The Starter Tiny Home
Erik Blair also sees the tiny-house movement as a viable way to ease Maui’s affordable-housing crisis. “If we could get just 1 percent of residents into tiny houses, that’s a significant number,” he says. “We need other solutions, too, but this is certainly one of them.”
Erik’s company, Simple Tiny Houses, is constructing a prototype “model home on wheels” in Kīhei. Truss Systems Hawai‘i built the frame, and Daniel Lovell, whom Erik calls his “director of the interior,” is doing just that — building out the interior. Simple Tiny Houses offers three versions of the same basic floor plan, which measures 160 square feet on the main floor with a 64-square-foot sleeping loft. Buyers can purchase just the shell, the shell with exterior paint and roofing, or a custom version with hardwood flooring.
“The first question prospective buyers usually ask me is, ‘Where do I put this thing?’” says Erik. “Buying land is the best option. Renting land or borrowing a tiny-house parking spot is the next option.”
Maui County regulations restrict the number of dwellings allowed per lot, based on the parcel’s size and zoning. “Generally, you’re allowed one house and one ‘ohana unit [accessory dwelling] per property,” says David Goode, Maui County’s director of public works. “Tiny houses on wheels are called ‘house trailers,’ and they count towards the allowable number of dwellings.” Goode adds that Mayor Alan Arakawa has asked the planning and public works departments to draft an ordinance that would allow accessory dwellings on smaller lots where they’re currently prohibited, and increase the number of dwellings allowed on larger lots. Such an ordinance would require County Council approval.
Like Kalani and Kailea, Erik Blair thinks tiny houses fit well with Maui’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. “You go inside to cook and sleep,” he says. “The rest of the time you’re at the beach, or out enjoying everything Maui has to offer.”
Another advantage of a house on wheels is the ability to escape a natural disaster. “If there’s a volcanic eruption or a tsunami, you can move your house quickly,” Erik says. “You can literally drive your house to an evacuation zone and park it there.”
The tiny-house movement is about freedom, he adds. “If you don’t like the neighborhood, view, or microclimate, you can move somewhere else.”
Do you ship to the Big Island, Honokaau? I am interested in putting a tiny home on wheels, in the range of $30-45000.
Thanks!
Is it possible to buy a tiny house on Maui already with property included in price and space for small animals?
Aloha Karen, Perhaps reach out to Kalani Iselin (808-866-4911, IslandTinyHomes.com) or Erik Blair (SimpleTinyHouses.com) for an opportunity to see tiny house models on island. Mahalo for reading!
we are coming to visit next month any chance of looking at tiny house models?
An affordable tiny house is one thing, but what about purchasing a piece of property to put the tiny house on? This issue alone seems prohibitive. I would do it in a minute, but this property issue has me puzzled.
Mahalo MNKO Magazine for such a great article on this Tiny House Movement!
Come out and talk tiny with the Simply Tiny Houses creator, Erik Blair, at the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center’s “Let’s Get Sustainable Expo” on Saturday, September 24, 2016. For more information contact Toni Rojas at trojas@qkcmanagement.com
Aloha and mahalo for the wonderful article. I hope everyone contacts their representatives locally and at the state level and let them know how important it is that they support the tiny house movement and get behind efforts to increase alternative affordable housing in Hawaii.