After 24 years teaching in Florida, Brian wanted something more permanent than an apartment — but still movable — and a lot closer to the woods. He found Tiny Timbers Agrihood in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, just as it was opening, and ordered a cabin-style tiny house from Hilltop Structures in Tennessee. The home itself cost $68,000 (plus $9,200 to haul it north). Two years in, he and his dog Stella are gardening, hiking, and living the cabin-core retirement he pictured as a kid.
Why Tiny Timbers — and Why This Builder
Brian retired from Pinellas County Schools and went looking for nature, community, and a layout that still felt like a real house. The agrihood idea sealed it: wooded lots, raised beds, a shared community garden, trails out the back door, plus a pavilion and greenhouse. For the build, he leaned on rave reviews of Hilltop Structures — an Amish Mennonite family shop in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee — and they hit every custom request he made.
One tip he passes along: try tiny living before you buy. He stayed in an 8.5-foot-wide unit at Acony Bell in North Carolina and realized a standard-width shell was fine for a weekend but not for full-time life. Going 12 feet wide gave him room to rearrange furniture and keep the books he didn’t want to purge.
Cabin Outside, Community Around It
The house measures about 13 feet high by 12 feet wide by 38 feet long, with the cabin look Brian always wanted. Community rules ask residents to cover the hitch and add skirting; he also built a deck. Each lot comes with a shed you can leave as storage or finish as living space — Brian turned his into an online-classroom / movie room with a big TV, heated storage for paints, and extra seating for neighbors when Wisconsin winters get long.
Outdoors he’s packed the lot with raised beds and works the bigger shared garden (this is the first year it’s finally looking like a garden after two years of weeds). Trails start right off the back door for walks with Stella — who, he jokes, has a “boyfriend” named Ali across the way.
A Full Kitchen, a Wood Stove, and a Desk That Folds Away
Inside, the living room and kitchen share one wood-paneled great room. Brian specifically ordered a full-size kitchen — fridge, real counters, room to cook what he grows. He later added a wood stove because the mini-split alone couldn’t handle minus-20° stretches. A live-edge walnut flip-up desk and ottoman give him a workspace without permanently eating the room; an IKEA cabinet with DIY coat-hanger handles became extra pantry. The hallway is a little tight (some hunting-cabin versions put bunks here), but it let him keep a serious bookshelf.
Ground-Floor Bedroom and a Spacious Bath
Skip the loft: Brian wanted higher ceilings and a bedroom he could age into. The result is one of the largest tiny-house bedrooms he’s seen, with hanging closet space, a barn door and pocket door instead of a swinging door, and a closet that swallows the washer/dryer, printer, and router. The bathroom is generous by tiny standards — regular flush toilet on city water and septic, with a Florida-souvenir homage on the walls from his teaching years down south. A small screened porch out front is “indispensable” in mosquito season for morning coffee and a book.
Is a Tiny House Good for Retirement?
Brian’s short answer: yes — less to clean, less to maintain, and more time for hiking, cooking, and the dog. Do the research, take a long weekend in an Airbnb tiny house first, and enjoy the ride.
Watch the Full Tour
Jenna at Tiny House Giant Journey walks Brian’s home and the Tiny Timbers community — exterior, shed ADU, kitchen, living room, bath, and that big ground-floor bedroom.
Learn More
Brian’s Tiny House at Tiny Timbers Agrihood
Video tour: His Retirement Dream Home Cost Just $68,000 on YouTube
Community: Tiny Timbers Agrihood, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Community tour: Tiny Timbers Agri-hood on YouTube
Channel: Tiny House Giant Journey
Highlights
- $68,000 home from Hilltop Structures (TN) + $9,200 transport to Wisconsin
- About 13′ H × 12′ W × 38′ L cabin-style THOW at Tiny Timbers Agrihood
- Agrihood living: raised beds, community garden, greenhouse, pavilion, trails
- Full-size kitchen; wood stove added for deep Wisconsin winters
- Large ground-floor bedroom (no loft) with washer/dryer storage
- Finished shed ADU for classroom / TV room and guest hangouts
- Retired teacher + dog Stella; tested tiny living first at Acony Bell, NC
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Alex
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