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Married Couple Build Tiny Home


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In this post I wanted to share this story on a young married couple who build a tiny home with no mortgage or debt.

I don’t know what stage you are in life right now and for sure it’s never too late to build and live tiny.

I’m just saying wouldn’t it be great if more people decided to live in this way, no matter what age? I think so.

Not only is it more sustainable for our environment, but it’s a more financially sustainable life, too. Meet Jen, her husband and their new tiny house.

“Hi! My husband and I are just about finished with our tiny house so I thought I’d share as your page has been super influential to our build! “

(Thank you for sharing, Jen!)

Married Couple’s Tiny Home

married-couple-tiny-house-001 A DIY tiny home like this might open up better options for yourself, your family, your health, and maybe even for your career.

What would you do with your life if you didn’t have a mortgage to pay, a big house to clean, and a whole bunch of stuff to look after?

To me, living tiny is a big revolution. Because it’s sustainable. It’s better for the environment. But it’s also better for us as people.

Meaning, it can also be beneficial for you personally whether it means saving more money, working less, feeling happier, etc.

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Interview with Owner/Builders

“The idea of the tiny house came about four years ago to me when we had to live with roommates trying to pay off debt the Dave Ramsey way. Chuck was not very open to the idea… To say the least… And took my nagging (what a wife does best) to plant the idea in his head.

He got on board after living with roommates (a task of its own) and paying off all our debt, and saving up for a down payment on a home but then got all but laughed at seemingly trying to get a loan and the bank basically told us to get a few credit cards, build up our credit score, and come back in a few years.

Out of that frustration we started exploring tiny houses. First we looked at refurbishing an Airstream but Chuck at 6’2″ and our three dogs and cat thought maybe not after we found a listing on craigslist for a vintage one and he got to really feel the size of it. Then Tumbleweed had a listing on their email saying a rare offer for Tennessee of a man near Nashville was mid build and was trying to sell his Cypress 20 at cost.

We just dove right for the offer and got it. We worked with a builder/friend to practically take the shell that we bought and reconfigure it to our wants. It’s 20’x8′ originally but we added an extension for a closet of 2ft to go over the bed of a truck at the hitch side and changed part of the roof line to dormers.

Then the inside since we are crazy pet lovers and with my not wanting to climb a ladder daily we added stairs and reconfigures the bathroom to add a bit more room than the cypress plans and relocated the door from the kitchen to the living space to make a galley kitchen. Total cost of material with help/labor from the builder est $29,000.”
– Jen Drake-Feltner

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Images © Jen Drake-Feltner

Why do you want to build and/or live tiny? Please share in the comments.

For me, living tiny has always been about gaining more freedom and control in my life so that I can do work that inspires and helps other people gain more freedom too.

How about you? Why do you want to go tiny or why are you living tiny right now? I’m curious so if you’re willing just let me know in the comments below.

And if you found this post inspiring, pass it on to someone else using the share buttons below. Thanks.

Go tiny, simplify, and live your dreams.

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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!
{ 11 comments… add one }
  • Jerry
    June 3, 2014, 5:05 pm

    Very interesting tongue-over design. I like the way it reduces the danger of jack-knifes, while still providing extra space.

  • Marsha Cowan
    June 3, 2014, 5:21 pm

    So cute! I can’t get over the really awesome bathroom floor. I love it! Everything is well thought out and I know you will be very comfortable living there. Good job!

  • david
    June 3, 2014, 5:30 pm

    Wonderful. I really like the stairs. Painting the interior white makes small spaces look so much larger. I once painted this room in a coffee colour..dad said ‘dont do it,it will make the room so small’..well, i painted it anyway and the room shrank so much that i felt i needed to walk through the door sideways just to get in.

  • Hunter
    June 3, 2014, 7:34 pm

    I like the layout. not crazy about dark colors. to me it makes for doom and gloom, that’s just me. Are those pennies for the floor in the bathroom? The kitchen seems well layed out. i think dormers are a must for extra light and ventilation (heat rises) seeing out also cuts any claustrophobia that can creep up on a person. I plan on a tiny house because I’m finally retired and find money from social security just does not go very far. tiny is less of everything, cleaning, maintaining, heating, cooling, and really by my age 66 how many “things” do we really need? TV tells us we should buy, buy, buy while the economy is terrible at the very least. and the last thing people need to do is fill your homes with crap that breaks down after a few uses. buy good things that last and get rid of the junk. before all the fancy gadgets woman cooked for huge families with a good sharp knife, a potato masher,bowls and some pots and pans, oh and a coffee pot for the stove. and throw in one colander for good measure. that’s what i grew up with But having said that, i see hundreds of dollars of things & gadgets sitting on my counters so i fell for those ad’s as well as so many others. But when i build on my 2.5 acres all my fancies are going to charities, every last electrical one of them. Simple does not mean poor or shabby. it means simple. frugal. not lavish . simple is a good feeling when things don’t own you. they (things) are there for your convenience.

  • Denise
    June 4, 2014, 12:46 am

    Are those all pennies on the bathroom floor?

  • Glema
    June 8, 2014, 5:16 am

    Great job thus far! Keep up the great work. I too lean more toward lighter coloring but to each their own, your light is certainly bright enough for it 🙂
    I pray you will be very happy in your tiny home. May God bless you on your happy trails!

  • Kathy
    December 20, 2015, 1:28 am

    Alex, I like to go back and reexamine tiny houses in back issues because sometimes I find that my feelings about what I like changes subtely with time. Sometimes I missed something the first time, that changes everything after a second look. This house’s exterior, and the closet over the hitch, as well as their story about buying a partially complete Tumbleweed Cypress and making changes to it caught my eye originally. So, here’s the question. Have you been in contact with the home owners in the past 18 months? I would love to see how if turned out! Maybe its time for a follow up story!

  • April 21, 2016, 2:23 pm

    Verrrrry good job! I love the layout, very different, practical & comfortable. And I, myself, do love the dark stained wood…. Your work has left me with insight for my own tiny cabin camper on wheels. Thanks for sharing with us all. =D

  • Gigi
    April 21, 2016, 5:58 pm

    That orange exterior grabbed me and told me that the owners of this house didn’t just sit back and whine about the economy, their personal debt, or the never-ending problems of daily life. They saw a possibility to access their dream and jumped on it. I, too, would like to see a follow-up story on how the house looks today. Blessings on this couple!

  • Kerrie
    April 21, 2016, 8:48 pm

    An inspiration! Currently we’re in the midst of debt reduction, paying off the boyfriend’s student loan and next year we’ll be in a position to start our build. Then sell the “normal” house and leave our unsatisfying jobs and the rat race behind. We’ve finally come to the realization that if cost of living is less, then you can afford to EARN less (at a part-time job you love). Can’t wait to turn it into reality!

  • Amsterdamsel
    May 30, 2018, 10:25 pm

    For the life of me, I cannot figure out exactly what the layout of this house IS! In the top photo, looking in through the main door to the left, past the unfinished stairway, it appears that the left-hand end of the house (beneath the sleeping loft) entails of a shower (and presumably, the rest of the bathroom). In photos of the completed house, however, it appears that the left-hand end is where the kitchen is situated. So, where did they put the shower and the toilet? Not at the other end – that appears to be a mechanical closet, of all things! Someone, please explain what is so great about this house, please – I want to love it, but I cannot figure it out! Thank you!

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