Choosing the Perfect Tiny House Location

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Hey, it’s Manfred here, from The Rich Minimalist—welcome back to another episode, and thanks for tuning in as always. Today, let’s talk about maybe the most underrated part of the whole tiny house journey: picking your location. I mean, we just did a whole episode on smart storage, but you could design the slickest, most space-maximized, minimal-waste tiny house in Europe… and if you plop it down in a terrible spot, well, what’s the point? It’s like having a Porsche in a city where you can only go twenty kilometers an hour—doesn’t matter how nice the ride is.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

First thing before anything else: figure out what you want. Are you gonna rent it out, or is this just for you? Full time or just on weekends when you need to escape the boss annoying you? Or are you hoping to, I don’t know, grow your own veggies, keep a couple chickens, maybe find a community nearby that you can actually get along with? All that stuff needs to be front of mind before you even start researching land.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

And I know—everybody’s quick to talk about the “facts”: sun exposure, water, all that technical stuff. That’s super important, don’t get me wrong. But here’s the thing I don’t hear enough about: How do you feel when you step onto the land? Like, walk around, sniff the air, take in the views, listen to whatever noises there are. That gut feeling, it counts. If data says “yes” but your gut screams “run,” or maybe you can’t stop smiling for no obvious reason, pay attention. Sometimes your brain’s logic and your body’s instinct are in competition—and that’s okay. At least notice both.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Quick story—I remember wandering through this super misty hill sides in the Pyrenees, just me and these low clouds brushing the ground. I was halfway convinced this was a bad idea, because the access road looked like it had survived two world wars. No way to get a tiny house up there. And ground water was 70 meters deep. A well would be way too expensive. But I felt connected, immediately. And I had two eagles circling above the land, and I like eagles. Didn’t matter that it wasn’t perfect, or that the data spreadsheet said, “Eh, maybe look elsewhere.” Sometimes you just know. So, yeah, gut feeling gets a vote, not just a side-note.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Okay, so, moving on a little—let’s talk about some hard facts that make a location work, especially for those of us living off-grid. And I’m not exaggerating here: location is maybe the biggest variable in whether your dream turns into a smooth, independent life, or just a constant headache festival.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

The most obvious one: sunlight. Take the solar system we talked about a couple of episodes back. If you end up somewhere that’s always in shade because it “looks cozy and hidden,” great, you might need to burn candles all winter. Placement of your panels matters—sometimes you want your house in the trees for shade and tranquility, but if your roof is for solar, you better check how much sun you get. I mean, my first location preference would have been nicely protected from the winds and more shaded---But because I needed to put the solar panels on the roof I had to revise my plans and find another location. The new one is actually more open with much better views. So, now I can prepare my morning coffee overlooking a vast valley. also not bad. Sometimes a change in plans may be surprising but may hold great improvements.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Then, there’s water. And water—oh man, water can make or break you. Ideally, you’d have a well with solid groundwater. If that’s not possible, rainwater collection is next on the list, which by the way depends on how much it actually rains where you are—not just wishful thinking because you bought the “ultimate rainwater system off Instagram.” So, check the rainfall data for your location. Or, worst case, you need water delivered, but you better make sure the roads are good enough for a delivery truck to reach you. There are places where they only deliver to people buying, like, entire swimming pools at once—not really helpful for tiny house folks. My case is a mix of rainwater collection and bringing my own water in 100 liter tanks with my camper van.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

And beyond those, weather’s a big one. I always thought, “I am Austrian, Snow is cool and a necessity for us.” But heavy snow and strong winds mean your house has different maintenance demands. Throw in access—can you actually get in and out year-round?—and, you know, legality. Zoning laws, neighbors, local attitudes. Sometimes, you think you’re in paradise until you realize there’s an entire hunters’ club with their own opinion of who belongs there, but I’ll get there later.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So, yeah, it’s not just about nature and beauty. It’s this weird mix of hard facts and soft vibes. If you balance both, you don’t just survive off-grid, you actually thrive.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Let’s get a bit more nitty-gritty now. You’re out checking sites—what do you even look for? Here’s the checklist which I put together based on my own location hunting experience.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Number one—year-round sun exposure. Seems obvious, right? But so many of us fall in love with a shady grove or that perfect cluster of trees, then wonder why there’s no power. Take your phone, check sun angles throughout the year, or use those dorky apps and websites—they actually give you useful info.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Next, reliable water. water is trickier than it seems. Know where it will come from: wells, rain, nearby rivers, is it even legal to dig or catch rain where you are? Some places are surprisingly strict about that stuff, especially if the river is considered a public amenity or protected.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Then, extreme weather. Too windy, too cold, too hot, too humid, too snowy, too soggy—whatever it is, factor it in. Sheltering your house from wind is great, but that might mean moving away from the best sun spots. Compromise again—tiny living loves compromise.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Accessibility—What’s the road like in real life, not just on the sunny Saturday afternoon? Is the winter road like, “forget groceries, hope you like lentils from the tin!”?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Oh, and please, ask about zoning. It’s the least sexy topic—you’ll want to just skip it and dream about sunsets instead, but don’t. Some counties still consider tiny houses illegal for all sorts of reasons. Double check.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Here’s a practical tip—visit the site multiple times, and if you can, come in every season. What looks sunny in May might be in permanent shadow by December. Take photos, lots of them. Use Google Maps to scout the areas around, and talk to anyone you can: locals, neighbors, even grouchy old guys at the gas station. That’s real, boots-on-the-ground intel you can’t Google.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Before I picked my land, I made an effort to meet my neighbor who is a really nice guy and by now we are friends. Neighbor is relative: he lives about half a kilometer away on the other side of the hill. But anyway—he straight up warned me: "Hunters are cheeky and come right through here every hunting season, sometimes with dogs and not a care in the world about your boundaries." Good info to have before you find out the hard way, right?

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Sort of building on that last bit, let’s look at what type of site actually fits you best. Are you the type for a wooded hilltop with drama and views? Or a flat meadow that’s like, step outside and you’re mowing the lawn again? Hilltops give you light and wind protection but might make your groceries a real expedition. Being near water can sound magical—morning swims, kayaking—but maybe “magical” means a lot of bugs or the risk of flooding.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Maybe you’re drawn to tiny house communities—shared resources, people to talk to, less weird looks at the shops when you mention compost toilets. But sometimes the trade-off is less privacy. Wilderness? Yeah, romantic until you realize you haven’t talked to anyone but the trees for two weeks (some may like that, right Barbara?). Every type has their blend of pros and cons, and honestly, knowing yourself is half the game.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

Even after you choose, don’t forget small upgrades make a big difference. Like, I spent a weekend with the locals from the village clearing brush along the access road. We had dinner together that night and became friends. Now, not only was this necessary to get my tiny house up there, now also the firefighters can access the forest if there’s an emergency.

Manfred, The Rich Minimalist

So, to wrap up: picking the perfect location is all about mixing hard facts with your own vision of happiness and freedom. That’s it for this week—next episode, we’ll dig into DIY skills and take on how to actually "run your own tiny utility company” out there. Subscribe if you haven’t already and, remember, stay minimal, stay rich—Catch you outdoors!