Tiny House Battle of Steps vs Ladder?

Whether you are a recent college graduate looking to save money, that way you can start paying off student loans instead of expensive housing costs or a retiree wanting to travel the country with your tiny house, the option for alternative housing is growing. Even families are looking to provide adventure and experiences for their kids as well as looking for alternative housing means over traditional stick-built homes. No matter where you are or what your motivation to downsize may be, many come to the same conclusion about the average tiny house, “I don’t want to climb a ladder in the middle of the night to use the bathroom!”

Cue the laughing.

We’ll wait. But if you ask any tiny house builder what questions they get most frequently, you are likely to hear responses about toilets and loft ladders.

With tiny houses averaging between 200-300 total square feet of livable space, including lofts, is it really possible to have steps or stairs inside your home? We think there is room for both options in just about any tiny home, as long as it is designed well.

The Pros for Stairs:

More Storage

Some may think the addition of stairs in a tiny house would take up too much real estate. However, if you consider each step as a drawer or cubby, cabinet or appliance housing, you have gone from worrying about square feet to creating an entire housing place for your wardrobe, books, laundry, and much more.

More Seating

With the simple addition of a seat cushion or pillow, a staircase of seven or eight steps can create a place to sit and read or even for hosting a houseful of company. This also means it will provide space for pets to lay and sun themselves in front of your windows or even a place to rotate your house plants so they can get different amounts of sunlight.

Maximum Safety

Whether it is a midnight bathroom run or just getting into bed or your loft living room, ascending up a ladder can be dangerous. Most tiny house ladders are built to be removed and stored somewhere other than their climbing location, so you have to consider the safety of hooking it in properly each time, while stairs are stationary and sturdy without ever having to be moved. This creates a place that is safe for everyone in the family, including the pets.

Ladder Positives:

Less Space:

No matter how large your tiny, space always comes at a premium. So, opting for an easy-to-store ladder means you can save upwards of 20 or more square feet of space and even make room for something like an extra appliance or closet space.

Less Weight:

If you are planning to move or tow your home, weight should be a primary priority. Heavy metal or wooden stairs can be bulky and weigh significantly more than a rolling ladder or wooden stow away.

When you are designing your tiny house, you want to consider all of your options when saving livable real estate, storage, and anything you might place in loft. Choosing the way, you navigate your loft space is an important concern. Consider the pros of adding either a ladder or stairs to your tiny home floor plan. Choosing a professional builder that can design the home around your needs is also a plus. Here at Movable Roots, we are a custom builder that works with the individual clients to figure out their likes, dislikes, must haves and what they can live without.