Category: Tiny Living

The best of Tiny living

Turnkey AirBnb for sale!

On By Shari SnyderIn Shop, Tiny Houses, Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Move to your land for a Turn key airbnb, full time dwelling, or instant rental income in your back yard. Or assume lot rent for $510 a month. Great solution for an aging parent or boomerang child!

Please refer to this link for all the details:

The Vintage Retreat Tiny House combines whimsical with minimalism to create a romantic design. The farmhouse inspiration was handcrafted by Hill Country Tiny Houses and voted “Best in show” at the National Tiny House Jamboree 2017. It was also in the top 10 most popular tiny houses on Instagram in 2017.

Features:

Custom built 40 foot bumper pull trailer with 4 axles, board and baton siding, and a metal roof
384 sq ft main floor and a 70 sq ft loft
13’6 tall, 102” wide, 20,000 pounds, requires one ton truck to pull
Two mechanical slide outs 9ft slide out holds the sofa and the 7ft slide out in the bedroom holds the murphy bed
8×8 kitchen
8×8 bathroon
10×9 private master bedroom with steel murphy bed
11×8 living room
2×8 master closet
Private first floor master bedroom with a murphy bed that can fit up to a king size bed – this room can easily be converted to an exercise room or office space when the murphy bed is up
Loft bedroom can fit up to a king size bed
2 vintage stained glass windows
2 antique barn doors
Barn wood and ship lap on walls
Barnwood ceiling
White farmhouse sink
Set of french doors and a slider off the master bedroom
2 fold down 6’x6′ decks
48? antique vanity with marble top
Full size jetted tub/shower combo
Hand made movable island with cherry butcher block counter top.
White farm sink
Kitchen Aid dishwasher, Kenmore Elite washer/dryer, 30” Frigidaire refrigerator, electric cooktop and countertop toaster oven.
Mini split AC/Heat model, tankless propane water heater, Sewer hookup, water hook up, propane hookup, black water tank
Standard flush toilet
Black water tank
Closed cell spray foam insulation ($4,000 value)
Space for up to 55” screen TV in living room and 32” TV in bedroom
Loveseat recliner, 1 queen mattress, recliner, barstools, folding table and 2 chairs, 42″ TV, window blinds and curtains, open shelves in the kitchen including IKEA rods/hooks/plant holders
There’s also bathroom shelves, an IKEA closet with lights that turn on when you slide it open, a beautiful chandelier, USB plugs beside the bed, deep storage next to the bed, and a storage space at the back of the tiny house (like a mini garage).

WANTED: Investors and/or Landowners

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Houses, Tiny Living, Tiny Town TexasLeave a comment

WARNING: the following contains vulnerable content I’ve never shared publicly!

***MULTI UNIT DISCOUNTS & PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNTIES***

SKIP TO P.S. TO READ OUR APPRECIATION FOR YOU!!! 
(Or you may want to read only the words in bold.)


If you’d like to benefit from Tiny Town as a resident, please submit a Letter of Intent.
If you’d like to benefit from the perspective of investor or landowner, we encourage you to text Shari at 830-285-5909 for details to see if

A. your land meets the qualifications or
B. if it’s a good fit for both parties. 
If so, we can partner with you to complete a project or you can hire us to create a turn-key profit making development to your land whether for vacation rentals or full-time dwelling.  Throughout history, those who took risks and helped solve very large problems for society reaped huge rewards! 

Will you sit on the edge in your own comfort or will you dive in to help solve the housing shortage afflicting our nation, especially millennials and middle aged single women? We have a waiting list of qualified individuals ready to move in!

Our Tiny Town Model not only solves that challenge, but also the need for community and healthy relationships, a place to belong, sustainability, and total wellness for body, soul and spirit. The more people you serve and the better you serve them determines your level of success. Now is a great time to join our mission!

The Hill country of Texas

I’m not gonna lie, we’ve been very discouraged at the many challenges we’ve faced not only as entrepreneurs of a start up company, but as you know, the tiny house industry is a disruptive industry by it’s very nature and trying to build a community presents a whole new set difficulties…

The brave pioneers forging the way do not come out without scars from battle wounds. We get to talk with many leaders in the industry across the nation; each one bearing scars. Like a brave soldier, they keep going.  Challenges come from the banking industry and the jurisdiction and zoning of land. Just this week, I sat down with the president of a large Texas bank (a friend of ours). He was very hopeful as they are a creative lender.  Still, there are some hurdles to overcome.  Our Tiny Town Model solves the problems for our clients and the banks.  Yet, finding the right land is the last problem we have to solve.
The acreage in Kerrville we had already broken ground and were so excited about, could not be re-zoned to residential. 

Our family run business

Our encouragement today came from a private meeting with the president of the Chamber of Commerce in Kerrville. They sought us out and asked for this meeting to discuss affordable housing. They gave us a free $600 membership as well. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Together, we will explore working with the city to solve their housing shortage. The pain was already great, but now with 500 new jobs coming to a town of 23,000, they know it has to take top priority.
We have such big dreams to create a sustainable community where tiny enthusiasts (including our own family) can live the life of their dreams and achieve total wellness and vibrant healthy relationships.

We promise we will keep you posted.

P.S.
We appreciate each one of you from the bottom of our hearts! You are the reason we don’t and won’t give up!! The next generation is the reason we must not quit! The legacy we can all leave is the reason we will prevail TOGETHER!! Fill out the LOI form below if you want to join our mission!!

Small Price, Big Demand

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Tiny home neighborhoods in Austin that unlock affordable living

By John Egan

 Oct 8, 2018, 9:48 am

Village Farm merges tiny homes with “agrihood” in far East Austin. Village Farm Austin/Facebook

The tiny home trend is taking off across the nation, but more people in the Austin area are turning to smaller dwellings as a way to combat the area’s affordability issues. Relatively inexpensive, tiny homes can be an ideal alternative to cope with continuing rise in home prices, which have now reached a median price of $322,478 for a single-family residence.

Several communities designed to meet the burgeoning demand for affordable housing are underway in the Austin area. Here’s a look at four local tiny home ‘hoods opening big doors to smaller living.

Village Farm
The Village Farm tiny home community, nestled in the far reaches of East Austin near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Decker Lane, promises the “simple life” in a sustainable setting.

The hub of this so-called “agrihood” is a parcel of farmland. Residents enjoy eco-conscious features such as solar roofs, recycled building materials, composting, water-efficient fixtures, and rainwater harvesting.

Homes cost anywhere from $70,000 to $140,000. In addition, there’s a $600-a-month fee for lot rental. In total, six models measuring 399 square feet each are available. The developer is currently hosting weekly open houses where potential residents can tour homes and check out the neighborhood.

The goal “is to create a community with outdoor movies, walking trails, community barbecues, kennels, laundry facilities, and an amenity center,” according to TinyPortableCedarCabins.com.

Spring Cleaning Tips

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Houses, Tiny LivingLeave a comment

It’s officially spring and the Bluebonnets are in full bloom here in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! Spring is by far my favorite Texas season; the gorgeous flowers are out, the smell of spring and new growth is in the air, and the temperature is divine. It also means it’s time for spring cleaning and de-cluttering.

Living tiny means prioritizing and only keeping items that are truly essential. Here’s a quick 4 step process you can put into place in your current life to de-clutter and free up space:

  1. Pick whatever space will serve as your starting point (closet, junk drawer, pantry, etc.) and completely empty it. Put the items on your counter, bedroom floor, or bed.
  2. Sort through the items and determine whether you use them daily or not – place the items you use at least once a week in a pile and the rest in a separate pile.
  3. Go through the less used pile and determine whether each item is crucial to your daily life – place items you feel are truly necessary in a 6-month box and donate/trash the rest.
  4. Put everything back where it belongs and appreciate the feeling of accomplishment.

The idea behind the 6-month box is this: if you don’t search for any of the items in the box or even notice they’re no longer accessible then they should also be removed. They obviously aren’t important enough in your daily life that you’ve noticed their absence and are only taking up space.

This whole process is a small snapshot of some of the things we did when preparing to go tiny. We also had to weigh factors such as where precisely we’d put each item, how could we downsize and maybe find items that were space-saving. For example, we sold our furniture and instead purchased some smaller items as well as furniture that could be easily stored. Our table is a folding table – we simply pull it out when we’re ready to eat.

How Do You Fit A Swing In A Tiny House?

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment
Creativity at its finest

A client of ours was featured on Tiny House Nation April 17. “Two Turntables and a Tiny House”. Season 5, Episode 6. Follow them @Thetinybonnielou on Instagram.

We built this tiny house shell for a beautiful family of 4 during the
summer of 2018 so that they could embrace tiny living and the freedom it brings. We met them during the Tiny House Jamboree in October 2017
where they toured our Vintage Retreat tiny home.
In January of 2018, their family travelled from Dallas and rented the
Vintage Retreat on Airbnb to try before they buy and confirm their decision. They loved it and within 6 weeks, placed their order for a shell. (By the way, when you rent one of our tiny houses, the amount you spent is issued as a refund when you place an order with HCTH).
Their main goal was to live debt free, have the ability to travel, and to
free themselves from material holds. They found that they were
collecting too much stuff; stuff they didn’t need and didn’t use. The
solution to their problem was simple: find a house that’s small and that
you can travel with.

That’s where we come in. We worked with them to build a custom trailer, frame and shell that closely matched the design of The Bohemian
Bungalow. It sits on a custom 32-foot gooseneck trailer with 2 slide-outs
for a total of 385 square feet. 

To save money, the Rosas decided to put the finishing touches on this
home themselves. This left Todd to build the frame and the shell as well as put in the rough plumbing and electrical. Once that was finished we
delivered it to the Rosas where they and Zack Griffin from Tiny House
Nation finished it out. Tiny House Nation sought us out, asking what we were working on and we sent them to the Rosas to check out their build and the rest is history!

During their research process, the Rosas brought their 2 young sons with them to Kerrville to rent The Vintage Retreat tiny home on AirBnb to see if they really could ‘live tiny.’ One life-changing weekend later and they were ready to build their dream tiny home with us! It took several more months to finalize design plans and for them to downsize before we
began the building process. They also received a full refund from their
stay with in our tiny home as a thank you from us after they placed their order. 

When our clients asked us if we’d like to receive credit, we told them to do whatever was best for them. There are a lot of rules that have to be followed when filming. When we filmed for HGTV, we weren’t allowed to have logos on our clothes or equipment and when Todd mentioned our company name in the interview, it didn’t make it in the final cut. If you noticed, our company wasn’t mentioned in the credits either, which was a great disappointment to us in the end but that’s show biz and we are extremely grateful for the opportunity!

If you liked the tile in our Bohemian Bungalow you’ll really love the tile in this tiny house. Watch the Rosas as they build out their dream tiny home near Dallas, TX. Tony is a DJ so it was important to incorporate some of those elements in the design-you’ll never believe where they stored his equipment and records. One of our favorite design pieces of this home was the inclusion of an indoor swing for their 2 young boys. That’s the brilliant Zach Griffin for ya!

Zack and John are in cowboy country as they set out to help a family of four who are preparing to move out of their large house near Dallas and into a tiny house. First-time homeowners Tony and Lori have two young sons who are growing fast, so John and Zack set out to maximize every square inch of space. But when they learn that the kids are home schooled, and that Tony has a sentimental record collection he just can’t part with, they’ll have to find new ways make this tiny house fit for this fun-loving family.

Watch this episode of Tiny House Nation on Amazon Prime, Itunes, or A&E

CNN on tiny house village for the homeless

On By Shari SnyderIn Family, Lifestyle, Tiny Houses, Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Our family got to volunteer here in 2017, it was absolutely life changing!

Read the CNN Article here.

New documentary about tiny house village for homeless people had its world premiere in March at @SouthbySouthwest in Austin @austinfilmsociety.  It’s a beautiful community of love they have created!  We got to meet the Filmmaker, Layton Blaylock, huge shout out to him for devoting two years of his life to this project! Read more here.

It was the first documentary I’ve ever seen that changed me forever!!

The documentary Community First! will be open to the public soon! Layton wants to work with us on our TV series project! We are so blessed!

Phoenix has a tiny house village for homeless too

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/valley-non-profit-that-builds-tiny-homes-for-veterans-headed-to-national-stage

What does Austin 360 say about the homeless village?

http:// https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20190517/how-austins-tiny-home-village-for-homeless-people-is-becoming-national-model

Building environmentally healthy communities

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Houses, Tiny Living, Tiny Town TexasLeave a comment

Todd and I just spent the most enjoyable afternoon with Perry Bigelow of www.bigelowhomes.com. He came to tour the tiny house we live in and shared a wealth of wisdom from his 40 year career as a developer of more than 2,000 homes in Aurora, ILL, San Marcos, TX and Kyle, TX.

Perry has received all kinds of national awards for sustainability, responsibility and eco friendly communities. He designs communities to foster relationships and raise healthy kids in a safe environment where the young engage with the old and children have safe park areas to play in with other children in the front courtyard space shared by the community instead of a high fenced back yard all alone. The children here actually prefer to play outside than to be indoors with their iphones and x boxes. Can you imagine?

We were blown away with the thoughtful design and psychology behind every detail in his communities. I think you will be too. Enjoy the video!

Excerpt from their website: “Imagine for a moment that you are in your new home. You step out your front door onto a large porch and look out to see children playing catch in a spacious green park or trying to climb one of the many beautiful trees. Your neighbors across the park wave hello from their porches while the scent of roses from the park drifts over to you in the breeze. Your friend next door steps out to walk her dog and you invite her to sit with you for a cup of coffee. You enjoy the friendly conversation while the sound of children laughing, chatter from other porches and the wind in the trees melds in the background.”

Top 3 out of 5 top Airbnb’s last year were tiny homes?

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny Houses, Tiny Living, Tiny Town TexasLeave a comment

Tiny Homes popularity on Airbnb growing exponentially!

Tiny houses have become some of the most popular Airbnb properties. “Today, there are more than 14,000 tiny homes on Airbnb.” Between 2017 and 2018, the number of people staying in tiny homes more than doubled. “Three of the top five most popular Airbnbs in the world are tiny homes.” 

“The beauty of tiny homes goes beyond the fact that every inch must be meticulously planned and designed,” Chesky says in the article. “These homes challenge our assumptions about how much space we need and open our eyes to what it means to leave a smaller footprint.”  

Tiny homes have become one of the most affordable and lucrative investment opportunities. The maintenance required is minimal and they still hold curiosity and are a novelty for most.

At Hill Country Tiny Houses, we are leading the movement by providing turn-key Airbnb tiny homes for investors, developers and landowners.  Todd and I have thoroughly enjoyed hosting families from all over in our tiny houses.

Don’t miss out!

Call Shari today at 830-285-5909 to discuss how you can profit from this movement!

to read the rest of the article, use this link and to read handwritten thank you notes from our guests, 
https://www.facebook.com/pg/HillCountryTinyHouses/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2344589422491389

WHY I LOVE OCTOBER

On By Shari SnyderIn Family, Lifestyle, Tiny LivingLeave a comment

October is a significant month for the Snyder family.
October, 1995, Todd declared his love for me.  
October, 2008, we had the vision for what we now know as Tiny Town Texas.  
October, 2011, we moved our family to Texas.  
October, 2015, was our miraculous marriage makeover and second honeymoon (exciting story I’ll share with you one day).
October, 2016, was The Big Reveal for the birth of Hill Country Tiny Houses.  (see https://sharisnyder.com/)
October 8, 2017, was the maiden voyage of the Vintage Retreat to Arlington, Texas, for the National Tiny House Jamboree October 20, 2018, REVEAL of the TV series coming soon called Tiny Town Texas

What surprises will October, 2019 hold for our family?

https://youtu.be/bhXJnC5c70M

Follow our journey on FB and IG for live videos and clues to guess what it is. We will send a free t-shirt to anyone who can guess our secret before it’s revealed.

Happy Easter, friends!!

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment

Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!
I have learned it’s not about rules and religion, but about a relationship of love and friendship that has transformed me and given me a love for others, even those who hurt me.
I have found peace and joy and freedom through my trials and pain. 
Loving Jesus and Loving people is all that really matters!!

https://youtu.be/LP6-zZyporw

Hill Country build coming to A&E 4/17

On By Shari SnyderIn Tiny LivingLeave a comment
Dallas, TX, during the build

We got to build the shell (ie. trailer, frame, rough in plumbing/electrical/heat) for a sweet Family of four near Dallas who finished it out with Zach Griffin of Tiny House Nation. The show airs tonight on A&E @ 9pm CST!
Their episode is called “Two Turntables and a Tiny House” from Season 6, Episode 6

Follow them @thetinybonnielou on Instagram for more!
Coming to Netflix in August!