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Young Family Design/Build Tiny House to Live Debt-free


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About a year ago I introduced you to Shaye and Tom thanks to the people over at Living Big in a Tiny House. I love this story because this couple decided to ‘just go for it’ and take advantage of the benefits of tiny house living early in their life. They’re now enjoying more freedom and are building a life on their own terms.

Right now I’m here to give you an update on them since a lot has changed for them after living in their tiny house for one year. They now have a newborn daughter named Hazel. Their tiny house has a new porch and it’s fully decorated inside. And if you really like their house you can even buy the plans to build one just like it yourself.

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Young Family Designs and Builds Debt-free Tiny Home on Wheels with a Porch

Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels

Images © DIY House Buiding

Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels Young Family's DIY Tiny House on Wheels

Images © DIY House Buiding

Video: Family’s DIY Tiny Cottage on Wheels (Part 2)

=> Buy these tiny house plans so you can DIY.

Visit Shaye and Tom’s website and “Like” their Facebook Page.

Visit Living Big in a Tiny House“Like” their Facebook Page and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Did you miss part one? It’s all right here.

If you enjoyed this story of this young family building freedom with their own debt-free tiny home, you’ll love our free daily tiny house newsletter with more!

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Alex

Alex is a contributor and editor for TinyHouseTalk.com and the always free Tiny House Newsletter. He has a passion for exploring and sharing tiny homes (from yurts and RVs to tiny cabins and cottages) and inspiring simple living stories. We invite you to send in your story and tiny home photos too so we can re-share and inspire others towards a simple life too. Thank you!
{ 35 comments… add one }
  • Andrea Hardy
    January 13, 2015, 2:43 pm

    Sweet little place and baby is adorable!

  • Cahow
    January 13, 2015, 3:39 pm

    Baby Hazel is the cutest poppet! Bless her wee cotton socks!

    Question to anyone who can finish the video: they showed for a milli-second a cottage going up and “7 men working on it.” Will that be there new home? I only had patience to get to the 10:17 second mark; 10 more minutes was too much for me to view. Just curious as Hazel fits into a basket now, but what about another year from now….a BIGGER basket? 😉

    Beautiful family. Beautiful home. Beautiful garden.

  • January 14, 2015, 2:10 pm

    For Alex Pino : I am looking for the small house that was titled something like mother builds home to live with son that cannot live alone. It had 2 individual bedrooms with their own bathroom that were across from each other in the back of the house and in the front middle of the house was the living room and kitchen. The square footage was not given it was shaped similar to a capital T. I have only seen it once a few weeks ago and this is the second time I have ask you about this. Please reply, even if you don’t know! Thank you, Jean. I would like to see the pictures of it. It was a one floor house not a metal framed home that was on the right side of other metal framed homes.

  • Bruce
    January 14, 2015, 3:25 pm

    NICE… clean lines, love the stairs. I would add a real toilet or a high end compositing, and have removable lids for couch storage (easier access than drawers or lids on struts/hinges. Other than my personal choices… lots of awesomeness!

  • Marsha Cowan
    January 14, 2015, 3:42 pm

    This is such a beautiful tiny house! I love the stained wood with the white walls. The kitchen is really cool, and so is the bath, but the thing that immediately caught my eye is the storage incorporated into the stairs. Very cleverly done! Is there a rolling baby basinet under those stars anywhere? Beautiful baby, too!

  • Lisa E.
    January 14, 2015, 5:50 pm

    I’m assuming this build is in Australia. What are the dimensions on this house?
    I’m thinking that the height is more than 13.5. Is this actually on wheels? What are the legal limits on size down there? Thanks.

    • Van
      January 18, 2015, 12:13 am

      Lisa they are in New Zealand and you are right. It is over the road limit but they weren’t planning on moving this off the property. They explain it all on the first video/post so check it out.

  • Trish
    January 14, 2015, 7:56 pm

    love it. Well done to you both

  • Jane
    January 14, 2015, 10:11 pm

    Shaye and Tom’s house has been a favorite of mine since I saw the first video last year. They have truly changed it to a home in the last many months.
    I spent some time playing with the idea of copying it, but just used the French door idea, opening into the living room. I don’t like the way the end door breaks up the perfect place for a couch in the Tumbleweed houses. Cute but impractical. This works so much better.
    I recommend the video that shows them moving it to the site. It’s scary and exciting. Their wonderful energy comes through, and makes you want to cheer for them, which I can do again!

  • Elle
    January 14, 2015, 10:57 pm

    Cool stairs. Not only attractive but wow, look at the storage space! There’s something about this whole color palate in this home that’s extremely soothing to the eyes. The rich colored wood contrasts beautifully with (looks like two shades of) the white in the loft and defines it in a creative way. Everything about this home is well done creating a home that looks to be very relaxing and comfortable -truly what a home should be; a sanctuary. Even the exterior says, “Welcome”. Beautiful. Congratulations on your beautiful, healthy baby girl. Your family truly has it all. Thanks for taking the time to share. 🙂

  • Karen R
    January 14, 2015, 11:42 pm

    Lovely home that has been very well planned.

  • Catherine Wilson
    January 18, 2015, 9:30 pm

    Hello!!!
    Just LOVE your tiny design!!!
    My number one favourite tiny design of all time, and I have been following this for at least a few years.
    There is just something magical about your balance of woodwork to white, and window size to position.
    It feels spacious but not exposed. Comfortable but not claustrophobic.
    Balanced comes to mind.
    Thanks!!!

  • Dominick Bundy
    May 2, 2015, 10:55 am

    Love the large windows, this home has great curb appeal. the only change I do is to install a flush toilet..

  • Marsha Cowan
    May 2, 2015, 10:56 am

    This is the seconf time I have seen this, so l am posting again. It is a marvelous tiny house with so much organization, and the gardens are wonderful. As a child here in the USA, I slept on a pallet (folded quilts on the floor) in the attic of a one room log cabin that housed 5 or more people all the time, especially during the tobacco picking time. There were always about 3 or more of us sleeping in the attic at one time, all on pallets, and only at grandma’s did I get to sleep in an old iron bed with a ticking mattress, along with 3 or 4 other cousins! We slept across the bed, not lengthwise, to give everybody room. I finally had my own bed when I went to college; it was the lonlinest time of my life. I remember my early days as the best of my life, when life was simple and family lived closely. The baby in this family is blessed not to be separated into a space all its own and expected to stay separated from the family. There is plenty of room for a child or children in the space they have. Its no wonder that the baby is so laid back and sleeps so well.

  • CYRUS BAHOGB-NOSRATY
    May 2, 2015, 5:46 pm

    Our Lord jesus bless, Hazel, her Mother and her Father.
    amen

  • karina
    May 3, 2015, 10:21 am

    First let me say I am obsessed with tiny houses. But I really don’t believe babies + tiny houses go together. I mean sure, it’s not a problem while the baby fits in a basket. And then the baby grows up and where will it stay? Will it sleep with the parents forever? The parents will have no privacy and neither will the child. And then they will move into a bigger house? I don’t mean to be a b&tch or anything, but in my mind tiny houses are for a single person or a childfree couple. Because this is such a nice house (and super lovely people, too. I watched both their videos) and then they will have to leave it when their child grows up… All that hard work put into a lovely tiny house just to be discarded in a couple years because they decided to have a baby. But then again, my priorities are just different than most people’s. Does anyone think like me?

    • Alex
      May 3, 2015, 1:02 pm

      I think that’s a totally valid point and opinion Karina. The tiny house can probably be repurposed. But maybe not. In that case, that’s not fun because it is wasted time, energy, money, resources, and building materials in a way even though experience is always gained through a project like that. But I’m mostly with you. If you have kids, I recommend small houses because it works better long-term without having to keep building/moving unnecessarily over the years unless you don’t mind doing that.

      • karina
        May 3, 2015, 3:02 pm

        Also, I haven’t seen any tiny houses with additions… As in, “Oops, here comes a baby, we can just build him/her a room.” I’m sure it’s not *completely* impossible, but given that 99% of tiny houses have to be mobile because of capitalist housing laws, adding to the TH is pretty much not happening any time soon. But it would be possible with a TH on a foundation. (Is this TH on a permanent foundation? Because that would solve the issue with no space for a baby!)

        • AmyCat =^.^=
          September 25, 2015, 5:53 pm

          Now I’m envisioning a tiny “teardrop” trailer “kid’s room” tagging along after the main THOW, like a caboose… 🙂

          Are double-trailer rigs legal for something other than an 18-wheeler commercial truck to tow?

        • Dick
          May 13, 2016, 7:41 pm

          Macy Miller built a TH, then had a baby…and built another room (actually, she enclosed the porch, but it’s still another room for the kids). The article is here: https://tinyhousetalk.com/macy-miller-adds-childs-room-tiny-house/.

  • Sarah
    May 3, 2015, 11:23 am

    OK I LOVELOVELOVE this house! Especially love the paned windows in the kitchen, the floor, the pantry. Wonderful. My only question would be how in heck to get up those steep stairs carrying a baby? Ok, I do admit I’m old! LOL Still really like it a lot!

  • Glema
    September 30, 2015, 3:20 am

    The storage type steps are following the Tansu Steps, you might make some using the picture and the diy site for building steps. Hopefully, you will have some friends who can help you out. But the idea is there should you want to look it up.

  • Gil filler
    May 3, 2016, 10:08 pm

    Beautiful place!

  • Marsha Cowan
    May 3, 2016, 11:42 pm

    I have always loved this tiny house. What a beautiful family…

  • Trish Dee
    May 4, 2016, 9:43 am

    What I love about this TH is the exterior looks like a regular house, not the typical boxy ones with the irregular window placements. The inside has plenty of light, storage, and is equally thought out. Great job.

  • ZACHARY E. MOHRMANN
    July 30, 2016, 4:14 am

    Simply beautiful….!

  • Colleen Kingery
    July 30, 2016, 4:59 pm

    Really a beautifully thought out home. One of my very favorites and high on my list of plans to consider.

  • Bernadette
    October 29, 2016, 10:56 am

    I’ve been viewing this family’s home for almost 2 yrs now. I really like this home particularly because of their outdoor area. I’m wondering how they have adjusted with a growing toddler, and how they plan to accommodate her as she grows older.

    • Natalie
      October 31, 2016, 10:07 am

      It would be fun to have a follow-up! — Tiny House Talk Team

  • ROSEE
    February 5, 2017, 7:10 am

    Three thumbs up for this couple! Yes it would be nice to have a follow up.

  • qgarden
    October 17, 2020, 8:27 pm

    I love this house. It is light and airy and feels really open and bright and I love all the storage.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      October 18, 2020, 2:00 pm

      So glad you like it!

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