Texas-size equates to ginormous. Those same gargantuan dimensions invariably affect the state's real estate. So as fans of tiny houses, imagine our surprise at finding a 288-square-foot pad nestled in Houston, TX, on the market for $110,000.
Just as surprised? Listing agent Cory McDonald. After all, Houston recently made the realtor.com list of top cities with the largest homes.
"My listing is one of the first of its kind in Houston," he says. "As yet, I haven't come across a tiny home here." McDonald has noticed a company that teaches DIYers how to build RV-style houses on wheels, and believes the tiny-home movement in the Houston area is "just starting to trend."
The buzz should be big on this tiny home. Builder Conrad Tips, who runs a Husbands for Hire contracting service, built the elevated home from the ground up. It's his first go at a tiny home, according to the agent.
The property is still under construction and scheduled to be finished in mid-January. The photos already show a clever space-saving and environmentally friendly design.
The one-bedroom, one-bathroom home will include a built-in queen-size bed that folds into a couch for a flexible living space. But the deck, which wraps the building, may be the tiny home's biggest selling point.
"The deck is four times the size of the house," McDonald says. The outdoor space offers tree-filled views in a neighborhood about a block from the water.
Architectural details include reclaimed oak flooring and doors, crown moldings, a 4-inch thick concrete kitchen countertop, and slate tile in the bath.
The home's sloped ceiling allows for loft storage as well as huge windows to let in natural light. Energy-efficient heating and cooling keep costs low and the temperature comfortable.
Outside, the builder added stylish copper gutters, a tile roof, and hand-crafted bars on the window for an artistic touch to home security.
The ground-level area provides room for covered laundry, parking, and more storage.
"With more people looking to downsize, yet live near the hub of the Houston scene, I started searching for properties that were a bit of an oasis within or near the city, yet affordable and appealing to recycling visionaries," Tips explains in an email.
The real estate is located in Bayou Estates, an older area in need of a boost. McDonald says Tips is "trying to rejuvenate the neighborhood."
In fact, Tips already has his next project in mind: a home crafted from shipping containers. Eventually, he'd like to expand to a community of tiny houses -- which we guess would make this small-space living totally Texas-size.