I never thought I’d get the chance to build out something and make it mine, but here I am with my own tiny home. It’s taken about 6 months to get it ready enough to move in. There were set backs and catching covid—I’m okay, don’t worry—but it’s finally ready. There will still be a few cosmetic things to finish out, but the time to sell the big RV and move into the tiny house has finally come.
We started with a blank 14×32 shed. We originally planned to build from the ground up, but with the cost of lumber and the crazy wet spring, we had to order a pre-built shed to fit in with our move date. We made sure to get insulated floors, double pane windows, a nice front door and a wood stove pipe already installed. It saved us a lot of build time to buy prefabricated.
If this is what you are interested in doing, be sure to check out your local small shed builders, so you can support small business in your area. Also be sure to check zoning laws to know if you are allowed to build out a tiny home on your property. Little tip before you speak with a builder; if you go this route, you’ll need the floor thicker to support any stoves, tubs, and refrigerators you’ll be putting inside the home on top of everything else. That’s a lot of weight for the floor beams to hold, so make sure you have a good foundation.
Everything inside the home is placed and built to move. Once we get our own property, instead of living on family land, we can have the tiny home moved. The electrical and plumbing are similar to an RV. We can plug in our home. The water is heated with propane and our cooking stove uses it as well. Add in a split mini with the wood stove and we’re ready for all season living or potentially off grid too.
We’ll be living in the space very soon. One major thing to remember about propane water heaters is that you must have good ventilation and the right unit for inside the home. The wrong unit or improper venting can cause serious injury or death! Hire out for plumbing, electrical and propane installation if you do not have experience and have everything inspected by a professional, just to be safe. We received a faulty shower valve, so that set back our move-in date about a week and more plumbing work to do. *eye roll.
So what’s the skinny on costs? That’s why you’re here right? How much for this little life? How much did we spend in the middle of supply issues and record high inflation? Around $40,000. Yikes!! My poor bank account!! But, before you panic, if you could find land and a home that fits your exact needs for under 100k, wouldn’t you jump on the chance to buy it? Especially in this whacked out, overpriced market? That’s why we did this. The economy is uncertain and we want to find a way to keep moving forward towards our end goal of our own farm. All we need now is the land!
If you plan to build out your own tiny home, remember no matter how stressful it seems, it’s worth it in the end. And yes, I cried a lot during this build because, sometimes, shit happens and it’s frustrating as hell. But it’s worth it. We’ll have more financial freedoms and a steady homebase for us to return to when we go on adventures—hopefully in another smaller RV.
Stay tuned for more tiny home fun and later, starting the farm and searching for another (smaller) adventure RV! Until next time, keep them boots wandering!
With My Boots On 