$30k build tiny house? Too expensive

[LeeRevell]

Depends on how they are built. Some are basically just tiny little site-built homes. And if the power, sewage, water hookups need to be put in, you will have those costs. Running them onto new property here gets spendy!

Makes van dwelling look better and better!

 

[Iggy]

Tiny houses can be bare-bones or deluxe, and the price should reflect that. In the 90s, I owned a small farm and rented out the main house in order to pay it off quicker. I built a 10x12 cabin that was fairly simple but had everything I needed. It cost me $2500 to build. A kitchen, bathroom, living space, and sleeping loft. The two things it didn't have were a toilet (used an outhouse) and a refrigerator. Six gallon water heater was enough hot water for me. I lived in that for ten years. In some ways that was the happiest time of my life. I saved $20k a year during that time, paid off the farm, bought a rental, paid it off, and started my construction company. People oohed and ahed over that little house. Sometimes I wish I was still there. But a van isn't a bad second banana. And I get to travel!

 

[akrvbob]

If I want a tiny house, I will just order one of these sheds you see everywhere. I can build my own but not for much less and I'd do all the work.

However, for my property in Arizona when age or health force me off the road, I'm going to rent a cat, dig a long trench, push a not-running school bus in it, and back fill the north side to the roof and the front side to the windows. Build a over-hang over the windows to get winter sun but shade from the summer sun, and leave the front and back doors open.

Instant underground home for next to nothing.
Bob

 

[offroad]

Bob. Have you seen this done?

 

[jeanontheroad]

Just my opinion, but if you are on a shoestring, haven't got the basic skills needed, would have to depend on the kindness of volunteers for help, and are in an unforgiving climate, don't do it.

Save up a financial cushion for unforeseen trouble, learn the skills, make sure you are healthy enough and strong enough to do things alone when your friends start feeling imposed upon, and move to a climate that allows you to finish under cover. Many start, but not many finish. Even fewer end up with a good, serviceable product.

It may be better for some people (like me, for instance) to just get an RV and concentrate on improving that, even tho might really prefer a tiny house.

 

[offroad]

As a tip. Saw a blog where the couple were building under a tarp house normally used for a sailboat. Made lots of sense as a temporary covering from wind-rain-bugs-dust etc. they kept up construction in almost any weather.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Bob. Have you seen this done?

 

[akrvbob]

I have never seen it done before so I am impressed you found that pic Spaceman Spiff! One key thing is that in the desert or high desert areas of Arizona water does not seep down into the ground. I don't know why, it's mostly sand so you would think it would all go straight through. But it doesn't, it just runs down the surface to a low spot and forms small rivers. That's why flash floods are such a big deal in the desert-water doesn't go down.

So here I won't have to worry much about ground water coming into the bus. Unlike that picture I would cover the roof with a foot or more of soil. It would run east-west and the windows on the south side would be exposed.
Bob