A WOMAN thought her mother had lost out when she bought a reclaimed shed, but she turned it into the perfect tiny home for her and her grandchildren.
Susie actually thought her mother was joking when she first said she was going to buy a shed four years ago.
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It was no laughing matter for her mother, who had just lost her husband and was considering downsizing.
She also wanted to be close to her grandchildren and figured she could just put the little house somewhere in their backyard, Susie explained in a YouTube video.
Susie lived in a house with a ton of land that she ended up giving to her daughter and son-in-law. Her mother managed to place the small house on the land, placing her just an arm’s length away from her loved ones.
The small 475-square-foot house has a front and back porch, and her mother built a storage room in the back of the shed.
Mom did most of the work except building the back deck.
Inside there is a large living room that looks even bigger thanks to the high ceilings.
Much of the room’s furniture is multifunctional, like a sofa bed and ottomans that double as storage cubes.
“You can never have enough storage in a small house,” Mom said.
There is a loft on each side of the house, one where the grandchildren sleep and another for storage.
Her eldest grandson was staying with her and there was enough space for both of them to live comfortably.
Susie’s mom made special rolling steps to get to the lofts, which have hidden storage beneath them.
“You unlock the wheels and undo the lock, and it rolls right into the other loft,” her mother said.
IN THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is surprisingly spacious, with a large counter, large refrigerator, dishwasher, stove and microwave.
Mom ordered all of her cabinets and drawers from The Home Depot and plans to add some open shelves.
When she first designed the kitchen, she installed a sink to maximize counter space, but she’s going to swap it out for something larger.
She hired someone to do the electrical and plumbing, but asked them to teach her how to do everything so she could do the repairs herself in the future.
“The kitchen, the way it’s laid out, is big enough for two or three people to stay in here,” Susie said.
SLEEP WELL
His room was big enough to accommodate a large bed and a closet.
Since the shed was just a shell when she bought it, she had to add all the walls and design the layout to her liking.
She put a wall in her room to have a private bathroom.
The bathroom also has a combined washing and drying machine, which does both processes.
Mom is building another cabinet in the bathroom, which will be opposite the bathtub and shower.
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.
“You did very well with the storage here,” Susie said to her mother.
Her mother said she spent about $40,000 in total on the house and all the renovations.
The warehouse only cost US$8,000 because it was repossessed, and the electrical part cost around US$5,000, its biggest expense.
Other costs included hiring people to hang the drywall, do the plumbing and build the deck.
Other than that, she did the work herself and only had to pay for the materials.
“I am really happy. I didn’t regret it for a minute,” said Susie’s mother.
“I know everyone thought I was crazy when I started… but I lost my husband right before that, and this has been wonderful therapy.”
WHERE TO BUY A TINY HOUSE
As the popularity of tiny homes has skyrocketed, many common retailers have begun selling them.
Walmart has several tiny home kits that can be used to build a tiny house similar to the one Susie’s mom has.
The Fairview Wood Shed Kit measures 12 feet by 16 feet and sells for $4,075.03.
Amazon is also selling tiny homes.
A popular option among buyers is the AMFOR small folding house.
The smallest option measures 400 square feet and is on sale for just $17,999.
The houses only need to be unfolded and expanded before moving, which can take up to 15 minutes, according to the product description.
Inside there is a kitchen and bathroom with cupboards and pre-installed plumbing, two bedrooms and a living room.
Amazon is also selling a tiny barn-style home for $4,000.
And see how a couple bought a small house for just $50,000 and now live bill-free.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
