Author: Cassandra Hui

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

One concern people have about going tiny is the romantic times they can have with their significant other, especially if they have children. This can be a concern if you do not understand all of the qualities of going tiny.

My husband and I have been living tiny for almost 4 years now, and I want to help others understand what it’s actually like.

12 Tips to be Romantic in a Tiny House

1. Have Your Bedroom in a Loft
2. Go Camping
3. Send the Kids Out
4. Buy a White Blanket and Light Some Candles
5. Go for a Walk at Night
6. Have a Late Night Picnic
7. Have Dinner on Your Roof, if it’s Flat
8. Spend a Snow Day Together
9. Leave Each Other Love Notes
10. Eat Desserts and Watch a Movie Together
11. Surprise Each Other with Simple Things
12. Go Somewhere New

Living in a tiny house can be exciting and thrilling! But there are always disadvantages. Let’s face it; This lifestyle is not for everyone. It can be hard to keep a loving relationship with your spouse when you have no space from each other.

For some people this may be heaven, and for others this may be hell. My husband and I love living so close together. We share everything and do everything together anyway, besides work.

It is important to plan this out BEFORE going tiny. You don’t have extra rooms to get away when you are frustrated, you can still hear the other person if you want to go to bed early.

There can be lot of problems, but there are also lots of great times. We have learned to adapt our lifestyles. If I need to study, my husband uses headphones to listen to YouTube, we go to bed at the same time, and so on.

We spend a lot of time together and it has really strengthened our relationship. I remember one time we were both really mad at each other for about 5 minutes.

He was cooking dinner in the kitchen and I was sitting at the table working on my computer. And he was about two feet away from me. Looking at each other at the same time we said, “You really can’t be mad at someone in a tiny house.”

Living in a tiny house will either strengthen or strain your relationship, depending on it’s foundation. And of course if you have the right design for your lifestyle.

But regardless, we can all use some advise on keeping the romance no matter how strong your relationship is already. Here are some great ideas for those who live in a tiny house!

1. Have Your Bedroom in a Loft

Having a loft bedroom is common in tiny houses and some may see it as inconvenient. Personally, I love it. I love hearing the rain at night and feeling so cozy in my loft.

But it also feels so romantic. It is easy to dress up a loft as a romantic space. But there are lots of nights that we feel closer than ever, even without our loft being dressed up.

2. Go Camping

If you have children and need some time alone or if you are just looking to do something new, go camping. It’s cheap, simple, and a great way to get some romantic time together.

3. Send the Kids Out

You can send the kids camping outside, or over to a friend’s house. Come up with some other creative ideas to get your kids our of the house, so you can spend an evening with your spouse.

4. Buy a White Blanket and Light Some Candles

White blankets can definitely feel romantic. If you want an easy way to dress up your room, white and candles are great!

5. Go for a Walk at Night

Always, spend time outside. You can watch the fireflies, star gaze, or just spend time dreaming about your future with each other. Going for a walk is a great way to bond.

6. Have a Late Night Picnic

You will see a common theme, go outside!

7. Have Dinner on Your Roof, if it’s Flat

Do not do this if your whole roof is slanted or you do not have a safe way to get up on it.

8. Spend a Snow Day Together

These are some of our favorite days, we walk in the snow, watch a movie, and just spend the whole day together.

9. Leave Each Other Love Notes

You can leave notes around the house or in lunch boxes or backpacks, this will never get old.

10. Eat Desserts and Watch a Movie Together

Some of my favorite times with my husband is when we lay in bed eating milk and cookies and watching movies.

11. Surprise Each Other with Simple Things

This is my favorite. My husband and I do simple things for each other to always remind each other that we love them. Sometimes I wash his truck, do some of his chores, or bring him home a drink. And he does the same for me. It really is the little things that mean the most.

12. Go Somewhere New

One of the best parts about going tiny is the ability to travel, whether you can take your tiny house with you or you have extra money because you have less bills. Enjoy this opportunity to see new places.

We have had four big moves in our tiny houses and the best part has always been getting to see all the new places. Whether we drive an hour down the road to see a waterfall or we take our house on a trip to Glacier National Park, it is always romantic.

Related Questions

Can you get space from each other in a tiny house? Finding space away from each other in a tiny house varies a lot depending on your lifestyle. If you have a regular job than most of the day you are apart. If you have different hobbies or friends, these times will likely be spent apart as well. At home you will spend most of your time together, given there are not many rooms in a tiny house.

How is a tiny house different form a trailer? A tiny house is often built on a trailer as a foundation, but it is made out of different material. Typically a tiny house is built out of wood and has regular siding, unlike a trailer. However, you can convert a trailer into a tiny house as well.

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

Often we are questioned on tips for accommodating guests in a tiny house, so I wanted to put a list together for everyone. This can seem daunting with a small area! However, my husband and I have been living tiny for almost 4 years now and we want to help others understand it.

12 Tips for Accommodating Overnight Guests in a Tiny House:

1. Have a Second Loft
2. Have a Fold Out Couch
3. Have a Fold Down Table
4. Camp Outside
5. Have Instructions for Composting Toilets
6. Spend Time Outside
7. Put Extra Coats and Shoes in Storage
8. Check Your Toiletry Supplies
9. Have Enough Towels
10. Have Enough Blankets
11. Clean Out Your Fridge
12. Use Paper Plates

1. Have a Second Loft

Here is something to keep in mind when you are designing your tiny house: How often will you have guests over? Depending on the answer you may want to design a home with an additional sleeping space, or a second loft.

This loft can then be used as additional storage whenever no one is coming over. Who doesn’t need a little extra storage? Another idea, is that it can be used as a room for your pets.

Often times though you will find that people come over less often than you originally thought. We had people over every now and then before we went tiny, and much fewer after.

It did change. We have people over much less often now that we live in a tiny house, and go over to their houses instead. Plus we now have the ability to travel and move a lot. So definitely less people coming over.

You may now have the option to pull your house over to another person’s house, than sleeping situations will not be an issue.

2. Have a Fold Out Couch

If you are less likely to have people spending the night in your tiny home, but still want the option then having a fold out couch is a great idea! We had a futon in our first house, exactly for this reason.

3. Have a Fold Down Table

This is a less common idea, but you can also have your hand built table fold down into a bed, like in an RV. I have seen several tiny houses that have this. This also allows for additional storage under the seats.

4. Camp Outside

Camping is a great option that is often overlooked. Part of going tiny is the ability to enjoy more nature. If it’s nice whether you can have a camp out in your back yard.

If your guests are not fond of this idea, then you can camp out and let them stay in your bed. Either way spending more time outside is never a bad thing!

Camping can sometimes have a dirty feel associated with it. But remember you are only sleeping on a mat in a covered area. You still have a regular bathroom and kitchen just a few feet away.

My husband and I have camped a lot since we went tiny. We have lived in a tent for a couple months while he was building our second home. We still took showers, cooked, and everything else. It was very freeing.

5. Have Instructions for Composting Toilets

It is important to have instructions posted over your toilet, if it is not a regular flush toilet. This can be easily forgotten. Of course you can always explain it too.

But it may feel awkward to explain how your toilet works to someone who is not familiar with anything like it. Also, if they forget something the next day it may make for an awkward conversation.

It is best to just post some information over your toilet so anyone using it can read it, without having to ask any questions.

6. Spend Time Outside

Remember, going tiny let’s you enjoy more nature! Whenever people come over to our house, we set up some chair around a fire pit and all enjoy the outdoors.

This is especially helpful if you are feeling too cramped in your house with other people. It can always be a good idea to get out and spend time outdoors or go somewhere else, so you and your guests don’t feel suffocated.

7. Put Extra Coats and Shoes in Storage

This is another good trick that can often be overlooked. It is hard to find a good place for coats and shoes in a tiny house. You may have a few coats each hanging up, and extra shoes laying around.

Take some of these to your storage. Just keep what you will use, your guests will need a place for their coats and shoes as well! Plus this can often free up some space.

8. Check Your Toiletry Supplies

Often times we only have enough toilet paper for the week, until we go grocery shopping again. People in tiny houses don’t really over shop and buy extra items.

So this is important! Check for anything your guests may use that you do not have enough of now.

9. Have Enough Towels

My husband and I keep two towels out regularly, and maybe one or two in storage. Make sure you have enough towels for your guests to use too!

10. Have Enough Blankets

Same thing goes for blankets! If you do not have an extra bed, chances are you have not thought about having extra blankets. Check for this if you have overnight guests coming.

Also check for sheets, pillows, and pillow cases!

You can get decently nice blankets at dollar stores. Given that we have five dogs, we get new blankets about once a year, so we buy them cheap. But we still really like them!

11. Clean Out Your Fridge

Cleaning out your fridge should be something you are already doing regularly. However, if you will be cooking for other people it is a must!

We have a small fridge in our current house and I am even surprised sometimes at the amount of room I get when I throw out a few old things. This will be extremely helpful when you are buying food for more people.

12. Use Paper Plates

This is similar to checking for towels and blankets. My husband and I only keep the dishes we need in our tiny house now. If a couple of people come over we wouldn’t have enough plates and utensils.

It is a good idea to pick up some paper plates and utensils if you will not have enough dishes for everyone.

Related Questions

How do you cook for guests in a tiny house? If you are cooking for guests in a tiny house, it is always a great idea to have a cook out. Your house may be tiny, but you will have space outside. You can also cook some easy one pot meals or food you put together yourself, like tacos.

Can you let your guests sleep in your bed? Letting your guests sleep in your bed is entirely up to you and your guests. It is not uncommon for older parents to sleep in their children’s bed if there is not a better option for them. If you do not have an extra bed and your guests do not want to sleep on the couch, you can always offer them your bed.

This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.

Many people have wondered how to live in a tiny house especially when the holidays come around. My husband and I have been living tiny for four years now and I want to take some time to share with others what it is like.

So, how do you have holidays in a tiny house? There are a few ways to have holidays in a tiny house. Many people go over to other people’s houses or you can rent a room for any get togethers. Many tiny homes have room for several people to come over as well. But there are some other great ideas tiny housers use.

Living tiny has given us a different outlook on life. Many things that people worry about, we tend to find, that they are usually quite simple. Living tiny is all about getting rid of the waste in your life so you have more room for the important things, including holidays.

How to Spend Time with Family in a Tiny House

When deciding to live tiny many people are concerned about all of the little things, like what about spending time with family on the holidays. These things that seem like such a big deal now, usually end up working out.

When we first moved into a tiny house we had people over often. We had some neighbors that would come over and hang out frequently. We never had a problem with people coming over.

Our living room was large enough to hold guests. However, through out most of our lives we rarely have people over. I think for the most part people who chose to go tiny are not the type of people who like to have large parties.

Living in a tiny house attracts a certain type of people and these things tend to not be an issue for us. However, there are some option when it comes to spending time with family on the holidays.

First of all, of course, you can always go over to someone else’s house. Many people either go over to their parents’ or children’s’ house for holidays. When I was growing up we always went over to whoever had the best suited house.

This may seem trivial but a lot of times you don’t even have people over at your house. Another great option is to rent a room at a near by hotel. I know people who do this, who do not live in a tiny house.

This allows for a lot of people to gather in the same place without having to worry about cleaning or deciding on who will host it. This is a common way many people have large gatherings.

If you want people over at your house there are still options. Many tiny houses have large living rooms that can accommodate more than those who live there.

Of course this is only a concern if it is a cold holiday. Around Christmas or Thanksgiving you can still have several people come over to your tiny house. But, you will not likely be able to have a lot of people over.

However, on warmer holidays like Fourth of July and Labor Day, you can have a lot more people over. One of the features of a tiny house is being able to spend more time outside.

Since living tiny we have been able to take our home on trips and overall spend a lot more time enjoying nature. There is plenty of room outside of your home for people to come over for cook outs or bonfires.

When we got married we had a lot of family come over to our tiny house. At the time we were living in a container home and it was 280 square feet. But there were no problems because we all sat outside around a fire.

Living tiny has so many benefits. You may not be able to through big parties of have lots of family over on Christmas, once a year. But you have everyday to enjoy all of the other positives.

How to Decorate a Tiny House for the Holidays

Decorating for holidays in a tiny house can be lots of fun. You get to use less and decorate more. For crafty people, it can be lots of fun to design specific decorations to fit your house.

For those of you who are less crafty than you can always find a lot of great ideas online. Using wall decoration is easy and space efficient in a tiny house.

A common question I get is where to put a Christmas tree. Every year we put up a small Christmas tree and I even store the same one throughout the year so I do not have to keep buying one.

It can actually be quite easy to find a place for a small tree. We usually put it on top of some storage or in the living room, depending on the space we have.

Going tiny is about making room for what is important to you and getting rid of everything that gets in the way of that. For me decorating is not a big deal, except for every year around Christmas.

We are currently living in 112 square feet and we don’t have a lot of stuff. But I have things that are important to me, like a Christmas tree. Keep what really matters to you and you will be able to find room for it.

How to Set Up the Details for Holidays in a Tiny House

There are certain parts of holidays that can be more difficult in a small space. For example, hiding presents, Easter egg hunts, and of course the food.

Of course, one of the biggest things I promote is spending time outside. You can do Easter egg hunts or Fourth of July parties in your backyard and have a lot more room.

Another thing I recommend is using your vehicle. My husband and I have our own separate vehicles and whenever I need to hide any presents I just leave them in my trunk. You have the extra space, why not use it?

Dealing with holiday food can be a little harder. You need to consider where to store it, how to make enough, and where to keep it afterwards. Let’s dive into this a little more.

How to Make Food for the Holidays

Food is a big part of all holidays. Whether it’s Cookouts for Fourth of July, Thanksgiving dinner, or literally any other celebration. Food always brings people together.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when preparing your dishes:

Preparing

• Clean out your fridge. A week or two before you know you will be cooking a lot, eat everything out of your fridge. I only buy food if I need something additional to use up what I already have. This is a good idea to do every few weeks anyway, to keep food from going bad. But planning in advance to eat everything you have, without buying more, will give you lots of space for all of the cooking.
• Plan your cooking times. If you know you will have multiple dinners around the same time then you may not want to buy everything at once. It can be harder to store food in your fridge for several big dinners at one time.
• Make a list! This may seem obvious but having a list and sticking to it will avoid buying unnecessary things that you don’t have room for anyway.

Cooking

• Buy the food as close to when you need it as possible. If you buy what you need right before you start cooking then you do not need to worry about where to keep it at all. I love doing this because I am much more excited about cooking when I just bought it.
• Plan dishes with food you already have or that you will use a lot. It is always so frustrating to have a beautiful dish that requires several ingredients you only use once. They will usually end up sitting in your fridge until they go bad. I like to look up other recipes that have these ingredients and plan those meals for the next week.

Storing

• Send leftovers with other people. In our family get togethers, we all take home a little bit of everything. This way we all have complete meals at home we can eat and we don’t get tired of just eating one thing for days.
• Pack lunches with your leftovers. We always put together meals and then eat those for lunches and dinners. Plus, at this point we have already eaten most of the food in our fridge so we have plenty of room.

Even though these steps may seem simple they go a long way in a tiny house. In general, those who live in a tiny house should practice planning out their food but especially for big get togethers.

Traveling in Your Tiny House for the Holidays

This is a big section, so I will try to cover the basics.

Traveling in your tiny house is one of the best parts of going tiny, but also takes some work. You cannot just hookup your trailer and drive away anytime.

However, in our first tiny house it usually only took us 20 minutes to be ready to drive off. It really depends on how long you have been living at that location.

One of the joys of a THOW, is the ability to move. You may live a few hours away from your family, but for a week you can live in their backyard. This can really make living tiny a fun adventure.

Personally, we love living in the middle of nowhere and getting to move and travel a lot. This is such a freedom that tiny living has afforded us. But we can always pick up and move our house.

Having the ability to take your house on vacation is one of the best feelings. You will think to your self, “Oh man, I wish I brought… Oh wait! I brought everything!”

You no longer need to pack or worry about what to bring. You just secure your house and take everything with you. If you’re tired and can’t make it as far as you thought, you can just pull over and stop for the night.

You can always stop and use the bathroom anywhere, stop and cook dinner anywhere, change your clothes anytime, the possibilities are endless. It really is the little things that you will love.

Here are the things you need to do before driving away:

• Check your tires and lug nuts. This is very important! If you do not do this you may have a wheel snap while towing it (Yes, I have seen this happen). This is standard for pulling any trailer.
• Be sure your tanks are all sealed. You may need to empty your water tank, but at least be sure it is sealed properly and ready for transport.
• Take everything off the counters and make sure it is all locked down. Don’t forget the microwave! Honestly, most things you can just set on the floor so they do not fall off. But you need to be sure that all of your cabinets are secured as well as anything that could slide, like a wood stove or even hanging lights.
• Make sure everything on the outside is secured. Check your solar panels and any outside fixtures that will stay on the outside during transport. We take our exhausts and chimneys off and store them inside during transport.
• Check lights and breaks. Always make sure these are working properly before moving your home.

Related Questions

Which cities have tiny house hotels? There are lots of places you can rent out a tiny house for the night or the week. You can find hotels on Airbnb. But currently there are houses in Draper, UT, Chattanooga, TN, Jackson Hole, WY, Leavenworth, WA, and more.

What are the best ways to have people over at your tiny house? The best way to have people come over when you live in a tiny house is by having outdoor events. Having an evening fire or a cookout leaves plenty of room for everyone.

How do you hide presents in a tiny house? Hiding presents is a fun part of many holidays, especially Christmas, but can be challenging if you live tiny. One of the best ways is by keeping them in your trunk until you are alone to wrap.