Wondering whether to tip for furniture delivery? A calm guide to what is customary, when to give more, how to hand it over and the special cases that change things.
ToGaze covers tiny houses and off-grid living across 27 sections — the homes, the designs, the off-grid systems, the rules and the money behind them. Every section is a live feed; start with the ideas, then follow the daily coverage.
Small homes, thoughtfully designed.
Life beyond the grid — power, water, food and freedom.
From first sketch to moving in — and paying for it.
Guides, answers and tools for the tiny life.
ToGaze covers tiny houses and off-grid living — small-home ideas and designs, floor plans, off-grid power and water, building codes, costs, communities and DIY — across 27 sections.
New ideas are published regularly, and the homepage always shows the latest first.
It depends on size, build and location. Our cost guide, How Much Does a Tiny House Cost?, and the Costs & Budget section break it down.
Rules vary by place. Start with Building Codes and the State Guides for the rules where you plan to live.
Yes — thousands do. Living Off Grid and Off Grid Homes cover power, water, food and the homes built for it.
Follow ToGaze on Pinterest (@TinyHouseDesigns) for daily tiny-house ideas.
Xeriscaping with rocks and native plants, by the numbers: a 50–75% cut in outdoor water use, 3–4 inches of rock mulch over a woven barrier, 70%+ native planting...
Build a rustic log cabin bench in one afternoon: a 5–6 ft half-log seat from a 12–18″ log, ripped by chainsaw in 15–30 minutes, set 17–19″ high on...
A rustic log arbor you can build in a weekend: 4–5 ft wide, posts 3 ft deep in gravel, roses and clematis overhead — 15–25 years of service.
Log craft ideas from branches and cutoffs: tea light holders in 20 minutes, coasters, wood cookies, branch shelves and pyrography — small wood, big charm.
Log project ideas for the garden: a half-log bench, hollowed planters, raised log beds and a climbing arbor — built from free logs, finished to last.
Natural rock retaining wall, two ways: dry-stack vs mortared compared — the forces, footings, drainage and build steps that decide which wall wins.
Landscaping rock ideas, compared honestly: lava rock at $80–150 a ton, river pebbles at $40–80, slate at $120–250 — which stone suits your beds and paths.
Front yard rock landscaping for tiny homes: a 4-ft flagstone entry path, 3–4 ft foundation beds with 2–3 boulders each, solar path lights every 6–8 ft, a lawn...