Is Tiny House Living Illegal in Colorado?

Posted on February 27, 2019 by blogeditor

Legal or Illegal?

The Tiny House Movement has been gaining a lot of momentum in the past couple of years. Many Coloradans are leaving the busy city life to a more quiet life in a small home. With fewer bills and material things to worry about, tiny house living might be for you. However, tiny houses are a controversial topic that begs the question: Is full time tiny house living illegal in Colorado? For some, the answer is just as controversial.

Despite the growth in the tiny house community in Colorado, is tiny house living illegal in Colorado? Technically, yes. If you have a tiny house on wheels (or THOW), Colorado considers that structure an RV. RV’s are not legal as a permanent address. Tiny house living is a legitimate means to address affordable housing problems in Colorado. However, they unfortunately have not gained widespread acceptance. A tiny house built on a foundation is legal, while a tiny house on wheels is illegal. You can still have a THOW, just not as a permanent address (in most zoning districts in Colorado). For example, in Parker, Colorado, a tiny house built on a foundation is legal despite its small floor size.

Land use codes differ by the district in the state of Colorado. If the land use code distinguishes between a THOW and one on a foundation, then the foundation option will be the legal one. For more information on tiny house living in Colorado, check out our article Build a Tiny House in Your Backyard in Colorado. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on tiny houses coming soon. If you are looking for a horse property for sale in Colorado or land for sale fit for a tiny house, contact Colorado Horse Property today!

Photo by Jessie Renée on Unsplash.

Build a Tiny House in Your Backyard in Colorado

Posted on February 26, 2019 by blogeditor

Backyard Tiny House

Do you own a house in Colorado? Need an extra space for relatives to stay? Wanting a detached home office? Looking to supplement your income by renting a space? Is your backyard large enough for a tiny house on wheels. If you answered yes to any of these questions, then there are some things you should know. There are some zoning regulations in Colorado that may effect your decision for building your backyard tiny house. Technically speaking, Colorado law does not define what a tiny house is. When it comes to zoning, tiny houses are usually considered a dwelling or an RV.

Tiny houses on wheels (or THOW, as they are known in the community) are classified as RVs in Colorado. Whether a THOW backyard tiny house is legal will depend on your local zoning regulations. Therefore, you need to carefully review the applicable zoning ordinance or talk to someone at your local planning department. Also, if this is not an option for you, try talking to a Colorado land use attorney.

Researching Tiny Houses

Colorado’s local governments individually set up zoning regulations. These development standards control the use of land in their area. These rules can be found in land use codes or zoning codes. For example, Fort Morgan’s zoning ordinance may be called “City of Fort Morgan Land Use Code.”

In other words, zoning is how land is separated into districts. Each zone has different regulations that affect land development. To determine what zone your property is in and what uses are lawful, review the appropriate land use code. The codes usually have zoning maps that shows the different zones in your area. To search through over three thousand homes and land for sale, check out Colorado Horse Property’s search page. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on tiny houses in Colorado.

Photo by Geran de Klerk on Unsplash.

20 Things To Look For When Buying A Colorado Horse Property

Posted on November 6, 2018 by blogeditor

Buying a Colorado Horse Property

(1) Be prepared. Buying a Colorado horse property will be one of the most significant decisions in your life. Colorado has seen a broad trend in horse property ownership in the last decade with people making a move out west to learn how to care for horses and build their own equine legacies. If you are looking for a horse property in the state of Colorado, contact Colorado Horse Property today. As horse-person realtors, let us be the first to tell you that not all horse properties are equal. Below is a list of things to keep in mind when searching for a horse property. For more information, check out our article What to Look for When Buying A Horse Property.

Things To Look For When Buying A Colorado Horse Property

You can also ask, how old are the existing horse stalls and buildings on the property?
What surplus buildings does the property have, such as tack rooms, feed storage, and a grooming stall? Depending on how many horses you have or how many you plan to get, this is important to know.
Do the buildings have electricity and hot water? You don’t want to buy a property without these necessities.
What percentage of the acreage is wooded vs. pasture?
Do you have any problem with flooding or standing waters?
What work has to do done in the future? Like we said, getting a horse property is a big responsibility and looking ahead a few years with the property should factor into your decisions.
Is that a bank barn, pole barn or shedrow? Know what you are getting into so that if you need to make repairs or construct your own buildings, then you will know where to start.
Does the property have proper fencing?
Are there nearby riding trails or areas on the property?
What is the composition of the area? Some soils are better than others for keeping horses.
Also, what are the accesses to vets, farriers, and trailers?
Look for farm equipment storage and parking.
Always have a severe weather plan in mind when looking into Colorado horse properties.
Evaluate the safety of existing horse stables—if the building were constructed years ago, they may need repairs to be safe and/or brought up to code.
What type of feed and tack stores are nearby?
The effect any possible zoning laws will have on your plans—not all areas are the same so make sure to bring this up with your horse-person realtor to avoid problems down the road.
Is there an adequate supply of water is on the property?
How much acreage you’ll need to accommodate each horse?
Has the property been adequately maintained over the years?

Denver Horse Properties

Posted on April 9, 2018 by blogeditor

Denver horse properties are what many people are looking into these days. Have you been looking for an equestrian property for sale? Ready to settle down or are planning on retiring soon? Denver has a lot to offer horse owners. Owning a dude ranch near Denver can give you the best of both worlds. You have the benefit of being near the city with all the venues it has to offer. But then you also have a nice, stress-free place to go home to. Looking for a Denver horse property is now easier than ever with coloradohorseproperty.com, which has over 3,500 properties listed in Colorado.

Denver Horse Properties

So, you’re looking for an equestrian property for sale. One of the reasons why you are going to want to start your search in Denver is because of the Colorado Horse Council. Located in the Denver metropolitan area, the Colorado Horse Council is a grass roots organization that connects horse owners to the horse industry in Colorado. The Council boasts an annual expo, the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo. If you missed the expo this year (March 7—March 11), then don’t worry. The Council holds many events throughout the year. Their next event is in June, The Heritage Ride.

If you are not interested in expos and horse shows, then there are many parks and riding trails near the Denver area. Chatfield State Park is only thirty minutes away from Denver. Likewise, Barr Lake State Park is thirty minutes away from Denver and even closer to the Denver International Airport if you are thinking of vacationing in the area. Cherry Creek State Park is twenty to thirty minutes away from Denver. All of these parks offer great trails for horseback riding.