[ad_1]
A TINY home has been in the works for three years for an Ontario builder who started the project at 18 years old.
Now he’s gearing up to live with his girlfriend for the first time, mortgage-free, in their tiny home.
Josh and Lindsay will live mortgage-free in a tiny home Josh built for themCredit: YouTube/Exploring AlternativesEquipped with two loft spaces, the 144-square-foot tiny home is almost readyCredit: YouTube/Exploring Alternatives
Ontario native Josh first got the idea to go tiny when he watched a video of a 17-year-old kid building his own home.
“I thought to myself, ‘I could build one of those'” he said in a video for Exploring Alternatives YouTube channel.
After saving up all summer to buy a $3,500 car-hauler trailer at 18, Josh got to work, building and financing the home that he and his girlfriend, Lindsay would later move into.
The two will live mortgage-free in the space that cost him $22,000.
“I never wanted to go into debt to finish it because I’m trying to get out of debt to finish it in the first place,” Josh said.
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.
*If you click on a link in this boxout, we may earn affiliate revenue.
You can buy ‘tiny homes’ online in a few places, including:
You can also check out our full tiny home guides here:
EXPLORING THE BUILDOUT
The 21-foot-length tiny home is equipped with 18 feet of interior space and a 3-foot-long porch.
It also has a standing seam metal roof, 13 windows for ample light to come through, and is sided with cedar for a cabin-like feel.
A secret storage shed holds the couple’s propane and water and a washer and dryer will remain next to these utilities.
Josh shared his plan for the two lofts — one which features shed dormers and another loft at the other end of the house for storage that can also serve as a second area for sleeping.
A ladder will hook into a rail on the loft but will be concealable when not in use.
I won’t pay a penny in rent after transforming a trailer at the bottom of my parents’ garden into a tiny home – it only cost me £5k to do too
Along the wall are kitchen cabinets, a storage bench, closets, and what Josh referred to as a “his and hers” desk, which he built by hand.
Top-notch insulation was also important to the couple when weathering the Canadian winters.
“We’re completely airtight,” said Josh who is also adding a convection heater to the wall to provide an additional heat source.
LESSONS IN MINIMALISM
Through constructing the house, the couple reflected on how moving into a 144-square-foot home would require them to adapt.
Lindsay said the couple has accumulated clutter where they currently live now, especially in the basement area, and is hoping to let go of this mindset when going tiny.
What is a tiny home?
Technically, a tiny home is any house measuring under 400 square feet.
Many tiny homes are built on trailers so they can be towed anywhere, and some are converted from old school buses or vans.
Each state has its own rules about tiny homes, but, generally, they are not subject to the same taxes as regular homes.
However, Alaska, Iowa, Louisiana, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin, and West Virginia have made tiny homes illegal as permanent dwellings.
“I’m just excited to start fresh in this tiny space and be more cautious about the things that we bring into it and what we have and not to bring so much stuff into this house,” she said.
While the couple will start off using the power grid to provide electricity to the home, they plan to make the tiny home a green one, pivoting to solar power in the future.
While practicing going tiny has taken work for Josh and Lindsay, it’s been a labor of love for Josh who is turning building tiny homes into a business of his own.
“I’d be more than happy to build one for other people,” Josh said, outlining his idea to sell tiny-home plans on a website one day.
Check out this Hawaiian-themed 325 square-foot tiny home a couple built that featured a “golfing spot.”
Plus, read up on a tiny home village with rent-free living in a pricy area of California.
[ad_2]
This article was originally published by a www.the-sun.com . Read the Original article here. .