Permits and law
Nothing about a tiny house project is decided by the house. The plot decides — its designation, its servicing and the use you intend. This is the subject that ends m…
Blog
Everything a European tiny house project actually turns on.
Nine subjects, written for buyers in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Each one covers what has to be decided, what it costs, and what the local authority will want to see. None of it replaces a ruling from that authority — it tells you what to ask for.
Costs and financing
The ex-works price is the number people compare. It is also the number that explains the least. Delivery, foundation, connections, unloading, planning, fees and insu…
Technology and construction
Almost everything inside a tiny house can be changed after handover. The structure, the build-up and the position of the services cannot. Those are the decisions wor…
Energy and off-grid
Off-grid is a technical question with a legal answer. The panels and the battery are the easy part; whether the authority will accept a house that is not connected t…
Transport and import
The long haul across Europe is the predictable part. What goes wrong, goes wrong in the final approach — a gate that is too narrow, a turning circle that is not ther…
Layout and interior
Small houses fail for two reasons: not enough storage, and nowhere to be alone. Both are layout problems, and both are settled on the plan before anything is built.…
Use and business model
A tiny house makes an unusually good rental unit — distinctive enough to be booked for its own sake, small enough to turn around quickly. It also sits squarely insid…
Comparison and alternatives
These four are often compared as if they were versions of the same thing. They are not — they differ in how they are classified, how long they last, and what they ar…
Operation and maintenance
A compact building forgives neglect less readily than a large one. The good news is that the list of things that genuinely need attention is short, and almost all of…
Articles
The specific questions, answered one at a time.
Tiny house foundation: screw piles, strip or slab, and how to choose.FoundationTiny house cladding: thermowood, larch or fibre cement compared.CladdingThe tiny house bathroom: what fits, what to skip, and what fails.BathroomThe tiny house kitchen: worktop, extraction and the appliances worth the space.KitchenLoft or ground floor: where to sleep in a tiny house.SleepingHeating a tiny house: heat pump, wood stove or electric compared.HeatingWater and wastewater for a tiny house: the question that decides the plot.WaterTiny house acoustics: rain on the roof, footsteps on the loft, and the neighbour.AcousticsWorking from a tiny house: the desk, the light and the connection.Home officeA tiny house with a child: what changes and what does not.FamiliesThe terrace: the room that makes a tiny house feel large.TerraceBefore you order a tiny house: the twelve things to settle first.Before you order
Guides
Country and process guides.
Thirteen detailed guides on permits, budget, customs, transport and letting across the five destination markets.
Germany: permits and site rulesPermits and lawNetherlands: Omgevingswet and OmgevingsloketPermits and lawDenmark: kommune and byggetilladelsePermits and lawLuxembourg: commune and autorisation de construirePermits and lawSwitzerland: building zone and BaubewilligungPermits and lawChoosing a plot across EuropePermits and lawThe total budget for a European projectCosts and financingPoland, Romania and Türkiye comparedComparison and alternativesPower, water and wastewater connectionsEnergy and off-gridYear-round living and climateTechnology and constructionCustoms and import from TürkiyeTransport and importTransport from Türkiye to EuropeTransport and importLetting and occupancy across EuropeUse and business model
Five destination markets
What has to be settled in each country.
The same question is answered differently in Copenhagen than in Zurich. These five points belong in every project check, whatever detail you are researching right now.
Germany
Responsible: the lower building authority of the district or independent city.
Governing plan: the Bebauungsplan, or an assessment under §34 or §35 BauGB where there is none.
Permanent living is possible where the plot lies within a built-up area or a Bebauungsplan permits residential use and the project is approved. In the outer area under §35 BauGB, living is privileged only in narrowly defined cases — the most common reason German projects fail.
Delivery from 6,800 € · On import: German VAT at 19 per cent applies on import.
Germany →Netherlands
Responsible: the municipality, through the Omgevingsloket.
Governing plan: the municipal omgevingsplan under the Environment and Planning Act.
Permanent living requires a residential function in the omgevingsplan. Many attractive sites are designated for recreation, where permanent residence is not allowed — even where it happens in practice.
Delivery from 7,600 € · On import: Dutch VAT at 21 per cent applies on import.
Netherlands →Denmark
Responsible: the kommune.
Governing plan: the lokalplan together with the zone status (byzone, sommerhusområde or landzone).
Permanent living requires a site in byzone or an equivalent designation. In sommerhusområder year-round residence is restricted in principle, and exceptions are tied to personal conditions.
Delivery from 10,500 € · On import: Danish VAT at 25 per cent applies — the highest of the five destinations.
Denmark →Luxembourg
Responsible: the commune.
Governing plan: the plan d'aménagement général (PAG) and the associated plan d'aménagement particulier (PAP).
Permanent living is possible where the PAG zone permits residential use and the autorisation de construire is granted. Because municipalities are small, practice differs noticeably from place to place.
Delivery from 7,000 € · On import: Luxembourg VAT at 17 per cent applies — the lowest of the five destinations.
Luxembourg →Switzerland
Responsible: the municipality together with the canton.
Governing plan: the municipal land-use plan and the zoning ordinance.
Permanent living is possible inside the building zone where the zone permits residential use and the Baubewilligung is granted. Outside the building zone, living is admissible only in narrowly defined exceptions — the most common reason Swiss projects fail.
Delivery from 7,900 € · On import: Swiss VAT at the standard rate of 8.1 per cent applies on import.
Switzerland →Models
Which models come into question.
Eight plans on one technical basis, 2.55 metres wide. What differs is length, layout and specification depth.
| Model | Layout | Length | Ex works |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD 1 | Panorama and loft | 8.00 m or 9.70 m | 44,900 € |
| MD 2 | Two lofts for families | 9.00 m | 52,900 € |
| MD 3 | Loft plus extra room | 8.00 m or 9.70 m | 47,900 € |
| MD 4 | Loft, room and veranda | 8.00 m or 9.00 m | 50,900 € |
| MD 5 | Compact with extra room | 8.00 m or 9.00 m | 46,900 € |
| MD 6 | Chalet with pitched roof | 8.00 m or 9.00 m | 54,900 € |
| MD 7 | Entry model | 8.00 m | 42,900 € |
| MD 8 | Compact, upgraded line | 8.00 m | 45,900 € |
Checklist
Five points before ordering.
- A written answer from the responsible authority on admissibility at the specific plot — verbal assurances do not carry a project.
- Access and unloading point, with photographs and dimensions. In practice the last hundred metres cause more trouble than the long haul.
- Servicing: the distance to power, drinking water and sewer. That distance sets one of the largest secondary items.
- Type of use and number of people. Permanent living, holidays and letting lead to different specifications of the same model.
- Budget range including foundation, connections, unloading, planning, fees and insurance — not just the ex-works price.
As of 2026-08-14. All figures are non-binding project guidance and not legal, authority, structural, energy or tax advice. Prices are ex-works indications; only a checked quotation is binding.