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Thinking about building a tiny home

8,089 Views | 41 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by docaggie
southernskies
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I'm in construction so I could actually use this thing traveling around from job to job. Has anyone ever built one? Trying to ballpark a cost here on what I'd spend. Yes, I know that you can really jack up the price with expensive materials. Does anyone know a median price to build one? Thinking about buying a 20ft trailer for it. 2 bed lofts on each end of the trailer
drummer0415
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AG
Tiny houses are a hipster fad. Save all that time and just buy a used travel trailer instead.
aTm2004
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Why not just buy a camper?
AggieChemist
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Dirty-8-thirty Ag
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This thread isn't going the way OP thought it would.
Apache
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You're in construction and you're asking us to ballpark you a price!?


AggieChemist
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Apache said:

You're in construction and you're asking us to ballpark you a price!?



He's the head Mexican on the roofing crew.
Aggietaco
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They're not meant to be mobile. The only reason they were ever built around trailer frames was to get around building codes for accessory dwelling units. If you plan to build, tow to location, and park, they can be a great option. If you want to move regularly, a camper would be a better option.
marcel ledbetter
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Figure about $10-15K in material if you build it from the frame up. You'd be better off buying a used one for work. It will take you a long time to build a travel trailer if you do it by yourself, even if you have all the tools to do it correctly.
MouthBQ98
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There's probably a lot of hobby sites with details. If it was going to be mobile and moved more than 1-2 times a year, it may be more cost effective to buy a travel trailer, though less fun. I imagine they cost what you put into them regarding complexity, materials, and appliances, etc.
hillcountryag86
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Apache said:

You're in construction and you're asking us to ballpark you a price!?



aTm2004
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If you want to build something, build yourself a teardrop.
will.mcg
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Aggietaco said:

They're not meant to be mobile. The only reason they were ever built around trailer frames was to get around building codes for accessory dwelling units. If you plan to build, tow to location, and park, they can be a great option. If you want to move regularly, a camper would be a better option.
Agreed. All my pipeline construction customers who have been in it for years & years go thru travel trailers quickly because they don't hold up to travel. I would imagine a tiny home would hold up for a shorter time period given the same travel conditions & distances.
Cromagnum
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If you bring a girl home to one of those, she can make you a sandwich while doing laundry and having sexy time.
aTm2004
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Cromagnum said:

If you bring a girl home to one of those, she can make you a sandwich while doing laundry and having sexy time.
You're assuming that a chick would want to hook up with him after seeing what he lives in. If she still wants to, he has to wonder if this granola chick is somebody he actually wants to hook up with.
Cromagnum
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aTm2004 said:

Cromagnum said:

If you bring a girl home to one of those, she can make you a sandwich while doing laundry and having sexy time.
You're assuming that a chick would want to hook up with him after seeing what he lives in. If she still wants to, he has to wonder if this granola chick is somebody he actually wants to hook up with.


All extremely valid points.
45-70Ag
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Emotional Support Cobra
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My hippy dippy friends built one in Texas and then towed it up to the PNW. They are happy as clams. Literally, like clams.

So yes they can be mobile if built well, that said if you aren't super picky or don't have a HGTV show to subsidize your endeavor, a travel trailer might be better $ spent if you are driving around more than just a little bit or one major relocation and then staying put for a long time.
mellison
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Another option would be to buy an old Airstream and remodel it to your liking. This would have the benefit of being designed for portability and being custom.
AggieOO
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i have some friends that had one built and then took it up to Bend, OR. But they aren't moving it around all the time. Its been good for them since they paid cash and now have no mortgage/rent while my buddy finishes school.
southernskies
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Lol not surprised at the feedback here. I think I will stay away from a tiny home. Thinking about it today has me dreading the amount of work I'm gonna need to put into this thing. I'll push it off for a retirement activity.
Aggie_3
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will.mcg said:

Aggietaco said:

They're not meant to be mobile. The only reason they were ever built around trailer frames was to get around building codes for accessory dwelling units. If you plan to build, tow to location, and park, they can be a great option. If you want to move regularly, a camper would be a better option.
Agreed. All my pipeline construction customers who have been in it for years & years go thru travel trailers quickly because they don't hold up to travel. I would imagine a tiny home would hold up for a shorter time period given the same travel conditions & distances.
travel trailers hold up just fine if you actually take care of them properly
dubi
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newmayne4 said:

I'm in construction so I could actually use this thing traveling around from job to job. Has anyone ever built one? Trying to ballpark a cost here on what I'd spend. Yes, I know that you can really jack up the price with expensive materials. Does anyone know a median price to build one? Thinking about buying a 20ft trailer for it. 2 bed lofts on each end of the trailer
Build one and blog the entire process on the Home Improvement board. I'd enjoy reading it.
BenderRodriguez
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newmayne4 said:

Lol not surprised at the feedback here. I think I will stay away from a tiny home. Thinking about it today has me dreading the amount of work I'm gonna need to put into this thing. I'll push it off for a retirement activity.

Yeah, having to climb around a tiny home at age 60 sounds like a real blast.

CE Lounge Lizzard
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This one's a toy hauler as well.

AgySkeet06
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Not going to lie, I've been playing with design/floor plans for building a "tiny home" also. You know the kind that is camouflaged and parked about 150 yds from my deer feeder
SabineAg
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Go ahead and buy yourself a Keystone Montana. You will forget that you in a trailer to begin with. I work in the pipeline industry and those are the best of any of my coworkers that I've seen.
southernskies
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"Yeah, having to climb around a tiny home at age 60 sounds like a real blast. "

You must be from the city


BenderRodriguez
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Needs laugh/cry face. Not even close.

Your projection is funny though.

one MEEN Ag
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Composting toilets.
DatTallArchitect
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Aggietaco said:

They're not meant to be mobile. The only reason they were ever built around trailer frames was to get around building codes for accessory dwelling units. If you plan to build, tow to location, and park, they can be a great option. If you want to move regularly, a camper would be a better option.

I'll second this, and add that well designed tiny homes are much more than a dad. However (and it's a huge "however"), very few tiny homes are truly designed well (true minimalist architecture takes a lot more effort than most want to put or pay to have put into a design). Even when they are designed well, they are far from being for most people.
JaneDoe02
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I have a daydream/fantasy about building a one room cabin on the back of our property. Something around 3-400 sq ft. But doing it as rustic as possible (except for a/c and maybe a mini fridge, because I'm not crazy). No TV, big front porch, wood burning stove, kerosene lanterns, old brass bed with handmade quilts, rag rug on the floor, hand pump at the sink, metal wash tub, etc. I like the idea of it, but not sure if it would actually be used or not. Not hipster, but rather more of a pioneer cabin.
Salt of the water
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I'm intrigued by the Blow On custom model. Limited edition paint job with rare custom decals and a cedar closet for your fur coat collection.
T4747
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newmayne4 said:

Lol not surprised at the feedback here. I think I will stay away from a tiny home. Thinking about it today has me dreading the amount of work I'm gonna need to put into this thing. I'll push it off for a retirement activity.
I looked into constructing a tiny house extensively. I decided on a stick built 600 sqft. traditional cabin. The cost of either or was between 20-25K for my specifications.
JYDog90
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I think HGTV ought to do a show called, "12 Months After My Tiny House," where they travel around the country interviewing all the people they featured before. They could document the divorces, the single women who bought one and have gone BSC, the homes that have fallen apart, and all the others who are back to renting apartments.
Formerly Willy Wonka
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