I built my $20,000 tiny house in six months, starting with a $700 RV on Craigslist – people rave about the “great use of space”

A WOMAN has explained how she built her tiny 250 square foot home for just $20,000 after starting with an old trailer as a base.

As home prices remain high, many people have turned to tiny homes as an affordable option.

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Sarah explained in a Reddit post how she managed to build her dream tiny house on a shoestring budget.

At the Subreddit r/TinyHomesshe shared a photo of the tiny home on wheels, which features an elevated bedroom and a spacious living room with a sectional sofa.

There is a full kitchen, bathroom and ceiling fan to help keep you cool.

She said it was unexpected and decided to build the house after finding the trailer on Craigslist for $700.

“I traveled a few hours to pick it up. I had to get it titled, sanded, and repainted before I started building. That took a few months,” she wrote.

“I’m not going to lie. My blood, sweat and tears went into this. I would wait a few years before trying again.”

“After that I was in the best shape of my life! All my free time was spent working around the house, I gave up my personal life for that time, but it was worth it.

Sarah was renting a house at the time and the deadline to renew her lease or move was approaching.

She said the situation was “a big motivator” for her to finish the construction on time.

“I had help building some of the larger walls and doing other heavy work. I hired an electrician because I didn’t have time to figure out how it works,” she said.

“Know your own skill level and what you are capable of. I’ve always been good at building or fixing things, usually on a smaller scale, and I’m not afraid of messing up.

“Do a lot of research, read a lot of blogs, and watch a lot of DIY videos. If you’ve never built anything, I’m not sure starting to build a tiny house is the best choice, but if you invest the time and energy, who am I to to say?”

She insulated the floor, walls and ceiling to keep the heat out during the summer and keep things warm inside during the winter.

There is also a split system heating and cooling unit with thermostat to control everything easily.

Although it has been useful throughout its life, Sarah said there were some setbacks in the construction process.

“Buying used items and not researching the pros and cons, or issues to look for. Specifically the windows. I should have done my research first because I had a few leaks and spent a lot of time trying to figure out why,” she said.

After construction was complete, she moved the house to an RV park in Texas and is enjoying life.

Other Reddit users praised Sarah’s design and hard work, saying the house was a “great use of space.”

“Very good! 20 grand? You need to host a little TV show about house building! Quit that administrative job and be a TV star!” replied one person.

“This takes effort and effort, man. Happy for you!” added another.

A third person said: “Beautiful! I also built my own tiny 24ft! Just like you, I tweaked some plans, watched a lot of YouTube and did the build step by step.”

“Winter arrived before I could completely finish, so spring projects are waiting. I love seeing what determined women can do!”

INSTANT HOME

For those of us who are not as handy as Sarah, they may want to consider purchasing a small prefab home.

What is a tiny house?

Typically, tiny homes are between 100 and 400 square feet and very rarely exceed 500 square feet.

For reference, the average size of a new single-family home in 2021 was 2,273 square feet, reports Realtor.com.

Tiny houses first gained popularity after the 2008 financial crisis, when many people lost their traditional homes or could no longer afford them.

Townhouses can cost as little as $15,000 if you plan to DIY the project, but some can cost several hundred thousand dollars.

It’s important to note that tiny houses are not legal everywhere and you should check your local laws before purchasing any materials or land.

Amazon has one for sale that is delivered flat and transforms into a tiny house.

There are various sizes of AMFOR small house ranging in price between $18,000 and $20,000.

The smallest is 400 square feet, which is still larger than most tiny homes.

It has ample space for two bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and living room.

“The kitchen will be equipped with cabinets and a sink, while the bathroom will have amenities such as a shower, closet and toilet,” states the product description.

“All doors, windows, floors, internal wiring, switches, outlets and drain pipes will be installed inside the house for convenient use.”

The instructions recommended using four people for “safe installation” and stated that the house could be assembled in just 10 minutes.

Another tiny home resident detailed the costs of her two-story home, which has a monthly rent of $1,400.

A couple have shared how they managed to get out of mortgages after buying a “barndominium kit”.