At the same time you are shopping for a park model home, you may also want to be looking for where you are going to place it. In fact, if you plan to put the home in one location for many years, the site you choose could even inform your choice of tiny house floor plan. Below are some tips for choosing an ideal site for your park model home.
- First, decide what type of property to place the tiny house on.
Decide whether you want to purchase private land for your park model home, or place it in a tiny house community or RV or mobile home park. We will discuss the pros and cons of these option in depth in a future post.
- Make sure the land is zoned properly and utilities are available.
Once you identify a potential lot for your park model home, make sure you look up how it is zoned, and if the zoning regulations will let you put a park model home there. Do not forget that park model homes are classified as RVs.
Also check whether utilities such as sewer, water and power are already present, or if they need to be added. If the latter, see what costs and labor will be involved. The same goes for access roads.
- Try to choose a relatively level, unobstructed site.
To minimize site preparation costs, look for a site that is already pretty level, and does not have any large boulders or trees that will get in the way. The less work you have to do to get the site ready, the lower the costs will be, and the less you will need to plan and oversee.
- Pick a site where you can ideally orient the home.
Think about the possible ways you could orient your tiny home in the lot. Is there a way you can do so that will help you maximize your views and make the best possible use of natural light and breezes?
A well-chosen spot with the right orientation for your tiny house could help you decrease your energy costs by allowing you to easily establish a cross-breeze for ventilation or keep your lights off during the day.
- Consider picking a site that will help you keep your tiny home temperate.
Speaking of sunlight and wind, you need to be thinking specifically about temperatures with a tiny house. A lot of tiny homes do not have an attic, because the second floor is left open for a loft and/or a vaulted ceiling to increase the sense of space inside the house. As a result, regulating the temperature can be a little more challenging than in a traditional home. Add in large windows, and you have a source of passive solar heat.
Think about the climate where you will be living. Is it generally hot or typically cold? Does it vary a lot throughout the year? Which is bound to be a bigger challenge, keeping the home warm in winter or cool in summer?
- If you are concerned about summer heat, pick a location that is going to receive plenty of breeze and/or shade. Consider what direction the windows and doors are facing as well. If you can keep them facing away from the east, that can be beneficial.
- If you are more concerned about winter cold, then do the opposite. Place the home in such a way that it will get as much sunlight as possible, especially in the morning as the sun is rising. If there is a way to shelter it from wind without shading it too much, do that as well.
- Think about privacy.
One more consideration when you are choosing a site for a tiny house is seclusion. You can maximize your privacy by putting your home on private land. But even in a tiny house community or an RV park, you may find opportunities for privacy if you are selective.
Some parks have tiny houses spaced widely apart so that every person has a significant yard to themselves. Even if the space is wide open, that can increase your sense of privacy more than you would think—especially with respect to noise levels.
Of course, having feature such as trees, bushes and fences to serve as screens can boost your privacy even more.
We Can Help You Choose the Ideal Tiny House Floor Plan for Your Lot
While you will need to find your own lot for your tiny house, we can help you customize a park model home that will be ideally suited to your site. Please give us a call to schedule your consultation.
