If you’re wondering where to begin and you’re getting lost in ideas, I’m here to give you a hand. A checklist for starting your tiny home build is exactly what the doctor ordered and I’ve got the perfect one.

4. Contractor

– Spend the time to find someone who will work with you on this build. Don’t underestimate this step. You want someone who will build to your vision. You may have unique ideas that aren’t considered the norm and you’ll need someone who can accommodate that. You want your contractor to work with your schedule also. Not someone who shows up when they want to show up (trust me, I’ve worked with all kinds).

12. Electrician and Plumber

– These two people are different from your contractor and extremely important. As you’ll find, a good contractor (framer/finisher) will work hand in hand with these two craftsman to make certain the electrical boxes are framed right and the lighting is placed where needed and that the plumber has what he needs to run the plumbing in just the right places. Again, do your due diligence to ensure these two individuals are in your corner and will work with your schedule, show up on time and have integrity in their work. Get referrals if you can and make sure they fit into your budget. Sometimes you’ll have to pay a bit more, but these two aspects of the build are essential.

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So, you’ve taken the plunge. You’ve decided to build some type of a tiny, livable, breathable space for either yourself or someone else. And, you’re building it on your property. That’s the first step, and congrats on that. Now, you may be wondering “what’s next?” Well, hooking up your tiny house and ADU plumbing to your main house may definitely be “what’s next.”

In all reality, there are many “what’s nexts” that you will be faced with through this journey. But, you’ll learn a lot and you’ll be unbelievably proud of your accomplishments.

When building a small, inhabitable space, there are many aspects to consider. Electricity, water and plumbing are generally at the top of the list. Without those, your inhabitable space quickly becomes uninhabitable. With that said, let’s talk plumbing.

This post is going to assume you are looking to hook up the plumbing of your tiny home or ADU to your main house. And, we will assume that means water and sewer.

Let’s Talk Basics…

Water coming from the shower, sinks and washer of your tiny house or ADU is considered gray water.

Water coming from your toilet that is holding pee, poop and toilet paper (gross right?) is considered black water.

The objective is to get those two types of waters out of your tiny house or ADU and out to your sewer hook up.

Simple right?

In theory, yes. But there is still some work to be done.

You will need to determine how many feet of run you will need (that’s the distance from where the water is coming out of your new and beautiful dwelling to your sewer out on your main dwelling).

Next, you need to determine how the water (gray and black combined) is going to get there. If your tiny house or ADU is on a hill in your backyard overlooking the majestic valley below, it’ll be easy. Why? Because “stuff” runs downhill and there’s no pumping that will need to take place to get it down there. 

However, (and this is definitely more of the norm), if there is no downward slope (meaning the land is flat), your waters will need a bit of help. This is where a sump pump comes into play.

What’s a Sump Pump You Might Wonder?

And are all sump pumps created equal? Nope. Not at all.

Here Comes Your Next Lesson.

IF… you are only taking grey water out of your tiny house or ADU (and this would mean that you’re using a composting toilet or you have another toilet somewhere close by that people will use), then you just need a basic sump pump.

What does THAT mean, you ask? A basic sump pump is “activated” when it begins to notice water backing up in the system. The pump kicks on and then pushes the water out of the pipe leading from the sump pump and forces the gray water out, down the pipes and out to your sewer hookup. Then “poof.” It’s gone. Fantastic, right?

So what if you don’t have a composting toilet and you have a traditional flushing toilet with water in it? That’s a bit more complicated, but the principle is exactly the same.

When dealing with lumpy, bumpy, black water, a sump pump, on it’s own, can’t push those solids through the pipes. It needs some help. So some genius somewhere along the line came up with a grinder that is at the bottom of a sump pump. It’s a wonderful thing and works like this.

When the solids build up at the bottom of the pump, the grinder kicks on and grinds the lumps down to a beautiful semi-smooth liquid that then the sump pump can kick out down the drain just like described in the other process. Again, the process is the same but with an additional step.

Now, On to The Water System

There are a couple of ways to get water into your tiny house or ADU from your main house. You can either hook up directly to your hot water heater and run the flex pipe (1/2” lines that are either red, blue or white) through your attic, down the side of your house and out to your tiny home or ADU. Or, you can run your flex pipe from the plumbing of an indoor faucet (generally a kitchen sink will work if it’s on an outside wall) out to your tiny house or ADU.

Those water lines will then be connected to a hot water system inside of your tiny house or ADU to ensure there is hot and cold water inside for showers, laundry, etc.

Another lesson, and this one is equally as important.

All lines are run underground. The plumbing lines (the black pipe) are run generally 12” underground (so get ready to dig some trenches) and the hot and cold water lines run inside of a black pipe underground. This black pipe acts as an insulation, if you will, to your two water lines.

When in doubt, ask questions from people smarter than you in the world of plumbing. Even if you hire someone to do the work, it’s important to know the basics so that you can understand the process when your plumber is doing the work. Of course, places like the Home Depots of the world can guide you. However, actual plumbing stores will offer a bit more assistance.

Again, congrats on taking on this project. You will be so proud of yourself when it’s all said and done. If you have questions, send me a message and I’ll walk you through it.

Let me know how it’s going and what process you’re using. Hooking up your Tiny House and ADU plumbing to your main house may now not be as hard as you thought.

The post Hooking Up Your Tiny House and ADU Plumbing to Your Main House appeared first on Beyond Tiny.

You may have found yourself thinking about entering the short-term rental market but have heard many others talking about how competitive it is or how there’s too many people doing it. Let’s face it. There are many people doing it. And, is the short-term rental market becoming overcrowded? 

AirBnB, VRBO and others like this have taken over the market and people are making a killing doing it. So, is there still room for you? My answer is absolutely, 100% YES!

Let’s Look at This a Bit More Closely!

Over the past couple of years, the rental market as a whole has grown substantially, as have rental prices. More people are telecommuting. More people are traveling for work and more people are simply choosing to travel and see the world in a more frequent manner. This shift in the lifestyle of the working professional and the nomad living out life’s calling is fantastic. However, it can be difficult for these travelers to find short-term housing.

As I’m sure you may know, the traditional rental blueprint is not designed for short-term renting. Landlords most always want a tenant to sign a one-year lease, whether staying in an apartment or a house. But how can one commit to a lease if their work contract is only for a few months? And what if their travel plans may only be to stay in an area for a few weeks? With this said, the need for short-term rentals continues to rise creating an opportunity for you to put some money in your pocket while meeting a need for others.

So Where can These Short-Term Travelers Lay Their Head at Night?

That’s where you come in. You may have a spare bedroom you’d like to rent or perhaps you’ve dreamed about building a tiny house that you can share with others. There are even some other cool buzz words related to rental properties that may fit your fancy from granny flats to ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) or from she sheds to the illustrious man cave. Each of these options is unique and can be filled with your personality while ensuring that the needs of the traveler are met.

But what if you spend all this money creating a space for short-term renters and no one rents from you?

With all great ideas comes risk, and the rental market is no different. However, there are many factors you can address to mitigate the risk and ensure a filled calendar.

• Property Listing – Take GREAT photos. Showcase your hard work. Make certain that the space is clean and uncluttered so people can envision themselves staying there. Talk about your space and why it is unique. Even share your story and why you decided to get into short-term rentals. Explain how it is important to you that each tenant feels comfortable and pampered. That they enjoy themselves as though they’re on a vacation even if they’re working.

• Location – No matter where you live, there is something that will interest the traveler. Perhaps you live in a mountain area, or near water or in the desert. Perhaps there are some fantastic eateries specific only to your town or amazing hiking trails. Maybe there was a film that was shot at a certain place in the city or a fantastic dog park close by for the fur babies. There is always something that will make someone interested in visiting your area, but you need to feature it when you list it.

• A comfortable bed and pillow – This is crucial. I’m sure you’ve been in a hotel only to find that the bed is uncomfortable. Or, the pillows are too hard. You want your traveler to never want to get out of bed. You want them to feel like they could sleep forever.

• A fresh scent – No one wants a space that is musty. Use a diffuser of some kind and use a scent that is welcoming and cozy. Your tenants will feel at home and appreciated.

• Window coverings – You may be wondering why I would list this as something that will set you above your competition. Trust me, it will. As a landlord, you’ll have many types of travelers. Most people love natural light and lots of windows. This is great but for the traveler that may need to sleep during the day, windows can be problematic if not addressed properly. Make certain to have black out blinds in your space so your daytime sleeper can get some good rest. Even have a sound machine available to block out the outside noises.

• Amenities – Amenities will set you above your competition. Of course, you’ll want a fully stocked full bathroom and kitchen, but if you can also offer a washer/dryer (and there are many options that won’t break the bank that will fit in small spaces), an outside seating area and/or deck, a bbq for those summer nights and even (if the budget allows) a jacuzzi and/or sauna, you will have just guaranteed yourself a full calendar. Chinsing on a few hundred dollars could lose you thousands in the long run.

• Be available – If you’ve done your due diligence in setting up your property correctly, most tenants won’t be calling you. However, when the wifi password doesn’t work (because they entered the password incorrectly) or they can’t remember how to lock the French doors (you get the picture), be available to them. Be quick to respond to their needs. Your property reviews will be amazing. You will have repeat tenants and yes, your calendar will remain full.

The overall objective is to determine what’s right for you as the new shining star in “landlordism.” Then, jump in. Seize the opportunity and be a solution to the rising need of short-term rentals. There is and will always be a need for these spaces.

Are you looking to get into the short-term rental space? Have you decided what type of a dwelling you’d like to build? Or, are you planning on renting out a room in your house?

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