They Sold a Portland House so Dad Could Stay Home — 8 Years Mortgage-Free in Port Angeles, and the Tiny House Is for Sale

on August 15, 2026

Allison Williams and her family sold a modest Portland house so Dad could stay home. They bought land in Port Angeles, Washington, and a tiny house on wheels — and spent nearly eight years mortgage-free. Their daughter grew up in 290 square feet. She’s becoming a teen now and outgrowing her spaces, so they’re selling the tiny house. The land already sold separately, to someone who already has a tiny house of their own.

Wood-sided 8 by 32 foot tiny house on a trailer in a grassy Port Angeles clearing, with a large picture window, a glass entry door, and a ground-mounted solar array beside a small green shed — The 8 × 32 ft tiny house on wheels in Port Angeles, with the ground-mounted solar array off to the side. Photo: Allison Williams.

Portland to Port Angeles

They were living in Portland in a modest 927-square-foot conventional house. Their daughter was born in 2016. Two jobs, different shifts, expensive childcare — two ships that passed in the night.

Moving to Washington would let Allison get her counseling license sooner. Buying land and a tiny house would let her husband be a full-time stay-at-home dad. Sell the Portland house, buy land in Washington, buy a tiny house, add solar — no mortgage. They took the plunge.

They found the house in Oregon in 2018, from an independent Craigslist builder, and paid $54,000 cash — a cash-only discount, which meant arranging that much cash with the bank in advance. It came with no oven and no wall heater. That was partly the point: they needed an off-grid-friendly house, without a built-in microwave or other energy-hungry extras, and a composting toilet, because there was no septic.

Tiny house with mixed wood and corrugated metal siding in a tall wildflower meadow, a weathered stump and seedling trays in the foreground, green shed and solar rack beyond — Eight years on acres they tended — foxgloves, seedlings, and the house in the grass. The land has already sold separately. Photo: Allison Williams.

Hitch end of the tiny house on a black trailer, with corrugated metal and a band of wood siding around a sliding window and a circular vent — The hitch end: mixed cedar and metal siding on a trailer, with a vent below the window. Photo: Allison Williams.

The First-Year Test

The first year was a test — with a toddler. Solar started as a Harbor Freight kit that gave them two or three hours of light a night. Water was temporary rainwater until they could connect to the water association. The drive up shook some of the plumbing.

They installed a propane wall heater the fall they moved in. The original external hot-water heater was finicky and failed in freezes, so they upgraded to a residential system. The toilet is a Nature’s Head composting toilet.

What They Added

Appliance and house upgrades ran about $3,000+ on their own. They also added a loft railing and curtain, a stair railing, doors on the stair cabinets, extra shelving, a ladder to the twin loft, and a storage bench. They vented the oven outdoors. The fridge went from a 1.2 cu ft dorm fridge to a 5.9 cu ft apartment fridge. All told, the extras were probably $8,000–$10,000.

Looking down the wood-paneled tiny house: a huge picture window on the left, storage stairs to a loft, white kitchen cabinets and a propane wall heater under the loft — Looking down the house: the big picture window, storage stairs, kitchen under the loft, and the propane wall heater they added. Photo: Allison Williams.

Compact wood-paneled kitchen with a stainless sink under a window, a four-burner propane range and oven, hanging cast-iron pans, and a gravity water filter — The kitchen they built out: propane range and oven (vented outdoors), a big sink, and a gravity water filter. Photo: Allison Williams.

Corner with a propane wall heater under a window, a small wood desk and chair, overflowing crate bookshelves, and a slate apartment-size refrigerator — The propane wall heater, a small desk, and the 5.9 cu ft apartment fridge that replaced a 1.2 cu ft dorm fridge. Photo: Allison Williams.

Plywood storage stairs with cubbies and cabinet doors climbing to a loft with a square-grid wood railing, a propane heater and bookshelves below — Storage stairs with cubbies and cabinet doors, plus the loft railing they added. Photo: Allison Williams.

Living Tiny as a Family

What they love is the closeness. In a small space they learned to argue well — and to practice empathy. They love the simplicity, being mindful about stuff, and the way the house asked for creativity year after year.

The house is 8 × 32 feet and 290 square feet, wood-paneled floor to ceiling, with a huge picture window on the long side. One loft is queen-size, with the railing and privacy curtain they added; the other is a twin loft reached by a ladder. A built-in bench with storage sits by the table. Pine walls, plants, books, a small desk in the corner by the heater — it reads as a home a family actually lived in, not a show unit.

Built-in wood storage bench with a navy cushion and a small table, plants on a live-edge shelf, a ladder to a twin loft, and a white glass entry door — The storage bench they added, a small table, and the ladder to the twin loft by the front door. Photo: Allison Williams.

View from a loft toward the kitchen sink and propane range, a small wood table, and the large picture window looking onto a green field — From the loft: the galley kitchen, the table, and that wall of glass. Photo: Allison Williams.

The bathroom is a compact 3/4 bath: a wall-mount sink, a shower, and that Nature’s Head. Crate shelves hold the everyday stuff. Nothing fancy — just what they needed, off-grid-friendly.

Compact wood-paneled bathroom with a wall-mounted white sink, a wood-framed medicine cabinet, metal basket shelves, and the edge of a white shower stall — The 3/4 bath: a wall-mount sink, a wood-framed cabinet, and a shower stall. Photo: Allison Williams.

Nature's Head composting toilet in a wood-paneled bathroom with crate shelves of supplies, a small window, and a grey vent hose — The Nature’s Head composting toilet — they needed one because there was no septic. Photo: Allison Williams.

Allison’s advice, after nearly eight years: there are unique challenges at first. You’re not doing it wrong. A bespoke home comes with bespoke challenges. The rewards are worth it.

They hope to keep the next home small.

For Sale — $50,000, Plus Optional $10,000 Solar

The tiny house is for sale for $50,000. The solar array is optional, another $10,000. The land is not included — it already sold separately to someone who already has their own tiny house.

We couldn’t find a current public listing on Craigslist, Facebook, or the usual tiny-house marketplaces. If you’re interested, leave a comment on this post and we’ll help connect you.

This is a reader submission. Allison granted permission to share her story and photos.

Learn More

Allison Williams’ Family Tiny House — Port Angeles, WA
290 sq ft tiny house on wheels (8 × 32 ft), bought in Oregon in 2018 from an independent Craigslist builder. Lived in mortgage-free for nearly eight years on land in Port Angeles; the land has already sold separately.
Asking $50,000 for the house; optional $10,000 for the solar array. No public listing found at the time of writing — leave a comment if you’re interested and we’ll help connect you.

Highlights

Reader-submitted 290 sq ft tiny house on wheels in Port Angeles, WA — 8 × 32 ft, bought in Oregon in 2018 from an independent Craigslist builder
Family sold a 927 sq ft Portland house so Dad could stay home full-time; Allison could finish her counseling license in Washington
Paid $54,000 cash in 2018 (cash-only discount); extras over the years about $8,000–$10,000
Nearly 8 years mortgage-free (house + land + solar, no mortgage)
Off-grid-friendly: no built-in microwave; Nature’s Head composting toilet (no septic); propane wall heater added the first fall
First-year test with a toddler: Harbor Freight solar (2–3 hours of light a night), temporary rainwater, a finicky external HWH they later upgraded
Queen loft with added railing and curtain; twin loft with a ladder; storage stairs, storage bench, extra shelving
Kitchen built out with a propane range/oven (vented outdoors) and a 5.9 cu ft apartment fridge (up from a 1.2 cu ft dorm fridge)
For sale at $50,000; optional $10,000 solar array; land already sold separately
Allison’s advice: unique challenges at first — you’re not doing it wrong; bespoke home, bespoke challenges; rewards worth it

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Alex

Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.

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