Try a Tiny House Vacation

Tiny houses might be the next mini-trend in vacation lodgings. You’ve likely seen the really small dwellings on HGTV’s show, “Tiny Houses, Big Living.” Now, you can rent these mini-dwellings for your holiday.

On the television show, typically, a couple, enamored with the idea of paying little for a house so they can live large and travel, purchases a place that ranges from 150 to 300 square feet. The show always closes with the twosome deliriously happy at their life-enhancing decision of moving into what basically is a walk-in closet.

But what is staying in one really like? It could be fun; after all, for those who love camping, a tiny house provides more room than a two-person tent plus such creature comforts as indoor plumbing, a kitchen and a leak-proof roof.

HomeAway, the vacation rental site, organizes its tiny homes into a special listing. Among the places you squeeze into are a pod in Winchester, England, a mountain cabin in Jackson Hole, WY, and a cottage in Savannah, GA. Tiny House Vacations, a site devoted to these small lodgings, offers a house truck in New Zealand and a cottage in Northport, AL.

Mt. Hood Village Resort, a recreational vehicle park, in Welches, OR, an hour from Portland, debuts its Tiny House Village Memorial Day weekend. The park, which features a playground, game room and an indoor swimming pool, already offers yurts, cabins, and cottages for rent as well as RV spaces.

“Mt. Hood Village anticipates that the tiny houses will be of particular interest to adventurous millennials looking to explore the Pacific Northwest,” says spokesperson Jennifer Ludovice. “With each home having a unique personality, from the girly Savannah to the rustic Lincoln, travelers are sure to find a home that fits their style.”

The village opens with five tiny dwellings, ranging from 175 to 261 square feet. All feature bathrooms, kitchens with two-burner stoves, as well as lofts with what the website calls “queen beds.” While difficult to decipher from the website, based on the television show and the low slope of the ceiling, the “beds” are probably mattresses without frames.

Savannah, the smallest lodging at 175 square feet, has bright yellow siding, red shutters, a loft with a queen mattress, plus a floor-level twin bed. Also sleeping three are Atticus, at 178 square feet, and Zoe, at 196 square-feet. Scarlett, at 233 square feet, features two queen beds in the loft and a twin on the first floor. The largest tiny house, Lincoln, is 261 square feet and offers a floor-level double bed and a loft with a queen mattress and a twin mattress. Rates start at $129 per night.

What happens if you fall in love with your tiny house? While you can’t take the one you sampled home with you, you can purchase one just like it or the others from the builder, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Would you ever consider renting a tiny house for vacation? What about living in one permanently? Share your comments with me on Twitter, @familyitrips!

Photos courtesy of Mt. Hood Village Resort.