10 Small House Plans With Big Ideas (2024)

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With rising real estate costs, many people are getting priced out of purchasing a traditional home. In addition to offering a more affordable housing solution, tiny houses come with a number of other appealing benefits. Some small house plans can be built on a trailer, providing the possibility of mobility without having to find or build a whole new home. Additionally, the environmental impact of the utility usage of a tiny house is typically lesser than that of a traditional home.

While you could search real estate listings for available tiny homes, you may not be able to find one that offers the layout and design features you desire. Consider giving one of the small house plans below to a trusted contractor—or follow the plans to build your new home yourself—and create the tiny house of your dreams!

1. Adirondack Cabin With Loft Plans

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With a heated interior of 650 square feet, this 2-bedroom, 1 bath cabin is the perfect size for a guest house or a weekend getaway cabin. Build Blueprint’s plans for this 20-foot by 26-foot Adirondack-style home include a materials list, electrical and foundation plans, elevation plans, and other construction details, and comply with North American building codes. We love the cozy loft space that’s tucked under the roof’s peak.

Get the Build Blueprint Adirondack Cabin with Loft plans at Etsy for $95.

2. Barndominium Plans

These downloadable barndominium plans can help you build a small, 1,200-square-foot home with a spacious open living room and kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full-length front porch, and an attached carport. If you’re looking for small house plans with a garage, you (or a contractor) could make a few modifications to the plans to close in the carport.

Get the PaytonMcGarvey10 Barndominium Floor Plans on Etsy for $100.

3. Small Cottage Plans

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Enjoy tiny house living with this charming 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom cottage. This small house layout offers 900 square feet of space, 9-foot ceilings, a fireplace, an attic, and a crawl space. Everything you’ll need to build the house is included in the plans, such as materials lists, elevations, floor plans, foundation and roofing plans, door and window schedules, and complete dimensions.

Get the Build Blueprint Small Cottage Architectural Plans on Etsy for $95

RELATED: 15 Charming Tiny House Communities

4. Modern Bungalow Plans

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If you love modern homes, then these one-story tiny house floor plans might be for you. The downloadable file includes two sets of detailed blueprints with both imperial and metric units to help you build this 1,820-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home with an open-concept kitchen, dining room, and great room.

Get the Panaroma House Plans Venus Modern One-Story House Plans on Etsy for $45.

5. Tiny Cabin Plans

While you could purchase a DIY home kit, these tiny house floor plans enable you to build a more unique and memorable home with greater customization options to match your preferences. The file includes two different layout options to build the home with either one or two bedrooms. Although the home has a fixed width of 24 feet, the length can be adjusted to match your lot size and desired amount of living space. When built following the plans exactly, this home offers 1,088 square feet of floor space.

Get the Architect Chin Daffodil House Plans on Etsy for $160.

6. Tiny House With Attic Plans

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These downloadable plans include all the files you’ll need to build this inviting one-story tiny house with additional attic space. The 749-square-foot house has an open concept living room and kitchen, one bedroom, and two bathrooms on the main level. A small covered front porch is also incorporated into the design, where patio furniture, outdoor decor, and more can be placed.

Get the Plan Library Modern Tiny House Plans on Etsy for $18.

RELATED: How Much Does a Tiny House Cost?

7. Contemporary Tiny House Plans

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If you’re looking for small house plans with porches, these contemporary tiny house plans may be right for you. The expansive front porch spans the entire width of the house, offering plenty of space to sit and enjoy the great outdoors. The downloadable plans include the original AutoCAD file, elevations, floor plan with dimensions, foundation plan, door and window schedules, roof framing plan, and more to help you build this 1,300-square-foot home with two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms.

Get the FreeHouseplans Modern Tiny House Plans on Etsy for $24.99.

8. Modern Cottage House Plans

Photo: etsy.com

These professionally drawn tiny house plans come with drawings, designs, and more to help you build this simple (yet attractive) 1,377-square-foot modern cottage. With its open kitchen design, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and spacious back deck, this tiny house could quickly become the place you call home.

Get the Wooden Arch Design Modern Cottage House Plans on Etsy for $34.

9. Sugarbush Cottage Plans

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With these small house floor plans, you can make the lovely 1,020-square-foot Sugarbush Cottage your new home—or home away from home. The construction drawings included in the file meet the code requirements and architectural standards for most jurisdictions. This two-story house offers two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spacious living room, and an eat-in kitchen.

Get the Classic House Plans Sugarbush Cottage Plans on Etsy for $25.

RELATED: These Are the Smartest Home Improvements for Small Houses

10. American Cottage Plans

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If you’ve been searching for the best place to buy a tiny house, why not build your own with these small home plans? The American Cottage design is a modern small home with two bedrooms, plus an optional loft. The 18-page plans include the materials lists, floor plans, elevations, and everything else you’ll need to pass onto your builder to construct this 875-square-foot home.

Get the Build Blueprint American Cottage Plans on Etsy for $95.

The prices listed here are accurate as of December 1, 2022.

10 Small House Plans With Big Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What is the simplest floor plan? ›

What are examples of simple floor plans? A single-story house with an open layout that usually includes a living room, dining area, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. A small, single-story house with a cozy layout. It usually includes a living room, dining area, kitchen, one or two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

What is the easiest house to build? ›

Ranch-Style Homes

A ranch-style house is generally more affordable to build because it has an easy, open floor plan and is traditionally available in a rectangular or U-shaped layout.

What is a good layout for a house? ›

Ideally, to provide the best layout for your family, there should be one bathroom for every two bedrooms in the house. Homeowners who entertain frequently should choose a house layout that has a full or a half-guest bathroom near the living area. The guest bathroom should be downstairs in homes with multiple floors.

How much to build a small 3 bed house? ›

The national UK average for a three-bedroom dwelling is around 88–100m². So, a three-bedroom house will likely cost between £32,000 and £300,000 to build. For a four-bedroom house, which tend to measure 100–140m², you can expect to pay between £150,000 and £420,000.

How to build a tiny house cheaply? ›

Another way to keep costs low is to buy pre-fabricated kits or plans for tiny houses that come with all of the necessary components and instructions needed to complete the build. These kits usually cost less than buying all of the materials separately and they provide an easier building process as well.

Is it cheaper to build a 1 story or 2 story house? ›

A single-story home is more cost-effective to design, but it will cost more to build than a two-story home. To make things more complicated, they'll likely cost less to heat and cool over the years.

What is the cheapest floor to put in? ›

Vinyl flooring is one of the most affordable options out there. Made from fiberglass and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), it can last up to 25 years when installed and maintained properly. It comes in three main types: sheet, plank, or tile.

What is the biggest size tiny house you can build? ›

What Is the Max Size of a Tiny House? When constructed to travel with and be attached to a mobile home, a tiny house can be anywhere from 60 to 400 square feet. The size might range from 60 to 500 to below 1000 square feet if you wish to construct the property with a foundation.

What is the cheapest type of foundation? ›

Concrete slab foundations are the least expensive of the house foundation types, ranging from $4,500-$21,000. They are impervious to termites and other insects.

What is the most affordable type of housing? ›

Prefabricated homes, container homes, and monolithic dome homes are just some of the most affordable new homes. Keep in mind that you'll need to add additional costs for land purchase, a foundation, taxes, transportation, and permits. Of course, you could always save and buy an existing fixer-upper home as well.

What is the best bedroom layout? ›

You can usually create some nice symmetry by positioning your bed centrally against your longest wall and bookending with bedside tables. Equally, it'll create a sense of balance if you place your bed opposite a focal point such as a fireplace or window. Any recesses or alcoves create readymade storage areas.

Can I make my own house plans? ›

You can certainly create your own floor plan without being a proffesional as long as you have the right tools and a bit of creative inspiration. Sketching out ideas yourself will help communicate your vision to the architect when you need to have a professional blueprint drawn up.

What is the most efficient house structure? ›

ICF Construction: The Top Choice for Energy Efficiency

The solid structure also means that air leaks through the wall are virtually eliminated. The high thermal mass from the concrete walls helps to smooth the effect of variations in outdoor temperature on the temperature inside.

What is the cheapest construction type? ›

  • The cost of building a house can vary greatly depending on the materials used . ...
  • Wood is generally considered to be the cheaper option for building a house . ...
  • On the other hand , steel and aluminum are more expensive materials , but they offer several advantages .
Mar 30, 2023

What is the most economical house shape? ›

Design Example

As discussed, a square house is the most efficient shape, but it's very unlikely the overall house shape will be square. Therefore, a rectangular floor plate is likeliest to produce a useable house plan. As illustrated here, a slightly rectangular shape is easily attainable.

What is the cheapest type of house to buy? ›

Dome homes are arguably the cheapest site-built home available. These homes are constructed of a steel frame, covered in a fabric form, and then sprayed first with foam and concrete.

Why are barndominiums cheaper to build? ›

Barndominiums tend to shine in terms of cost-effectiveness due to their unique design and construction. The use of metal for the frame and exterior often translates to lower material costs compared to the cost for traditional wood-framed houses.

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