"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."
~Socrates
Living large with less~Let's build a tiny house
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| Pic from the very beginning |
Hello! A quick little note for any newcomers to our Farm and Homestead blog, this is an update about our 20-year-old son Trevor, who is building (including paying for) a tiny house on our property, and this blog is to update and share where we're at with this project, what has been accomplished so far, and the money spent.
When we embarked on this journey of encouraging and aiding our son in building himself a tiny house, never in our wildest dreams did we expect it to turn out so beautiful! Quite honestly, I am envious to never have been able to do this for myself when I was young.
Trevor will be starting his adult life with no debt, in a new cozy cabin that is nicer than our main house, and it will meet all of his needs. The bonus is that he has the world's most awesome parents to help make this goal a reality and allow him space on the Homestead to place it until he is ready to sell or move it. What a lucky guy!
So without further a-do, here we go!
Where we are at with this tiny house build
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| Building a house, even a tiny one, can get messy |
Now, let's get into what has been accomplished since our last tiny house update from earlier this year on February 7, 2022. Here is a link to that blog if you would like to read it, Tiny House Major Update.
-Fairly recently, a trench was dug, the electricity and water were hooked up, and the trench (thankfully) is filled back in.
-All the drywall throughout the cabin was finally completed and the walls were textured and painted.
-The composting toilet arrived and is installed.
-I am not sure if I mentioned this already in previous blogs, but the wood floors are installed and they look lovely!
We did unfortunately have one snag in the road and that is that the water heater had an issue and ended up not working. Trevor had no choice but to order a different one, but the bright side is, that has been the only real struggle in all of this so far.
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| Here is Travis applying the wooden planks to the ceiling |
What's next?
-There will be some finishing touches such as going over the paint one more time and getting the trim around the floors and windows done, plus some other small stuff both inside and out.
-The kitchen counter needs cut, customized, and set up to hold the mini stove and sink. Once that is complete (the guys are working on that at this very moment), we can decide how we would like to design some cupboards, drawers, and cabinets.
-Some of the wooden planks have been added to the ceiling in the bathroom, kitchen, and throughout the cabin's ceilings, but Trevor ran out of planks so needs to make a trip to Home Depot for the rest to be able to finish the job.
-The bathroom ceiling was coated several times with polyurethane. Travis (Dad) chose a water based polyurethane that is less toxic.
-Next up will be purchasing a sliding door kit from Home Depot to set up and use as the bathroom door, and Trevor is almost ready to move in so I think now is the time to think about how he wants to build a sturdy ladder to his sleeping loft.
New costs and total costs so far
This part is always overwhelming to me, so I am just going to list it as best I can.
-$71.99=paint and painting supplies
-$30.71=odds and ends such as an inside drywall corner tool and an 8 ft. taped cornerbead.
- $206.88=Formica countertop and 2x4's to make the countertop.
-$153.48=more odds and ends, some PEX piping, 3/4 inches 100 foot role-the supply water line to the tiny house.
-$361.10=knotty pine edge planks for the ceiling and some misc.
-$75.00=paint coating (the polyurethane).
-$70.00=ceiling fan with light.
$160.00=for the outside wiring.
-$249.00=for a new water heater.
and the big one...drum roll please...
-$1,069.00 for the high end composting toilet!
Phew! I think I got it all, plus or minus a few things. There has been many trips to Home Depot and many FedEx and UPS deliveries happening on our hill. We have even gotten to know some of the drivers well! We are saving all the receipts from beginning to end, and I plan on making a binder for Trevor's cabin, with all the receipts, blogs, and lots of pictures of this process from beginning to end. That way, if or when he ever decides to sell or part with it, the buyers will know exactly the worth and value in it.
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| The wood planks give this tiny house a nice modern cabin feel |
Total cost altogether so far
$13,925.57!
Trevor told me as were going over all these costs, that the only things he has left to do are some trimming (which can be done when he is living in the cabin), finishing the kitchen countertop, and finish installing the wooden planks throughout to cover the ceilings. Then he will be ready to furnish and move in! (I reminded him he still needs a loft ladder, and a bathroom door would be nice, haha).
Needless to say, he is getting excited to move in and make it his own. He has worked hard on this tiny house/cabin and I think it will serve him well as he saves up his money again, concentrates on work life and/or life options, and enjoys a taste of being an independent young adult.
The skies the limit! Dream big and make it happen. Ask for help and God will provide it.
Below are some links to the tiny house videos we have made so far, and feel free to enjoy reading about all of our adventures in farming and Homesteading throughout our blog, by going to 3cornersfarm.com.
How To Build Tiny House part 1
Thanks for reading this update and may you all be happy, well, and blessed.
Amy E. Darr
3 Corners Farm
Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.
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