We are thrilled to share our latest venture as real estate investors—a tiny house on Airbnb! It’s hard to believe that we purchased it back in 2021 and did nothing with it until now. Procrastination is a real thing, but we’re finally making progress.
Finding the perfect location for our tiny house was quite a challenge in Houston, given the abundance of HOAs and deed restrictions. However, after much searching, we managed to find a location without any HOA or deed restrictions, allowing us the freedom we needed. We proudly named our tiny house “The Fifth Wheel.”

Rehabilitation Process:

The rehab process for the tiny house turned out to be fairly straightforward. Our first task was upgrading the electrical panel of the main house to support 300 Amps, ensuring it could accommodate the tiny house’s electrical needs. Next, we connected the water and sewer of the main house to the tiny house, ensuring smooth and proper functioning.

Fortunately, we were fortunate to purchase the tiny house from a seller who took excellent care of it. The original design was so well thought out that we didn’t need to reconfigure much in terms of electrical and plumbing.

The tiny house came with a standard electrical connection like an RV, allowing us to plug it into any outlet. The plumbing was also intelligently designed, with hot water and gas heated through a regular natural gas tank that we can conveniently refill at any store. We’re excited to see how long it will last in practice.

Adding Amenities:

Midway through the rehab process, we decided to enhance the guest experience by adding a stock tank pool. However, this endeavor turned out to be more time-consuming than we anticipated. As complete newcomers to building a stock tank pool, we encountered numerous leaks before finally getting it right.

Additionally, we focused on improving the exterior of the tiny house by decking the front area and surrounding the showers with beautiful tiles. Although these tasks required careful selection and planning due to the limited space, Jenny, our talented team member, skillfully chose kitchen appliances and other amenities that save space while serving multiple functions.

One standout is a toaster that cleverly transforms into a mini oven with a simple flip.

Welcoming Guests:

Finally, the moment arrived—we listed The Fifth Wheel on Airbnb. The income generated from this venture will not only cover the mortgage and utilities but will also support my father-in-law, who is currently residing in the main house.

While we initially had reservations about the pull-out bed being too close to the floor, we decided against costly reconfigurations for now. Surprisingly, we had a great night’s sleep during our test stay, but we eagerly await guest reviews to ensure their satisfaction with this arrangement.

Conclusion:

In retrospect, our journey with The Fifth Wheel has been an exciting and fulfilling experience. The challenges we faced during the location selection, the stock tank pool installation, and even the constraints of designing for a small space have only made us more appreciative of the final result.

If you’re considering a tiny house of your own someday, we encourage you to explore the possibilities. We remember the sheer joy we felt when stumbling upon The Fifth Wheel on Facebook Marketplace, leading us to drop everything and tow it home.

For a comprehensive description and more pictures of The Fifth Wheel, please visit our Airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com/h/thefifthwheel
Happy Airbnb-ing!