New 56 tiny home neighborhood is underway in northwest Charlotte

You’ve probably watched “Tiny House” on HGTV. Now developer Kelvin Young has announced he is throwing the option into the mix here in Charlotte.

This type of home is rapidly growing in popularity nationwide but is as yet unavailable at any sort of scale in Charlotte. Young (aka @TheTinyHouseGuy) told the Agenda he was flabbergasted and disgusted by the lack of affordable housing in Charlotte, and he wanted to be part of the solution.

[Agenda story: 10 tiny houses you can rent near Charlotte (one’s in Plaza Midwood)]

So in 2015, he began drawing concepts for a customizable tiny house. That turned into plans for a 56-tiny home neighborhood called Keyo Park West for like-minded minimalists.

Pricing starts at $89,995 for a lot and a one-bedroom, one-bathroom 493-square-foot home.

I recently visited the model with my two children and it didn’t feel cramped. Instead, its magical floor plan and high ceilings honestly made it feel bigger than our 1,800+ square foot ranch.

Across from Paw Creek Elementary School, nestled down a steeped driveway, the grey-blue home sat atop a decked porch and was complete with windows that really seemed more like skylights. The house was full of light, complete with the top-of the-line appliances, modern light switches and Italian bathroom tiles.

Think about the nicest hotel room you’ve ever been in – that’s how the bathroom and living area felt.

The tiny house is not for everyone, but for people wanting to simplify or who simply can’t afford Charlotte’s astronomical rents, this makes financial sense.

A mortgage on a tiny house will likely run around $500 a month, compared with the $1,000+ in rent you’ll pay in most areas of Charlotte. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to do what you love, whether you make a ton of money or not – to make your home work for you, rather than you working all the time for your home?

The tiny house could be someone’s launching pad to travel wherever the wind blows or an income-generator/mother-in-law “suite” – what Mecklenburg County calls “an accessory dwelling” behind a main residence.

“This is another avenue for buyers,” Young, the developer, said. “Everyone doesn’t need to have a 1,000-2,000 square foot house. You don’t need it.”

So far, a UNC Charlotte professor, a family downsizing as they become empty nesters and a bachelor mortgage broker have traded in their stuff for a tiny house and to live simply, Young said.

Keyo is hosting a Tiny House Open House on August 19 to learn more about Young’s innovative design, perfected and polished for the launch of something big….errrrr..I mean, tiny! As Keyo Park West boasts, “Think big, live tiny.”