Which tiny house should you choose? Floor area, beds and use

The temptation is to start with the photos. That is the most expensive order: you fall in love with a model, then discover that it will not fit down the access track, that it exceeds the declaration threshold, or that there is no room for the children. Here is the order that avoids unpleasant surprises.

Where to start: the use, not the floor area

The five uses cover very different needs, and do not lead to the same model:

• Main residence: year-round comfort, storage and ventilation come first; the floor area follows.
• Second home or short stays: you are looking for enjoyment and a view, and can accept less storage.
• Extra accommodation in a garden: the constraint is regulatory before it is aesthetic, see our guide on a tiny house in your garden.
• Holiday letting: what matters is the beds, the shower room and the upkeep, not the living space.
• Professional use: office, practice, salon; the rules change as soon as you receive members of the public, see tiny houses for professional use.

Mobile or set on the ground: the decision that governs everything

This is the choice with the greatest impact, and it comes before the floor area. A tiny house that keeps its wheels and its ability to be driven on the road falls under the rules for caravans: it may stay on a site for up to three months a year without formalities and is not subject to property tax (taxe foncière), but it is constrained in width and weight.

A tiny house set permanently on the ground becomes a building: it follows the thresholds for prior declaration (déclaration préalable) and planning permission (permis de construire), and becomes liable for property tax. In return, it is free of road limits and can be larger and better insulated.

The four possible regimes are detailed in our guide on regulations, and the procedures in the one on planning permission or prior declaration.

Choose the land before the model

Land that will not accept your project makes the choice of model pointless. Three checks, in this order: the zoning and the rules of the PLU (local urban plan), whether utility connections are possible, and access for delivery.

Access is the most frequently overlooked point. A tiny house on a trailer arrives by road: the width of the track, the radius of the bends, the slope, the gate, low branches and overhead lines can all be blocking points. The subject is covered in our guide on transport.

If your land is not buildable, first read our guide on a tiny house on non-buildable land: it may change your project entirely.

What floor area for how many people?

Useful benchmarks, based on our range:

• 15 m² — a couple, all on one level. The Lovewood offers a king-size bed and a relaxation area: ideal for stays for two, tight for living there all year round.
• 20 m² — a separate bedroom. The Terrawood is single-storey with three rooms; the Garden Studio has two rooms. This is the format that stays under the 20 m² threshold for an installation on the ground.
• 30 m² — a family. The Skywood and the Sharewood offer two mezzanine bedrooms and sleep six.
• 35 m² — two proper ground-floor bedrooms. The Mobile Home is the answer for families who do not want a mezzanine.
• 40 m² — group accommodation. The dormitory sleeps up to sixteen, for group use.

The decree on decent housing sets the minimum for rented accommodation: at least one main room of 9 m² with a ceiling height of 2.20 m, or 20 m³ of living volume.

Mezzanine or single storey?

A mezzanine (sleeping loft) buys floor space at the cost of headroom. It works well for sleeping, less well for a bedroom where you want to stand up. Four criteria to help you decide:

1. The age of the occupants: a ship’s ladder becomes awkward with age or with young children.
2. How the room is used: sleeping, yes; working or getting dressed standing up, no.
3. Heat: warm air rises, so a mezzanine is warmer in summer.
4. Acoustics: under a sloping roof, rain is much more audible.

A single storey costs floor area, which means length, which means weight. That is the central trade-off between the Terrawood and the Skywood.

Beds, bedrooms, storage: don’t confuse them

Sleeping six does not mean six permanent residents. An extra bed is fine for holidays, not for everyday life. For year-round use, think in terms of separate bedrooms and linear metres of storage, not the number of beds.

Storage is the first regret tiny house residents mention. It has to be planned at the design stage — under the stairs, under the benches, up high — because it cannot be added afterwards. This point is developed in our guide on living in a tiny house all year round.

Weight, width, licence: the limits to know

On a trailer, two ceilings apply. The first is the maximum authorised weight: up to 3,500 kg for the car and trailer together, a B licence is enough; the B96 endorsement raises the limit to 4,250 kg, and beyond that you need a BE licence.

The second is the overall width. Beyond 2.55 m, the load becomes an abnormal load, with authorisation, escort and cost. That is why most tiny houses are designed within this limit: every extra centimetre of insulation is taken from the interior width.

These constraints also explain why a tiny house over 35 m² is often delivered and set down rather than towed. Everything is detailed in the guide on transport, licences and trailers.

What budget should you plan for?

Our models with published prices range from €45,720 to €89,640, excluding transport; professional models are priced on quote. On top of the price of the house come transport, preparing the site, utility connections or off-grid equipment, any development tax (taxe d’aménagement) and insurance.

Comparing two quotes therefore means comparing what they cover, not the figures. The method is explained on our prices page and in the guide on what the price includes. Financing has a guide of its own: financing a tiny house.

Six questions to ask yourself before ordering

1. Will the house stay mobile, or will it be set down permanently?
2. Will the land accept this project, and does the access allow delivery?
3. How many people will live there all year round, rather than during the holidays?
4. Do you need a separate ground-floor bedroom?
5. What insulation thicknesses, and what ventilation? See insulation.
6. What exactly does the price include, and what remains to be budgeted for?

The comparison tool on each model page and the catalogue let you set the range side by side by floor area, beds and price.

Key points

• The use, then mobile or fixed status, then the land: the floor area comes fourth.
• 15 m² for two, 20 m² for a separate bedroom, 30 m² for a family, 35 m² for two ground-floor bedrooms.
• A mezzanine gains floor area, but you pay for it in everyday comfort.
• Think in bedrooms and storage, not in number of beds.
• 3,500 kg and 2.55 m wide are the two limits that shape the house.