your new location. Depending on how big your expandable tiny house is, you may be able to drive it yourself if you have a big enough vehicle. If you’re buying a tiny house on wheels with a width of 24’ or less, you can also haul it with a standard-sized pickup truck if the weight isn’t too high. This makes it much easier to move, compared to a fixed tiny house that may be very hard to move if it’s over 10’ or so in width.

More Flexibility

Whether you’re building a tiny house from scratch or buying a home that’s expandable, you’ll have more flexibility with this type of home than a fixed tiny house. This is especially true if you buy a build-to-suit expandable tiny house that you can customize to suit your exact needs. This can help you avoid the common pitfalls of a fixed tiny house, such as a home that’s too small for your needs. Furthermore, if you build your own tiny house, you can have it built to last for decades and be as durable as a traditional house. So, even if you expand it many times, it will be able to withstand this wear and tear.

Finding the Right Tiny House for You

Whether you’re building your own tiny house or buying an expandable one, you should make sure to find the right home for your needs. To do this, you’ll need to decide what size tiny house you need and also decide if you want to build your own home or buy an existing tiny house. If you want to build a tiny house from scratch, you’ll need to decide on the floorplan and size of the house, as well as the materials you want to use. This can be a daunting task, but it’s often worth it in the long run to find the right home for you. On the other hand, if you’re buying an expandable tiny house, you’ll need to find the right one that can be expanded multiple times while still being affordable.

The Bottom Line

The benefits of living in an expandable tiny house far outweigh the downsides. You can easily add more living space to an expandable tiny house later, while a fixed tiny house that’s too small for your needs can be very frustrating to live in in the meantime. While it’s true that expandable tiny houses can be more expensive than fixed tiny houses, it’s often worth the extra cost in the long run to be able to expand your home as needed.