Time Frame
Because I am a full time student and will be working to pay for school and the house, the majority of the building will be done during the summers. However, when I am not actively building or working on the house, such as during the winter, I will still be collecting materials for it whenever a good deal pops up.
In the summer of 2013 I will be preparing the trailer; sanding, painting, rewiring.
In the summer of 2014 I will start construction and have the house weather tight by the time school starts again in September. This means I will be working on exterior walls, windows, doors, siding, roofing and painting. I have given this the nickname of "Phase 1".
Then, I can work on the interior when time permits, even during the winter; a.k.a "Phase 2". I am anticipating the TinyHouse to still be somewhat incomplete by the time I graduate in May 2015 even if I am slowly working on it during the winter. So, I am prepared to spend about half of the summer of 2015 putting the final touches on my home.
Ultimately, my goal is to graduate from college nearly debt free, with a home of my own which is mortgage free that I can be proud of.
UPDATE: As of September 2014, I have decided to take some time off of school (at least a couple years), but will still be working full time. This means my house should be done by spring 2015 instead of summer 2015. I do still plan on ending my tiny house build nearly debt free and a home of my own I can be proud of.
UPDATE #2: As of August 2015 I have moved into my completed tiny house!
In the summer of 2013 I will be preparing the trailer; sanding, painting, rewiring.
In the summer of 2014 I will start construction and have the house weather tight by the time school starts again in September. This means I will be working on exterior walls, windows, doors, siding, roofing and painting. I have given this the nickname of "Phase 1".
Then, I can work on the interior when time permits, even during the winter; a.k.a "Phase 2". I am anticipating the TinyHouse to still be somewhat incomplete by the time I graduate in May 2015 even if I am slowly working on it during the winter. So, I am prepared to spend about half of the summer of 2015 putting the final touches on my home.
Ultimately, my goal is to graduate from college nearly debt free, with a home of my own which is mortgage free that I can be proud of.
UPDATE: As of September 2014, I have decided to take some time off of school (at least a couple years), but will still be working full time. This means my house should be done by spring 2015 instead of summer 2015. I do still plan on ending my tiny house build nearly debt free and a home of my own I can be proud of.
UPDATE #2: As of August 2015 I have moved into my completed tiny house!
Budget
My budget for this project is $10,000. In hopes of keeping my costs under control and organizing myself before I run to every hardware store in the state, I have made a detailed spreadsheet breaking down what I will need for each phase and its price. Not only has this made it easy to see what I will need and if I can even come close to staying on budget before I start building, but it will also make it easy for me to identify good deals when I see them. My spreadsheet system will be available under the Budgeting Resources page.
UPDATE: As of November 2014, my budget hasn't become as important because I won't have to pay for a 1.5 semesters of school so I can use that money to get a few nicer things for the house. However, I'd still really, really like it if I could stick to my original budget because I want to see if it can be done and I'd be nice to use that money to pay down the last $2,000-$3,000 in student loans I'll have left.
UPDATE #2: As of October 2015 I am debt free. I'm still working on entering receipts so I don't know the true cost of the house yet. My estimate is $11,000.
UPDATE: As of November 2014, my budget hasn't become as important because I won't have to pay for a 1.5 semesters of school so I can use that money to get a few nicer things for the house. However, I'd still really, really like it if I could stick to my original budget because I want to see if it can be done and I'd be nice to use that money to pay down the last $2,000-$3,000 in student loans I'll have left.
UPDATE #2: As of October 2015 I am debt free. I'm still working on entering receipts so I don't know the true cost of the house yet. My estimate is $11,000.