Terraform One Tiny House 32’x8’6″

How big is it?

T1 is 250 sq ft including the main sleeping area and the guest loft. In 2017 I added an additional two level deck creating a 100 sq ft outdoor space.

How long did it take to complete?

The shell was put together in 2 days with a crew of 10 people who had never built a house before. The house was dried in within 2 ½ weeks. And I was living full time in the home within 4 ½ months. I worked on the home while maintaining a full time job and most of the work was done on nights and weekends. While an exhausting 4 ½ months, It was absolutely worth the work to start living free as quickly as possible.

What was the final cost?

The final cost of the home came in around $40,000. Half of that cost went to the SIPs panels and the custom trailer. While it was a large upfront cost, my view on tiny house construction is that you can always upgrade your appliances, paint, cabinets, etc. but you can never change your trailer and walls, so that is one place to invest.

Who lives in the house?

The home was occupied by myself for around 16 months before I moved onto something significantly smaller. Since I moved out of the home it has been used as a rental. Fetching $500/month for a long term rental and $150/night through AirBNB as a short term rental. Due to travels, the house is currently in storage.

Did you hire a crew to help or did you and a few friends do it?

I paid $0 for labor on this project. I wanted to spend my money on quality materials rather than labor, so I did most all of the construction myself or with the help of friends. No part of the building process is that cognitively difficult once you get past the engineering, electrical, and gas. Youtube is a GREAT resource for whatever you may need to learn.

What are you using for heat and A/C?

Personally, due to budget constraints, I used a standard window unit for cooling. Even during the Texas summers, this worked well. The house was designed with a projector screen partition to not only add privacy to the master loft, but to trap cold air on warm nights keeping the master loft nice and cool. You could easily install a mini split cooling/heating system in place of a window unit, just be sure to indicate to your SIPs manufacture to remove the hole for the AC unit on the back loft wall of the plans.

For heating, I personally used a standard electric heater. This worked well for me in the mild winters of Texas. The home has plenty of room for a gas or wood stove for those who may be in more extreme weather and the home is insulated for all climates.

Where do you think you cut the most cost?

I saved a TON of money on the interior of the home. I spent my money on the shell and the trailer of the home with the thinking that everything on the interior, I could always upgrade. Much of my interior was found at salvage shops, online auctions, craigslist, or on the side of the road! To learn the tips and trick on saving a TON of money on your build, contact me at [email protected]

What was the most expensive?

The shell and the trailer. Around $19,000, my trailer and walls were around 50% of my budget. Despite being so expensive, they were absolutely worth the cost. For the peace of mind that the shell is rock solid and the time saved in construction, I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Would you have changed anything if you could redo it?

To be honest, I was very happy with this home during the time I lived in it. The home was designed to be a semi-permanent structure, moving once or twice a year, and it served that purpose very well. I moved onto a significantly smaller home (250 sq ft > 54 sq ft) because I wanted to be able to travel more, but I keep T1 around in storage just incase I want to settle down one of these days.

Where do you have it?

T1 is currently in storage on family property in the country. While I was living in it, I found places to stay in friends driveways, in rented spots in back yards, and in tiny house communities.

How did you find the land?

My favorite resources for finding places to stay are Facebook Groups. When going to an unfamiliar city, I search for “CITY NAME Tiny House” and see what groups come up. I usually have success posting a bio with pictures of who I am, what I’m looking for, and what I have to offer.

I have also had success using the CouchSurfing App posting in the city forum boards and through AirBNB. When on AirBNB, I will search for “Whole Home Rentals” in the neighborhood I want to stay. Cross reference the address with a google street view search to see if my house may fit on the property. If it does, I will reach out to the listing owner to see if they would be interested in renting out their back yard either for a monthly fee or in exchange for help managing their AirBNB rental. Both CouchSurfing and AirBNB are communities of people who welcome strangers into their homes, so they are great resources for finding parking places when used creatively.

How do you get water?

I get water via the host house and a potable water hose.

How do you get power?

I get power via the host house. The house is wired for 30 amps and uses a standard RV extension cord. Most of the time living in the home, I used a standard 110v extension cord.

What do you use for cooking?

I used a single induction burner and a toaster oven personally. I was not comfortable running propane inside the house by myself, so I opted for the electric option. I cook every day and entertained often and this setup worked for me. I had a fairly large refrigerator which was important to me because of the beer draft lines. There is plenty of room in the kitchen to add a small oven/burner combo. Customize it to fit you! That’s the whole point of going tiny!

Do you have a washer and/or dryer?

I did not see the need for one personally, I actually prefer laundromats because I can get everything done at once. But there is plenty of room under the counters in the kitchen to add one if that is important to you. Again, tiny homes are designed for you!

What do you have for insulation?

SIPs Panels provide AMAZING insulation. The home was designed with 4 ½” walls and floor and a 6 ½” roof. This provides R-22 walls and floor and an R-32 roof. Because of the SIPs style construction there is nearly no thermal bridging, drafts, or moisture issues to worry about.

How big was your house you lived in before you built your Tiny House?

After graduating high school, I jumped from apartment to apartment. In 6 years I moved 10 times all because of something awful. This was a huge push to go tiny for me. I wanted a home that was mine, that I could customize and that I could fix if anything ever went wrong without having to get a landlords approval.

My last apartment was around 600 sq ft. Making the jump to 250 seemed crazy but after a few months the home went from feeling cramped, to comfortable, to WAY too big for me personally. I moved from the 250 sq ft tiny house to a 32 sq ft Honda element micro-camper to travel the country. Finally I have found my “goldielocks” home in a 54 sq ft micro home.

What are your views on the tiny house movement?

The tiny house movement is a response to the unattainable “american dream”. I believe tiny homes have very little to do with the structure itself, it is more about the lifestyle the the movement affords. The tiny house movement allows people to live simply, live intentionally, and enjoy their lives rather than slave away in an 8’ x 8’ office cube to pay off a 30 year mortgage on a home they are never in.

For me personally the tiny house life has opened up so many opportunities, created so many new friendships with people from all walks of life, and let me live the life I want to live. The tiny house movement is very little about the physical structure, it’s about the life that it affords. Live simple. Do what you love.

What if we have questions?

• A 31 page PDF detailing the homes elevations, SIPs shop drawings, SIPs diagrams & instructions, electrical and plumbing plans, and information on how to order your SIPs kit.
• The full editable SketchUp Model for T1, organized and layered to be edited to fit your particular needs
• The SketchUp Model of the interior closet/stairs as well as the exterior utility closet.
• An inspirational story and words of kindness to get you started on your Tiny House Journey!