Learn to build your own tiny house in 2026! View our new Tiny House Workshop dates and locations.
If you’re designing your own house or perhaps even some furniture, you’ve likely heard of SketchUp. Below are some common questions we receive about SketchUp.
SketchUp is a computer program in which you can create both simple and complex 3D models fairly easily. SketchUp was originally developed by Google (so it is often called ‘Google SketchUp’) but has since been sold to Trimble. Currently, there is a free and ‘pro’ version of the program available.
If you plan to make changes to the design of a house, having the SketchUp model can make this significantly easier. Changes can’t easily be made to a set of printable plans. If a change is desired, the plans will generally need to be recreated. This can be complex since a change to one page of a set of plans (or section of a house) may impact other pages (and so on). By instead modifying the model for which the plans are based on, you can immediately see how your changes will impact the other parts of the house and then recreate the plans with the new changes.
Even if you don’t plan on making changes to the design, having the SketchUp model can be extremely helpful. SketchUp can be used to visualize and understand how the house is assembled, and to get additional details and measurements during construction.
While SketchUp is extremely powerful, it is also relatively easy to use. If you just want to navigate an existing model and perhaps take some measurements, you’ll only need to know a very small subset of the available features in the program. For a quick overview of those, I’ve put together an introductory video. I've also recorded a few other video that dive into some of the more advanced features of Sketchup.
If you plan to use SketchUp to create a model from scratch or to change an existing model, you’ll need to know a lot more about the program. For a wide range of video tutorials visit: https://www.sketchup.com/resources/trainers.
Let’s face it. Going tiny is no small endeavor. We all desire or even resolve to get organized, downsize our personal belongings, and simplify our lives. But actually going through with the major change that is going tiny is tough to attempt. Don’t worry, there are warning signs to help you see if this is the right time in your life to tackle this massive undertaking. Here are five signs that you are not ready to go tiny.
Something exciting is about to happen! You are searching for the most important feature of your Tiny House to be. The cornerstone. The Foundation. The Trailer. What should you be looking for in a trailer that is about to carry your home? I recently purchased a tiny house trailer and this is a summary of all the items I considered.
We’ve all heard it before, and perhaps you’ve even said it, “It’s in my five-year plan”. While planning is extremely important and encouraged, you need to be careful to avoid falling into the ‘planning trap’ where you spend more time planning for your goals than moving towards them. This trap is especially easy to fall into when you set your goals to 5, 10, or even 15 years out.
If you have a tiny house to sell, there are a few simple steps and considerations to make, to both increase your chances of selling it and increasing the price for which it sells.
While there is no official definition of a tiny house, it is generally thought of as a small house, typically sized under 600 square feet. While they can be built on foundations, most tiny homes are built on trailers. This style of tiny house is often referred to as a THOW (tiny house on wheels).