There’s a growing market in Austin, Texas for tiny and small homes built to minimize the owner’s impact on both the Earth and their wallets. The average American home is 2,500 square feet while tiny homes average 200-400 square feet. Small homes are 400-1,200 square feet and are often called the middle ground – not too big, not too small. Compared to the average American home, small homes are less expensive, use less resources, are more efficient to heat and cool, and cheaper to maintain and repair. Compared to tiny homes, they offer a lot more space and breathing room. They are desirable for people who want to avoid a bank mortgage or high rents, yet need more room than a tiny house affords.
Four factors in Austin seem to be driving the increased demand for tiny and small houses. There’s a shortage of affordable housing near downtown. The high demand to live close to both work and play in Central Austin. The increasing popularity of books, websites, and television shows featuring tiny houses. And there’s Austin’s new Accessory Dwelling Ordinance makes it easier to permit a new tiny home sharing a lot with an existing home.
In Austin, many of these tiny and small houses are showing up in the backyards of more traditional homes where they are officially known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s). These ADU’s are considered to be secondary dwellings, must be no larger than 1,100 square feet, and at least 10 feet from the main house on the same lot. Some are used as guesthouses or rented out. And some have a completely different owner.
There are now several small and tiny home builders springing up to fill this niche in the Austin new home market in addition to existing tiny homes for sale. Contact Betty Saenz, (512)785-5050, your expert guide to green building, tiny, and small homes in Central Texas.
Please note that many of these tiny and small home opportunities are not easy to find in standard online home searches, but Betty Saenz is ready to help you locate the right tiny or small home for you.