800 sq ft house plans
800-square-foot house plans are the best options for singles and couples. They usually only have one or two bedrooms so as to avoid having the space feel cramped.
800-square-foot house plans allow for great, economical living without the stress associated with a bigger house.
Read More
Showing 1–12 of 45 results
800 sq ft house plans are not the biggest houses available. They’re great for individuals living by themselves. They’re also great for couples. It can still be a very reasonable amount of space to have. You won’t find 7 or 8 bedrooms in these modest creations. You can still find 800 sq ft house plans that include 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It may be enough if you occasionally have guests over. Designs of this size usually only tend to have one bedroom. They provide a great option for low-cost housing.
Despite being on the smaller side, here are some options for you to consider.
Features to consider | ||
barn | Small, with a garage | shed |
1.5 story | Log cabin | 2-story |
With 2 master suites | Timber frame | Small, 2 bedroom |
Have you have checked out the plans on this page and still not found anything that suits your needs? We encourage you to look in the sections that have marginally bigger homes. We have individual pages dedicated to homes of different sizes and styles. There is a dedicated section for either 1,000 or 1,400 square feet designs. Those are the usual upgrades couples choose after outgrowing the limitations of living on 800 square feet.
800 square feet designs may not be the biggest on the market. They can still be made with modern twists or perhaps the careful consideration of a ranch style. They aren’t the smallest you can find. You can quickly find yourself outgrowing the space in a lot of situations. Adding two family members along the way is the quickest way to outgrow this size.
800-square-foot house plans | Characteristics |
Price | $800 – $1,200 |
Characteristics | Built for efficiency |
Mistakes to avoid | Building something too small |
Typical sizes |
800-1,000 square feet on this category page
|
Features we love | The small tax bill |
An alternative style that we recommend | 2 bedroom houses |
Who is this house for?
- Young families
- Someone buying their first home
- Singles
- Investors looking for rental properties
Dog Trots
You have seen how some are built with a breezeway to the guest house. However, that’s not the only place where breezeways are used. They’re also in dogtrot blueprints. Those designs are the plans that we include on this specific page.
These are also sometimes called possum-trot or simply breezeway houses. They were especially popular during the 19th century. Their popularity somewhat continued into the early 20th century. Today’s dogtrot designs are built using more modern materials than previously.
Their design is simple. Two cabins have a breezeway between them, while the entire structure has one roof. They’re usually single-story, with the two different parts being used for different purposes. One is used as a kitchen. At the same time, the other is reserved for the bedroom. It helps in warm keep the bedroom a nicer temperature in warmer parts of the country. The breezeway area serves as a cooler space to sit in. There are 1.5-story dogtrot homes out there, although they are uncommon. The same goes for 2-story ones. Many of them were built in style similar to the farmhouse options.
They’re the symbol of southern Appalachian mountains living around their origins.
What you need to be aware of with this design
It is important to remember what you want the house to achieve for you. Whether you’re building an 800 sq ft house or a mansion, it’s the case.
When you’re building something this big, you won’t have the luxury of bigger places. You won’t be able to have a courtyard in the middle of it. We know you are aware of the reality of the matter with this size. It’s important to keep your house expectations in line with the size. You should know that it also means you will have a very hard time fitting 3 bedrooms in there. It’s simply not big enough!
800-square-foot house plans | Characteristics |
Ease of access | Yes |
Are fireplaces typical? | No |
Is it good for natural light? | Sometimes |
Are garages common | No |
Typical ceiling height | 9-foot ceilings |
Typical number of bedrooms and bathrooms | 2 & 1 |
Limitations | Little storage |
Is it a good budget option? | Yes |
Is it easy to modify? | Extremely hard |
We encourage you to be realistic about the size house design you’re building. It’s important to have realistic expectations of the square footage required if you want something bigger. It can be 4 bedrooms or 8 bedrooms for that matter. Just because you can stuff many bedrooms into a space, it does not mean you should. A certain size is necessary to be able to live there comfortably. Each room and hallway will be too small to serve their intended purposes appropriately.
Suppose you’re looking for something small because you’re operating with a narrow lot. We encourage you to check out the categories specifically made for that purpose. Yes, there’s a narrow lot category. You can find many different options with both 2 stories and 3 stories if you navigate to the right category. Those designs offer you the square footage you realistically require.
You can make things work in many ways without necessarily having a big plot of land to work with for your floor plan. Our most sincere desire is to ensure your long-term happiness with what you end up building.
Even if you’re building an 800 square feet design, there are still circumstances you should be considering. The circumstances include the intention of the space. That’s how you make sure you get what is right for you and your family.
Special factors to consider | ||
Beach | Vintage | Waterfront |
Narrow lot | Rectangle | Cabin |
Benefits:
- Easy to maintain
- Easy minimalist lifestyle
- Great for smaller lots
- Offers sustainable living
Cons:
- Not great for bulky furniture
- Creative storage solutions are needed
- Limited entertaining options
- No room to spare
2 bedrooms
When looking to build a small 800 sq ft home, the most common options include 2 bedrooms. Think about it like this. 2 bedrooms are ideal for a young couple looking to get their first house. To avoid overdoing it, you’re getting an 800 sq ft one where you will have a master bedroom. The other bedroom is used as an office. If you decide to have kids at a later stage, you will find that you’re outgrowing the square footage available. You will also need more bedrooms. 2bhk are very popular options for this amount of square footage. 1,200 square feet is usually necessary when you start wanting 3 bedrooms.
Features to include:
- Open layout
- Functional kitchen
- Adequate storage
- Efficient solutions
3 bedrooms
While it will feel tight, it is possible to squeeze 3 bedrooms into an 800 sq ft home. We promise you that you will need to be ready to make the sacrifices it involves. There’s no walk-in closet with those bedrooms. You won’t be able to fit king-size beds in them either. If you think you can live with that, go ahead. Set the search parameter to only include homes with that amount. This 3bhk is significantly rarer than their 2bhk counterparts.
Mistakes to avoid:
- Not thinking about natural light
- Ignoring function
- Ignoring your needs
- Underestimating the cost
1 bedroom designs
Suppose you are a young adult or a bachelor. We find many people enjoy these one-bedroom options. It still leaves a nice amount of space for a living room. You’ll also be able to splurge on the kitchen if you’re not stuffing another bedroom in there. Remember, the square footage still limits you. You may not build that nice and unique H-shaped retirement space with Mediterranean inspiration. You are probably building something that will serve you very well as a low-cost housing solution. Living there for more than a couple of years is perhaps not even the plan. At that point, your needs become more significant.
With 800 square feet plans, you are not building a mansion. You are building something that can serve you well. It might be for a short period or perhaps for a longer period. You won’t build any 2-story or 3-story homes with this amount of square feet. You probably won’t be able to have a 6-person family either. Still, they do serve a much-needed purpose in many instances.
Even if they’re fairly small, 800-square-foot plans come in various styles. Some of the styles you can choose from include the ones below.
Styles to consider | |
Cottage | Plantation |
Country-style | Mediterranean |
Log | Craftsman |
Loft floor plans
If you want a more modern option, getting loft-style is very popular. In that category, the most common size is 20×40 ft. These options can also serve great as a guest house. Maybe you’re not planning on using this as your main residence but rather as a detached addition. It provides your guests the opportunity to retract at their convenience. In that case, a 2-bedroom design will give you the opportunity to have guests conveniently retract at night. Having people visit will no longer feel like you’re stepping on each other’s toes all the time. It means guests can stay longer without tension running high. It may even give you the necessary space for your in-law to be welcome.
Another popular style is the Craftsman style. You’ll be able to find a lot of designs on our platform if you increase the search metrics up to 1,000 sq ft. It will suddenly open up your world to many other house styles.
You can also go to our section on duplexes. You can specify the size of the units you are looking for. Your 800 sq ft home won’t just serve you as a nice economical way to live. It can be subsidized by your desire to rent out the other unit and recoup a significant part of the investment. It’s a great option if you don’t mind other people staying on your property.