Tiny Homes for Sale in Florida: Builders We Love and Red Flags to Avoid

If you have been Googling “tiny homes for sale in Florida,”you are in luck because you are about get that much closer to your tropical tiny house dreams!

Do you love tiny houses as much as we do?

There is just something about their cozy living rooms and treehouse-like sleeping lofts that make us melt. But if you’ve ever tried to research tiny homes for sale, you’ve probably experienced a (tiny!) bit of overwhelm. With so many options out there, how do you know which builder to choose?

Luckily for you, we here at The Wayward Home live tiny ourselves, so we know how to help you sort through the pieces. And we want to give you the tools to bring your tiny home vision to life!

Are you ready? Excellent.

Let’s start with how to choose a high-quality tiny home builder.

How to choose a high-quality tiny home builder.

There are a ton of tiny homes for sale in Florida. Unfortunately, there are not a ton of good builders, so you’ll want to shop carefully. Many people think that just because they’ve built a structure of some kind, they will be good at building tiny houses. But building is not always a transferable skill!

The truth is that tiny houses have special moisture, storage, and legality considerations that traditional home builders might not be aware of. So you’ll want to find a builder who is experienced with tiny homes.

You’ll also want to find a builder who’s good at conducting business. Just because someone is a talented contractor doesn’t mean they are good at managing money or timelines. And the last thing you want to do is give a deposit to a tiny house builder who goes bankrupt before finishing your build. (Yes, that happens.) 

We’re telling you these things because we want you to be aware, but please don’t let them scare you off from living out your retirement dreams under a palm tree if that’s your thing! We just want you to stay safe, OK? Cool. And to that end, here are some red flags to avoid when shopping for a tiny house builder!

 (Pro-tip: share this article with yourself or a friend, so you can easily reference it!)

Red flags to watch out for when finding a tiny home builder in Florida

Here are a few things that are red flags!

The builder does not offer certifications. 

Certifications speak to the fact that a tiny home has been well-constructed. More specifically, they indicate that a qualified third party has reviewed the build and signed off on it. Of course, a certification can’t guarantee nothing will ever go wrong with your home (hello, homeownership!), but it will ensure you’re starting off your journey in a safe structure.

Speaking of certifications, you should know a few are out there. RVIA and NOAH are two of them. You should also be aware that different certifications have different benefits.

Only time will tell if one vs. another comes into favor as the tiny home movement progresses, but just make sure your teensy vacation cottage comes with a cert. of some kind. If your builder can’t provide one or hasn’t heard of them- run!

The builder uses 3-D renderings or stolen pictures to advertise their services.

Have you ever been to a builder’s website and sworn you’ve seen a particular tiny house advertised elsewhere? If this happens, it’s worth a Google because sometimes scammy people swipe pictures from well-known builders and try to pull them off as their own.

Sometimes these people are trying to get your personal information, or sometimes they intend to build you a knock-off version of the house in the picture. Either way, these tiny housebuilders are bad news bears.

Another thing you might see is a builder using 3-D renderings to advertise their company- be aware that these can often look like photos! 3-D renderings are not always a bad sign, but they do indicate a higher-risk situation.

This is because their use suggests the builder hasn’t actually built the house you want to buy. And who knows what will happen? Maybe they can’t build the tiny house in the picture, maybe they won’t, or maybe they will fail in trying to do so.

• Stolen pictures = Run
• Some 3-D renderings = Proceed with caution 
• Only 3-D renderings = Proceed with extreme caution. Probably best to keep looking.

Out-of-date website and social media. General lack of presence.

If a tiny house builder’s website features broken links or out-of-date information, those are bad signs. A website reflects a builder’s professionalism and attention to detail, so it’s important that these things are current and polished!

And if a builder doesn’t have a website at all, it’s definitely best to keep looking. You don’t want to be someone’s practice project!

Social media is another great way to check up on a builder. Thriving, experienced builders should have a social media presence. It doesn’t matter which platform they choose, but you’ll want to ensure that the pictures are recent, that the posts are consistent, and that the comments (from people with actual experience) are positive.

Finally, you’ll want to ensure that a builder is organized and communicative. So we’d recommend calling or sending an email to anyone you’re interested in.

Good signs include professional voicemails, promptly returned calls, official email signatures, and your questions easily answered by the person who takes your call.

The builder’s queue is too short or too long. Or they won’t tell you where you’ll be in it.

No one is talking about this, but here at The Wayward Home, we dig deep. And here is something we hope you will ask any prospective builder: where will I be in your build queue?

Here’s why this question is important. If the builder stumbles around, it may be that they don’t have anyone else lined up, and that makes us nervous- especially if they claim to have been around awhile! The other scenario is that they could have too many people lined up, which can be even worse. 

Remember how we said there can be good builders who are bad at business? Yeah. Those builders do things like accept your deposit and use the money to build a house fifty orders ahead of you. 

It’s totally normal (and a good sign!) for a builder to have a few people ahead of you in the queue. But if a tiny house builder seems eager to take your money and hesitant to give you a confident answer about where you stand, that’s a red flag.

Whew! How is everyone doing?

We know that was a lot of information about finding a builder for your tiny home in Florida, but again, don’t let these things discourage your journey. Traditional homes have their pitfalls too, so the point is to keep your eyes open as you shop for the tiny house of your dreams.

And can we just say that your dreams sound amazing?! We love tiny homes, and Florida sounds like the perfect location to enjoy a simpler lifestyle!

So will you buy land and place a park model on a solid foundation? Or purchase a VRBO unit with modern touches for your backyard in Tampa Bay? How about a tiny beach bungalow boutique?! The tiny house possibilities are endless!

OK, we know you’re here for the tiny houses.

So now that we’ve made our PSA about red flags, here are some tiny house builders who would pair well with Florida!

Movable Roots

Do us a favor and close your eyes. Can you picture the quintessential tiny home? Perfect. Now check out Movable Roots Tiny Home Builders, and voilà! Your tiny house dreams are already manifesting! 

Movable Roots is based in Melbourne, so not only are they local, but they build some of the best tiny homes for sale in Florida! If you appreciate a living space with natural light and plenty of storage space, their Cat House model could be the modern tiny home that’s perfect for your small family!

But while these houses are pretty (think sleek shapes and stainless steel appliances!) that’s not all we love about this company! Movable Roots is actually a family-owned business, and better yet, they have a ton of experience. They’ve been building Florida tiny homes since 2017!

A Movable Roots tiny house ranges in size from 20’ to 42,’ and turn-key houses start at $90k.

Their team will build you a shell, a park model, or a traditional tiny home on wheels complete with two lofts, so just tell them what you’re looking for!

Do you want to learn more? If so, you can check out Movable Roots Tiny Home Builders here! 

Wind River

Even if you’ve never heard of Wind River Tiny Homes, you’ve probably seen one of their houses on Instagram! (And we bet you clicked the heart because their homes are stunning!) If tiny houses with clean lines and large windows make you swoon, a Wind River tiny house could be the living space you’ve been looking for!

This company has put in the work, and they have tiny houses for sale only a few states away in Tennessee! So what do we like about Wind River homes? Well, for starters, they have a tiny house for everyone! 

Their Etowah tiny house model has a Scandanavian theme we can’t get enough of. Seriously, we feel calmer just looking at the pictures! But if Scandanavian accents aren’t your thing, their other tiny houses have completely different interior finishes.

Case in point: their Pingora model feels like a farmhouse, the Kubrick tiny house has a sleek Miami-loft vibe, and The Rook is basically your very own industrial speakeasy!

What makes a Wind River tiny house a good bet for Florida?

In a word: windows. Florida is humid, so ventilation is key! And we love that they prioritize large, striking windows that will bring light to your living space and allow you to enjoy the Florida sunset in style!

Do you want to learn more about Wind River Tiny Homes? You can find them here.

Mustard Seed

What’s that? You’re looking for a tiny home that’s nearby, durable, and a total show-stopper? Then you will definitely want to look into Mustard Seed Tiny Homes! Here’s what we love about them.

Mustard Seed Tiny Homes is located in Atlanta, GA, making them your next-door neighbor in Florida! And, yes! They can help arrange transportation. But now that we’ve covered logistics, can we talk about the houses?

We’re pretty sure you’ll fall in love with their marble sinks, Wolf gas ranges, and retro refrigerators.

But if those things don’t do it for you, maybe their herringbone tile patterns or downstairs bedrooms will get your attention! Seriously, Mustard Seed’s tiny homes are the stuff of Pinterest boards. And they’re durable too! One look at their gallery will tell you that they build homes to last.

If you want to learn more about Mustard Seed Tiny Homes, you can check them out here!

So what are your tiny home plans?

We love getting excited with you, so drop us a note in the comments and tell us everything! Then, be sure to save this post so you’ll know which builders to call when you’re ready to put your plans into action!

There is nothing quite as serene or blissful as a tiny home, but when you add the Florida sunshine and a palm tree? Perfection.