Ready? Set? Now GO! (Tiny of course.....)

The first step in living your tiny house dream is the dream itself….visualizing what you will need, and what you will want, and imaging all the benefits that a simpler lifestyle will bring.

The second step along your journey will involve planning and asking yourself a lot of questions. Where will you park or build it?  What will it look like? How will you fit all your stuff into it?

Eventually, however, you’ll have to DO something and I think this is where a lot of tiny house enthusiasts get discouraged.  Perhaps they / you think that if you don’t have all the answers for every question you have…..you cannot begin building?  Maybe it’s lack of money that is getting in your way.  Maybe you don’t have the tools, or the expertise to build your own home.

Even if all of the above apply, in order to fulfill your tiny house dream, there will come a time to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and blaze that wonderful trail towards financial independence.  And just think…..someday you will fondly remember the day you finally decided to embrace your inner child, and be wildly optimistic, and move forward despite your trepidations.  

OK…..Ready? All Set?

 

 

My Trailer.....ready and waiting for the build to start!

 

 I started my Tiny House journey just a few months ago and I would have never imagined how far my vision would take me in such a short time.  Now, that’s not to say that I haven’t hit a few bumps along the way, but my 24 foot trailer is paid for and in my driveway, the lumber is being delivered in a couple of weeks, I have all my appliances and most of the interior materials stacked around the house and garage, and my tiny house (aka “My Empty Nest”) should be dried in before the infamous Oregon Rains arrive. 

Like many of you, I live paycheck to paycheck and I have debt.  I don’t have any savings, and I don’t own a home.  I don’t have a retirement account, and things like new tires, or car repairs, require careful planning.  So, to put it mildly, the financial concept of me building a tiny house is just plain crazy.  But, when I stumbled onto the concept of gaining sponsors for my build, it all clicked, and it was just the kick start I needed to get into gear. 

So, even though I didn’t start with any money, I was able to move forward….
…..slowly…but forward nonetheless.

 Also, like many of you, I didn’t know a lot about how to build a tiny house.  I am familiar with the concepts and practices behind “normal” residential construction, but a tiny house is very different.  So, I reached out via facebook, and have done hundreds of hours of internet research, and I attend monthly tiny house networking events.  Now, I know the difference between a deck-over and a drop-axle trailer.  I know the advantages and disadvantages of tiny houses with lofts, and those without.  I have met a few movers and shakers in the tiny house world, and have a network of supportive and knowledgeable people.  

I certainly don’t know it all, but I now know a lot more than I did when I started!
  

 

 

Selecting upholstery fabric for my tiny, custom, living room furniture.  So many choices!!

The most fun part of all of this, however, has been “putting pencil to graph paper” and sketching my design.  I didn’t start with a clear vision but today I have one.  I have stacks and stacks of paper in my tiny holder folder where I keep all the copies of the designs I drew, and re-drew.  I listed, beside each design idea, the things I liked best; as well as those attributes that the floorplan was lacking. (no wall space, not enough windows, too many hallways)  And speaking of windows, I have a list of the windows I have collected so far with their dimensions. I then numbered them, and incorporated them into my designs, cross referencing their numbers so I know which ones I have left over.  (Extra windows?  Who’d thunk?) I also have another list with the appliance, loft, décor, and furniture dimensions. I then check, and re-check, and then triple check; to make sure they will all fit where I want them to.  (and just discovered that I have to move my kitchen window up, as well as my loft, to accommodate my vintage drainboard-style kitchen sink……sigh…..)

I didn’t have money, but I had time, which I invested in researching sponsors.

I didn’t know how to build my tiny house, but my ideas really started gaining momentum when I reached out to others.

I didn’t have a clear design vision, but I started with a pencil and a piece of paper and now it’s gettin’ REAL!!
 

 

 

Ta Da!  My color scheme is finally finished!

If you feel like you’re stuck in the planning stages, if you’re not able to easily answer all of the questions you have for yourself, and if you’re discouraged by seeing others move forward while you’re still visualizing…..it’s time to shake off the dust and take an active step (even if only a small one) in the right direction.

 

 Ready? 
Set? 
Now GO!!!!