It’s only 300 square feet plus a sleeping loft and a porch, but this tiny house offers a lot in a small space. Todd Lipton, its developer, wants to be a catalyst for creating very small, very green, affordable houses that are integrated into neighborhoods in towns throughout the southwest.
He chose Patagonia for his first tiny house because we are a small community with some population density; we have a need for affordable housing based on Santa Cruz County’s average income level; we are within 1.5 hours of major medical care; we can grow food here; and ultimately because Patagonia is just a “very special place.” The town council was pretty skeptical at the start. According the tiny house’s builder, Kevin McKay, now that the house is almost finished, their opinions seem to be changing.
Lipton hopes the tiny houses will appeal to people who want to scale down but still be comfortable, or who have limited incomes but want a place of their own, or have chronic illnesses that require a simpler lifestyle.
As a health and fitness professional and a cancer survivor, Lipton is on a mission to provide practical and healthy tiny house alternatives that work for a broad spectrum of people. Lipton does not envision a cookie- cutter design for his houses, nor does he plan to build developments consisting of only tiny houses. Clearly he is more interested in starting a trend than making a lot of money.
The house itself is pretty cool. It is stick-built with a stucco finish and asphalt roof. There is a full kitchen, a 3/4 bathroom, including small washing machine, bamboo floors, cathedral ceilings with a sleeping loft, and plenty of daylight. While connected to the grid, the house will be powered by a full solar set-up. It’s a smart house so all functions can be managed by cell phone.
The front porch is spacious and has two lovely benches built by McKay. The long and narrow lot allows for privacy and provides space for a green house and a chicken coop. These additions are part of Lipton’s vision for making the home a platform for a healthy, sustainable life.
The tiny house took about three months to build, which does not include cleaning up the lot. Lipton was clear that the tiny house concept is his, but it “would never have happened without McKay”….a local builder bringing both skill and local knowledge.
So how much does a tiny house cost? Excluding the land, this one will end up between $40,000 and $50,000. McKay says that’s about the same as a new small singlewide trailer. The financing comes from private sources interested in promoting the model. Bank financing may be a ways off, according to Lipton. He also hopes to form a nonprofit corporation down the road a bit.
Lipton would like to build more tiny houses in Patagonia, but the land costs here are pretty high. His model calls for lots in the $18,000-$22,000 range. If he can find a suitable lot for that amount, he would jump on it. In the meantime this first house will be a demonstration model for his concept. He plans to hold workshops there and offer the place for short-term rental to allow folks to try out tiny house living.
Future tiny houses in Patagonia or elsewhere will be available for rent or purchase. Rental costs would probably be around $500-600/month. Purchase prices would depend on the design and the lot cost, but likely somewhere in the $60,000 range.
Have you got a lot in town that may be right for the next tiny house? Do you want to know more about tiny houses? If so, you can contact Todd Lipton at randomactsofkindness@gmail.com or Kevin McKay at mckayscustomhome@gmail.com. In the meantime, take a walk to the south end of Duquesne Street, right before it hits Costello, and take a look at number 446.