Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions

Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome back to the blog! Our Team at Teacup is happy to talk with you once again. 

Every post you read brings you one step closer to manifesting your tiny house dreams. And we send you a virtual high-five for showing up! 

Whether you want to buy a tiny home for use as a rental or join the tiny home movement as a practitioner of the lifestyle, you are bound to have questions. And today, we'll be answering them! Our team at Teacup wants to put your anxieties to rest so you can put your tiny house plans in motion.  

And so, without further ado, here are the answers to your most frequently asked questions!

Do you ship to the USA?

Yes.

See? This is going to be easy.

How big is a tiny home?

A tiny home is a new type of structure, and at present, there is no official definition. Some say ‘400 square feet or less,' but we find that '500 square feet or less' better represents what we provide for our clients.

Tiny Home vs. RV: what's the difference?

This question has a practical answer and a technical answer. The practical answer is that tiny homes are totally different from RVs.

Now for the technical answer.

RV stands for Recreational Vehicle, and while we love them, RVs are intended for short-term travel. This means they are built using lightweight materials and are intended for temporary shelter at best.

Tiny homes, on the other hand, are built to support full-time living- whether you choose to take advantage of that or not. 

Unlike RVs, tiny homes have insulation on par with or exceeding that of traditional homes. Tiny homes also use more durable materials than RVs, like, for instance, glass windows, real doors, and higher-grade finishes.

But if tiny homes are built to a higher quality, why would we get ours RVIA certified as legal RVs?

The short answer is to lessen the headache and make the paperwork easier for you. 

'Tiny house' is a relatively new term, and change takes time. For now, it will be easier to register your super-awesome Teacup "RV" than to explain to a government official what a tiny home is.

What type of truck do I need?

A ¾ ton pickup truck will move your tiny house, but you'll want a one-ton for longer distances.

Please don't overthink this one, though. Most tiny home dwellers don't move their own houses, and there are plenty of professional transportation services out there.

The bottom line is this: if you decide to buy a Teacup tiny home, we will help you get it where you need it to go. Yes, even if you decide to move in the future. When you're with us, you're with us for life.

How do utilities work in a tiny home?

Tiny home utilities are actually pretty simple!

Water will come to your house via a hose. It will be the exact dimensions of a garden house- but don't get one of those. You'll want a potable water hose intended for drinking water.

Electricity is also simple. You've plugged in a lamp, right? A tiny home works the same way; it just requires a thicker cable with a bigger plug.

Ready to hear about sewer? 

If you have a composting toilet, you may not need sewer. But it's still good to know how the system works.

If you look at the back of a Teacup tiny home, there will be two four-inch pipe openings. One is where black water (toilet water) comes out, and the other is for greywater (sink and shower water).

All you have to do is buy two sewer hoses from an RV supply store and use them to connect your house to the sewer tap. Just twist each hose onto your house until it clicks, and then do the same thing on the other side. You may also want to invest in a Y-Valve to feed both hoses into a single sewer tap.

Oh, and if you have a composting toilet, this process is even easier. Just ignore the black water pipe, and use one hose!

Where can I put a tiny home?

Ah, yes. We get this question a lot. And answering this question will begin with the type of tiny house you have.

Here at Teacup, we build tiny houses on wheels and park model homes.

Our tiny houses on wheels are RVIA certified, so you'll abide by RV laws. RV communities are usually your most plug-and-play option if you plan to live in your tiny house full-time.

With our park model homes you'll want to check your local planning department to see which areas are zoned for these structures.

Pro Tip: Don't use the words "tiny house" when talking to the city. It's still too new of a term. Saying 'RV travel trailer' or 'park model' is likely to get you further.

How do I find a parking space?

Now that you know which words to use when discussing things with your municipality, how do you find a specific spot?

We find that flyers go a long way and that Facebook groups are some of the best sources of leads. Community pages and garden-enthusiast forums are also good bets.

Don't try to find the perfect parking spot before you build your house, though. It might sound counterintuitive, but if you were to find your dream tiny house parking spot, you'd likely have to start paying rent immediately to secure it.

For that reason, we encourage you to do enough research to know what you're getting into but wait to nail anything down until your tiny house build is underway.

I'm not ready for a tiny home yet; what can I do to prepare in the meantime?

Look at you, planning ahead! We like your style.

Even if you don't plan to go tiny for a few more years, there are still ways to be proactive. Here is a list to get you started:

• Continue learning about tiny homes. (Here are links to our blog and Instagram!)
• Take our financing quiz

• Improve your credit 
• Improve your debt-to-income ratio
• Use our estimate builder tool to design your Teacup

I want to go tiny now, but I'm nervous, and I keep going around in circles! Help!

The houses might be small, but going tiny is a big decision. So feeling some anxiety is normal.

If you have concerns about the lifestyle, it's a good idea to talk to other people already living it. And Instagram is an excellent source for meeting them!

Financing is another place people often get stuck. Our financing quiz is a good place to start, but if it reveals you aren't quite ready to borrow, just read this post: How to Get Yourself in a Better Position to Borrow.

Still, have questions? That's why we're here. Shireen is our on-staff expert listener. Seriously, there is no better person with whom to discuss your situation. So just book a Discovery Call and she’ll help you talk through the pieces.

Like we said at the beginning, every step you take gets you closer to manifesting your tiny home dreams.

So what's the next step for you? And how can we help?

Hope to hear from you soon.

-Jen