A lifestyle reset can be just what the doctor ordered to improve your quality of life. That’s precisely the case for Eric, an engineer who works from home in a small mountain town. When he decided to leave Seattle, he considered numerous tiny home alternatives before landing on a 500-square-foot round house.
“I was running the numbers and looking into costs I realized I could just spend a little more and get a permanent dwelling. I just seemed like a better investment especially because I was able to get a piece of land.”
Ultimately, Eric found Smiling Wood Yurts. They sell round house kits to build complete shells, including wall panels, rafters, roofing, and select interior finishes. Additionally, the structures meet traditional stick-framing residential codes. That means they can be permitted as permanent single-family homes in most jurisdictions. Eric chose their 25.5-foot diameter kit with 11-foot tall walls with a vaulted ceiling. It’s 18 feet tall at the highest point. As a result, the space feels much more open and spacious than a typical square or rectangular home of the same square footage.
The kit itself cost about $30,000. In the end, he spent a total of $150,000 due to all the site work, foundation, and finishing. Smiling Wood Yurts recommends budgeting for 2-3 times the cost of the kit. Eric could have saved more money if he had done slab pouring and more utility routing himself. But this required specialized equipment because of the complexities of his lot.
Fortunately, Eric bought his quarter-acre lot in the middle of his small mountain town for just $30,000. It’s a beauty too, with mountain views! Because he can walk to just about everything because he’s in the middle of his small mountain town. Close proximity to amenities was a top priority for him.
Inside Eric’s round house the layout is open yet as distinct living areas. He has basically a full-size bathroom with a closet. The pie slice shape does require some custom solutions to maximize the space, like a triangular shelving unit. Fortunately, the four-foot wall panels throughout the home do help provide more efficiency than the purely curved walls of a traditional yurt. The standing lofted bedroom also is key for making the most of his small footprint.
There’s a hard-to-describe serene feeling in round homes. As Eric describes, his house has a really nice
flow to it with excellent natural light thanks to the large skylight dome. He feels more connected to the
landscape, especially on his lot. The mountains surround the property, so the curves of the round house and his huge windows maximize the views.