Things To Do When Delivery Day Comes!

Picture this.

Future-you is standing at the edge of the driveway. Behind you is the spot you’ve chosen to park your Teacup tiny cottage. You’ve been waiting for this day for months- actually, it’s more like years. And today is the culmination of every moment spent dreaming, planning, and ultimately doing because you are a person who took charge of your life.

In the distance, your Teacup tiny home rounds the corner. The pitched roof points stoically at the sky, and the feature window you requested for your reading nook glints in the sun. We might have built the house, but this dream was all you.

The rest of your life starts in 3… 2… 1.

~

True story: we can never hold it together on delivery day. 

We live for the videos customers send us of the moment they step inside their Teacup for the first time. There is nothing like seeing someone realize a deeply held dream. It’s a moment of transformation that is totally unmatched, and yes, we cry watching your Teacup arrival videos every time. (make sure you share them with us, K?)

Delivery day is so meaningful, but it’s also busy! After the driver parks your tiny cottage, you’re sure to have lots of questions! Here at Teacup, we try to be as straightforward with you as possible, so today, we’ll be answering your delivery day questions!

Are you ready? Let’s do this!

Do I tip the driver, and if so, how much? 

This one is up to you, so don’t overthink it. Towing a tiny home or cottage is a lot of work, but drivers don’t rely on tips to survive, so it’s definitely a bonus. Sometimes people tip based on a percentage of the delivery fee, and other times they just give the driver a flat $20-$50 for lunch. Only tip what fits with your budget and feels good in your gut. And remember that sparkling water or some cookies for the road can show appreciation too!

What if I need help with setting everything up?

If you keep reading, you’ll find that getting your Teacup up and running is actually pretty simple. But if the process still feels daunting, there are people you can call.

For onsite help, we recommend that you call a mobile RV service technician. Keep in mind that mobile RV service technicians are usually very busy, so if you’d like their assistance, it’s best to schedule in advance.   

How do I level my Teacup? 

Unless you’re parked on a concrete pad, chances are, you’ll need to level your Teacup when it arrives. And even if you are parked on perfectly flat ground, it’s still recommended that you jack up the corners of your tiny cottage for increased support and stability.

We know it sounds like a big job to jack up a house, but while the first time is nerve-wracking, we promise it’s not complicated. Bottle jacks can be purchased at your local hardware store and take very little strength to operate. Just buy two (rated for the appropriate weight) and go slowly. Place cinder blocks or wood supports under the corners of the frame and adjust until everything is level. A single human can YouTube University their way through this, and we promise you don’t need biceps the size of coconuts. If you do yoga on occasion, you’ll be just fine. It’s 98% mental.

How do I connect the water?

You will want to purchase a potable (potable!) water hose in advance of your Teacup’s arrival. Camco makes a great one if you live in a mild climate. However, if it’s going to get cold where you are, you’ll want to figure out a way to keep your hose from freezing. You can buy a heated hose or DIY your own by wrapping your mild-climate hose in heat tape and shrouding the whole thing in a piece of PVC pipe. 

As far as hooking it up, it’s the same as a garden hose. Just screw one side into your house and the other side into your water source! 

How do I hook up the electricity?

If you’ve ever plugged in a lamp, you’ll be just fine. It’s exactly the same, except it’s a bigger plug. Oh, and after you plug in your house, there will be a little ring to screw the connection into place. That will make sense when you’re looking at it!

How do I hook up the Separett compost toilet?

It’s already installed! But before you use it, do these three things:

>Line the bucket part with a biodegradable bag. (To our American friends, buying these at Costco will save you a TON of money. Size: Tall Kitchen.)

>Plug the toilet into an outlet and select a fan speed using the button on the top of the toilet

>Make sure your greywater is hooked up before you pee!

How do I connect to sewer?

On the back side of your Teacup, there will be two three-inch wastewater pipes. One is for blackwater (poo water), and one is for greywater (sink and shower water). If you are using a composting toilet, there is no blackwater in the equation (yey!) If this is the case, you can leave the cap on and ignore that pipe. (Note: if you have a traditional toilet, pee is disposed of with the blackwater; in a composting toilet situation, the pee will be separated and most likely plumbed into your greywater.)

To connect your blackwater to the sewer, you will use a black RV sewer hose (that you buy before your Teacup’s arrival). You will connect one end to the house and the other to the sewer tap. The connection is the same on both sides; you literally just twist and lock it into place! It’s that easy!

How do I hook up my greywater?

Hooking your tiny cottage up to your greywater disposal is the same as connecting to sewer. You’ll want to buy a greywater RV hose (same as the sewer hose, just a different color) and twist and lock it into place. If your greywater and blackwater are both going into the sewer, you will also want to buy a Y-valve so both hoses can empty into the same sewer tap. 

Note about alternative greywater systems: these can be very cool, but there is a lot to know about them, and they are not always legal.  Be sure to do your research and consult local experts before setting up any such system so you know you’re doing it safely.

What do I do next?! 

Order pizza! You’ve earned it. Then, email us the pictures and video you took of the delivery day so we can share the joy with you! 

Are you going to have a tiny housewarming party?! Why not? That sounds like a good time. And if you invite us, we’ll bring a mini-quiche. 

So what do you think? Can you picture your own delivery day? If you’re just starting out on your journey, we invite you to subscribe to this blog, so you can get to know us. We also have a lot of great information on our Instagram that will help you learn more.  And if you’ve been reading for a while and can’t wait to see your Teacup driving around the bend, then it’s time to book a Discovery Call.  

Thanks for reading, and we can’t wait to meet you!

-Jen

P.S.  We were featured in a blog a few months ago Everything About Tiny Living: Tips From the Experts that may help you out even more!