Below you will find MY TINY HOUSE MATERIALS, including my favorite appliances and space savers. I have used each and every one of these items, and I’ve been satisfied with the functionality. That being said, there are many options out there. Use this list as a guide, and purchase the materials that work for your specific Tiny House design, lifestyle, and climate. If you’re interested in the total cost to build, click here for an itemized breakdown of my Tiny House budget
PLANS AND TRAILER
My house was built on a 20-foot Tumbleweed Utility Trailer using Tumbleweed Cypress Overlook Plans. The plans included a detailed breakdown of basic construction Tiny House materials, such as structural lumber, sheathing, etc. I customized my plans, extending the dormers and changing the interior. For more information on the build plans and trailer I used, click on the links above.
TINY HOUSE MATERIALS – THE BASICS
- Framing – 2X4s
- Jeldwen Vinyl Windows – 14 double pane, tempered, low-e windows. All custom sizes
- Front Door
- Roofing – Onduvilla 3D Shingles
- Roofing underlayment – Grace ice & water shield. Used approx. 1.5 rolls, and the rest behind the shower walls.
- Siding – Reclaimed from barn
- Insulation – R-tech Rigid Foam & Great Stuff
- House wrap – Tyvek
- Screws with Star Drive Head
KITCHEN
- Refrigerator: This small 3-way Dometic fridge can run off of propane, AC or DC. Great off-grid option.
- Stovetop: 3-burner, uses propane.
- Oven: Solar oven (used outdoors)
- Coffee Maker. No electricity, great space saver.
- Toaster: Stove top option. Requires no electricity.
- Sink: Yosemite Magnus2020 20″ x 20″ x 8″. I don’t think it’s available anymore, let me know if you find it!
- Countertops – Alligator Juniper wood slabs (hollowed out to conserve weight)
Click Here to Watch Me Cook in my Tiny House Kitchen
BATHROOM
- Bathtub: Lyons 24 X 32″ tub, discontinued but they have other sizes.
- Compost Toilet: Nature’s Head. Receive $25 off by purchasing through this link. Read my review.
- Low-flow shower head
- Wall Mounted Towel Rod. Great space saver.
- Wall Mounted Mirror. Great Space saver.
- DIY Curtain Rod
- Corrugated Metal Roofing/Sheets for Wall Panels
- Whisper-quiet Panasonic shower fan – This is not the same model as the one I have, but very similar.
BEDROOM
- Foam Mattress – Great for the loft. Breathable. I have the 5″ version which is no longer available.
- Loft Skylight – opens completely for emergency exit
- USB LED lights – great space saver & bedtime reading light
LIVING ROOM
- Ottomans – two fit perfectly in my nook
- Futon Mattress – fits perfectly in nook & folds out to create downstairs bed (Click here for a tutorial on my DIY futon bed)
- Living Room Skylight – Opens to vent
- DIY Fold-down table / Chalkboard – tutorial coming soon
- Wall panels – V-groove pine
- Snowboard ceiling rack
- Uke wall mounts
TINY HOUSE ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
- Projector
- Projection Screen – 100 inches
- Amazon Fire Stick – plugs directly into the back of the projector
- Bluetooth speaker – connects wirelessly to the Amazon Fire
PLUMBING
- Propane Water Heater – Precision Temp RV-550 NSP. Use code “giant” at check out to receive $$$ off! Read my review.
- 12-volt converter
- Water pump
- Water Inlet with brass fittings
- Freshwater hose
- Heater water hose – replaces freshwater hose during winter
- Water filter
- Pressure Regulator
- Freshwater tank – various sizes. I use a 46 gallon. It fits under my kitchen counter
- Grey water tank – various sizes. I use a 15 gallon for portability.
- Sewer hose
- Compost Toilet – Read my review here and receive $$$ off with my links.
PROPANE
- 2 x 20 lb Propane Tanks
- Propane Gauge
- Propane auto changeover regulator – there are many options
- 2x Pigtail
- Propane dual lock
- Propane Tank Heat Blanket – For extremely cold climates. This also helps your system be more efficient. I have an expensive version, but here is a cheaper one.
CLIMATE CONTROL
- Kimberly Wood Stove
- Envi Wall Mounted Electric Heater
- Dehumidifier – necessary for high moisture climates
TINY HOUSE SPACE SAVERS
- Wooden Magnetic Knife Holder
- Roll-Up Dish Drying Rack
- Magnetic Spice Rack & Jars
- Magnetic Bottle Opener
- Snowboard ceiling rack – It’s actually made for a surfboard, but I use it for my snowboard. Can hold two!
- Uke wall mounts – Or wall mounts for any instrument!
- Wall Mounted Towel Rack
- Wall Mounted bathroom mirror
- USB Outlets – I have these all over my house. No need for a bulky adaptor to charge my devices.
- USB LED lights – great for a little extra light
TOW KIT
- Weight Distribution System – Necessary for towing with heavy tongue!
- Levelers
- Tuff Pads
- Trailer Jack
- Trailer Lock – for security
- RV GPS – to avoid low overpasses. I use the Rand McNally, but it’s pricey.
SOLAR SYSTEM
- 1250 Solar Generator from Goal Zero
- 2 x Boulder 90 watt Solar Panels
- 2 x Renogy 100 watt Solar Panels
- 30 ft extension cable
- Portable solar charging kit – for charging phones and small lights on camping trips
OUTDOOR / OFF-GRID TINY HOUSE MATERIALS
- Solar String Lights – Holiday decor and regular mood lighting
- Hammock Tree Tent
- GoSun Sport Solar Oven – Get 10% off when using the code “TinyHouseGiantJourney”
- Compact camp stove – Biolite uses wood for heat and charges my devices
CLEANING ITEMS
- Vaccum. Great for dog hair!
- Norwex Cleaning Cloths – Eco-Friendly & Reuseable
- Scrubba Portable Laundry System Bag
- Dr. Bronners. I use it for everything. Read more on products to green your greywater.
TINY HOUSE BOOKS I LOVE
Tiny House Decisions by expert Tiny Houser, Ethan Waldman, discusses the real challenges you face when going tiny. There are many decisions to be made, some big and some small. This book is a great guide for getting you over the hump and working towards your Tiny House dream. The book can be purchased solo or as a package with video tours and interviews. Click here for more info.
Other inspirational Tiny House books:
GET HELP WITH YOUR BUILD
The best construction guide on the market, in my opinion, is Tiny House Builder’s Tiny House Design & Construction Guide. You can purchase it as a stand-alone book, or with a video tutorial package (recommended).
TINY HOUSE SYSTEMS EXPLAINED
- Heating My Tiny Home
- 10 Items that Help me Survive Winter in a Tiny House
- The Perfect Tiny House Toilet
- My Water Heater: Why I Love It
- Tiny House Plumbing
- 10 Biodegradable Products for Green Greywater
- 10 Steps for Tiny House Parking & Set Up
- How to change a tire on a Tiny House
- How to weigh a Tiny House
- 5 Tips for Tiny House Travel
- 8 off-grid appliances I can’t live without
DIY TINY HOUSE TUTORIALS
- Reclaimed Crate Storage Staircase
- Copper Pipe Lamp
- Copper Pipe Curtain Rods
- Create a DIY Futon for a Downstairs Bed Option
- Ideas for Multi-Purpose Tiny House Furniture
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.
Hi guys,
Love your project! You’ve created a fantastic body of resources throughout your travels. Thanks for the time you put into this website.
I was just wondering if you could provide some feedback on your Kimberly stove now that you’ve lived with it for a while. We are considering one for our tiny, but want to hear from others who have used it before we spend $4k on it. Is it as great as it sounds? Would you buy it again if you had the chance or would you look more into other options? Thanks for your time!
Author
Glad you like our project!
We’ve always considered other options when looking at wood stoves. There are many out there that are pretty nifty! But the Kimberly seems to have the most “tiny house friendly” features. Truth be told, it hasn’t been cold enough for long enough for us to do a full review. It’s been cold yes, and the stove has performed flawlessly. We have no doubt it will get us through this winter in Colorado. But for a full review from us, you might have to wait…
I can tell you that if keeping your house warm while being off-grid is important to you, and it gets significantly cold where you are, the Kimberly might be your best option.
Thanks!
You talk about which model you chose but what about the layout options? Which one did you go with? What did you do with the extra materials you received in the Tumbleweed package, since you used reclaimed materials like the crates?
Author
Hello Torri. The plans we purchased are for a Tumbleweed Cypress 20 Overlook, but our interior layout has nothing to do with the overlook layout. Our layout is not available through plans. But don’t worry, Tumbleweed plans have no interior support wall so changing things around is really easy. Also, Tumbleweed does not send materials. You purchase plans and get a materials list. You have to go get your materials yourself. I don’t know of any tiny house company that offers materials as a package.
Hi,
Love your vidoes. Attending a workshop in L.A, this october, if everything goes right…
My question is , my budget is closet to $15 000 than 20+ I just want it functional enough to move and then I can work more on it and pour more $ into it. What do you guys think?
I will learn more about this at the workshop, I’m hoping, but that’s what I’ve figured about my budget, until now, that I have a limited amount until further notice.
Thanks for reading 😉
Author
I don’t see an issue with that. $15,000 should be plenty to allow you to buy a trailer, build a shell, put windows, make it weatherproof and insulate. And even more if you reclaim some materials. You should be ok for it to move. We moved ours from Los Angeles to Illinois when it was 70 or 80% done. Wasn’t an issue. Good luck! And going to a workshop is a great investment.
Hey again. Disregard that last comment. I now see the egress model you have listed and answered my own question. Need to be bit more observant… So I’ll likely order that one. Thanks!
Author
Haha, no worries. Glad we could help!
Hey guys! Does the sky light you list have the capability to fully open? I remember seeing a picture of Jenna standing through the sleeping loft and am curious if both your skylights are the same or if they’re different. I’m on the framing of my house and want a skylight over my sleeping loft and one that fully opens (similar to an egress). I try to use your Amazon link when possible so if this listed skylight fully opens I’ll probably order it. Thanks!
Hi, in your videos I see what appears to be blatant product placement and company logos on title overlays (e.g. Onduvilla titling on the roofing time lapse). Were you able to get any kind of discounts from manufacturers or perhaps purchase wholesale from them in exchange for product placement? We’d like to do a similar thing to you guys with our build and thought it would be a good opportunity for manufacturers to get some essentially free advertising; after all if they to us wholesale or Lowe’s they make the same money right?
Author
Well, it turns out that it’s not as simple as that. I think Onduvilla is the only one we actually made a video for, though we are still due for a couple other products we use. We’ve had a pretty good and long relationship with Onduvilla and they’ve worked hard cross-promoting our project while we were promoting their product. Thankfully, we believe in their roofing so it’s easy!
You have to make sure you have something to give back to a manufacturer if they decide to help you out, whether it being with discounts or free products, it’s only fair. Building a large targeting following is critical.
The easiest way to get started is to create a charming project and work super hard for it be successful. Then you pick up the phone and start calling people. Get ready for lots of “no’s” before you get a “yes”. But it does happen, you can see it on our sponsor page. We’re super thankful and honored to see that those companies saw some value in our project, both in return or just in its concept!