A "tiny house" is a compact dwelling that typically ranges from about 10 to 40 square meters in size, although there is no strict definition. These homes are designed to maximize space efficiency while providing all the necessary amenities for comfortable living. They often feature clever design solutions, such as lofted sleeping areas, multipurpose furniture, and integrated storage solutions, to make the most of limited square meters. Like container houses these houses have come under scrutiny in recent years as “social media entertainment” due to its lack of practicality for the price.

I will share with you my local interpretation of this format as someone who lives in the Western Cape of South Africa within the context of the property price increase we have seen in recent years in cities like Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula. I will also deviate from the 50m2 max to around 60m2

Market Need
Unless you earn a lot of money (or both you and your partner earn a decent amount of money) around R100k+ a month you will not be able to buy a house in a decent area in the Cape which usually means you have to dodge gansters and gunshots. This leaves you with the following options as cheap fixer uppers in decent areas are too rare to mention:

• Apartment in a decent area

• Plot / vacant land in a decent area

I can’t live in apartments I have misophonia and I mostly don’t like people - especially people with crying babies or who play baby shark the whole day. This leaves you will vacant land as your only option. The problem is it is most times - cheaper to buy than to build which is a problem as you can already only afford a plot.

I was advised to buy the plot, get the plan approved, then start with either garage or separate entrance and live in there while building piece for piece as money becomes available. This trope has become the only way to build if you can only afford the plot - unless you willing to live in a Wendy House (but I have not gotten clarity with regards to certificate of occupacy).

If we were to accept this, how does this look in reality? For someone like me that favours minimalist building? A few years ago a friend built a garage with an apartment above. This has become my favoured format. Because even if I can’t afford to finish accompanying building, I will still have a little house that looks like something, it gives me space to safety store a vehicle, a workshop to work in or storage space. The roof of the house can be used also a balcony/entertainment area which can in future be built on top of if you want to build up.

Here is an example that I saw built this way in the Cape (albeit the other way around) the garage with apartment was built decades apart from the house. I have modified the picture for privacy purposes.

Here is plans for the format I prefer as a starting point. Now all of these plans need to be simplified in my opinion to be built as cheap as possible (a perfect square or rectangle as an example). The build will also be done as cheap as possible with either cinder or interlocking blocks (like stumble blocks) or a cheap brick. Some of it can be done using "Nutec" (fibre cement boards or plank) With the cladding an cosmetic extra if budget permits.

Around 52m2 house

Around 45m2 house

All of these are 1 bed, 1 bath