Most tiny house builders have simplicity in mind but few take it to the lengths that Jenine Alexander did when she built her 128 square foot home in 2009. Using Craigslist to gather building materials, Jenine built a beautiful, cozy home for less than $3,500!
After three years of traveling on her bike, Jenine dreamed of having a place to call her own. To avoid sky-high real estate and land prices, she rolled up her sleeves and got online. Jenine built herself a cozy home with very little impact on her wallet or the environment by using determination, creativity, and a Craigslist account.
Yup, Craigslist. Other than screws, hinges and other fasteners, all materials she found free or cheap, used or salvaged, primarily through Craigslist.
Unable to find used plywood for sale, Jenine built her house frame out of fir she salvaged from an old chicken coop. Quaint double-pane windows, found used, let California sunlight stream into her charming home. Refrigerator insulation, salvaged via Craigslist, keeps the house warm. The beams in the house’s ceiling she picked up from a man who, once he heard about the project, offered her flooring as well.
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The story of how she built her tiny house for only $3,500 (seriously)
Photo Courtesy of Nicolas Boullosa and Faircompanies on Flickr
Jenine enthuses about waking up in a house she’s built with her own two hands.
