The Process of Going Tiny - Are You Ready to Spring into a Teacup Tiny Home?
May 17, 2022
Spring.
-To move suddenly from a constrained position.
-To rise from cover.
-To bring about the escape or release of someone or something.
-To arise suddenly.
-To appear.
The word has many definitions, but they all suggest forward momentum toward something better. There is a connotation of freedom embedded within the word, and here at Teacup, we can’t hear the word ‘Spring’ without thinking of how its definitions relate to a tiny!
If you haven’t yet set foot in one, you should know this: a tiny house is its own world. The rules you’re used to abiding by don’t exist in a tiny as they do in everyday life. And while that takes some getting used to, the rewards are great.
We all need a refresh, now and again, that something to help us break free from the monotony of daily living, and this is where a Teacup tiny cottage truly shines. But how exactly do you go about bringing a tiny cottage into your life? What is the process, and what decisions need to be made?
Well, never fear, because today, we will go over the entire process with you. Our team at Teacup wants to facilitate your journey to freedom with as much grace and ease as possible. The more you know, the more empowered you’ll be along the way. So, let’s get to it!
The first step to bringing a tiny cottage into your life is educating yourself on the process- just like you’re doing by reading our blog! Oh, and while we are on the subject, make sure you subscribe to our mailing list so you don’t miss a post! But anyway, back to the process!
Buying a tiny is sort of like buying a house, but as it’s technically considered personal property and not real estate, there are a few key differences. The more time you spend learning about the tiny house movement beforehand, the better prepared you’ll be! In addition to following our blog, we recommend using YouTube and Instagram as resources!
So once you’ve educated yourself, then what? Well, now comes the fun part! This next step is most peoples’ favorite: you get to play around with our online quote builder tool! Here at Teacup, we offer seven models: The Margo, The Summer Night’s Dream, The Safe Haven, The Piper, The UMI, The RUBY, and The Tagish. Also worth mentioning are our 3 season models: The Summer's Night Dream 3 or The Ruby 3
The models come with a standard base, but each has customization options to allow you to build a house that speaks to your spirit! Are you curious about the pieces you get to play with? There are so many! Once you choose your model, you can play around with everything from your heating and cooling options, to your exterior siding choices! In case you were curious, here is a complete list of all the pieces you can to customize!
Fuel options
Heating and cooling methods
Plumbing and toilet choices
Bathroom layout from (there's 3 to choose!)
Shower or tub? (The latter is a 60” fibreglass beauty!)
Kitchen and laundry appliances
Paint and floor colours?
Stairs or ladders?
Countertops and custom cabinets
Windows and skylights
Siding and roofing materials. (Wood, board and batten, or shingles, oh my!)
Additional storage options
Whew! The customization step is enough to keep you busy for a while, but once you’ve decided on a general direction, it’s time to get financing in place!
Because a tiny cottage is considered personal property (usually, at this stage in the game anyway), you can’t necessarily go get a traditional home mortgage. Don’t worry, though! There are still plenty of options for people looking to finance a tiny cottage and our team has a few of their numbers waiting for you. Here are just a few you might consider:
-Personal loans (private or hard money)
-RV loans
-Home equity lines of credit
We wrote a blog post about financing a while back, so if you’d like to learn more, you can check that out here! Make sure you also take our 5-question financing assessment to better understand your qualification.
Alright! Dun-dun-dahhhhh! Are you ready? Once your design is chosen, and financing is in place, it’s time to book a Discovery Call!
What’s a Discovery Call? We’re glad you asked! A Discovery Call is a chance to sit down with a member of our team and ask all of your questions! We want you to feel confident in choosing Teacup, so ask away! Oh, and we’ll have some questions for you too!
Here at Teacup, we don’t just randomly want to sell you a very small house- we want to create the tiny haven that’s perfect for you! This is why the Discovery Call is a getting-to-know each other process. In addition to answering your questions, we want to hear about your life and your goals for the future. This is because the better we know you, the better you can leverage our build experience for your benefit.
So what happens once we are all on the same page? Well, you just say the word, and we’ll put your build into production! Oh, and don’t worry, you’ll be a part of this entire process. Our team at Teacup is a huge fan of communication. This is why we give you exclusive access to the "Teacup Academy," a training portal designed to teach you all about your tiny and how to use it, and we give you insider access to your build through our online project management tool. With these 2 platforms, we send you regular pictures, videos, and updates about your tiny, all along the way!
After that, your tiny baby goes home with you! OK, so we know it’s not a real baby, but the day we turn over a tiny cottage to a new owner is always an emotional one! Believe us when we tell you that our team feels this moment with you. As any tiny cottage owner will tell you, this is a different sort of purchase. It’s not something you buy to numb or distract you; it’s something you buy in pursuit of springing ahead into your most authentic and free life.
So with that, happy Spring, everyone! We wish you all the best during this season of rebirth. May your life be filled with more peace and vibrancy than ever before. Oh, and when you’re ready, your Teacup is waiting.
Until next time,
-Jen
