Since the delivery of our Tiny House trailer was unexpectedly delayed by about 6 months and we ran out of time to build last summer and fall, we spent our winter collecting supplies via Craigslist and local suppliers and planning and designing our tiny house.
Time = Permission to Obsess
In hindsight, the delay allowed us to reflect upon all the details and to work out any potential problems on paper before we started building. All of our efforts (and a bit of our obsessive qualities) are being realized this past week, and with a technically skilled and knowledgeable builder in the family helping us, we’re getting the envelope up quickly and without major problems.
From Dream to Reality
It’s really exciting to see our 2-dimensional dream become a 3-dimensional, life-size home. I’ll post more photos and videos over the next few weeks, but to give you an idea of what the final product will look like, I’ve included some of my Google Sketch Up drawings of our home in this post.
Some Additional Details
I didn’t include the trailer in these drawings but we’re building the home on the trailer opposite of what most people do, with the hitch at the “front” of the house (near the door). We plan on extending the current 3′ x 3′ porch by the door out and over the hitch once it’s in it’s semi-permanent position.
In the drawings I originally made the wheel wells square but we’ll actually round those out in the end.
The size of the house is 8′ 6″ x 23′ and the height is 13′ 6″ (the maximum height legally allowed on the road without a permit).
Nice sketchup. Our Tiny Houses will be quite close in design. We are doing a raised loft with the standard cathedral pitch in the main part of the house. And while our entry (and exit) door(s) will be on the long sides of the trailer, we are also building a porch once we are more stable and tied down with the house. I look forward to seeing some construction photos.
Funny how timing is everything, huh? I know y’all feel blessed to have had that time to really sort things out.
Hi Andrew – Thanks!! We’ll keep posting photos as we move forward. 🙂
***For others reading this, check out Andrew and his wife’s blog for another DIY couple building their own Tiny House.****
Hi Sheila and Kai! We’ve been busy designing, seeking-out materials, plans, and learning how to work in google sketch up. Thanks so much for all of the valuable information you’ve included in your website. We look forward to reading your book!
-Mitchell & Nicholette
Thanks! And great to hear that your preparations are underway. Stay tuned! 🙂
Hi Mitchell & Nicholette,
I can’t believe we missed this very kind note of yours! Thank you so much.
You two are awesome. We feel connected with you in so many ways, your musings and thoughts on simplicity are similar to ours and we’ve been following along as you two take each step forward toward realizing your dreams.
If you have any questions or need a pep-talk from two who have been there, please don’t hesitate to let us know – just send us a note through the comment section and we’ll arrange a Skype call or can correspond via private email. 🙂