The Future of Tiny Houses in Durango

If you already live somewhere in Colorado, chances are you’re at least somewhat familiar with the concept of tiny homes. In recent years, The Centennial State has been at the forefront of the tiny house movement, which continues to fuel innovative home building practices focused on sustainability and efficiency. 

Today, buying a home in the Durango area is more expensive than ever and the idea of living in a tiny house has become much more attractive to a wide-variety of home buyers not just here in Colorado, but all over the country. 

However, because of local regulations and zoning codes in most cities across the U.S., tiny home building hasn’t quite become mainstream just yet. Here in Durango, for example, homes must be built on permanent foundations, not to mention must also have water and sewage capabilities. In addition, the price of land in a city like Durango is also relatively high compared to many other cities and towns in the state, making the idea of building a tiny home a bit less practical than in locations where vacant land isn’t at such a premium. And for developers possibly planning a tiny home community, profitability would almost be impossible because of such high land costs.  

But as home prices steadily increase, La Plata County is quickly becoming a uniquely interesting place for more tiny homes to be built, especially given second homes, guest houses, vacation properties, and rental units all have a significant impact on local market conditions. So despite the inevitable challenges tiny homes in Durango may face, finding a way to incorporate more tiny home building in our area specifically is an intriguing idea that seems to be gaining momentum as the minimalist lifestyle continues its steady upward trend.