Common Questions

If you have or are building a tiny house please take a moment to fill out this same survey – a word .doc can be downloaded HERE, please return to mizacy@gmail.com.

Basic Stats:

  • What is(are) your name(s)? Macy Miller
  • What do you do for a living? Architectural Intern
  • How many people do you/will be living in your tiny house? One to start, it is designed for two adults though with the potential for a infant…with a little more construction.
  • What part of the country do you live in? Just outside of Boise, Idaho.
  • How many square feet is your house? 196 s.f., 232 s.f. if you count the sleeping area.
  • When did you start your build? December of 2011
  • Is your house complete? Negitory
  • Have you been documenting your tiny house build and if so, where can people find that information? Yes, Here (MiniMotives.com)

Background:

  • Why did you decide to build? I was initially studying for my Architectural Registration Exams (A.R.E.s) when I realised that all the schooling I went through taught me nearly nothing about actually constructing something.  It taught all sorts of design but without that integral part of constructing I don’t feel I can be as successful at my career as I would be WITH that skill.  This build is an attempt to teach myself how to build things, and an opportunity to test out some sustainable features in a real life scenario AND, I don’t like paying rent or the idea of going into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to a bank.   
  • What was your life like before your tiny house?  Were you fairly active, have you always had ‘projects’ going on?  Were you fairly sedentary and looking for a change?  Did you tend to work too much? (This question is an effort at trying to figure out WHO gravitates to the tiny house lifestyle) I have always been a person who has ‘projects’, I had several going into this build (learn to garden, figure out how solar power REALLY works, write a thank you letter every day for a year, etc.)  and several planed for after it’s completion (go an entire year without creating more than a shoe-box full of trash to the landfill, get a Great Dane, start my own business, become a teacher etc.)  I never know which projects will come all the way to fruition, I just go as far as I can/want with each of them.  I learn best by trying things out, that is the sort of person I am.
  • How did you come to hear about the movement, figure out it was right for you and and get started? I actually didn’t know it existed, I had a dream one night that I lived in this tiny little house that had everything I needed and nothing that I didn’t… I got obsessed with the idea and started Googling things looking for other examples and found this whole community of people that think the same things.  This community has been the most open and friendly people I’ve ever ‘met’.  It really is amazing to meet people with common interests, our friendships span the country.  Once I started talking to people who were curious about the same things as me I got more confident it IS possible and that it IS the right path for me.
  • What is/was your design inspiration?  I love designing, form fascinates me, to me this project has two far more important factors  though that drive my design, cost and weight.  My goal was to build this with one years worth of rent money and because it is on the bed of a trailer I have to keep the weight minimal, THEN I get to design around that.  My house is 100% my style and 100% my original idea/design.

Technical:

  • How do/did you find the time to work on your house with a job, kid(s), relationships, AND building a house?  Did you do anything special to keep the balance?  OMG, I have no idea.  I am currently working one full-time job, one part-time job, chairing a committee and acting as the president of a local Leadership group.  I try to fit ‘building my own house’ in there however I can.  I have definitely bitten off more than I can chew and I have to admit my friendships are suffering because of it.  I have really had to prioritize, I make time for my boyfriend and my family whenever I can, I try to stay balanced by having at least one family night/night off per week, my family plays trivia at a local pub on Tuesdays, that helps me stay grounded.  I think it is necessary to maintain those relationships and not let your whole life become about building, no matter the timelines and goals you set.
  • Have you run into any problems with your local codes? How did you solve them? I have not yet, I fully intend on running into code issues and disputing them… I want to maintain an urban lifestyle with my house.
  • Where did you get the tools that you use?  Were they yours, borrowed, rented etc.? I am very fortunate to have a family who likes to collect tools.  They literally have three different tools for any job you might have.  If my dad doesn’t have something my brother will.  Except a truck to move the house… which I will have to pay a tow truck to do.
  • How long did (are you expecting) construction to take? I expected, naively, for construction to take 6-8 months, I am now in my 10th month and hoping to get done in the next 2 months, realistically though it will probably be closer to 4 more months… 
  • Have you/were you able to stay on schedule?  Ha!  At times, overall…. not even close! 🙂
  • What is/was the most time consuming portion of your build?  I am using recycled pallets for siding, in order to do this I have to disassemble the pallets, plain them down, cut them to vertical size and then measure each one to cut it to horizontal size… it was known from the start it would take a while… and it is.
  • What is/was the most limiting factor for your build? I am REALLY fortunate to have worked myself into a situation where I have nearly no limiting factors.   I have always been really good at saving money so I had cash in hand, I don’t HAVE to work on a tight schedule, though I should probably work on one a little faster… I have all the tools I need and more and a place to stay while I build.   I suppose that makes my limiting factor hours in the day and having over-committed myself to other things.
  • Is your house on a trailer? If yes, how do you attach to the trailer? How do you move your tiny house? (Do you have a truck, do you hire it done?) Yes it is.  I painstakingly drilled 180 3/8″ holes through the steel frame in order to incorporate my floor system in with the steel deck.  I did this as opposed to just bolting the floor onto the deck because my trailer is taller than most and I wanted enough insulation in the floor to reflect my radiant floor heat back into my house.  If I had not done this my, already 30″ high front door would have been closer to 40″ and the height requirements would have been pushed to the DMV limits.  I will have to pay a tow truck to relocate my house for me.
  • Do you have accessory houses/dwellings that you use to supplement storage/working/living? I do not though I do plan on eventually building a shop to run a business out of, mostly to house various tools.  I also plan on building a greenhouse (possibly incorporated into my tiny house) AND a chicken coop (possibly incorporated into my tiny house).
  • Where did you get your plans?  I created my plans from scratch.
  • Have you consulted any ‘professionals’? (structural, mechanical, plumbing, design etc.)? I have not, I have intended to at points but then I worked through issues on my own.  I DO however have my dad who is a licensed plumber, he has done all of the plumbing for me.
  • Are you insuring your house?  With who?  I am not, when this is done I will have invested approximately $10,000 plus my belongings, none of which are life altering (I have not always felt this way, I have drastically minimalized my life over the last 2 years), I don’t feel it is worth the risk to pay someone a bunch of money in case something happens to stuff that holds relatively little value to me.  I suppose I would feel differently if we were talking about 40-50k but I am willing to risk it without insurance.
  • Have you been using any sponsorships to help fund your house?  How do you go about finding that sponsorship? I have had several sponsors, most of which I just talked with about the project and they offered up a product, some of which I will be calling directly to approach about sponsoring.

Specifics:

  • What sort of items do you have for cooking? I will have a recycled, 4-burner, small oven 100% gas stove from an old camper and a microwave, as well as a BBQ on my patio :).
  • Are you tied to the power grid or are you off grid? I will initially be tied to the power grid with the long term goal of being able to be off the grid.  I have designed a closet in the initial design for my electrical components including solar batteries.
  • Are you going to have a washer and/or dryer? Yes, I will have a combined washer and dryer unit in my kitchen.
  • Where does your water come from? I will have a plain old hose hook-up (all potable water in Boise) which will be run through a filtration system and an on-demand, propane water heater system to my two sinks (kitchen and bathroom) as well as my shower.
  • What kind of toilet are you going to have? I have purchased a composting toilet so that it will be easier for me to find an urban location to park. 
  • What do you use for a heat source if anything? I have an under floor electric radiant heat system (under tile for thermal mass).  This system will not work once I am off-grid so any number of other heat sources will be used.
  • What are some of the space savings tricks you used? I have incorporated every single ‘dead space’ as storage.  The steps leading to my bed will have drawers, the space above my pantry is sunken to have storage, behinde my fridge is more storage, I have built in book shelves and I have plenty of cupboards and space under my bed for storage.  I have opted to leave open shelving in the kitchen to make it feel ‘bigger’ and more open but will be using shelving that maximizes the amount of storage space available.
  • What do you have for insulation? I am using 4″ of rigid, closed cell insulation in the walls and ceiling adding up to an R-20 in those assemblies.  The floor has 6″ plus a radiant barrier and an airspace, adding up to an R-42 in that assembly.
  • Where are you planning to park your tiny house? I am not certain as of yet, my goal is to find a place downtown to park.

Personal:

  • How much will/did your tiny house cost? I have been aiming for a number between 10-12k, I am easily on track for that number so far.
  • What is/was the most expensive part of your house? My composting toilet – $2,000
  • ‘Best’ injury story (worst injury)? Breaking my heel and back falling off the roof, taking the tip of my dads finger off, stepping on a rusty nail, hammering my ring finger pretty good… and a few misc, other ones.
  • What has been your biggest accomplishment with your tiny house? POWER!!!  Wiring the house was my biggest scariest thing, I felt SO proud once that was done successfully, by me!
  • What is/will be the biggest benefit to living in a tiny house? Paying $93 a month in bills, TOTAL! (cell phone included!)
  • Is there anything you’ll miss about living in a standard house?  What will you miss the most? A bath tub, I rarely take baths but I am sure there will be a night or two that I miss having that option… but with all the money I save I could rent  a hotel room with a jetted tub!
  • What has been the scariest part about building your own house? The fact it may all fall over and be ‘all for not!’  I am confident that won’t happen but I’m not sure I could stop myself from having a stroke the first time I go to move it.
  • If you could change one thing about your house what would it be? It seems too big honestly, I may have been better off to try to find a smaller trailer – I have a 24′ flatbed goose-neck with a 5′ dovetail.  The entire trailer is approximately 35 feet from hitch to end.
  • Did you have cash in hand to complete your build, pay as you go or take out a loan to construct your house?  I was able to save enough money to pay with cash outright.
  • Have friends and family been skeptical or supportive of your ideas?  Surprisingly I have not had a single friend or family member be skeptical, at least to my face :).  I am very fortunate to have very supportive friends and family members!
  • Is there anything else you would want other people to know about your house and build? I have really tried to push the boundaries of how a tiny house can look/be, I have incorporated a rain-screen wall system, TPO Roofing system, radiant barrier, and even a green roof system – without all the weight.  I have fallen in love with the entire tiny house concept and will definitely be using this amazing adventure in my future life endeavors.  I really encourage people to give it a go if you’re curious, push your comfort level, find a way to make it happen rather than reasons that it can’t.  I am so grateful for everyone who is reading this.  You have all encourage me!  Thank you!

 

57 Comments

  1. Macy, if you’re ever looking for something to blog about, I would love to read a post from you on why you think your trailer may be too big! I’d especially love to hear how you feel after you move in, and get your stuff inside, and start living in it!

    One of the things I really like about your design is that it feels big enough to live in, long term. While I think the 18′ tiny houses are darling, and I can imagine living there for a while – I personally couldn’t imagine a house that size as a forever home. Your house on the other hand? I can definitely imagine someone living there comfortably for a very long time!

    1. That is a great idea! I should probably wait until I am in it to really tell, I have a lot of mill-work that is yet to go in, that may make it feel closer tot he right size :). Thank you so much for flattering me with your kind words as always!! I don’t suppose you would be interested in filling out your answers to the same questions and sending them my way would you? I will get them posted up under my ‘tinyhousers’ tab. 🙂

      1. Hello Macy! I cannot tell you how excited I was to come across your wildly interesting story, as written at Viralnova Dec 2013, and posted on facebook by someone I am following. I was and am hooked! I find the entire notion inspiring, and believe me (I am a woman desperately in need of inspiration these days being a new divorcee myself). Anyway, my question is related to the post just above, from cherylspelts September 26, 2012 at 8:43 PM. She questioned whether living in a small dwelling like yours would be conceivable long term. I am very interested in your thoughts on this. You hadn’t responded to that part of her post. So, I will be waiting anxiously for your response. Thank you very, very much in advance for your time. You Rock Lady!

        Dina

        1. Hi Dina!
          I definitely feel like this home could be a long term situation for the person or couple with the right circumstances. As I am having a kiddo in a month or so I have a three year plan before moving into something a bit bigger (still small but bigger) so that my daughter can have her own space when she needs to start learning independance. My house is a bit bigger than a good portion of tiny houses, I think that is what Cheryl was referring to. To answer that I still feel like I could get away with a 20′-0″ trailer rather than a 24′-0″ trailer pretty painlessly :). During that time I believe I will keep the house as a rental property but I am open to other ideas as well :).
          I think the tiny house concept is great for empty nesters as well, there are a lot of folks living in them after their kids leave home very happily!

  2. Congratulations on your accomplishments to date. Do you have a sketch of the floor plan for those of us who have a heard time with those bug eye distorted photo’s? And, is your trailer length the maximum or could you have gone longer (provided your hauler has the licenseing req’d to move it). I have lived in a 395 sq ft home VERY sucessfully. But under 200 would be too hard if you have 4 season weather. Thank you for your time, I read about all your committments – I know you have very little free time!

    1. Hi Sandy, thanks so much for the comment, I do have a plan under the design tab to the left (http://minimotives.com/the-design/). The trailer length is the least limiting factor, for Idaho at least, I think I could go up to almost twice as long actually but it is more than plenty as it is. I have a link to the various trailer requirements listed by state under my helpful links, here http://minimotives.com/helpful-links/, I think its called towing restrictions or something, that stuff goes per state so i found that to be a really helpful document when preparing for this. My trailer is 24′ with a 5′ dovetail which is my porch, and then my bed sits above the goose-neck which is about 4 foot longer. The entire interior part is about 29′ long with an extra 5 foot porch off the end. I am excited to see how well the four seasons go, we definitely get all four here. It was a trick to get enough insulation in there and windows for light without letting too much cold in in the winter, i am confident it will work well! Way to go for living under 400 s.f. That seems about perfect to me! Thanks so much for the comment, I love hearing from people! It pushes me further for sure! Have a great week Sandy!

  3. How does your electrical hookup work? I see that you have a breaker box (what amperage?) that feeds the circuits inside the house, but what feeds the breaker box? It seems like an awful lot of current to be sending through a normal extension cord from a regular exterior outlet on another building.

    1. I have two separate breaker boxes, one for my radiant heat floor and one for the rest of the house. The idea being that my floor heat takes nearly 12 amps at it’s peak so it needed it’s own service so that I didn’t trip a breaker (they will trip at the plug in point rather than at my house) while drying my hair or something. The rest of the services in the house when added up won’t and don’t equal 15 amp which is a typical extensions chord capability. So, I have two extension chords in winter (because otherwise I’m not heating) which are plugged into two different breakers at the main service, currently of the house I am renting land from. The smallest panel I could get was a max of 100amps which is way more than I need but because that is fed by a standard extension chord the most power running through it is 15amps which is plenty to feed my 8 light bulbs, w/d, fridge, microwave when used, and other limited power needs like my hair curler and laptop. It has been working like a champ for 6 months now! Hope that makes sense!?

  4. Loved all the details, even including your “accidents!”….One of my neighbors builds all his small barns and sheds using recycled pallets.

    You said your windows were donated..so I’m guessing that to really make the home more energy efficient in the future, maybe consider retro fitting with a better window design that doesn’t radiate cold in and heat out! (or the reverse in summer).
    Solar doesn’t have to be limited to electric or water heating…

    You could build a low tech Solar Air Heater, using window screen in the collector for much of nothing. Only electric is for a very small fan activated by a thermostat.
    If you want a link to a site with videos leave a comment or PM for me in Facebook…
    C.

    1. Hi Artagene, thank you! Im glad you liked it. The windows are actually brand new high efficiency residential windows, they were donated by the manufacturer because they were ordered in the wrong size or color and so not used on whatever project they were mis-ordered for! It was a heck of a deal! 🙂 I have been looking into the Solar air heaters too, there are some awesome cheap/free versions! If you had a link I would love to see it! Thanks for the comment!

  5. Hi Macy:

    I was wondering what size of refrigerator you have installed in your home. Also, what brand of washer/dryer do you have installed? It looks like there isn’t much clearance for it. I was reading up on them and it says it needs certain clearances because of the heat output from drying. Have you made provisions for that.

    I absolutely love your house. I have been looking at a lot of tiny houses lately and so far yours is the only one that I have seen that seems to incorporate every possible day-to-day need. I have fallen on extremely hard times and I am considering building one of these for myself but I have no idea where to start. My first big question is, I live in Alberta, Canada where the winters are long and cold. Do you think your tiny house could withstand one of our winters? Sometimes the temperatures get to -40F and even colder with the wind chill. What type of heating do you use besides the radiant floor?

    Thanks for your help.

    1. It is an 8.1 c.f. refrigerator, I believe it is 22″x24″ footprint and only about 5′ high maybe. The washer dryer is a Summit Brand all in one unit, it was the best rated mid range unit I could find, it works well for me! I meet all of the clearances just fine on it, it is a ventless unit but it does have plenty of room on the top and bottom. It does rattle a lot while spinning, but it sits tight pretty well.
      Thank you SO much for your kind words. I know winters are hard, I think it can be done for sure, I would be most concerned about IF something went out, like if water froze for extended periods of time. We have only gotten to -4 here but my house did very well, I was warm and toasty. In my opinion it was MUCH worse in the summer when it was 112, they seem much harder to cool than heat. I definitely think it can be done, I would use spray in insulation, you could get to about an R-25 in your walls, more in your floors and ceilings. That ought to keep you plenty warm. My supplemental heat is a 1500 watt radiant heater which hasn’t been turned on constantly by any means but it has been on low anytime the weather creeps to about 20 degrees or lower outside. There are LOTS of options for heat, I really like the wood stoves, I MAY add one next winter, if I can find one I really like :). Hopefully that helps answer SOME questions.

  6. Hi again Macy:

    Did you consider solar panels at all in your build? If you were to put in a wood stove, where do you think you would put it given the clearance requirements?

    1. Hi Lori!
      I have made my house off grid compatible meaning that it is ready to be hooked up to solar whenever I want to buy the system, I have an electrical closet up front for battery storage and everything. Right now I live in a very treed over neighborhood in a city with some of the lowest power rates in the country, it doesn’t make sense for me to make that investment just yet. Eventually I’m certain it will happen though and I have planned for it! The wood stove would go next to the kitchen counter (where Denny’s food currently sits). I would have to put up some guards but I can get the 3′-0″ clearance many of the units require there.

  7. OMG Macy I have so many questions you are probably going to get sick of me. If you do just tell me to go away. 🙂 I am just so intrigued by your tiny house. I was wondering about your water heater. Did you mount it under your kitchen sink? What type/model did you install? What, if any, special electrical did you have to put on your breaker panel for it? Can you put a picture on your site of the installed water heater for reference purposes? Thanks so much as always.

    P.S. When do you plan to have the plans/book ready?

    1. I am good with questions 🙂 AND you’re asking them in the right spots, the main pages so that others who have the same can read them and get their answers. I would still answer them on some random deeper page but the ‘common questions’ page is the perfect spot! 🙂 My water heater is mounted under the kitchen sink, it JUST BARELY met the clearance requirements and was one of the only ones I found that could mount inside. It is a propane unit so there is not a lot of special electrical needed (and electrical water heater would NOT work for a potential off-grid house, they draw WAY too much power. This unit DOES have just a standard 120V plug for the started, very minimal power pulling. EccoTemp fvi 12 lp That is my exact water heater, now available for about 100 bucks cheaper than what I paid! It’s a great unit, it has its quirks which I had to work out because it’s a little different than I’m used to but once you know the differences it works wonderfully!
      Water Heater Settings
      There are a couple more images here, http://minimotives.com/page/4/?s=water+heater#jp-carousel-2932, here, http://minimotives.com/page/5/?s=water+heater#jp-carousel-2901 and here, http://minimotives.com/page/6/?s=water+heater#jp-carousel-2831, here, http://minimotives.com/?s=mechanical+room#jp-carousel-2919 hopefully that is helpful?

      The books will come a little after the plans, I am working my tail off on them now around my day job and my side jobs (which I think I am going to stop doing March 1 (it’s getting too tough to sit on my butt all day, it sounds whiny but seriously on my broken back and being 8 months pregnant, sitting is the worst!)). I am expecting the plans to come out still before MiniM is born (her due date is March 21). No complete promises because things can just happen too but I am REALLY trying. The book(s) (there are four being planned covering separate topics) will come out hopefully shortly after, just as quick as I can organize all my thoughts on them!

  8. not to rain on your parade but, google “eccotemp bankruptcy”. amo used 75 units and 70% froze up, if i remember right. this was in south carolina. cold air back flows in the vent.

    raz

    1. Ah that’s crazy, I haven’t had a single issue with mine. We have gotten down to -10 degrees this year, I wonder if it had to do more with units installed outdoors vs inside, I have heard of people having greater issues with those… Thanks for the information, i’m sure someone else will appreciate reading it too!

  9. I want to build a tiny house and it seems many of them have two doors. Is this a DMV requirement in some states or is it a personal preference?

    Thank you!

    1. To my knowledge there are no requirements for that in any state, I think it is mostly a personal preference. When I was designing mine it seemed hard to find one with a double door because the doors DO take up valuable space, to me it was important to have an egress out from both ends of the house though so I designed it to have two doors 🙂 There are many examples without though! Great question!

  10. Hi Macy, I have greatly enjoyed following your journey and have learned a great deal. I’ve shared your blog with a few friends, one of whom is planning to build either a tiny house or a container house in the not too distant future.

    I am impressed by how much storage space you’ve created in such a small overall space, but did you have any regrets about things you had to part with that there wasn’t room for? I am trying to downsize, and while I don’t think I will ever be quite down to a tiny house size for myself personally, I would like to move more in that direction. That said, it is awfully hard to part with various pieces of furniture and other larger objects that have sentimental attachment. Do you have any regrets?

    1. I have zero regrets, at the same time I had no family heirlooms. If I did have things with that sort of sentimental value I probably would have made room for them, it depends on the value they held though. It was incredibly, unexpectedly empowering and freeing to offload most of my possessions. I have been a little surprised honestly that there have been no regrets (it does suck to get pennies on the dollar from the downloading of things).

      1. Glad you have no regrets!! I certainly don’t have anything that would be classified as an heirloom, but I still use the large triple dresser that was a wedding gift to my parents (it was a cheapy to begin with, it’s all about the sentimental value!), the natural wood desk that my father bought me right before I started kindergarten so I’d have something to do my homework on – and always planned to finish but never got around to, and that’s what I’m sitting at right now and every time I work at my computer, plus a couple of bookshelves and an armoire that my father built. I also have a loveseat that’s kind of ugly by modern standards, but my first husband got me second-hand when we were dirt poor and he knew how badly I wanted one that color/style… he is long deceased and I have very little that he gave me that held meaning. I’ve really been torn about what I’ll do about all of those when I downsize.

        1. That desk sure sounds like an heirloom to me! I would make room for that! What a neat idea too, I’ll have to get MiniM a desk when she starts school! Sometimes a picture with a special note can be the same kind of reminder but much more compact! 🙂 Hard choices understandably though! (I also find I document things I want to remember here on this site which is kind of handy in case I were to lose them!)

  11. As a mechanical engineer, I must say it seems like a *very* bad idea to drill 180 holes into the frame of your trailer.

    1. they are not drilled in the primary structure and the trailer is WAY over engineered, I promise you, it was more than safe…

  12. Hi Macy 🙂 I was wondering: what the estimated or exact weight of your trailer is; how much weight the trailer holds and how much the total weight is with your belongings and trailer? Thank you, I love your trailer so much!

    1. Hi Kayla!
      I don’t have an exact weight because the day I moved all the scales were closed or way off path. The driver I hired estimated it is 15-16k fully loaded (I had all of my belongings in it already when I moved it). The trailer is just over 3k of that and my tile floors are about 6k of that. I know its not exact but hopefully that helps! Thank you for your kind words!

  13. LOVE love your home! The design and decor is awesome! I’m also impressed with your taking on the building portion! Curious to know (and I may have missed it) if you are able to insure it? I’m interested in building one but only in the early stages of research. Thank you!

    1. Hi Angie!
      There is a company now that offers tiny house insurance in some states, I know several people who have insured as an RV but I am leery of whether or not they will actually be covered if something were to happen or if the insurance companies will be able to get out of liability issues somehow. Things are changing fast on that front, I believe soon you will be able to easily.

  14. I read thru hoping to see a question/answer about what you would change. Perhaps I missed it or maybe there isn’t anything you would change! I’ve been looking at a LOT of tiny houses and I keep coming back to this one. I like the idea of your top ten list and yours is similar to what I would/will include. And love the shower, radiant heat, and sleeping area to name a couple of things. What would you change? Anything? Besides the dark floors. 🙂 Thanks.
    PS – we’re neighbors, I just moved to McCall. 🙂

  15. Hi Macy!

    First, this comment of yours really spoke to me:
    “I was initially studying for my Architectural Registration Exams (A.R.E.s) when I realised that all the schooling I went through taught me nearly nothing about actually constructing something. It taught all sorts of design but without that integral part of constructing I don’t feel I can be as successful at my career as I would be WITH that skill. This build is an attempt to teach myself how to build things, and an opportunity to test out some sustainable features in a real life scenario AND, I don’t like paying rent or the idea of going into hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt to a bank.”
    I feel the same way about my degree in design, which I’ve never turned into an internship nor a career, because of that. I, too, hope to build a tiny house to teach myself what I feel is missing (and maybe cut my overhead down so I can work for peanuts as an intern.)

    Second… the drop in stove you have. Where did you get that? I know you said it was a recycled unit out of an RV, but do you have any suggestions on finding a similar type appliance? I’ve been searching all over the internet. I like to cook, so I want an oven, and I want to be as off grid as possible, so I need gas, but the space below the range is a great storage opportunity that can’t be ignored.

    Thanks!
    Jessica

    1. Hi Jessica!
      The stove actually belonged to a friend of mine, he had an RV that he was taking apart to recycle the scrap metal, he let me go through it and take anything tat may be useful. It was a pretty unique situation but you may be able to find something similar on craigslist. I have also heard that there are companies that sell reclaimed RV parts, I have no idea how to go about finding them and I have heard they ask a premium price unfortunately! Hope that sorta helpful!

  16. Hi Macy,

    I read that your water supply is via garden hose and have a few questions about that:

    1. Have you had any winter issues and how did you resolve them?

    2. Where does your gray water from the sinks and shower drain to?

    Love your house design, it would look great at the beach!

    1. Hu Muk! I wrap my water pipes with heat tape and insulation and the area is skirted with insulated panels that seems to be enough to get through the winters. I collect the grey water in a barrel below the house to use in my garden or pump into a drain.

  17. Hi Macy. My husband and I are considering building a not quite as tiny (400 sq. ft) house for my mother as an accessory dwelling unit. Before we proceed with permits, etc. we need to determine if the cost is even feasible. We are here locally in Boise and I was wondering if you are aware of any builders/contractors that might have experience with this? Love your tiny house and the whole concept!

    1. Hi Amber, sorry to be so slow! There are a few smaller contractors out there that I like, Greg Baisch, would be my number one recommend, I can’t seem to find his email right now but his facebook is here, https://www.facebook.com/greg.baisch.1, hopefully that is something, you can let him know I pointed him your way if you’d like. There is nothing saying you couldnt be a contractor and sub out each of the jobs on craigslist to tradespeople, its a great way to save a little! Green Remodeling is awesome as well, worth contacting!

      1. I am in the Boise area as well and looking into buying an already made tiny house (NOT handy at all). I would love to hear more about your location… is it just a plot of land? An RV/mobile home park? Any tips for starting up with a tiny house in the Treasure Valley?

  18. Is there a way to incorporate a pellet stove inside and also solar panels? I love your design but those are some things I’d like to have in mine.

    1. Solar, definitely, my house is off grid compatible that way and it’s an exterior system. Pellet stove will be dependent on the particular stove and its clearances, I can think of at least three locations it could go if you could find one with small clearances BUT tiny houses don’t need much heat and so it seems like a lot for the space… but you get to do whatever you want in YOUR house! 🙂

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