Tiny House Property Check List

For those of you interested in purchasing a property away from your city dwelling, I created a check list of items that you’ll need to print and take with you so you can thoroughly evaluate any property you are looking at purchasing to put your tiny house on. Once printed, make sure you go over it with your spouse and see if there are any concerns they would need to have addressed prior to purchasing.

Questions:

• Can I pay for this property with cash?
  If you are interested in a piece of property that checks all your boxes except the price, contact the seller and offer to give them cash in hand for what you are willing to pay for it. Don’t low ball anyone, be generous but don’t be afraid to knock a few hundred off the total.
• Is this property raw land or land that someone abandoned but did some work on?
  If you purchase raw land, you will be responsible for all the utilities being placed which adds to the end cost. If someone abandoned it, you will be responsible for clean up and any missing utilities.
• Does the property have adequate natural tree coverage surrounding the property to keep your domicile from view?
  If the bad guys can see it, they can wait until you aren’t there and steal whatever you have on the property.
• Is there adequate water supply already on the property or will you be able to gather water once your tiny house is established?
  Whether you like it or not, you will need to have a water source from a well, pond or some other supply that isn’t preferably city water.
• Is there a diverse population of animals on the property?
  Have previous owners seen deer, rabbit, squirrel, wild turkeys, etc. that will allow you to hunt food on your property in difficult times?
• Is the property in a high and dry location?
  Due to some areas struggling with flooding, you will need to assess the site for problem areas and what it’s zoned as. You don’t want the added cost of having multiple truckloads of dirt hauled in. If you see huge puddles of water on the property, you will need to fill them in or properly set them up as mini ponds that are treated to prevent mosquito growth.
• Is the size of the property adequate for your family’s size and their ability to grow?
  Ideally, you want to choose a piece of woodland property that is big enough to sustain your children once you are gone. Think a generation or two down the road before purchasing.
• Is the property backed up next to a national forest or wildlife refuge?
  These areas are rarely if ever zoned right next to a strip mall or near a new construction site for cookie cutter homes. You want less city neighbors, not more.
• Is the property on the grid?
  While your goal may be to get off the grid, it’s ideal to set up a location that’s easiest for your wife and children to transition over to. As you invest time into the property and save up the money, you can purchase items that let you detach yourselves from the grid.
• Is the property zoned for what you need?
  If the property you are looking at is zoned as an HOA, this is not a viable option, and you need to move on. You are ideally looking for something zoned rural or agricultural.
• Is the property remote but still within a 30-45 minutes’ drive to get medical care or supplies?
  If the country is still pleasantly chugging along, you still want to be able to get to stores when you need to restock items or be close enough that FedEx or UPS can deliver.
• Is the property you are looking at in a sub-tropical climate?
  There are a few states in the lower southeastern areas that have milder winters, abundant water sources and plenty of sunshine. I’m partial to Florida myself. 🙂
• What natural disasters effect the area your property resides in?
  If there is yearly floods or fires, you’ll need to take that into consideration and determine how you will mitigate those situations before you face them.
• Does getting to the property take less than 8 hours time?
  Ideally, you want to have a short trek to your property and it should be away from any large cities and highways.
• How many neighbors are in your area?
  Not only do you need to know your neighbors, but you want to ascertain why they moved to the country. Did they move into the boonies because they wanted to own pretty horsies or did they move because they are into preparedness too?
• How many entrances/exits are there for the property?
  You want to be able to control who comes in and leaves out your property, so if it doesn’t have a secondary exit, consider that you might have to pay to have one installed.
• What is the layout of the property?
  Determine not only where your tiny house is going to be built (parked) but where you will plan to install a orchard and vegetable garden.