We are hearing more and more questions regarding the different types of Tiny Homes being offered today. "Wait, there is more than one type of Tiny Home?". The answer is "Yes!".  Tiny homes come in all different shapes and sizes as well as with different titles. Tiny House RV, Park Model, Granny Pod, THOW are to name a few. The reason for the difference in names comes down to several things.
One, size. A park model is a much wider and taller tiny home on wheels. It requires permits in order to have them trailered to a location and are built as a more "permanent" structure. Meaning you aren't planning on towing it across the country on a whim.  The second reason for a different name is an attempt to get around the laws for tiny home living. A Tiny House RV is the name given to Tiny Homes where the builder has purchased a certification upwards of 8k from RIVA (Recreational Vehicle Industry Association). Since there aren't any laws yet that have caught up to the Tiny House Movement, most states have a legal minimum square footage that ranges state to state in order to live in a dwelling full time. Additionally, there are no laws on safety. "What do you mean by full time?". Tiny House builders (this pertains mostly to tiny homes on wheels THOWs) are restricted in selling their homes as permanent dwellings. The houses can only be sold for recreational (short temporary outings) use, such as  camping.
"So how does a RIVA certification help me?". There are pro's and con's to having a RIVA certified Tiny Home. The pro is that many RV parks where you would stay over night with your tiny house will only allow RIVA certified structures. Additionally, your Tiny House will be safety inspected to the standards of a recreational vehicle (this is not to building code, i.e. hurricane ties etc). Some say that retail value increases if RIVA certified, yet there is little statistical evidence to prove this. The con's to having a certified Tiny Home is that it must be only used for recreational purposes. So when laws do catch up, your Tiny Home might not be eligible to be a full time residence. Your Tiny Home will cost more because the builder now has increased overhead. And lastly, your Tiny Home will not have the safety features that regular sized homes are being built with due to building codes. Many builders are refusing to become RIVA certified because they stand by their goal of making Tiny Homes legal permanent dwellings and not an RV you see at every campground. It is the politics of money.
A Granny pod is a name to help "sell" Tiny House living. They tend to be "shed-like" around 400sqft with cute home details to make your elderly parents or grandparents comfortable while staying close in ones backyard.
Tiny Home builders and owners have had to become creative in order to enjoy the benefits of the Tiny House movement. Many are fighting to remove restrictions and to make tiny living a more economical and sustainable way of living. You can join the fight and/or stay updated by joining  americantinyhouseassociation.org/
We hope you enjoyed this article and if you want to hear more let us know!

Hello again! I just wanted to share with you a couple of tips and tricks I have for general cleaning issues. For those of you who are like us with pets and children know how hard it is to keep the house clean. * As usual read all labels for chemical dangers, allergies and colorfastness.

1. ​Leather Sofa: We own a white leather sofa. I know, you just cringed but despite the fact we have three dogs and two cats plus parties up to three times a year our sofa is as bright and clean as the first day. How do we do it? There are just 4 things you need. A vacuum, Mr. Clean, a damp white towel and baby oil.  First take all cushions off and use the vacuum to get all crumbs and hairs off the sofa. Pour/spray Mr. Clean on your damp towel and scrub any dirt and spills off. Have a stubborn spot? Blue Magic upholstery stain and spot lifter works amazing (use on backside to check for colorfastness). Don't ever let chemicals sit on fabric/leather for a long period as it can stain. Once everything is clean and hair free, pour baby oil on a clean towel or paper towel and massage into leather. Not only does it smell amazing but it keeps the leather soft and moisturized! Let dry before sitting on sofa.
2. Hairy Velcro: It happens.....whether during the wash cycle or just because. Fuzz and hair often gets stuck in Velcro and it is a pain to remove. Never fear! The best tool for the job is a plastic flea comb or deshedding tool like a Furminator.  Gently scrape at Velcro using short strokes cleaning the tool in between sections. Once all the hair is out spray Velcro with antistatic spray or rub with dryer sheet to help reduce future fuzz collection.
3. Smelly Pet Stains: Some of you may have heard that vinegar and baking soda is the best method to getting rid of smelly urine and/or pet stains. It's true that it works wonders but it is in the how that truly makes this solution a miracle. First scrub the stain with a pet cleaning solution, then take an old kitchen towel soaked in hot water and lay on op of the stain to make sure the area stays damp. Pour the vinegar on the towel and let sit for half an hour.  Once it has soaked remove the towel and dust the top with baking soda. After the area has dried, vacuum the as normal and fluff. The smell should be gone!
   
4. Melted Wax on Carpet or Tablecloth: Accidents happen where your candle gets tipped over or it sprung a leak and now you have wax stuck to your Easter tablecloth. Not to worry, there is a simple solution! Take an old washcloth or kitchen towel you are willing to throw away and lay over wax area. Turn on your clothing iron and set to cotton. Once it is nice and toasty, simply iron the throw away cloth. The wax will melt off the bottom fabric and absorb into the towel.  Just pick up and throw away!
   

​I hope I was able to help issues your may come across in your cleaning routine!! If you have any ideas or if you want to show off your success please post a comment. We would love to hear from you!

I can't believe this is our first blog! Sorry that it has taken us awhile to get going here at East End Tiny Homes but it is all for a good reason. Since this is our first blog let me start by telling you who we are and what we do. We are a husband and wife team that builds, flips and designs homes as well as furniture building. We just fell in love with the Tiny Home movement which sparked our idea to bring our building and design skills to tiny homes on wheels. We are passionate about the outdoors and the importance of  working with our ecosystem, not against it. A holocoenotic relationship with the earth is what I feel everyone is striving for in a world filled with technology, waste and pollutants.  If we can have a small part in helping both people and nature, we are always onboard!
​What have we been up to? Since opening our business last winter we have been building two tiny homes, the Montauk and the Lincoln part time. We have also been working on designing and building furniture for our new Etsy store "EastEndFurnitureCo". I have been working on joining a bunch of Tiny House festivals. Once we have a set schedule I will post it on our website as well as our Facebook page. We hope you join us and take a tour of our 24' Montauk model.
​Any questions or if you just want to talk tiny please contact us! We don't bite and would love to discuss our passion with you!