Et cetera : Meet the Movement: An Introduction to Tiny Houses

Editor's Note: Amy Andrews and a partner at Central College built an entire tiny house for less than $500. Below is their description of the project.

What are tiny homes? Whatever you want them to be! Generally, they have all the features of a “regular” home. Some people just want to downsize, others want off the grid, others want to travel with them!

How tiny? It’s up to you. What’s tiny for a college student might be impossible for a family of four! Usually people talk about homes under 400 square feet.

The New Normal

More space, more rooms and more features are “standard” in new houses over time. The average American family size has been decreasing over the last 50 years, but the average American home size has been increasing. In 1973, the largest housing problem in the U.S. was overcrowding. Now, only a few generations later, many people can’t afford an average home.

Homes are responsible for 18 percent of CO2 release in the U.S., and housing materials not built to last end up in landfills. Residents can improve the energy efficiency of their homes by weatherizing — or downsizing, since smaller houses require less energy to heat or cool. Passive solar design can warm houses in winter and cool them in summer. Also, rain barrels can be a sustainable water source — and dark colors help the sun start to heat the water.

Our Budget

Original budget: $3,350

For comparison:

Project by Mount Holyoke College senior Sarah Hastings: budget $8,000, final cost $12,000-14,000

Project featured in “Tiny: A Story about Living Small” documentary: $26,000

Acquired materials:

Original structure (granary)

4 windows, donated

Interior cabinets, sink and carpet, salvaged from Pella house

Insulation, salvaged from Hilltop manor retirement home

Expenditures:

OSB plywood for ceiling, $110

Exterior paint, $25

Foam ceiling vents, $25

Bolts, $10

Door frame, $40

Exterior door, $13

Interior paint, $30

Drip cap for windows, $16

Brick mold for window frames, $60

Wood stove piping materials, $120

Total Cost: $489

The future:

Well, for what we had to work with, the fact that we got it in usable condition, at least as a weekend getaway, is something we're really happy with! But we do have a lot more we'd love to do. This spring we're hoping to get a porch on it. It currently does not have plumbing, so rain barrels with a filtration system will be coming soon as well. Further down the line we'd love to get a composting toilet, and a solar water heater. As for electricity, right now we have battery-powered lights, and can hook it to a generator, but if we could afford solar panels we would add a small solar system in a heartbeat!