I like building things and with the encouragement and support of my clan, we decided to build a tiny home as a way to make some money to cover the little expenses we do have.
We decided on a 12x24 building with 10' walls so that we could have enough room to make a loft. Started the project in February. Built on 4 skids so that we could move it afterwards.
The loft gave us a 6'6" clearance on the main floor and 6'2" clearance at the peak of the loft.
We wanted lots of windows to make sure it was bright and we built it with 2x6 walls so that the tiny home could keep somebody warm in the extreme northern climate. Most tiny homes would not perform well in -45C/-51F temperatures. We wanted to make sure this one could!
We used second cut spruce from a local mill to make the siding. Made the tiny home look like an old cabin!
The walls were finished with a tongue and grove pine and the floor was bamboo.
When finished, this is the view of the tiny home when you first walk into the building. Ceiling fan pushes the hot air down to equalize the temperature of the building.
The kitchen cabinets were all hand made and the doors we got for free! All the work we did ourselves, including the tile work in the kitchen and bathroom, plumbing, electrical, etc. Notice the spice rack that uses the space between the studs!
We managed to get a full bath in as well as a sink and toilet. We designed the building so that gray water and black water are separate. Who ever got the house could also hook it up to the grid or make it off grid!
The view from the loft. The railing is cedar!
A view of the building when it was finished on the outside. The building weighs about 12,500lbs and when we needed to move it, we got quotes from professional movers. They came in at $5000 to $15,000. We decided to move it ourselves. We borrowed a 24 foot trailer from a farmer friend and jacked the building up ourselves and moved it for a cost of $70.
My next tiny home will be much smaller, something that can fit on my trailer deck (8x16) and it will be just for me or clan member who is not a part of the system. In Alberta, the New Home Warrantee program makes it impossible to sell to slaves as they need building permits to put it anywhere and the county can refuse if the building is not under warrantee. To get a warrantee would require $12,000 which is a huge expense in comparison to the home that we estimate the value to be about $30,000 - $40,000. So the state ended our attempt to build affordable homes for people.
We put about 700 hours into the build and approximately $10,000 in materials. If somebody wanted to build one themselves, that makes a fairly cost effective shelter that can survive the extremes of the northern boreal forest!
