I started building my tiny house with just $2,000 – I have great storage space, but my entire bathroom is outside

A SOLO woman showed off her tiny DIY build that started with just $3,000.

The bathroom is outside, but what the house lacks in comfort, it makes up for in storage space.

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Sofia is a weaver who decided to build her own little house in her hometown of Bryon Bay, New South WalesAustralia.

Your initial interest in tiny houses came about due to a lack of affordable housing options in their area.

“Rent and purchase prices for land and houses were becoming out of reach,” she said in a tour of her home for the YouTube channel, Living big in a tiny house.

Sophie’s tiny house journey began with hand-drawn plans and a seed fund of $3,000 (AUD), equivalent to $2,000 (USD).

To keep costs down, she learned to work with wood and recruited friends and family to help with construction.

But the project took much longer and cost much more than she initially anticipated.

“I thought it would all be done in a year, but the reality is I was saving and working on it as the money came in.”

What is a tiny house?

Technically, a tiny house is any home measuring less than 400 square feet.

Many tiny homes are built on trailers so they can be towed anywhere, and some are converted from old school buses or vans.

Each state has its own rules about tiny homes, but generally, they are not subject to the same taxes as regular homes.

However, Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin and West Virginia have made tiny houses illegal as permanent housing.

Sophie spent a total of $80,000 (AUD) on her tiny house when it was finished, but has now lived there for more than three years.

UNIQUE SPACE

Measuring just 160 square feet, the interior is full of quirks characteristics such as windows from Gumtree, recycled materials and homemade pillows and blankets.

Her room is in the loft, accessed by a ladder that Sophie’s mother found on the side of the road.

Sophie’s house is completely off-grid, but she can still power a large oven and stove in the kitchen.

“It was important for me to live with nature and have the sun provide energy for my home,” she said.

Despite its small size, the home is packed with storage, including hidden soft-close cabinets, under-stairs drawers, and custom shelves.

Outdoors, there is a large deck with a vegetable garden and an external bathroom.

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“Initially I wanted to have an indoor bathroom,” she said.

“However, once I started building, I realized I didn’t want to be cramped in such a small space.”

Luckily, Byron Bay’s subtropical climate creates a relaxing environment for Sophie to enjoy an outdoor bath or shower.

While the lack of comfort may not be to everyone’s taste, Sophie has no intention of leaving her tiny house or moving into an indoor bathroom.

See how a couple converted a bus into a luxurious beach house for $35,000.

And check out the new tiny home community where rent is free to those who meet the eligibility criteria.