DEL MAR, Calif. — Small homes are big business these days, and your chance to see them in all shapes and sizes is this weekend in Del Mar at TinyFest. CBS 8’s Brian White went to the fairgrounds for a preview of the tiny homes on display as well as their price tags.
TinyFest
“The housing movement is welcoming the tiny home movement because we’re putting them in backyards as accessory dwelling units,” said TinyFest organizer Lindsay Wood, a.k.a. the Tiny Home Lady. “We’re doing all kinds of things to make things affordable and attainable.”
With housing prices soaring in San Diego County, people are giving tiny homes a serious look.
Cost
“Price is an interesting thing,” said Wood. “How much is a tiny home? It’s like saying, ‘How much is a car?’ There’s all kinds of cars out there.”
A 120-square foot Backyard Studio model by Azure Printed Homes is priced at $24,900, and the outer shell is constructed by a 3D printer.
“This house is made with recycled plastic bottles if you can believe that,” said TinyFest CEO and founder, Renee Seevers, as she stood in front of the 3D printed home. “There are 100,000 recycled plastic bottles in this structure alone.”
The least expensive one-bedroom at the festival is the Bay Cottage model from Pacifica Tiny Homes with a price tag of $47,500.
“A lot of people may not have $47,500 sitting around, but they can get financing for 25 years,” said Wood. “That gets the price point per month down to the $300 to $500 range.”
For more high-end living, a new 400-square-foot Mount Cerro Max model from Central Coast Tiny Homes rings in at $195,000, or with fully loaded upgrades at $210,000.
“It’s one-bedroom you can see, it’s got a private, separate bedroom. And our great room is over 9-feet wide and over 23-feet wide unobstructed,” said Joe Pollon, founder of Central Coast Tiny Homes, as he gave CBS 8 a tour inside. “We have a 32-inch by 42-inch shower, and a 36-inch vanity.”
The unique feature about the Mount Cerro Max is that it has a patented expandable design, the first of its kind at TinyFest.
“This is 18-feet wide now, but when we’re closed up for travel, this is 10-feet wide,” said Pollon while standing outside the unit by the trailer hitch.
For San Diego-based Clever Tiny Homes, business has been booming over the past year as they’ve been shipping tiny homes all over the country. Their 221-square-foot backyard studio with a built-in murphy bed costs $64,995, and their newly unveiled one-bedroom will cost you $119,995. It has 385-square-feet of modern living space with a 55-square-foot deck.
“Our concept for tiny homes is you get a really nice quality, high-end house. Everything about this is premium, but it’s at a much more affordable price point,” said Jonathan Palley, founder of Clever Tiny Homes. “You’re living in something that feels great, that’s going to last generations. You’re not sacrificing in terms of the quality of your living, but it also doesn’t cost a million dollars.”
TinyFest runs Saturday and Sunday with an expected attendance of about 8,000 to 10,000 tiny home enthusiasts. Tickets are $20 and children 15 years or younger are free. Parking at the fairgrounds will run you $20 per car.
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