Are you daydreaming about downsizing and moving to a tiny house? Maybe you’ve even seen some of the fantastic tiny houses out there on Instagram or TikTok and want to embark on your very own tiny living adventure in Norway!
Tiny homes are becoming increasingly popular here in the land of brown cheese and skiing, with more tiny home builders, bloggers, and experts sharing insights on how to live this tiny lifestyle.
But it can be hard to know where to begin or even if tiny living will be a lifestyle you enjoy.
And that’s why we decided to write up a quick guide to get you started in the right direction. If there’s anything we didn’t cover that you want to know more about, let us know in the comments!
What is a tiny house?
A tiny home is exactly what it sounds like, a teeny tiny house – but ordinarily, these are built on trailers to allow them to move at the drop of a tow hitch!
Also known as tiny homes on wheels, they could be compared to an RV with an extra sprinkle of homeliness added for good measure, and they range in size from 16-25 sq meters-ish in Norway (this sizing allows them to be road legal).
Usually, a tiny house will have an open plan design with the ground floor consisting of a living area, a dining/office area, a kitchen, and a separate bathroom. With the upstairs loft serving as the coziest bedroom nook that you’ve ever had the pleasure to snuggle up in!
Can I rent a tiny house?
Yes, it is possible to rent a tiny home instead of buying one. However, as these adorable cottages on wheels are so popular, as soon as a tiny house rental comes on the market – it tends to get snapped up within days!
The best option for finding a tiny house to rent is to search on finn.no or contact local tiny home builders to see whether any of their clients are looking to rent out their tiny properties on wheels.
Can you get a tiny house mortgage?
Absolutely! SpareBank1 are very much pro tiny house, pretty knowledgeable on the subject, and offer tiny house mortgages in a very similar way to a traditional home mortgage, with a down payment and monthly repayments.
The benefit of a tiny house mortgage over a traditional home mortgage is that you can pay it off far quicker than the conventional 30-year mortgage. A tiny house mortgage length varies but can average from 1 to 8 years.
Where can I buy a tiny house in Norway?
It depends on whether you plan on buying a new or used home; if you’re looking to save some money and buy a pre-loved home on wheels – then Finn.no is your best friend again, and you can search for “Mikrohus” or “Tiny house” or “hjem på hjul.”
How much does a tiny custom-built house cost to buy?
This varies by the tiny house builder you work with, and whether you have it built in Norway or buy it from another country and get it shipped to Norway – but you’re looking at an average range of 550,000 NOK to 1,500,000 NOK.
Can I build a tiny house in Norway?
Yes, you can build your own tiny home in Norway, but if you’re planning on making it yourself, you first need to do research and then some more research – seriously, you can never spend too much time learning!
Building a house that can stand up to the Norwegian climate is no mean feat, but luckily there’s a lot of literature on building tiny homes, and you can even buy readymade tiny house plans – which can save you a lot of time and money.
Even though there isn’t much info about building tiny homes in Norway specifically, there’s a lot of literature in the US, and if you find some YouTube channels or blogs in the Northern states or even Canada – this is a great way to figure out how to build a tiny home on wheels for the Norwegian climate.
Do you need to own land to get a tiny home in Norway?
Nope, not at all. Depending on the rules for living in a tiny home in your Kommune, you might find that you have to live on a property with a permanent dwelling, and in that case, you’re far better off finding a plot of land to rent.
Check out my complete guide on finding land to rent for your tiny home in Norway, and spoiler alert – these plots tend to range from 3000 – 4500 NOK a month, excluding utilities.
Is a tiny house cheaper than a regular house?
I can only speak for myself – but yes, compared to our old house, we spend a lot (approx 1/3) less on our tiny home compared to our last regular house’s rent and utility bills.
However, we did live in a much bigger house – so if you were to calculate per square foot, we’re definitely spending more per square foot now.
But – I prefer to live in a smaller space, so the combination of saving money and having less house to clean up makes it a big win!
The savings in utility bills are immense, and given the current electricity bills – living in a tiny home can result in massive savings each month in this area alone.
When it comes to buying a tiny home, the cost per square foot tends to be higher than buying a regular home, but spending $100,000 on 100 sq ft that you’ll use – versus $300,000 on 500 sq ft that you’ll only use 100-200 sq ft of; is illogical in my opinion.
However, a tiny home does not stand the test of time quite like a brick-and-mortar home, and this is something you’ll need to factor into your decision.
What are the laws for living in a tiny house in Norway?
This is pretty complex and depends entirely on which Kommune you live in.
Some are vehemently against tiny homes, others have specific rules and laws you must follow, and others are actively looking to create guidelines to allow people to live tiny in their kommunes.
Your best bet is to reach out to a rep from your local kommune and ask them, you’d be surprised how happy they are to help, and I think they genuinely appreciate you going to the trouble to figure out the legal way of living tiny.
What if I buy a tiny house and then I hate it?
Having concerns when investing a lot of money into something and radically changing your lifestyle is understandable, and trust me – I had this thought before buying my tiny house.
Tiny living is a unique lifestyle, and it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea – so my first piece of advice to those on the fence… book a stay in a tiny home on Airbnb and try out the lifestyle for yourself.
It also is not necessarily the cheapest lifestyle; I’d say that would be vanlife with a home-built rig, but it can be an amazing lifestyle for many people.
And the fact of the matter is – if you buy a tiny home, try it out for six months to a year and ultimately decide that it’s not the right lifestyle for you, it is possible to sell your home.
Another option would be to keep a hold of the tiny home and rent it as a long-term rental to break even, or operate it as an Airbnb and possibly make a pretty tidy little profit!
Living in a tiny house is definitely not for everyone.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what a tiny house is, the different routes you can take to make this lifestyle a reality, how to ensure that you follow the rules for legal tiny home living, and what options you have if it doesn’t work out – what are you waiting for?!
I write this blog because I’m so passionate about tiny living, and so if you have questions or just want to get to know more people in the tiny house community – please do reach out 🙂
Keep Living Tiny xx
