Morrisons’ Tiny House hOMe: A $33,089 Oregon Home on a 28-Foot Trailer

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison wanted a home without a mortgage, so they designed and built one themselves. Their tiny house on wheels, which they named hOMe, took about four months to complete on their five-acre property in Oregon. It has a full kitchen, a bathroom, two lofts and room to entertain, all in about 221 square feet.

The Morrisons’ tiny house hOMe in snow, Oregon — hOMe on the Morrisons' land in Oregon. Photo: Andrew and Gabriella Morrison

A tiny house on a 28-foot trailer

hOMe sits on a 28-foot, two-axle trailer and is about eight feet wide. Being on wheels, the whole house can be moved if the owners ever relocate.

Both Andrew and Gabriella came from construction backgrounds, and Andrew teaches people how to build their own houses. That experience shows in the details. The couple drew the plans, did the work and chose every fitting themselves.

The Morrisons’ tiny house with illuminated windows at dusk — Lit windows at dusk. Photo: Andrew and Gabriella Morrison

What the Morrisons' tiny house cost: $22,744 or $33,089

Two prices circulate for hOMe, and both are correct. The basic build, the shell, structure and systems, came to $22,744.06. Adding high-end appliances, cabinets, fixtures and furniture brought the total to $33,089.72.

Those figures cover the house alone. Land, utility connections and local permits come on top, and labour was free because the owners built it. Even so, the price is a fraction of a conventional house, which is why the project spread so widely when it appeared in 2014 in ABC News and other outlets.

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 4

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 5

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 6

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 7

Inside: kitchen, lofts and clever storage

The interior is planned around ordinary daily routines, which is what makes it feel like a real home:

Kitchen. A generous cooking area with granite counters and a dining table. ABC News called it a kitchen fit for a professional chef, complete with a drawer just for potatoes.
Box staircase. Instead of a ladder, a staircase climbs to the main loft, and each step is a storage box. One section even holds the washer and dryer.
Two lofts. The master sleeping loft has privacy dressers; the second loft serves as a guest space.
Living areas. Two sitting areas, a wood stove for heat and a corner for a home office. Andrew has a spot to sit with his guitar.
Bathroom. A full bathroom with a shower and toilet.
Power. Solar panels supply electricity.

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 8

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 9

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 10

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 11

Andrew and Gabriella Morrison’s tiny house — photograph 12

Living small with a family

The Morrisons did not try to squeeze an entire family into one room. When the house was built, their son Paiute was away at college and their daughter Terra had her own small cabin nearby on the property. The tiny house was the couple's home, with space to welcome guests.

“This place is huge,” Andrew told ABC News, a line that sums up the tiny-house idea: careful design can make a small floor area feel generous.