Decreasing The Residential Footprint

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

A current trend that is growing all across America is the switch away from standard, large houses to very small houses, called tiny houses. The fans of these houses say that living simply not only reduces their environmental impact, but also has the added benefit of freeing up time and money that can be spent on other pursuits.

One local resident has joined in the tiny house movement. His efforts to build a tiny house will soon be documented on HGTV’s Tiny Home, Big Living show.

Logandale resident Scott Hatfield has long been interested in tiny homes. “There are lot of things that intrigue me about tiny houses,” Hatfield said. “I love the idea that they are easily moveable so you are not tied to anywhere. And they cost so much less to build that you can stay out of debt. Of course, one of their main advantages is that they also leave a much smaller environmental footprint.”

While extremely popular in some areas of the country, the tiny home trend had yet to hit Moapa Valley. That makes Hatfield’s endeavor somewhat of a novelty. When he first started building, someone suggested that he should apply to be on HGTV’s tiny home program, which Hatfield had never heard of. So he decided to look it up on his computer.

The first program he pulled up had an application to be on the program. So Hatfield filled it out. He didn’t expect to ever hear anything back; and he didn’t for a while. Then one day he got a call from the producer saying he had been accepted on the program.
Since that day, Tiny Home Big Living has been following Hatfield’s progress carefully, calling often for updates on how his house is coming along and how far he has progressed.

Hatfield said that he is finally at the point they have been waiting for. The show will begin filming this weekend.
“The show is set up kind of like a documentary,” Hatfield said. “So they will be coming out several times to film the house in stages as I build it. Then those clips will all be put together at the end.”
Unfortunately, the show does not come with any kind of financial benefit or monetary gain to Hatfield. “But it is still kind of fun to be on TV and to be part of the production,” he said.

Hatfield’s tiny house is being built on a custom made triple-axle flatbed trailer that he had made in Portland and was specifically designed to hold his house. The trailer measures 8.5 feet by 24 feet leaving a footprint of only about 200 square feet. But with lofts, upper living spaces, and a rooftop patio over a special skylight, Hatfield anticipates that the useable floor space in the house will be closer to 300 square feet.

Hatfield originally purchased the plans for his tiny house online. But he has had to adapt them and custom-make everything to his needs as he goes.
“Every flatbed (trailer) is a little bit different and when you’re talking about a tiny house, a couple of inches can make a huge difference,” Hatfield explained.

Although definitely tiny, Hatfield says that his home will contain all the conveniences of a full size house. It will contain a fully functional kitchen; with stove, refrigerator, and running water. There is even space for a washer and dryer for laundry.
The bathroom will contain a compost toilet. But it will also boast a shower and a sink.
The master bedroom will be located in the loft. Hatfield is custom-building a set of collapsible stairs to it that can be moved and put away when not in use.

A second small loft area can be used as a second sleeping space, a reading nook, or for extra storage.
The living area will have ample room for an entertainment system and sitting area.
“Of course, everything has to be more compact and, if possible, serve a dual purpose,” Hatfield said.
Even the floors are doing double duty. Hatfield is installing special heated floors to provide general heating for the house.

The house can actually function completely on or off the power grid. Everything in the house will be wired to work with either a regular electrical supply or to use solar and propane energy. Hatfield says his goal is to eventually have enough solar panels to completely power the house. But since solar panels are very expensive, at this point he is just wiring the house to be able to use them when he gets them.
Hatfield is constructing the house by himself, with the help of family and friends when they are available. His goal is to keep the cost of the project under $30,000.
“As of right now, I have about $8,000 into it, with another $8,000 in supplies already purchased,” he said. “I get up really early every morning and work on it for a few hours before it gets too hot. Right now I am working on roofing, siding, and electrical.”

Hatfield is engaged and planning to get married in October. The couple is planning on making this tiny house their home.
“I’m working really hard to try to get my house finished so I have somewhere to bring my wife and her two dogs,” Hatfield said.
Eventually they plan on moving to Oregon where tiny houses are much more common and laws governing the use of tiny houses are more friendly.

Hatfield has enjoyed the process and is excited about the future. “It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for years,” he said. “I love the idea of leaving a smaller footprint and not going into debt, but still owning something and not having to pay rent. If at any point I want to move on, I don’t have anything to tie me down. It’s really an exciting thing.”