The Tiny house Blog

Building a Tiny House To Last

By
Jason Francis
Designed and built over 100 custom tiny homes, lived on a sailboat for 9 months, and loves to live life to the fullest with his wife and their 4 kids.
Updated on:
June 9, 2023
ThinHaus mock up tiny house on wheels 3d design

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are back to learn more from Jay, the founder of ThinHaus! Make sure you check out the tour of the Onyx, as that really helps you see how spacious their tiny homes really do feel!


Here’s Jay with ThinHaus Blog Entry 2.

____


Once Upon a Time...

ThinHaus builds small houses. We have been doing it for years & years and we’ve gotten quite good at it. Pour a foundation, put up a bunch of wood, add wires and pipes and some drywall, paint it and add a stone yard (this is Arizona, after all) … and presto, you have a house! Our buyers tell us that we build really nice houses. We don’t cut corners and are attentive to details.

But something has changed. Our buyers were having trouble paying for the houses that we build. The banks have made things miserable and saving up for a down payment has become almost impossible. People and jobs are moving around and the American Dream of homeownership is just that ... a dream. Our buyers were asking, “Can you build a great house for less?” That’s when we found the tiny house world and ThinHaus started designing and building great houses for less ... a lot less!

ThinHaus Model A2410 ~ Onyx


ThinHaus is the sum of a thousand steps that start with a list of things you want and then finding ways to make them happen. For example, you wanted our homes to feel spacious even though they were small. Our solution for this is two-part: go to 10’ wide so the stairs are next to the bathroom and not taking up space in the main living areas and going with a more “boxy” shape to get the most cubic living volume possible within the limits of a movable house. The result is an amazing living space that really does feel bigger on the inside!


We wanted to use the highest tech materials that we could find. Steel in a million different forms makes a super strong and lightweight house. Once you come to learn how to do it, steel houses are actually less costly and longer-lasting than wood (which is probably why modern office buildings are made this way) and can be built according to the International Residential Code ... just like any other house.


A house must be made to protect you and your family from the elements. It must keep out the rain while keeping you warm (or cool if you live where we do) and do it for a long time. It must hold up to high winds, especially if you want it to be movable.


Walking into a ThinHaus gives you a warm feeling with many different options. We have learned over the years that a house becomes a reflection of the owner so we leave it to you to make it what you want. A ThinHaus has space, lots of space, for you to choose how you want us to finish it to your liking.

How do we do all these things? One step at a time and welcome anyone and everyone's ideas. A ThinHaus is actually the collection of the tiny house world’s best ideas. When we see something everyone likes, we add it ... and, of course, we eliminate things no one wants. Our genius is perhaps finding ways to do difficult things and the recognition that we don’t know it all ... but you do.

Also, being flexible helps. What’s great for some may not be so great for others and we try to make a home that can accommodate anyone and everyone. A ThinHaus adapts to you and your needs. You can add solar and go off-grid if you like. You can travel with it if you like. You can add pieces to it and make it more of a ranch if you like. It works in cold places, hot places, mountainous places, forests, and beaches.

One size can be easily adjusted to fit all.

Take a look at ThinHaus with transparent walls to see what we mean ...



The plan was to build a great house for less ... and we think we’re there!


For more data and building details concerning the ThinHaus Model A2410~Onyx,

email to: engineering@thinhaus.com and we’ll share the specifications and

techniques that we use to build our industry-leading ThinHaus.

Best,

Jay, Founder of Thinhaus

____



Don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you don’t miss the next entry as we see what’s in store for ThinHaus.

Cheers!

- Tinyhouse.com



Did you enjoy this post and find value in it? Share it with your friends with the links below!

Need more info? Get

By submitting your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms

Subscribe to get the latest news

This is a new way to communicate faster than any communication platforms

Thank you!
Your submission has been received! Check your inbox for an email from info@tinyhouse.com with more info!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. Please try again or email us at support@tinyhouse.com. Thanks!
Want all the latest tiny house inspo and news?

Get free resources, updates, tips & tricks, and special offers by joining the Tiny House Plan Newsletter.

No items found.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers — straight from the author — for the most common questions about this article.

Don't see your question here? Contact us!
No items found.

Join The Tiny House Community

Occasionally: Community Events, DIY Tips and Tricks, Tiny House Guides
Never: Junk or Spam and we don't sell or misuse your email.
Welcome to the fam! We're excited to have you join the community.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. Please try again or use the form below.