10 Small House Plans With Big Ideas (2024)

Design

Dreaming of less home maintenance, lower utility bills, and a more laidback lifestyle? These small house designs will inspire you to build your own charming new abode (or hire a pro to do the work for you).

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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

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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

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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

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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? ›

Open floor plans are simpler to build as they require fewer materials and are more energy efficient than traditional closed floor plans. Many Modern styles such as Modern Farmhouse, Ranch, and Barndominium typically have open floor plans.

What is the most economical house design to build? ›

We compiled a list of the least expensive types below if you're looking to save the most money when building a new home.
  • Ranch-style homes.
  • Colonial homes.
  • Tiny homes.
  • Kit homes.
  • Off-grid homes.
  • Prefabricated homes.
  • Shipping container homes.
  • Barndominiums.
Mar 6, 2024

How to build a beautiful small house? ›

10 Best Small House Design Ideas
  1. Implementing innovative storage solutions.
  2. Using Foldable and Collapsible Furniture.
  3. Installing Multipurpose Furniture and appliances.
  4. Instilling Mirrors In Strategic Positions.
  5. Use Wall Mounted Furniture.
  6. Explore Vertical Interior Design Plans.
  7. Install Sliding Doors and Windows.

What is the smallest house design? ›

The 12 sqm Parasite house is one of the smallest houses in the world in Quito, Ecuador. The parasite house is located on the rooftop of an existing building in the popular neighborhood San Juan in Quito-Ecuador Casa parasite.

What is the cheapest house design style? ›

Ranch homes are the most popular home style in the U.S. They're another rectangular-shaped house, though they come in “T” or “L” shapes, too. A home with a simple and concise layout is the cheapest type of house to build. Ranch homes are typically single-story structures with attached garages.

What is the cheapest floor to put in? ›

The cheapest flooring options are vinyl sheet flooring, luxury vinyl flooring, laminate flooring, oak flooring seconds, plywood flooring, painted flooring, wallpaper, and carpet tiles. All these cheap flooring options can be purchased for under $2.00 per square foot.

What is the cheapest foundation for a house? ›

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. Considerations with concrete slabs are that they make plumbing and electrical systems less accessible and more expensive to repair.

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 least expensive building material? ›

The least expensive material to build a home out of usually includes concrete sheets, bamboo, and used materials. Of course, the least expensive material for your building project might vary based on your location due to availability, but these tend to be the cheapest options.

How do you make a small house look classy? ›

'Neutral colors create a serene and spacious atmosphere that makes your space look bigger and more refined,' says interior designer Artem Kropovinsky. 'You can add some color with accessories, artwork or plants, but keep the walls, floors and furniture in shades of white, beige, gray or black. '

What is the best small house size? ›

Common Sizes of Tiny Houses

Some of the popular sizes include: 100-150 square feet: This size is perfect for those looking for an efficient living space with minimal amenities. It typically includes one room with a kitchenette, bathroom, and sleeping area all combined into one space.

What is the simplest house to build? ›

The simplest design — and also the cheapest — to build is a box with a straight roof. That means to avoid any protrusions or nooks and crannies in the walls of the house as those add design and construction costs.

What are the four basic house designs? ›

A residential home designer has four basic designs to choose from when designing homes: the one- story or ranch, the one-and-one-half-story, the two-story, and the split-level. Each of these individual styles has strengths and weaknesses that should be considered before making a design choice.

What are 3 types of floor plans? ›

Types of Floor Plans

There are three main ways to create the layout of a house and convey the information homebuyers want to know: 2D Floor Plans. 3D Floor Plans. Live 3D Floor Plans.

What kind of floor plan is the most commonly used? ›

Standard Floor Plans

The most common type of floor plan is the Standard Floor Plan. These images are a basic sketch of the home in black and white (or taupe colourization) displaying the outline of walls, doors, windows, and stairs.

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