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GRAND RAPIDS, MI - By tiny house standards, the blue and beige shuttered cottage is big at the 2015 Cottage and Lakefront Living Show.

At just under 400 square feet to avoid being classified as a cottage, the "Kropf Island Series" has room to sleep eight, a full kitchen with an island, an 11-foot ceiling, a full bath with shower and landscaping to hide the wheels on which it rode into DeVos Place convention center.

IF YOU GO

2015 Cottage & Lakefront Living Show

The 2015 Cottage and Lakefront Living Show will be at DeVos Place convention center, 300 Monroe Ave. NW, on the following dates and times:

• Friday, March 27: 3 p.m.-9 p.m.

• Saturday, March 28: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

• Sunday, March 29: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission: $10 adults, $4 children aged 6 to 14. Kids 5 and younger are admitted free.

For more information visit www.GRCottageShow.com

It's one of two "tiny house" examples that can be found at the show, which begins at 3 p.m. Friday, March 27 and ends at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 29.

The tiny house movement has been a mainstay for Vacationland Sales, a Hopkins recreational vehicle dealership that has planted thousands of them throughout Michigan since they were first introduced in the late '90s.

Though it looks like a small house with its vinyl siding, shutters and shingle roof, Vacationland's "park model trailer" is technically a recreational vehicle. The wheels, though rarely used, keep it from being classified and taxed like a cottage or building.

Inside, every aspect of the $65,000 house is designed to maximize space and comfort. Big windows fill the living room and dining area, along with a sliding glass door that will lead to a deck or screened-in porch.

The 400-square-foot limit does not count the two sleeping lofts above the bathroom and master bedroom, as long as the ceilings stay below five feet, says John Duimstra, the Vacationland employee who was installing the park model in the northeast corner of the convention center.

Many owners, like those at Sandy Pines Resort in Hopkins, will add spend another $15,000 to $20,000 to add a screened-in patio to their unit for added space, Duimstra said.

The rights to a 3,200-square-foot lot at Sandy Pines sell for $10,000 to $100,000, depending on location, according to Gene Van Koevering, president of the 43-year-old resort.

Located three miles west of Dorr in Allegan County, Sandy Pines began as a place to haul campers and trailers, but the park model homes now occupy about 97 percent of the 2,187 sites, Van Koevering said.

For tiny home aficionados who prefer closer quarters, Richard Brown, owner of Michigan Tiny House, is towing in a 145-square-foot edition from Whitmore Lake near Ann Arbor.

"That's a fairly typical master bathroom in many homes these days," Brown said. "In a space that size, it's no problem to have a full bath, a kitchen with oven, induction cook top and microwave, a queen bed in the loft -- all the basics of any home."

Brown said he will sell the turnkey edition he is bringing to the show for $49,500, complete with rugs, linens and dishes.

The tiny house movement is just gaining traction in Michigan, said Brown, who has lived in a tiny house with his dog for the past two years. The hot spots for the movement are on the West Coast, from California to British Columbia.

Utilities also are less expensive, Brown said. Using only electricity, his highest monthly bill was $134 last winter.

Brown, an ice skating instructor, said his tiny houses can be located in a variety of settings, depending on local ordinances. His home is located in a recreational vehicle park, he said.

Living in a tiny house means choosing carefully between needs and wants, Brown said. While his wardrobe is limited because of space, he takes the time to buy higher quality clothing.

"People that take the plunge are forced to really think through what is important to them," Brown said. "Obviously, it involves letting some things go."

Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.