Description

Tiny house community Zevenhuisjes in Oostzaan is looking for its first group of residents

Around mid-2027, a cozy, small-scale residential community for about 8 to 15 people will arise at the Dors in Oostzaan for a period of 15 years. We – the first three residents (two households) – are the initiators, together with the Minitopia foundation. Together, we are fully engaged in setting up this beautiful project!

Wanted: our future neighbors!

The community will eventually house six cottages alongside shared facilities, including a communal space to meet up. Since the initiators have already secured their spots, we are now looking for our future neighbors for the remaining four spots! This includes two move-in ready cottages for sale, and two vacant plots for your own tiny house (whether already built or yet to be constructed). We are looking for four enthusiastic people, families, or households who want to build this place with us and embark on this adventure together!

Nature and the city around the corner

Tiny house community Zevenhuisjes is located on a plot of municipal land at the Dors in Oostzaan (see Figure 1 for an impression of the layout). The site is situated right next to the nature reserve 'Het Twiske' and just 7 km from Amsterdam Central Station (see Figure 2). You can find the exact location on maps via this link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LCWAD7P5gu5Wcnrr6.

Living sustainable and independently together

The idea behind Zevenhuisjes is simple: living small, mindfully handling energy and resources, spending plenty of time outdoors, and sharing facilities and knowledge. We want to create a place where people can live independently while being part of a closely-knit, involved group.

The exact way we organize the community and the shared activities we choose to do will be shaped together with the new group. Based on our experience, we expect communal tasks and maintenance to take up about 4 hours per week on average. In the first few years, extra time will likely be needed to set up the terrain and build the community.

Only the residents left to find

An enormous amount of work has already been done. The necessary environmental studies have been completed, and we have worked hard on the design, permits, financing, and preparing the terrain. This means the first residents only need to focus on their own tiny house and the community itself. The current planning assumes that living on-site can start in mid-2027.

Who will be our new neighbors?

We are looking for four households who are incredibly excited to start something new together. We don't have a specific age or background in mind; in fact, we would love for a diverse mix of people to come together. Right now, our group consists of Xander (living solo) and Stijn and Lotte (living together). We are open to anyone joining us!

It helps if you:

• are enthusiastic about tiny house living;
• want to live mindfully regarding energy, water, and consumer goods;
• enjoy doing things yourself and learning new skills;
• are willing to invest time and energy into the community;
• love sharing knowledge, items, and skills;
• are self-reliant, yet value having good neighbors;
• are curious and engaged.

Experience with tiny houses or community living is nice to have, but definitely not a requirement. We mostly care about your enthusiasm for this lifestyle and your willingness to take shared responsibility. We are also explicitly open to people who grew up outside the Netherlands or have recently moved here and do not speak Dutch (yet).

Plenty of space for your tiny house ideas

When it comes to your cottage, a lot is possible: you can bring an existing tiny house, buy a new or existing one, purchase one of the two houses currently on-site, have one custom-built, or build one entirely yourself. As long as it complies with the spatial rules of the environmental permit and the technical regulations of the WKB / Decree on Construction Works in the Living Environment (BBL). In short, your tiny house can be a maximum of 40 m² (excluding a veranda of up to 20 m²) with a maximum height of 4.6 meters.

Additionally, a key baseline is that you are willing and able to live semi-off-grid. We will collectively flesh out the exact details of utilities like water and electricity in the coming period. Whichever option you choose, we would love to hear what your dream house looks like. We expect you to share a realistic and concrete plan with us.

Two unique turn-key houses for sale

On one of the four available spots, a beautiful turn-key tiny house will be placed that is available for purchase. A beautiful TinyTIM measuring 9 by 3 meters (27 m² with an indoor ceiling height of 2.8 meters), equipped with no less than 20 solar panels. It was designed by Faro architects in Haarlem and built in 2020 (see Figure 4). TIM stands for Timber (the house is 90% wood), Independent (it is self-sufficient), and Mobile (it can be moved on a flatbed trailer). Price excludes transport from Haarlem and installation in Oostzaan. Asking price is €145,000. For more information about the house itself, you can email tinytimoostzaan@gmail.com.

Another option is the unique Colibrie house (€185,000), see Figure 5. A truly unique opportunity if you love innovative and sustainable energy solutions! The house (40 m², one bedroom) is lightweight, built from bio-based materials, and equipped with smart technologies such as solar-control glass film, solar-thermal energy systems, and electricity/heat storage. This setup makes it possible to test and validate these technologies in practice. As the buyer of this home, you will participate in the design process, and you will periodically be asked feedback about using these smart technologies during the living phase. Data will also be used during this phase to further develop the products and open-source software for building grid-congestion-friendly homes. The house will have a grid connection of up to 4 kW and can absorb most peaks and drops in electricity consumption within its own walls. Price excludes transport from Den Bosch to Oostzaan. For more information about this house, please email post@rxdomi.eu.

Do you become our new neighbour? Apply Now!

Would you like to join us on this adventure? Send us your motivation of a maximum of two A4 pages by December 1, 2026 at the latest via tinyhouseoostzaan@gmail.com. It doesn't need to be overly formal; we simply want to get a good impression of who you are. Please make sure to include the following in your message:

• who you are: Introduce yourself/yourselves and how you want to live.
• your motivation: Why does this specific project in Oostzaan appeal to you?
• community: What does community living mean to you, what are your expectations, and how would you like to contribute to the group (e.g., handy skills or knowledge)?
• your cottage: Do you already own a tiny house (and what kind), or do you want to build, buy, or relocate one? What does your plan look like?
• and further: Anything else you would like to share with us!

Do you prefer a different format for your motivation, like a video message or something else creative? We love that! As long as the points above are covered.

Important dates:

• By December 1, 2026: deadline for submitting your motivation letter.
• December 24, 2026: you will hear from us whether you are invited for an introductory meeting.
• January 23, 2027: Meetup in Oostzaan. We value meeting face-to-face. This is your chance to view the location and meet the group.
• Around February 1, 2027: final selection of the first new residents of Zevenhuisjes!

We are looking forward to your responses!

Stijn & Lotte, Xander, and team Minitopia