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18-Year-Old Student Builds 172 Sq. Ft. DIY Tiny Home for $17k


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This is the story of how an 18-year-old student built her own 172 sq. ft. DIY tiny home on a trailer for only $17,000 USD.

From the outside, you’ll see it has a deck that takes you to the entrance with french doors.

When you go inside, you’ll find an open layout with a living area, kitchen, bathroom, and an upstairs sleeping loft. Enjoy the full video tour below to learn more and then re-share it below. Thank you!

18-Year-Old Student Builds 172 Sq. Ft. DIY Tiny Home

Student Builds 172 sq ft DIY Tiny Home 001

Images © Living Big in a Tiny House via YouTube

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Images © Living Big in a Tiny House via YouTube

Video Tour: 18 Year Old’s DIY Tiny Home

Learn more: http://www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/18-year-old-builds-tiny-house/

Resources

SEE ALSO: Couple Build $10k Tiny House with 80% Reclaimed Materials

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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!
{ 32 comments… add one }
  • Deadrock
    December 21, 2015, 3:52 pm

    Good for her! Long may she be able to stay in her lovely location. Don’t know what she was studying in school, but I wonder if she is inspired to turn her experience toward the tiny house movement in some way – building, designing, working for changes in the restrictive housing laws, helping the homeless, etc. She doesn’t have to worry about getting a really well-paying job, since she has shelter taken care of, and she’s not (judging by the minuscule shoe collection) suffering from affluenza, so something socially minded or simply something she enjoys that at least covers the bills would be real possibilities.

  • Mike
    December 21, 2015, 7:38 pm

    Isn’t it funny how you can always tell which tiny house was built with love and consideration and personal style and which is a business proposition built with profit the only consideration?

  • robert eddins
    December 22, 2015, 3:45 pm

    Congratulations! You did a wonderful job. Wish we had more 18 yr olds like you.

  • Dominick Bundy
    February 4, 2016, 2:51 pm

    Very nice, But is there any closets ? Where does she store her pots, pans, dishes, food.. and where does she hang her clothes?

    • Marsha Cowan
      January 21, 2017, 7:47 pm

      She seems to have a lot of storage underneath her living room sofa, and she has lots of storage under her kitchen counter. I have a hanging closet under my kitchen counter, so maybe she also has a place to hang clothes under there, too, but young people don’t have hanging clothes like we old folks do, so probably her needs are well met, and she has plenty of room to add more storage and furniture. What a lot of shoes! Lol! I’m with you there, honey. I have one whole bin of nothing but shoes. Can’t have too many, right? Job well done!

      • Marsha Cowan
        January 21, 2017, 7:50 pm

        I forgot to mention the beautiful garden, and the lovely view. It really is quite a nice home.

      • Natalie
        January 23, 2017, 8:00 am

        Hehe shoes are hard to live without!

  • Theo
    February 4, 2016, 6:38 pm

    The interior woodwork is great. However, yet another sleeping loft. The outside is either unfinished, or just plain crappy looking.

    • Marsha Cowan
      January 21, 2017, 7:49 pm

      To each his own. . . :l

      • Theo
        January 21, 2017, 8:07 pm

        Yeah, and I should have mentioned I think it cost way more than it should have.

        And will you people stop commenting on my comments? I stopped my subscribtion because I don’t like most of what I see here, and am ever so tired of all the oohs and aahs. You all don’t like what I comment, well don’t like what you all comment.

        • Marsha Cowan
          January 21, 2017, 8:12 pm

          To each his own. . . :l

        • Natalie
          January 23, 2017, 7:58 am

          Let’s try to be kind to one another, please 🙂 Constructive criticism is fine, but let’s not attack other readers personally 🙂

        • Pat
          March 30, 2020, 10:04 am

          I agree that these featured tiny homes are way too expensive. Certainly showcased to “soften you up” on pricing. I’ve built so many projects from scratch, and even using brand new materials this should not cost $17,000 dollars.

  • Varenikje
    February 4, 2016, 11:57 pm

    Great looking place! I would agree with whoever said they wished they had spent their youth so constructively.

    Just one question: is there a bathroom in there anywhere? Maybe I missed it.

    • Alison
      November 3, 2016, 2:40 pm

      There is a bathroom. It can be seen toward the end of the video.

      • Marsha Cowan
        January 21, 2017, 7:52 pm

        There’s a video. . .?

  • JM
    February 8, 2016, 4:30 pm

    It’s pretty inexpensive housing–and that counts for a lot. The sleeping loft height is dictated by the fact that these have to go under bridges. Exterior may still get siding…Good job. Can’t see for sure but maybe the siding would have a clear space of 1″ or more. Perfect to allow the underside of siding to dry, and able to allow walls to breathe. To allow this space to function I would have continuos screen at bottom of siding (keep insects out), and a covered ridge vent at top where siding meets roof. I also think that I would prefer a quick-exit window (or skylight) at the loft . Maybe something you can just push out or push open. A second means of exit from up there would be good for any house.

  • LIONEL
    February 13, 2016, 11:40 am

    i like th placed on diagonal. lot seems bigger. smart choice

    • Marsha Cowan
      January 21, 2017, 7:53 pm

      I liked that, too, and it pointed her window toward the beautiful view of the lake.

  • Susanne
    January 21, 2017, 8:23 pm

    Just amazing…:)

  • Joyce
    January 22, 2017, 8:34 pm

    Clearly she is not done with this home. I see no siding but what appears to be slats covering tar-paper. She could buy hanging shoe holders to place along the inside walls and get some of those shoes off the floor. That would reduce the risk of stumbling over them and place them at a level more so for choosing/viewing. I am sure as her needs grow so will the interior design to meet those needs. Good job for creating a space just for ‘you’. That act alone is something to be proud of.

    • Natalie
      January 23, 2017, 7:12 am

      Absolutely 🙂 It always takes living in something to know what you really need (or don’t!).

  • ROSEE
    January 23, 2017, 12:16 pm

    Keep up with the good work girl. A job well done for an 18 year old.
    Three thumbs up!

    • Natalie
      January 24, 2017, 6:46 am

      Just remarkable!

  • ZACHARY E MOHRMANN
    March 24, 2017, 7:37 pm

    Very nice tiny house…! And all built by a 18 yr. old student, no longer nice but fabulous job..!

  • Marsha Cowan
    April 24, 2018, 11:05 am

    I love that she has it situated to take advantage of the beautiful views. It is a lovely house!

  • Karen Blackburn
    July 8, 2018, 2:41 am

    One thing they all seem to have in common – yes I know there are
    some exceptions but very few – is uncomfortable seating. If you have back problems, like me, then none of the seating arrangements would be usable. Bad back support is asking for trouble later on, and many seem to be designed with tall people in mind. I know you need storage but not everyone is 5’6″+ in height. My own preference is for those with either a couple of armchairs or a sofa and a chair. (And the downstairs bedroom).

  • Mark
    July 20, 2018, 1:33 pm

    I wonder why people feel this need to look at the work of someone and then comment how they would have done thing differently or how that was done was not acceptable? Why not just make positive compliments and ask questions as opposed to making pronouncements and judgments? This young woman did a fantastic job, she is a role model for people of all ages who make the attempt in the process of doing something that is worthwhile.

  • Otessa Regina Compton
    July 20, 2018, 2:04 pm

    NOW IF THERE COULD EVER BE A PROGRAM, WHERE THE YOUTH BUILD THEIR OWN COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY DORMITORIES, THIS MAY SAVE ON SOME TUITION AND COLLEGE EXPENSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER THE HANDICAPPED AND DISABLE STUDENTS AS WELL. MAY BE SOME DEALS COULD BE WORKED OUT AMONG THE COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, AND THE YOUTH WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND. I KNOW THAT THE ARCHITECTS COULD PUT THEM TO WORK, AND POSSIBLY GET PAID AND/OR CREDIT TOWARDS AN INTERNSHIP. THEY COULD ALSO GET SOME COLLEGE CREDITS FOR EXPERIENCE.

  • Warren
    March 26, 2020, 8:58 pm

    Wow, congratulations most young kids have to pay rent and end up moving back home with there parents.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      March 27, 2020, 2:18 pm

      It’s awesome to see kids building things.

  • NEAL T KUOPUS
    March 27, 2020, 11:23 pm

    An enterprising company would command a great portion of the tiny house market by incorporating energy efficient and self-sufficient features such as an on demand water heater providing hot water as well as hydronic in-floor heat, solar and wind-generated power and variable-speed evaporative-cooler for starters. It could create a viable market for battery powered, 12-72VDC household appliances. Just sayin’…

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