When Robert and Samantha Garlow moved from Buffalo, New York, to Yakima, Washington, they decided that rather than choose a standard permanent dwelling, they wanted something mobile. But not a van. Not an RV either. A small, simple, and sturdy home designed for full-time living, not a vehicle that can be lived in comfortably for short amounts of time. A tiny home, and one built with mobility in mind. They’ve also started a family, so their infant daughter also had to be taken into account.
Plus, the Garlows wanted to build it themselves. Even though they had absolutely no experience building a tiny home, let alone one that was mobile, but they did not let that stop them.
They settled on a 200-square-foot design that featured a lofted bed and kitchen on one end, with a bathroom and storage area on the other. Rather than install a bunch of modular, easily removable beds and shelving units that seemed like a pain, they opted instead for built-in counters and furniture that stays put while driving around.
The bathroom features a composting toilet, a shower, and a sink. There’s a fully functioning oven, stove top, large sink, and medium-sized fridge in the kitchen. A gear shed occupies a 24-square-foot section at the end of the home. They can even add a washer/dryer if they’d like.
Possibly the best part: The whole build cost just $30,000. Not bad. Not bad at all. It took them about 14 months to complete, and they’re so excited about the build, they’ve shared, for free, the blueprints for building your own movable tiny home on their website.
“Sometimes we make decisions based on immediate needs,” the Garlows wrote. “Sometimes we make decisions based on the future well being of ourselves and/or our families…we successfully did both when we began our tiny house journey.”
Photos: Robert and Samantha Garlow
Very cool
Wow. This looks great.
Awesome!!!
Super Nice! Very well executed!
Love it! I want one too.
Tiny Homes are a rad idea- and this one is really nice. The big bummer in them is that it’s often really hard to find a place to live in one. Unless you own property with Electric, sewer and water of course. The unfortunate reality of tiny homes is that many of them end up parked in grungy mobile home parks. Some cities are easing restrictions on them as a way of increasing housing stock, but we have a long way to go.
but that totally destroys my daydream as I begin another work week! I see this perched up high with a beautiful expansive view! 🙂
Really nice. What are the kind of restrictions on parking/camping something like this?