Ranked: 11 of the most incredible tiny homes

11 of the best micro dwellings anywhere in the world

When it comes to real estate, we've heard time and time again that bigger is better. But what could be more masterful than a tiny home designed to fulfil all your needs without wasting a single inch of space? From a floating micro-home to embrace life on the water to a state-of-the-art pod that's as sustainable as it is smart, we've ranked 11 of the very best petite properties to prove square footage isn't everything.

Take a look at the world's best tiny houses that don't compromise on anything...

All inclusions are chosen by our expert editorial team based on design, functionality and innovation. They are unavoidably subjective.

11. Movable modular cabin

The Space of Mind modular cabin was initially developed in response to the Coronavirus crisis. With people spending more time at home, the architects at Studio Puisto in Finland wanted to create a movable cabin that would redefine the idea of a home away from home. The team wanted the property to be adaptable, practical and suitable for almost any location, whether installed in a backyard or a forest clearing.

11. Movable modular cabin

The designers decided to keep the exterior of Space of Mind a blank canvas, offering the occupier the chance to transform the interior to suit their individual specifications.

The compact cabin boasts custom-made furniture, which is attached to the structure of the house via rungs, giving the residents the freedom to rearrange the floor plan as they desire. This also makes the modern cabin future-proof, so it can be modified if the owner's needs change.

11. Movable modular cabin

Covering just under 107 square feet (9.9sqm), the micro dwelling is compact but space-efficient. A pitched ceiling enhances the impression of space, while a large picture window draws plenty of sunlight inside.

Designed to be transported to any position by crane or helicopter, the house is also entirely sustainable. Formed from ecologically sourced Finnish wood, the structure can withstand even the harshest of Arctic winters without the need for insulation.

10. Sustainable smart home

Functional, environmentally friendly and integrated with smart technology, this living pod is perhaps the world's most sophisticated tiny home. Designed by Nestron in Singapore, the Cube One blends futuristic design with sustainable ideas, adding some sci-fi fun to the world of prefabricated architecture.

Designed for dense urban areas where low-cost housing is in high demand, the green home features just 254 square feet (23.6sqm) of inside space and comes with various interior design options.

10. Sustainable smart home

Prices start from around £31,000 ($40k) and the Cube One arrives fully furnished and ready for use, with built-in furniture that subtly zones areas off for sleeping, cooking and dining. However, customers can choose add-ons and finishes to make their new home perfectly suited to their needs.

High-tech as well as eco-friendly, the pod comes with built-in electric blinds, smart locks, water filter systems and motion sensor lighting.

10. Sustainable smart home

Formed from 90% recyclable construction materials, Cube One is pollution- and emission-free. Plus, thanks to its design, it’s also termite-resistant. Rooftop solar panels power the home, while its foundation-free construction means it will have minimal impact on the environment.

All units are built-to-order so can be made compliable with any local regulations. Units can be delivered anywhere in the world.

9. America's first 3D-printed house

This beautiful tiny home can be found in Austin, Texas, and is far more than it first appears. Known as Chicon House, the award-winning property was the first 3D-printed home to be built in America, making it ground-breaking as well as stunning.

Quick to assemble, affordable and resilient, it's hoped that 3D-printed homes like this one will offer an affordable housing solution for those in need.

9. America's first 3D-printed house

Taking just 24 hours to print, the pad was created by ICON, Bandd Design and New Story, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide affordable housing solutions for displaced people around the world.

The home's design was inspired by the colours of the desert and everywhere you look you can see unique textures and beautiful materials. A warm timber ceiling and plenty of glazing add warmth to this pared-back pad.

9. America's first 3D-printed house

In 2018, Chicon House was named one of the best inventions of the year by TIME magazine and it's really no wonder. Spanning just 350 square feet (32.5sqm), the compact cabin is made from a concrete composite known as Lavacrete, which can withstand extreme weather conditions and even natural disasters.

Costing just £7,700 ($10k) to construct, this revolutionary tiny home could change residential construction as we know it.

8. Custom-made crib

Beautiful and inspirational in equal measure, this custom-made miniature mansion proves that you don't need bucket-loads of space to live well. Home to Dan and Marnie Prowse, the ultra-modern tiny home lies in a leafy suburb of Sydney, Australia, and was designed to perfectly suit the needs of a family of four.

8. Custom-made crib

Designed by Chris Freeburn of Ironbark Architecture, the property stands at just 340 square feet (31.6sqm) and offers two separate bedrooms, a spacious living area, a full-sized kitchen and plenty of outdoor space.

The house came about when Dan and Marnie decided they wanted to live more simply. They had a spacious backyard at their disposal so they opted to rent out their house to finance a tiny self-build project.

8. Custom-made crib

The couple followed a less-is-more approach to the scheme, buying sparingly but investing in premium materials to create a high-quality finish. The result is a magnificent miniature crib that offers each family member privacy.

Generous high ceilings enhance the sense of space, while the lounge is multifunctional thanks to custom-built joinery and movable furnishings. The kitchen also boasts a glass hatch, which opens up to a poolside dining area.

7. Prefab floating home

The architects at Kodasema in Estonia know a thing or two about innovative housing solutions. In an attempt to tackle the country's affordable housing crisis, the team set about designing a movable tiny home that wasn't reliant on land.

The KODA Float sits on pontoons attached to the shore, enabling people to live in a harbour, on a private lake or on an urban canal. When a change of scenery is in order, the home can simply be towed to a new location.

7. Prefab floating home

Covering just 269 square feet (25sqm), the floating home boasts a living space, sleeping area, kitchen and bathroom. The organised interior means every inch of space is put to good use, while high ceilings and full-width windows allow for light-filled and airy spaces.

As well as being designed as the ultimate tiny home for everyday living, this versatile modular cabin can also be set up as a harbourside café, an artist’s studio or anything else the purchaser might desire.

7. Prefab floating home

The prefabricated house is formed from timber, glass, mineral wool and steel, making it light and easy to relocate. Finished with a plywood interior, KODA Float offers a modern, minimalist finish that is both cosy and ultra-stylish.

The exterior of the house is entirely customisable and can be crafted from a variety of materials, including timber and zinc cladding. Impressively, the home can take as little as three months to be built and delivered.

6. Tiny House Purunã

This innovative, timber-clad tiny home is situated in São Luiz do Purunã, an enclave in the state of Paraná in southern Brazil. One of the most popular residences on Airbnb, the home's exterior is defined by sleek angular lines and a floor-to-ceiling glass façade that draws in vistas of the surrounding hills and valleys. A standout feature is the roof terrace, accessed via a metal ladder, which offers an ideal spot for stargazing.

The petite property runs completely off-grid, relying on solar panels to generate its electricity, while water is provided by a spring situated on the surrounding land.

6. Tiny House Purunã

Smart space-saving design is at the heart of this compact home. The main living area is a masterclass in spatial planning, seamlessly integrating the kitchen with the sleeping zone and dining nook. In an especially ingenious move, the rattan sofa back works double-time as the footboard of the double bed, which is tucked away at the back of the room. Even the sofa can be transformed into an additional bed if needed.

Adding even more functionality to the space, a wall-mounted wooden tabletop forms a dedicated workstation, framed by a panel of three picture windows.

6. Tiny House Purunã

A front deck extends the main living space outdoors, offering an alfresco dining area when the weather allows.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the home, the minimalist bathroom combines white clapboard walls with sleek black hardware and a rich wood splashback over the vanity. The space is equipped with a walk-in shower, wash basin and composting toilet.

5. Kererū Retreat

Known as the Kererū Retreat, the remote holiday home spans less than 190 square feet (17.7sqm) and was built entirely from salvaged materials, including timber and galvanised iron. Self-sufficient by design, it boasts solar panels on its roof, a rainwater collection tank and a composting toilet.

Meanwhile, the small exterior deck is the perfect spot for stargazing and soaking up the surrounding scenery.

5. Kererū Retreat

Inside, the home's rustic theme continues with beautiful untreated wood covering the walls, ceiling and floor. There's a hand-crafted kitchen, a dining nook, a sitting area and an elevated bed platform located right next to a huge picture window. Despite its tiny interior, the house also offers a hidden bathroom and a sleeping loft, meaning it can accommodate up to four people at a time.

In 2022, the property's innovative design was recognised when it was named a DINZ Best Awards Silver Winner.

5. Kererū Retreat

This award-winning tiny home in Canterbury, New Zealand, is 100% off-grid and beautifully designed. Created by the team at Studio Well Architecture, the property incorporates locally sourced materials and a pared-back floor plan, but that doesn't stop it from being utterly dreamy.

4. Riversdale Retreat

Known as Riversdale Retreat, this architecturally designed tiny home was a finalist in Airbnb’s 2023 Host Awards – and it isn't hard to see why. The home is surrounded by native bushland in the Australian town of Chewton, but it's the residence's design and green credentials that make it truly remarkable.

4. Riversdale Retreat

Designed by architecture studio Insite, the unique property is both eco-friendly and innovative. Imbued with Japanese influences, it features a bold, cantilevered design that allows it to "sit off the land yet be immersed within it", the architects explain. Crafted with bushfire and ESD (Ecologically Sustainable Development) principles in mind, it features solar-powered hot water, a rainwater tank and powerful insulation.

4. Riversdale Retreat

What's more, it benefits from a gorgeous, modern interior with chic furnishings, wood-burning stoves, high ceilings and giant sliding screens that allow the occupant to control the interior climate. Large windows and portholes frame lovely landscape views, while its "floating decks" allow for unobstructed panorama.

The pad was also shortlisted at the World Architecture Festival Awards 2009, the High Commendation Houses Awards 2011 and the Commendation Interior Design Awards 2010.

3. Oasis model tiny home

We don't know about you but we think this is one of the most beautiful tiny homes in the world. Designed by brother-and-sister duo Ellie and Dan Madsen of Paradise Tiny Homes, the Oasis exemplifies the joys of the tiny house movement.

Based in Keaau, Hawaii, the Madsens joined forces to design and build micro-homes that truly aligned with the way their clients live. Not just practical, their tiny creations offer both freedom and comfort, without the need for compromise.

3. Oasis model tiny home

Every inch of the Oasis was designed with purpose, making the most of the available space by incorporating more of what matters and less of what doesn't.

With prices starting from £166,600 ($215k), the Oasis covers 260 square feet (24.2sqm) and boasts a soaring 14-foot (4.2m) ceiling, thanks to its clever curved roofline that was inspired by a skateboarding half-pipe. The interior is functional and stylish, with a chic colour palette of crisp white, vibrant teal and exposed timber.

3. Oasis model tiny home

Boasting a living room, a beautiful kitchen, a utility area, a stunning bathroom and a bedroom mezzanine, this petite pad has all the makings of a dream home. There's plenty of hidden storage and an abundance of glazing to allow lots of natural light inside – including two huge awning windows in the kitchen, which open up fully to create a seamless flow between inside and out.

Picture-perfect and genuinely stunning, this micro-home is anything but ordinary.

2. Dwell House

Named one of the best tiny homes of 2019 by Dwell, this stunning property can be installed in a backyard in just two weeks. Tiny home manufacturers Abodu created the pad in collaboration with Dwell and Norm Architects. The motivation behind the design was to create more housing in dense urban areas in a very short space of time.

2. Dwell House

Known as Dwell House, the 540-square-foot (50.2sqm) residence features an airy, open-plan layout with built-in storage, a full-size kitchen with premium appliances, custom-made Nanawall bi-folding glass doors and durable engineered oak floors. Stylish and filled with natural light, the property also has dimmable light fixtures for after dark.

2. Dwell House

The floor plan offers one bedroom and a full bathroom, while a heat pump will power your air conditioning unit, heater and hot water. Fully customisable, the exterior can be finished with vertical cedar siding in either a natural or black finish, while the interior can be altered to meet each customer's design needs.

High-end and highly sought-after, prices for the Dwell House start from £340,000 ($439k), not including permit fees or taxes. If this is what living tiny looks like, then we don't want to live big!

1. Contemporary glass treehouse

Designed by Cape Town-based architecture studio Malan Vorster, this spectacular treehouse is the ultimate wilderness retreat. Formed from glass and four cylindrical towers of untreated red cedar, the one-of-a-kind tiny home merges into its woodland setting. The house is built on a steep sloping plot and elevated off the ground by stilts in a bid to preserve the surrounding environment.

1. Contemporary glass treehouse

Offering a unique "pin-wheel plan layout", the treehouse's main structure comprises columns, arms and rings made from laser-cut and folded Corten steel plates, which are connected to the natural timber floors by brass bolts.

A spectacular living area and kitchen occupy the first floor of the house. A neutral palette allows the warmth of the cedar and the stunning treetop views to do all the talking, while the black lines of the furnishings echo the industrial beams that frame the windows.

1. Contemporary glass treehouse

Enclosed by a glass balustrade, the master bedroom can be found on a snug mezzanine level above the main living zone. Designed to double as a lookout platform, the suite boasts stunning vistas across the exterior landscape.

The bed frame and side table were cleverly built into the wall, creating a minimal, seamless finish that makes the most of every inch of space, while a compact but practical ensuite bathroom is tucked away in a nook behind the bed.