I built a small house for my mother with no experience – now it’s a business where houses start at $10,000 and are cheaper than a car

As the housing landscape evolves, the allure of tiny homes continues to captivate individuals seeking simplicity and affordability.

A man built his mother a small house and made a business out of it.

two

two

In 2009, Dan Louche received distressing news from his mother: her health was failing due to mold growth in their storm-damaged Florida home.

Unable to afford a new home, Louche looked for solutions. By chance, a program featuring a woman who built her own little house sparked an idea.

“I saw this and thought it would be an amazing solution,” he told Business Insider.

Despite having no formal experience, Louche, 47, embarked on the journey, inspired by his family’s contracting experience and engineering knowledge.

“So I started researching and really diving into it.

“So I went out, bought a trailer and started building that first house.

“It was never intended to be a business – it was actually just an attempt to solve my mother’s problem,” Louche said.

Louche acquired the necessary skills, leading him to establish Tiny Home Builders in 2010 with the aim of helping other people build their own tiny homes.

This suggests that Louche, a former engineer, may have made a smart business move by offering plans to aspiring builders.

Visiting his mother’s tiny house with his wife, Louche witnessed firsthand its functionality and meeting his needs, sparking one realization: he could extend this assistance to others in their quest to build their own tiny homes.

“We started providing resources to people to help them build their own homes,” he said.

“We initially started selling some of them to try to offset some of the money we spent on my mom’s house, but it ended up growing and now it’s a company.”

MAN WITH A PLAN

Louche’s company offers five plans in different sizes:

• Tiny Life
• The element
• Tiny studio
• Small retirement
• Simple life

For beginners, the company offers a design and construction guide that outlines the steps involved in building a tiny house.

Louche explained that it provides an overview of the process.

While it doesn’t include specific blueprints, it provides the essential knowledge to embark on your own building journey, he told the outlet.

Additionally, the company provides a detailed list of materials along with estimated prices, which typically range from $10,000 to $25,000, as stated in its website.

Tiny Home Builders also offers two-day intensive workshops for individuals who are eager to build their own homes but lack the necessary knowledge.

Among the preferred designs is the Tiny Living plan, priced at US$347.

This layout features a spacious family living area, bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms, available in six size variations ranging from 12 feet to 32 feet.

CHEAPER THAN A CAR

While accessibility continues to be a significant advantage, the main obstacle for small home builders has been locating adequate parking spaces.

According to Louche, regions like California are implementing legislation to promote ADUs, also known as Accessory Dwelling Units.

“That means they can be parked in anyone’s backyard,” Louche said.

“When we started, there was a lot of resistance to adoption, but we are seeing that, over time, this resistance is decreasing.”

In other news, a middle-aged couple living in northern Michigan have started documenting their tiny house journey on YouTube.

And a small house has some people saying “no way”.