TWO brothers have shared how they constructed a tiny home for just $6,000, stating that they didn’t want to buy an overpriced home.
As steep real estate rates continue to hinder the cost of living, some consumers downsize to maximize their savings.
Many Americans have hopped on the tiny home wave, including this sibling duo who shared their cost-effective construction strategies.
Chay Denne is a YouTuber who posts his building projects, and he called in his brother Cody to help him build a two-story house.
He started his video by noting how he used to think it would be much easier to buy property one day.
“Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t want to pay $1 million for a house built in 1964,” Chay said.
“So in this video, my brother and I are building the ultimate tiny house, not for $50,000, not for $20,000, but for $6,000.”
TRAILER TROVE
Chay explained the construction began when his brother Cody picked up an old trailer.
He was skeptical, but the trailer was only $500, a deal Cody couldn’t resist.
The brothers added metal to the 13-foot trailer to make the home longer, as they wanted it to be 16 feet long.
After power washing the trailer, they started to build the tiny home’s base.
CRAFTY SPACE
The brothers were determined to make the home spacious enough to fit a full-sized bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and living room.
“With all these demands, we’re going to use two-by-fours to make the base as wide as we legally can,” Chay explained.
“It will give us about eight feet.”
They filled the wood frame gaps with foam to provide insulation and prevent moisture buildup. After that, they added a subfloor.
Chay estimated the tiny home base would give him and his brother 130 square feet to work with.
They decided to make their tiny home have two stories to optimize space.
They built the walls high but left one wall with an opening for the full-sized bathroom extension.
Then they framed the roof and lined it with plywood.
“For our siding, we just went with four-by-eight-foot wooden panels because these are pretty cheap and really easy to put up,” Chay said.
FINISHING TOUCHES
They could only afford big windows for their tiny home by making their own from scratch.
The brothers had never built windows before but started making window panel frames.
“The total for the glass and the wood was under $400,” Chay said.
They also built windows for their second-story master bedroom.
Even if I had the money, I wouldn’t want to pay $1 million for a house built in 1964.
Chay Denne
“You might not have guessed it, but Cody and I saved hundreds of dollars here,” he added.
He said they could’ve bought three PVC trims but those would’ve cost $15,000.
Their trim was only $160, and they finished adding it in three days.
At this point, their total spending reached $3,230.
They applied an aluminum lining to the roof and added some finishing touches.
Finally, they painted the house and spent under $6,000.
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
Tiny homes can be built in all kinds of creative ways.
One couple converted a 2001 school bus into their dream home.
Will and Arwa from California shared their journey on YouTube.
They divided their duties, putting Will in charge of installing plumbing and electricity, while Arwa did interior woodwork.
You might not have guessed it, but Cody and I saved hundreds of dollars here.
Chay Denne
The bus has storage cabinets and a small closet for clothes and toiletries.
Once finished, the tiny home also had a shower that they managed to install in three days.
Tiny home communities have also been instrumental in alleviating pressures from the housing crisis.
One tiny home community in Washington has aimed to give shelter to 40 people in need.
Meanwhile, a Hawaiian tiny home village can sleep up to five people for just $142 a night.
Where to buy a tiny home
THE tiny home phenomenon found new heights as an alternative living solution for consumers concerned with ballooning homebuying costs and sustainability concerns.
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You can buy ‘tiny homes’ online in a few places, including:
- Shop tiny homes at Amazon – shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Walmart – shop here
- Shop tiny home at Wayfair – shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Home Depot – shop here
- Shop tiny homes at Lowe’s – shop here
You can also check out our full tiny home guides here: