Over the years Tiny Home Builders have worked with countless people in the tiny home community, from advocates and enthusiasts to building companies, and diy’ers, maybe even a few naysayers. They all have a unique story to share, and this is one of them. (Please look for more stories in this blog series: “The Inside Story”)
This story has been about three years in the making! Sandy and Dave reached out to us in 2020 for advice on building a tiny house. This was a new venture for them, and they were open to suggestions. They needed a trailer, a plan, and a little encouragement. We were happy to help! I was thrilled when they circled back around to let us know that the house was complete. I know you all find value in others tiny home journeys so was extremely excited to share their story with you all.
What made you decide to build a tiny house?
"Around September 2020, I convinced my husband that he wanted to build a tiny house! The pandemic helped me persuade him that we needed something to do during the upcoming winter. We live in Wisconsin, and it was going to be a long winter since travel at the time was not happening. We have a pole barn and have the ability to work on the tiny house inside during the cold months. I googled tiny house trailers and quickly learned I didn’t want to take any chances on trying to modify a trailer to support the weight of a tiny house. Therefore, we settled on ordering a 20 ft trailer from Tiny Homes Builders and decided to build their Tiny Living design."
Tell us about your home’s features.
"The house has a queen size bed in the loft. The main level has a couch, small round table, kitchen sink, cabinet, a pantry and a computer/work counter space. We also have a bathroom with shower. The plans called for a ladder to the loft, but I really wanted stairs. My son (23) made the stairs and I love them. We are still in the process of hooking up all the plumbing and electrical. We did not put an oven in the house but will get a larger air fryer/oven once we get electric. I always wanted the house to be solar powered, but the off-grid world was going to take a lot of time to research and too much money for us now. We will look at adding this in the future."
Why did you go with the 20’ Tiny Living Plan?
"We chose the plan we did for the exterior look and the ability to have sleeping quarters upstairs as well as on the main level with a comfy couch. The 20 ft plan seemed to be the most manageable while still allowing for a good-sized home. We never planned on moving around with the tiny house. I always planned on plopping it on some land “up north” Wisconsin and using it as a vacation get away. The only problem is we didn’t own any land. It was the one question friends and co-workers would ask when they found out we were building a tiny house. “Why are you building it and what are you going to do with it?” I was so tired of answering…” We are building it for fun and we will find a place to park it”. We did find a place!!! We bought 1 ½ acres of completely wooded land in northern Wisconsin in September 2022. We had to have some trees cleared and a gravel pad put down for the house. The tiny house was moved to the land in July 2023."
How was the building process?
"The build took much longer than I had expected. My husband and nephew, Ryan (24) worked many weekends to get the house framed and roofed. My son helped as well, but not as much as my nephew. My husband said the hardest part was the framing of the entire house. He does not have experience in construction, and this may be a tiny house, but it is still a HOUSE. It must be right. We had the paper plans, the book, and the videos to rely on for how to help. He even emailed Tiny Home Builders with a couple questions and always received a fast response. We would spend a lot of time watching the pre-made videos for every step. My husband obtained a lot of new tools and saws for the build which he loved purchasing. I helped prep the house for the install of the windows and my husband and I got really good at putting down the window flashing. I felt confident our windows were not going to leak and to this day I am so happy I know what goes into installing a window correctly. We also absolutely love the metal roof. Again, knowing the ice protection that is underneath the roof makes me happy that we have a long-lasting roof."
What was your favorite part?
"I couldn’t wait to design the inside. I think I had the flooring picked out long before we needed it. We chose a luxury vinyl plank floor hoping it will stand up to the cold temperatures during the winter. We ordered a modular sofa from Home Reserve. I only mention their name because if anyone needs a sofa to fit a smaller space this company allows you to order just what you need. The kitchen sink cabinet and pantry were from Home Depot. We purchased the least expensive ones and painted them black. I was nervous about how it would look, but we primed the pieces and used paint for kitchen cupboards. They turned out great! I loved the decorating part of this build and even though it took 2 ½ years to get to the interior design it was worth the wait. The entire build cost about $30,000. We were buying 2x4’s at $10 a piece at one point. The pandemic wasn’t kind to us with building prices. We could have saved money on exterior siding or the shiplap inside, but we love the end product."
Would you build another house?
"I don’t think we would take this project on again. My husband and I work full time and this project takes a lot of time. Maybe a seasoned house builder could knock this out, but not us. However, I am really proud of the job my husband, nephew, and son did. We now have a tiny vacation house surrounded by a chain of lakes with so many options for fun. I love it. I dedicate this post in memory of my sister, Sally, who spent many Saturdays at my house watching the house be built. She was not able to see the final product, but I sure hope she loves it."
Taking on such a project for a new builder is not always easy but we hope you found inspiration in Dave and Sandy's story. They had the desire and learned along the way, and I think they did an excellent job! It took them longer than expected but the home is now a source of pride and place where they can build memories with family and friends. And know that as Sandy and Dave stated, we have lots of resources to help you!