The Houses:  The Prairie Drifter




It looks like a cabin you would find in the wilderness, but in fact it has drifted all the way here from the prairies of Kansas. 

Arlin and Elsie met their freshmen years at University of Kansas, Arlin studying Computer Science and Elsie a degree in Math with a minor in English, they dated, graduated college and married a few years later.  After many years of working, having and raising children, they found themselves as empty nesters and with a newly inherited family farm with 40 acres of land. Arlin over the years had become addicted to HGTV and DIY, and during this time he became fixated with tiny house movement.  They moved into the old family farm with a vision of new opportunities, experiences and maybe even a tiny home.

Arlin decided in his retirement that he was going to build a tiny house, sell it and then build more.  After vacationing in Colorado in 2016, Arlin and Elsie returned home with a trailer for their tiny build. He got to work immediately going over plans and creating his own designs for tiny homes with the help of Elsie.  When they finally reached a workable plan, they moved to trailer to a friend’s land where he had a shop and access to all the tools he needed for the build. Wanting to be sure the house met code standards, Arlin signed up for NOAH (National Organization of Alternative Housing), and had the house inspected and certified when it was completed.

They displayed the house at the Home and Garden Show in Kansas City, where it was showcased and toured by more than 3000 people. After returning home, they ran into the same issues most people have after building a tiny home, zoning laws in many counties in Colorado and Kansas forbid the tiny house anywhere except in some RV parks, and even some of those wouldn’t allow it.

After several plans for placement for the home fell through, Arlin heard about Tiny Estates and reluctantly checked it out.  After reading about our vision, he emailed Abby and they began discussing plans for the house to come to TE. Arlin and Elsie were both pleased, and it wasn’t long before they rented a truck and brought the home here to be used as an investor unit. The Prairie Drifter is great addition to our other homes and is a great option for those looking for a first- floor bedroom or who are bringing a large family.  It’s charming and rustic and has a beautifully equipped kitchen and a nice view of the pond.  You would feel right at home.

They told us that how they viewed how they were going to spend their golden years has been forever changed.  Arlin said the tiny house movement has made him realize the benefits of minimal living and to focus more on the things that make you happy.

 I think Arlin got it right.  We get so caught up in world of bigger is better and our focus shifts from the small things into working harder for more material things.  It’s a cycle maybe some of us need to go through, some intended and maybe not for others, but something is happening at some point in people’s lives that is bringing them back to what it is important to them and their desire to leave the large lifestyle behind. Maybe it’s family, or traveling, or the thought of replacing a roof and spending weekends doing home maintenance and cleaning.  Where’s the fun, where’s the quality time, where do the important people in your life fit in? That’s what this tiny movement is about, fitting it all back in, putting things in place and not missing another minute of a soccer game, school play or family vacation. Bring it back to where it’s intended, not just your home, but in your heart.



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