From Rent to Freedom： She Built a $60k Tiny Home with Dad

The whole building process with my dad kind of put in my head like I can chase my dreams. They will happen. It's been both of us working together in our free times when we can to make it all work. Hi, I'm Larissa. I'm Dave. Come check out our tiny home. Welcome to the inside of my tiny home. Here we have my living room with a couch with a pullout for any guests. We've got our dining space over here for eating delicious meals. A full-size kitchen with counter space on both sides. Through to the end is my bathroom where we have full-size amenities. Upstairs is my loft and despite it being a loft you are actually able to stand in it. So just inside my front door to the right is my kitchen. We wanted to follow the triangle rule so we've got my stove on this side, my sink here, and my refrigerator behind me so that while I'm cooking and preparing food it flows a lot easier. When I'm over here cooking or boiling a pot of water it's really quick to fill up here. Move over to this side. If I need to do some cutting for any sautéing I've got plenty of space here for chopping. Go straight into the cast iron pan. Clean up just straight across from there is my kitchen sink. Right behind it is my refrigerator. It makes it really easy if you have two people cooking in here. Everything flows really seamlessly and it's very convenient. We have a nice large space for our kitchen counters. We decided to go with this because my stairs on the side created a big wall that we needed to fill so we had plenty of space to make room for this kitchen. So on this side of my kitchen I have my propane stove top. It's a three burner and it works really well for using my cast iron pans which is my preferred method of cooking. We chose to go with a propane stove in order to kind of cut down on what our electricity usage is. We do plan to have solar and so cutting out the little bits to maximize what we can use on electricity, the propane stove was one of those options. The things that I don't cook or warm up in my cast iron pan, I have a toaster oven up here. It can do like 13 different functions from toasting, baking, dehydrating, preheating, popcorn. That has become really handy for heating things back up which honestly it tastes better than a microwave. Under my cabinets I have some lighting which really helps with being able to see what I'm doing while I'm cooking. So as far as cooking goes in my tiny home, I do have a lot of the utensils and supplies that I would need right around close. I've got my knives here for doing any chopping, spatulas in this drawer, saran wrap, tin foil for cooking over here. I did put in some toe kick drawers underneath my cabinets which hasn't quite worked out as much as I thought or hoped it would. They're just a little bit too shallow and bending over that far with rugs in the way. It just hasn't really worked out completely but I've been able to find ways to make use of my space like having my plates right here for dishing up quickly that really I don't even think twice about the toe kick drawers anymore. So as you've noticed I have a lot of countertop space which has come in handy in multiple different ways. This has been a great prep area as well as when I'm bringing in groceries from the grocery store. I've got lots of space to set things down and then put things inside of my pantry and be able to put different utilities in the designated spots that are close in the kitchen to the front door. So sometimes when you're designing a tiny home you intend for a space to be used for a specific thing but then when it comes to actually living in it you end up having different plans for it. This was originally going to be like a coat broom closet although when it came to it I had plenty of other spaces for those things and this has become more of my extended pantry where I can keep my baking supplies, dog supplies, and any extra leftover containers as well. So on this side of my kitchen I have my large single basin kitchen sink. It makes it very easy for hand washing dishes. I didn't see the concept of having a large dishwasher taking up so much space when there's just two of us here and we can take turns washing dishes. It was important to me to have a kitchen window on the side of my sink so that as I'm doing the chore I have a great view outside at nature. Having trash and recycling in a tiny home isn't too difficult. It's a typical size garbage can so I don't have problems running out of space when it comes to trash. I chose to have a bunch of outlets so that if I'm using a crock pot, a mixer, a blender, I have plenty of options and space to use all of my counter space and not have to skimp out on what things I can and can't plug in. I had to get some custom cabinets that would fit perfectly in this area and this is where I keep my clothes and like my closet items which make it really simple. We have my refrigerator. It is as full size as you can really get for a tiny home. I did have to look a little bit extra to find one that would work in this exact space. With this large of a refrigerator it makes it very suitable for our needs for cooking and storage and it's nice to have it tucked underneath my loft which was very intentional in order to keep this living space very wide and open. With having such a wide open space it's great for air flow. I have my Mr. Cool mini split up here which is a sponsor for this video. Since living in my tiny home for the past three years I've had the same mini split unit. It has been great for keeping me comfortable. The maintenance is simple and it's easy to use. Some of the reasons we chose to go with this mini split is because it was easy to install. They had some great DIY videos on YouTube and instructions and they came with pre-charged lines. We didn't have to have any previous HVAC knowledge, just a little bit of experience with tools. We didn't have to hire anybody. After installing this mini split unit it didn't only save us money for energy efficiency but it also saved us money up front when we purchased the unit. It was a much more affordable option. With my mini split it comes with this nice remote where I'm able to change the temperature, the fan speed, the swing of the unit, but there is also an option for using your phone. They have an app which comes in handy. If I am outside the home and want to be cool when I get home I can just change it ahead of time and it will be super comfortable when I get here. Mr. Cool is a longtime sponsor of tiny home tours. If you'd like to check out their website check the link below. Thanks Mr. Cool for sponsoring this video. Opposite side of my kitchen we have my living room area here. I've got a pull-out bed couch here so that when I have visitors there's a spot for them to stay while we're still living upstairs in the loft. So originally when we built the house and part of the design process we had planned for the couch to come out right here and have the long part on this edge which was perfect for being able to watch tv. Although one day when we were rearranging we ended up sticking the couch on this side and it just opened up my house so much more. It was more inviting for guests. It didn't feel so congested at the door and so that's one of the things that although it looked good on paper it ended up being so much more functional doing something that was out of the plan. I wouldn't go back. So over here in this corner I have my wood burning stove. I wanted to be able to have this wood burning stove be more of a statement piece of the house. Help it feel warm cozy just like you would you know curling up with a blanket with some hot cocoa in the morning. When I first got the stove the trim around the glass door was a really ugly brass color and my grandpa has been a auto body man for basically his whole life so I approached him and asked him if he might be willing to kind of sandblast it down and be able to paint it for me to make it a little bit more cozy and warm. So he was happy to take a in that and it's a little reminder of my grandpa every day. I chose this brick behind it because it really pulls into that that warmth factor and my fireplace mantle is actually custom built by my dad and Dave and when you pull on those handles it opens up and it's more storage space and I use that for like seasonal decorations. I also try around my home to keep things very personal so a lot of the art pieces and the statement pieces that you see around the home they're very personal. This painting up here with the poppies was done by my great grandma and I'm very honored to be able to have that as a piece on my fireplace mantle. As part of the design process I really wanted my home to have a lot of natural light and the windows do that in a great way. I'm able to see out the front and back and incorporate a lot of nature on the outside and pulling it into the inside. I think part of tiny living is being able to expand your world to the outside. So I chose a tiny home because rent is really expensive, I have animals, I prefer country living, I don't want to be in the city and so I think a tiny house was really just like the answer to all because it fit the lifestyle. I was working on a farm in Idaho where the farmer had offered for me to design and build a tiny house to live there since I was working there so much and so then my dad here asked if I needed help and wanted his help so then we decided to build my tiny home. Through the course of my life I've done a lot of different construction, shack of all trade stuff and I've learned to not be afraid to tackle something so when she came to me with with this thing of let's build a tiny home you know I said we can do it, why not? We went and got the I-beams and stuff to build a frame and I taught her how to weld, started out with our frame size and put down flooring and went from there. My dad has a fertilizer business that he was doing and I was working multiple just part-time jobs so we were working on the tiny house together anytime we both had free time. I would often go to work with him, help him get his tasks done and then be able to work on the tiny house in his warehouse. It's been both of us working together in our free times when we can to make it all work. So we started building the tiny house October of 21. In June of 22 we moved it out to the farm and by November of 22 we had it finished enough that Larissa could move in and have a rudimentary living. Yeah November 22 is when I moved in. I had some savings because I've worked and saved my entire life and I don't know what for but I've just always been a money saver and so I was willing to throw my savings at it. I would shop around deals on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist so I really tried to shop around. When it came down to it in the end I think I spent around fifty to sixty thousand dollars but that doesn't include any of the labor costs of my dad's time. Moving my home the hardest part of it is probably the stress. We've moved it three times the first time we picked it up with two forklifts. It wasn't completely finished and we kind of just moved it out of the warehouse. That was just my dad and I. The second time we moved it from the warehouse to the farm and my dad had a 30 foot gooseneck. We loaded it ourselves. It was only like maybe six or seven mile drive. This last move we did my whole house was finished which means I had the full height and I needed to move states. So I knew I needed to hire out somebody that knew what they were doing, that had some good insurance in case something happened and that felt like they were confident enough to do it. So I hired JH Transport located in Jerome, Idaho. We followed it the entire way behind and watched it made sure nothing happened and it was a long way but we got here safely and they did a really good job at making sure they got their project done and they got it done right. Moving my tiny home from Idaho to Washington all said and done was right around seven thousand dollars. So as you walk past my fridge into the bathroom we're currently below the loft. Behind me we have a full-size shower. Over on the opposite side there is my washer and dryer stacked with the toilet on the opposite side of it. It's very nice to have this lighted mirror. It does great for putting on makeup or doing my hair. I've got a nice little sink in here because it never hurts to have extra room for people to wash up, clean up. I've got lots of cabinet space we can use for our personal toiletries and back on this side over here I have this recessed shelf where I actually have another opposite recessed shelf on the shower side below it for my shampoo conditioner and toiletries. So when we were first designing the tiny home I was trying to think of a way of if I wanted to have a bathtub versus a shower and how I was going to incorporate all of that into it. I felt like having a bathtub was going to make a lot of this space useless because I would need to leave enough space for hopping in and out of the tub. We came to the thought of having a walk-in shower. It was really difficult to find a shower system that was going to fit the customization that my shower needed with being under the loft. We've got some weird heights with this door length here. We had some weird sizes that a lot of the custom places just didn't have options. After doing a bit of looking around, talking, having people come out and give me their quotes, we were able to come across a company in Utah that did a full customizable shower option. So we sent them all of our dimensions and they actually cut each piece to be the exact that I need to. It's like a glue-in system so you glue it against the backer board that I have there that's all waterproof and then you caulk and glue all the edges and it comes out very seamless and it looks like a high-end shower but it was for more of the affordable price that I was looking for. So across from the shower we have my toilet and my laundry. My toilet is tucked back here kind of underneath the stairs to take up some of that space. I currently have a dry flush system that does not hook into a septic. The previous location I was at didn't allow for that so I had this system to be able to accommodate friends or family that would prefer that option. I have my stacked washer and dryer. I wanted to have a full size because I have large blankets and such that I needed to be able to fit in there. So across from my large mirror I have this recessed mirror which works perfect. I can pull it out and be able to see the back of my head and be able to check my hair before I head out. The only thing I would really change about this space is my bathroom sink. It's a bit shallow and slanted up on the sides and so when I'm washing my face and such sometimes it splashes water out. Another thing I would possibly change with the sink system is if I had like a removable nozzle in here just because it makes it a little bit more functional for if I'm doing a little bit more of like the farm chores I need to get up my arms. But other than that I really love my bathroom and I think we really hit the nail on the head with the design literally. So here we are in my loft. I have a pretty spacious loft. It's pretty tall. We actually intended for it to be a little bit taller but in the construction part we accidentally measured six inches too short which ended up being a better thing because when we went to move my tiny home I was at the max height that we could have. I have this beautiful quilt that my grandma made for me. I like to have those personalized things in my home and this quilt is another one of those family heirlooms that I treasure. I do have some storage underneath the bed. It kind of lifts up on some hydraulics and I've got plenty of space for extra sheets or blankets just to kind of add a little bit more space to my tiny home. Back here we have our skylight where normally we would be able to look up at the stars. Right now we're currently underneath of a hay barn so that's not the case but we do plan to move it out into more of the woodsy area where we would be able to stargaze and enjoy nature. As we built this tiny home we did things kind of in waves as either the budget allowed or as time allowed. The next wave would be putting in a built-in headboard where we could have some lamps, some space for books, make it feel a little bit more homey. As well as over here on the side we do plan to put a loft railing as a safety reason but in the five years that I have been building and living in my tiny home it hasn't ever been an issue for us or the animals. Here on the opposite side of my loft we have these two small windows. I call them my eyes. I really wanted to be able to incorporate again more of the outside and nature so while I'm laying in bed I'm able to look out these windows as well as watch tv. With my request for having these two eye windows came a lot more logistics than I really realized. Not only does this space have to support my whole ridgeline of the bottom part of my house, it also has to support this sidewall. So that's something that my dad, he is just genius and I approached him with the idea and although at the time I didn't realize how logistically difficult that would be, my dad never made me feel like I was asking for too much. He put in a lot of time and hours and work into this tiny home and I can't thank him enough. It wouldn't be possible without him. Welcome to the outside of my tiny home. The dimensions are 12 foot wide, 30 foot long, and 13 and a half feet tall. I chose to go with this exterior design because I wanted to make it obvious that this was a tiny home and not a trailer or camper or mobile home. So I wanted to have my two roof lines to kind of distinguish it as more of like a home feeling. I chose to go with the tin siding. I really wanted something that was going to last a while, something that was easy for us to install and I didn't have to repaint or reseal, more of a low maintenance option. I chose to have the brown to give it a little bit of dimension and to give just a little bit of difference in the design to catch your eye a little bit. On the backside of my tiny home, there is a door that accesses the under stair storage where it houses my tankless water heater, my security system, as well as wiring for future solar. On the front of the tiny home, we do have a hot and cold water faucet where we are able to clean up after any farm chores that we've done or any of the animals that get dirty. We have moved it three times and hope to move it one more time into the forest so that we can enjoy nature even more. Tiny Living has given me more than just the actual physical house. It's given me all of the memories built in, like I can look at any one thing and remember spending time with my dad and making memories and putting it all together. The whole building process with my dad, I think it kind of put in my head like I can chase my dreams, they will happen and so I think the independence it's given me, the confidence, it's really allowed me to like find myself, find who I am and I couldn't ask for more than where I am now. Thanks for coming along and touring with us. We'd like to say thanks to one, my dad. This would not be possible without him. He was the brains, the muscle, the design, everything I have to attribute to him. I also really appreciate the help that we have had from friends and family and support that we have had from everybody that has helped with this process. If you'd like to see more of the tiny home building process, you can check it out on Instagram at tinyandtin. We'd also like to Airbnb it sometime in the future and we'd love to have you stay. Thanks, we'll see you later.