This is the story of a man who built a 512-square-foot tiny house for his sister in 3 months and 28 days for $16,318 in materials.
It’s located in the Florida panhandle and he even stayed in it after hurricane Michael. Now he is considering using it for Airbnb, too. It’s 16′ x 16′, 2 stories, 512-square-feet. What do you think?
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512-square-foot built for $16k in less than 4 months!
Images © JD Daley
And here’s HOW he did it…
Images © JD Daley
I Built this house for my sister, so she could come and visit me from England in 2016\. In 2015 she expressed an interest in someday moving to a warmer climate and I told her should to move to Florida with me. She was hesitant since we had met only a few times ( I was adopted in 1960 and she is my biological sister, we met in the late 1980’s). She and my biological mother said they would come visit on April the 28th, 2016 around Christmas of 2015\. I built this tinyhouse for my sister in 3 months and 28 days, start to finish. I live in the panhandle near Tallahassee. I spent 16,318.00 on materials and built it myself. I brought in helpers on the weekends. I stayed in it after hurricane Michael. My generator was more than enough to run my well and the on demand propane hot water heater and the keurig coffee maker, so at least I had coffee and hot showers for the 12 days without city power. It is not for sale, but I have considered using it for airbnb for the Florida State home football games.
This home is 16×16, 2 stories, 512 sq ft., full bath, with a lot of south facing windows, skylights, and picture windows to flood it with light
Our big thanks to JD Daley for sharing! 🙏 Share yours!
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all these tiny houses are so awesome. I’m very impressed by the gentleman who built the 512 square foot tiny house for sister from England. What a kind-hearted gentleman an awesome brother. It’s a beautiful house and I’m sure she’s going to love every second in it. Thanks for sharing
great job – wish city restrictions would allow this in my area of Mi
Wow when someone says they are coming for a visit you go all out. I bet she was one surprised sister. I know your Mom is proud of you too. I think it is so wonderful when people can come together and work on a project. I wish I could do that here as I have one that is almost done but I don’t have a wonderful brother like you. She is a lucky girl. Thanks for sharing your story. I am sure it’s furnished now and ready for vacation visitors. Enjoy it.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Diane!
People with great hearts and great skill. That’s what this country is all about.
Would have been nice to see the actual finished interior. The pics are bits and pieces. I’ve no doubt its quite nice inside, but would sure be nice to see it.
Any chance you have building plans and would be willing to share them. ?
3 months and 28 days… wow, that’s splitting hairs isn’t it?
But total Kudos on an amazing achievement.
But, for $16k in New Zealand you’d be lucky to have the lumber for your framing… everything is so expensive here… even more so when the politicians get their grubby fingers into things. /sigh
What a beautiful and kind thing to do for your sister. I love the counter top for the kitchen and the tile work for the flooring. Would love to see more photos. Thanks
More photos coming soon I think! I’ll let you know in the newsletter if we get more in!
If we could get a list of materials used etc.. I want to build one and for that price that’s a great looking home.
Thanks, Anthony, let me see what I could do!
I mentioned the tile work for the flooring. I was wrong, It was pennies. How cool is that!!
😀
ADORABLE!!! LOVEEEE the “penny path'” floor, how incredibly creative. I am currently living in my tiny house. I bought one that the shell was premade, it was a 12×28 but that included a 4 foot porch. I ended up not measuring right and the stainless steel counters and shelves I ordered for my kitchen ended up being to big so to fix that issue we just walled in the porch area and now I have a kitchen I love. All stainless and I dont have cupboards because I hate them I have stainless steel shelves and I love them. I have an rv sized oven/stove and my sink was made from an old tin washbucket and for one person it is deep enough I can wash and rinse in it easily. I painted the floors with outdoor porch pain and did spatter pain colors over the top for a unique look and my walls in the livingroom/kitchen and ceiling are all used corrugated tin with all the “imperfections” because that is the look I like. The next one will have a wet room for the bathroom instead of a shower stall though.
What a lovely thing to do for a bio sister! I am very impressed and wish I had a brother like that! 🙂 You should be very proud!
Hi JD!
My daughter is a full-time student @ FSU (majoring in Biochemistry) so I often visit her from Gainesville. I’m actually in Tallahassee today but I have to head back to Gainesville this evening. Luckily, I came across this article about your house this morning and I was wondering if you ever allow people to come tour your tiny in person?
My dream is to build my own tiny house on wheels one day but I have zero construction experience so, I know I will need a lot of guidance/help or have it build by a professional builder. I’m usually in Tally at least once every 6 weeks, sometimes more often than that. I love how you built your tiny so I was wondering if it would be possible to actually see it in person?
Thank you!
Melissa Robinson
[email protected]
Love what you did for your sister. Sturdy and practical use of materials. I am so envious I wish local governments would allow here in California. 10×12 converted sheds would be a special treat for some of our working poor and homeless. I have seen them for under $5,000
Mr. J. D. Daley,
I also live in the Florida panhandle (Milton, FL) and I am very impress with your house. I hope you will provide some pictures of the interior in the future. I do hope you are fully recovered from Hurricane Michael. It is going to take Panama City Beach and the rest of the area some years to fully recover.
If I am viewing this correctly you’re telling me that his posts for support of the house go to directly into the ground that there is no concrete pillar and post? If you’re spending the amount of 16,000 and some odd dollars why the hell would you go cheap here? From what I can see that’s not redwood or cedar looks like Oak, that means it rots.
Ryda–
Let’s talk: c/o Marquis Marian Estates, 503-769-8333, 390 SE Church St., Sublimity, OR 97385, okay?
Marcus
Good evening, the 9 posts this is attached to go about 5’ deep. There is a combination of 6×6 pt posts and 12” telephone poles that I got from the city after they were changing out poles. They are creosote coated and wrapped in synthetic roof underpayment and sit on top of about 6” of large gravel for drainage. The telephone poles were free and I had to buy one 6×6
Hi, I’d like to discuss this project in more detail. What is his link?
Thanks,
Glynis
I like this and I really like seeing homes people live in everyday rather than Airbnb
Oh and glad the save button is back 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it! And the button.
Wow you are some brother! Wish you were my brother, you did a great job
Right!? How awesome!
Greetings from Quebec, Canada – When my friend receives emails on Tiny houses, he forwards them to me (we are thinking maybe we could build one for our retirement, if the City bylaws allow it).
This is the first time that I am so impressed by a Tiny house that I want to copy it! I especially love the roof and the stairs – and let’s not forget the awesome “Pennies-floor” – WOW – WOW
Congrats to the builder, besides having a heart the size of your country you are a a hell of an artist.
I can’t wait to see the finish product if Alex succeeds in talking-you into showing it to us.
Thank you for sharing Sir and May God Bless.
So so glad it was helpful and I hope your tiny dreams come true!
Wow!
Love what you’ve done for your family. Mad carpentry skills and generous heart!!! Inspirational!