An Interview With Manuel Kohout, Founder & CEO of Vagabond Haven

At the forefront of the tiny house movement, Vagabond Haven is redefining modern living with a focus on nature, design, and a desire to promote sustainable, mobile, and affordable living. We’re joined by Manuel Kohout to discuss the journey behind the founding of the company and explore the unique features of their homes.


Key Takeaways:

  • Vagabond Haven pioneers sustainable tiny homes weighing under three-and-a-half tons for enhanced mobility
  • Innovative design creates spacious feel through elevated ceilings and strategic window placement
  • Customisation options range from off-grid solutions to material choices with quick delivery times
  • Houses built for year-round Scandinavian living with 5-year guarantee

What can you tell us about the founding story of your company?

It was my passion for travel and discovering new places, my eternal pursuit of freedom, but above all my deep love for nature and this beautiful but ravaged world we live in that everything started with. I wanted to create a new way of living that is better for nature, our finances and our well-being. A housing revolution with the motto “build small, live big” which I hope can free up time for other things than having to earn money to pay the rent or fill our home with yet another gadget; which gives us the opportunity to move when we want or have to and which at the same time comprises an environmentally more sustainable way of living.

Tiny houses seemed a great solution for achieving all this. Building beautiful homes also spoke to my passion for design, architecture and crafts. And so, in 2017, I built the first house for Vagabond Haven.

How would you describe your company’s mission and values?

The most important thing to us is to build beautiful and practical houses that can contribute to a more sustainable and freer lifestyle. The materials used are naturally a very important aspect, and we strive to use environmentally friendly building materials as much as possible: from the insulation made of sheep’s wool or recycled textiles, down to the environmentally friendly paints we use.

Another important aspect is mobility: most of our houses weigh under three-and-a-half tons and can thus be transported behind a car. To achieve this, we use lightweight materials, such as poplar (for the furniture) or aluminium (for the roof). Many of our customers want to live off-grid. Therefore, we also offer a whole range of off-grid solutions, from solar panels, to a rainwater harvesting system, various dry toilets, and wood, pellet, or gas stoves.

What unique approach do you bring to the industry?

One thing that I think makes our houses unique is that they feel big despite being “tiny.” We achieve this by raising the ceiling as much as possible and utilising all available space as efficiently as we can through storage and store-away solutions. We also leave wall space empty and have many big windows on all four sides.

A reaction we get often when someone steps inside is, “Oh wow, this is actually so much bigger than I thought!” This always makes us feel like we did something right.

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Are there any new technologies or materials that you are exploring?

We recently introduced a game-changing feature to our tiny houses – a detachable trailer. This upgrade not only enhances the mobility of your home but also simplifies the registration process, making it easier than ever before.

Designed by Vlemmix, Europe’s most renowned tiny house trailer producers and our partners from the start, these new trailers are as robust as always and of course perfectly suited for our tiny houses – combining stability and safety with a sleek, modern look.

What trends in tiny homes are you most excited about?

The great thing with tiny houses is that the areas of use are so incredibly many. They are a trend by just being. We get fun ideas told to us by customers every day. In addition to the most common use, as permanent living and guest house, people have used our tiny homes as mobile restaurants, art or music studios, beach houses, writer’s cottage, traveling office, digital detox cabins in the middle of nature, and much more.

They are easy to take with you and can be placed in nice places that may not be fully functional to place other houses on.

To be honest, what makes us most happy is quite simply when our tiny homes allow our customers to achieve a freer and more fulfilled life by providing them with a more affordable home that they can place somewhere on a nice spot in nature close to where they would like to live but cannot afford otherwise. Knowing they pay a fraction of the cost they would pay for a rented flat somewhere in the city compared to owning their own cosy and mobile tiny home just feels awesome every time.

Do you offer customisation options? If so, to what extent?

We offer many different models which can be totally customised both in regards to materials such as inner and outer cladding, flooring, insulation, off-grid solutions, and appliances. Furniture and colors can be picked out, too. For those having a hard time choosing, we offer a large range of ready-built models that we have designed based on the experience of all our previous orders.

Our ready-build models will be delivered within two to four weeks. Our custom-tailored orders, on the other hand, have a delivery time of about three months at the moment.

How do you address concerns about the longevity and durability of the structures, particularly in harsh climates or environments?

They are built for year round living in harsch Scandinavian conditions and nearly all of our customers use them as comfortable permanent residences in all of Europe. What we always mention to our northern customers is that our houses must be kept at a temperature of at least 5 degrees all year round. We have this requirement in order not to risk any frozen pipes and subsequent damage to the house.

In addition, the construction of a house will last longer and stay healthy if you have a more consistent room temperature and moisture content in your house.
We provide a guarantee for a period of 5 years, but our houses are built to last a lifetime.

 

Building Tomorrow’s Lifestyle: The Vagabond Haven Way

Vagabond Haven demonstrates a transformative approach to modern living through their innovative tiny home designs. Their commitment to mobility and sustainability shapes every aspect, from lightweight material selection to comprehensive off-grid solutions.

Strategic design elements create surprisingly spacious interiors while maintaining the flexibility to serve diverse purposes – from permanent residences to mobile workspaces.

The company’s dedication to customisation and durability showcases how compact living can adapt to individual needs without compromising quality. Through thoughtful engineering and Scandinavian-ready construction,

Vagabond Haven delivers affordable housing solutions that promote freedom and environmental consciousness.

Ready to embrace a life of freedom and flexibility? Browse through Vagabond Haven’s catalogue with pricing and configurations to find your perfect tiny home sanctuary.

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