This is it!
Your Pinterest boards are full, you're all caught up on the latest Youtube Tiny House vlogger, and you've been browsing tiny house 'eye candy' on Instagram for months now. You have thought about it and finally made the decision to move forward on your big dreams of a tiny home! But where do you begin? What's the process? Who do you talk to first? Where can you find pricing? So many questions!
At Acorn Tiny Homes we know that tiny homes are a new twist on an old concept and that the process of building one might seem intimidating at first. We're going to take a shot at simplifying it for you, so we've created a list of steps of what this process typically looks like. Since every tiny home is unique, the order these steps go in for you might also be a little different. Think of this as just guideline for your Tiny House journey.
1. Enquiry Stage
This is where you're asking questions and we're doing our best to answer them. (If you’re on this page, this is probably the stage you’re at!) The best place to start is by simply giving us a call or email! This may seem like an obvious step but we believe it's the most important since it's the beginning of a journey.
You're getting a feel for us as your builder and we're learning more about you and what your ideal design might look like.
Based on what you're looking for we should able to give you a pricing scale. At this stage we recommend booking a tour of our personal tiny home, Domek.
2. Financing Check
Making the active decision to reach out and start your new dream home gets you excited for the future of starting a new life in a tiny house. But shortly after, it becomes very real
very quickly. At this stage you're taking a serious look at your finances and what your budget might look like. This is when you would apply for financing if needed.
Understanding your personal budget and when to expect payments will help streamline the process for you, as a homeowner, and us, as your builder!
3. Deposit
A non-refundable $5000 booking fee is required to secure your spot and marks the beginning of the design process. This deposit is used towards the balance of the first instalment.
4. Design & Blueprint This is where it gets good! We begin the design process by really digging in to your style, who you are and what your 'must haves' are. You'll be given 2D and 3D renders of your design and work with our designer to get the layout just right. This stage typically takes 4 weeks to allow for revisions and modifications. Once you’ve approved the layout, we’ll schedule a meeting to discuss materials and finishes. We’ll talk door knobs, light fixtures, cladding, all the nitty gritty. The little accents of your home that will make it uniquely 'yours'.
Once everything has been approved by you and by our design team, we'll provide a final quote for the build which will include all selections you’ve made throughout the design process.
4. Contract Signing, First Instalment & Building Begins
Okay, ready? Go! This is the greenlight and marks the first time your home becomes a physical reality! Once you've signed the contract approving the quote for your build, 50% of the total is due. This is a preliminary order stage and allows us to order things like the trailer, windows and doors, cabinetry, and initial construction materials. This is one step we can't skip or alter as we build directly on to the trailer to give your home the greatest strength and stability. It also allows the trailer frame to be used as a structural component, which in turn allows for lightweight floor framing, creating more overall interior height. Our trailers take on average 2-3 months to be delivered from our manufacturer. Once the trailer and your windows have been received we begin the construction of your very own custom tiny home! Depending on size and features, it takes us, on average, between 2.5-4 months to build your home! Throughout the process you will be provided with regular photo updates and kept informed of any material or production delays.
6. Second Instalment & Interior-Focused Build
This is where 30% of the total is due and when your home has had its internal linings fitted (electrical, plumbing, gas work, insulation). This is usually around the 4-6 week mark of your build.
7. Third Instalment & Build Completion
The remaining balance will be paid upon completion of your new tiny before it has been delivered to you. This will be approximately one week before the delivery. We encourage you to book a tour while its still in our hands to do a check just to make sure your dream home truly looks like your dreams.
8. Delivery
The big day is here! It's time to take possession of your tiny home!
Our team will be in contact with you prior to delivery to make arrangements for where and how your tiny is being delivered as well as to allow you time to make arrangements for insurance of the delivery.
We’re you’re start to finish home builder, so we'll also be on site to set up once arrived. Sometimes equipment gets jostled around in transportation, and its important to us that you have a seamless delivery of your home. This also gives us the opportunity to give you a walkthrough of all the systems and features of your house, and best practices to ensure its longevity.
That's it! You're a homeowner now! At this point if you have any further questions about the functioning systems of your new home, please reach out to us. You're now starting an exciting new chapter!
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