tiny house tv shows guide

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I remember when the first tiny house TV shows came out. Those of us in the tiny house community were so excited, and we all planned to watch. But then, when it came time for the first show to air, we realized none of us had TVs or cable anymore!

So needless to say, it took me a while to catch up on tiny house TV shows when they finally came on streaming. I get asked about them often. Of course, after watching a few, I’ve realized not all tiny house TV shows are the same. Some make me roll my eyes a bit because they don’t quite capture the dichotomy around tiny living. Living in a tiny house is challenging, especially if you’re building your tiny home yourself. But on the flip side, the tiny life is all about simplicity and ease. It can be hard to capture an honest balance in a 30-minute program.

Some shows focus on a polished “Instagram” version of the tiny life, while others don’t quite capture the true mental and emotional benefits of a downsized lifestyle. But some tiny house TV shows really nail it. Here is my ultimate guide to the tiny house TV shows that get it right.

Terrific Tiny Homes

terrific tiny homes
Terrific Tiny Homes is a quick watch that will have you exploring the most exotic tiny homes across the globe. These tiny homes are a unique look into tiny living, from a jungle bungalow to rustic lodges and family dwellings.

With only three episodes at 20 minutes each, you can binge the whole season in an hour. Andy Barnett narrates this series, which looks at tiny homes in Hawaii, double-decker cabins, and even family-friendly tiny homes.


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Tiny House, Big Living

tiny house big living
Tiny House, Big Living has been a go-to tiny house TV show for many people. This HTGV staple, which has eight full seasons, takes viewers through the tiny living motions. From the nitty-gritty DIY aspects of building your own tiny home to the process of downsizing and preparing to live tiny, Tiny House, Big Living shows it all.

The appeal of this tiny house TV show comes from the transparency we see from the homeowners featured. These homeowners are making big decisions that lead to the tiny life—choosing to DIY their own tiny home, purging a lifetime of things for more freedom, and learning big lessons along the way. It’s a great show to explore what decisions go into choosing tiny living.


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Tiny House Hunters

tiny house hunters
Who doesn’t love a good house hunting TV show? House Hunters has been a staple show on HGTV for quite some time, and the tiny house version is just as popular. In a familiar format, home buyers look at three different properties, then decide whether they’re truly ready to take the plunge into tiny living.

As with all versions of House Hunters, the thrill from this tiny house TV show comes from seeing the variety of properties, budgets, and lifestyles featured throughout the four seasons. While Tiny House Hunters doesn’t go too far into the motivations homeowners have for going tiny, it’s a great look at tiny living options in different parts of the country.


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Tiny Luxury

tiny luxury
This tiny house TV show follows a married couple—Tyson and Michelle Speiss—and their family, owners of one tiny home building companies. In each episode of Tiny Luxury, we see the crew build a tiny house from start to finish.

The most remarkable thing about these tiny homes? Aside from the fact that they’re luxury, endlessly customizable tiny houses, they’re all built ready to hit the road, so the homeowners can live wherever they want in these THOWs. Tiny Luxury is an uplifting look at a family business focused on changing lives.


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Tiny Paradise

tiny paradise
Tiny Paradise is yet another tiny house HGTV show with a unique look at tiny living. On Tiny Paradise, couples build their dream tiny homes in dream locations—from mountains to deserts, tropical islands, and lakeside cabins.

Tiny Paradise is a great indulgent tiny house TV show to binge on. It will give you lots of tiny house design inspiration too. Who doesn’t love to see gorgeous tiny homes built in some of the most scenic locations? It’s fun to watch all these tiny homes and tiny homeowners in all their luxury work on their dream homes.


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Container Homes

container homes
Shipping container homes are not your average tiny homes! These innovative dwellings are a unique way to live tiny, and building one is not for the faint of heart. Container Homes—an HGTV show—showcases builders creating a variety of shipping container homes, from affordable tiny homes to complexes made from more than a dozen shipping containers.

What’s great about this tiny house TV show? The sheer variety of homes and the out-of-the-box thinking. Builders completely give up on traditional design when creating these homes, and it’s fun to watch and dream about what you could create with these steel boxes.


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Tiny House Hunting

tiny house hunting
Tiny House Hunting airs on FYI, an A&E Network affiliate. In this tiny house-hunting TV show, prospective homeowners are on the search for their dream tiny home. The tiny house movement offers financial freedom, a simple lifestyle, and a unique way of living on your own terms.

Tiny House Hunting is a similar format to another fan favorite, Tiny House Hunters. Narrated Tiny House Nation’s host John Weisbarth, this tiny house TV show is an excellent glimpse into tiny house real estate across the country. If you want to see what tiny living looks like in different locations, Tiny House Hunting is the show for you.


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Tiny House World

tiny house world
This FYI Network tiny house TV show is basically Tiny House Hunters goes international. The ever-popular house hunting format is seen in Tiny House World as well. House hunters look at three different properties, weigh the pros and cons, and decided which will be their new dream tiny home.

Tiny House World is a great way to get an inside look at international tiny living. Prospective homeowners look at tiny house properties all across the globe, from Paris to Australia, Ireland, and even Lisbon. Tiny House World is a quick and fun series to binge if you’re a fan of tiny homes and want a little taste of wanderlust.


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Tiny House Nation

tiny house nation
Tiny House Nation is one of the most popular tiny house TV shows available and is currently the only one on this list streaming on Netflix. Tiny House Nation follows hosts and renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin as they travel across the United States, helping singles, couples, and families construct their tiny dream homes.

What’s fun about Tiny House Nation is the variety—it’s not your typical design show. We get to see the tiny house planning, design, and construction process from start to finish and learn about the homeowners’ motivations for joining the tiny house movement. It’s a great all-around feel-good show with fun hosts, emotional reveals, and creative tiny homes!


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Treehouse Masters

treehouse masters
If you’re looking for unique homes, Treehouse Masters is the perfect place to start. Not your typical tiny house TV show, Treehouse Masters follows Pete Nelson and his band of treehouse designers, builders, carpenters, and more on their adventures in building magnificent treehouses for adventurous folks.

From whimsical to straight-up gravity-defying and jaw-dropping masterpieces, Treehouse Masters has a whopping 11 seasons to binge. While not all of these treehouses are considered tiny, this show looks at a unique alternative way to live life your own way.


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Alternative Dwellings

alternative dwellings
Alternative Dwellings is a documentary series that’s an entirely different take than other tiny house TV shows on this list, and that’s why I love it. Forrest Stevens started this YouTube series in 2016 with a tour of his own converted van, which took off with more than 40,000 views—thousands more than any of his other vlogs.

What followed was a series of over 100 episodes showing many ways to live tiny, from van life couples to houseboats, tiny houses, skoolies, and more. Alternative Dwellings is an intimate look at real-life people enjoying the freedom and adventure of their alternative lifestyles.


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While I don’t watch a ton of TV, I definitely think these shows are great choices for anyone who wants to get a feel for the tiny life (or those who want to get ideas for their own tiny house).

Your Turn!

  • What is your favorite tiny house TV show?
  • What do you think tiny house TV shows get right?
2 Comments
  1. I love Tiny House, Big Living!
    I do also enjoy Tiny Luxury and Tiny House Nation too, but THBL is hands down my favorite.

  2. Love any Tiny House shows
    Thank you

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