Professional Man-Hours (Contractors): 452
How much have we spent so far?
> Prices on the product pages may vary, but the prices here are what we actually paid.
2013
- 04/29/13 – 2 Tickets for the Tumbleweed Workshop in Philadelphia – $448.50
- 05/01/13 – 20′ long Trailer – $4,400.00
- 05/02/13 – Construction Plans for The Cypress – $549.00
- 05/28/13 – 30′ wide x 50′ long Tarp – $46.51
- 07/03/13 – Toaster Oven – $79.98
- 08/15/13 – Trailer Delivery – $350.00
Total: $5,873.99
2014
- 04/10/14 – 9 triple-pane Windows with Tempered Glass – $4,738.53
(6 windows 24″ x 36″ [3 turn left, 3 turn right] – $516.67 each)
(1 picture window 48″ x 36″ – $646.85)
(2 windows 24″ x 24″ – $479.23 for the one that tilts, $332.43 for the fixed one)
(white screens – $180.00) - 06/21/14 – Connecticut Sales Tax for our Trailer – $279.40
- 06/21/14 – Temporary Plates for our Trailer – $27.00
- 06/30/14 – Trailer Inspection – sponsored by Connecticut Arborists
- 06/25/14 – Door Handle with Double Lock – $121.24
- 10/30/14 – Framing, Plywood, Screws, Hurricane Ties, Metal Straps – $5,500.00
- 11/11/14 – Tankless Water Heater – $1,125.00
- 11/13/14 – 5″ Queen Mattress – $400.00
- 11/13/14 – Lunos e2 (decentralized ventilation system with a built-in regenerative heat recovery core – from Germany!) with Roflex 150 (airtight sleeve) – $1,247.80
Total: $13,438.97
2015
- 01/08/15 – Kimberly Wood Stove – $3,995.00
- 01/14/15 – Exterior Cedar Trim Board – $2,575.00
- 01/16/15 – Pipes for our Wood Stove – $793.98
- 02/02/15 – Red Cedar Shingles (about 650 sq ft) – $2,015.33
- 02/20/15 – New Door (the first one was too high, the second one too wide) – $557.86
- 02/22/15 – Exterior Stain – $125.00
- 03/07/15 – Hand-Held Vacuum – $39.34
- 04/02/15 – Insurance for “Manufactured Home” – $651.00/year
- 04/22/15 – Standing Seam Metal Roofing – $4,850.00
- 04/24/15 – Registration as a Camp Trailer – $59.00
- 04/28/15 – 2 fixed Skylights – $520.00
- 05/07/15 – Side-by-Side Refrigerator – $382.85
- 10/03/15 –
Water Pump – $107.07
- 10/03/15 – 32 x 32 x 69 Shower Walls and 32 x 32 Shower Base – $600.86
- 10/04/15 – Antique Shower Valve – $149.00
- 10/04/15 – Plumbing Supplies (City/Gravity Water Hatch, Bulk Waste Valve Cap, Waste Valve Body) – $67.35
- 10/06/15 – Fresh and Grey Water Tanks – $492.03
- 10/11/15 – Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink with Strainer and Colander – $287.97
- 10/13/15 – AC/DC Distribution Panel with 30A Power Inlet and Adapter– $258.90
- 11/15/15 – Stainless Steel Kitchen Faucet – $191.43
- 11/15/15 – Freezeless Wall Hydrant – $111.24
- 11/18/15 – 2x Camper Leveler – $79.20
- 11/19/15 – Bulkhead Wall Light – $142.00
- 11/23/15 – 3x waterproof LED Strip with Dimmer – $587.60
- 12/07/15 – Ventilation Fan – $56.99
- 12/31/15 – Closed Cell Spray Foam – 2,000.00
Total: $21,696.00
2016
- 01/06/16 – Antique Historic Plank Reclaimed Hardwood Floor – $2,610.00
- 01/28/16 – 400 sq ft of 1×8 Tongue & Groove Eastern White Pine – $611.74
- 01/28/16 – 100 sq ft of 1×6 Center Match Western Red Cedar – $942.36
- 01/31/16 – 9x Milk Paint – $198.00 – extra paint sponsored by Miss Mustard Seed
- 01/31/16 – 4x Waterlox Original Tung Oil – $167.96
- 02/19/16 – 1 Gallon of Hemp Oil – sponsored by Miss Mustard Seed
- 02/24/16 – 3x Wall Lights – $334.50, 25% off sponsored by Barn Light Electric
- 02/27/16 – 2x Floor Muffler – $129.96
- 03/12/16 – Hardware for Sliding Barn Door – sponsored by Better Barn
- 04/25/16 – 30 Amp Locking Cord – $80.06
- 04/26/16 – Vented Washer/Dryer Combo – $1,128.99
Total: $6,203.57
- Total Spent – $47,212.53
___
Experiences
> Mistakes or unnecessary purchases.
- 05/31/13 – 1 Box of PermaLoft Premium Wool Insulation – $156.20
- 06/23/14 – Entry Door – $142.74 (originally $342.74, we sold it again for $200.00)
- 06/28/14 – Replacement Tail Light – $73.31
- 04/22/15 – New Battery for Trailer Breaks – $31.89
- 04/28/15 – New Trailer Lights – $146.89
- Total Experiences – $551.03
___
- Total All – $47,763.56*
*This amount does not represent all of our expenses. We did not incorporate the wages we paid for professional help, nor did we include the hundreds of tiny items we used during the construction process – nails, screws, glue, primer, spray paint, gloves, staining pads, cotton rags, brushes, drill bits, wires, outlets, switches, electrical boxes… It’s just too much to count. Our material list shows additional items that are not mentioned here.
Our Tiny House Construction Since 2013 
Hello,
Great work on your Freedom House, the Wood stove made by Roger, is that a Rocket stove design, are there any blueprints or pictures of the wood stove?
Thanks
If you watch our video under Lifestyle > First Video Tour you can see more of the wood stove!
Hello,
Thanks for sharing your story, I have gotten so many great ideas from your home. What kind of air conditioning unit are you thinking about using for your house?
Thank you! 🙂 We’re happy we could help… Originally we weren’t planning to put in an AC unit but we might change our plans. I might be able to give you answer in a couple of months…
Im 75 years old! I live alone with my dog in the middle of Manhattan in New York City. Ive been looking to get out of this concrete jungle for a while, and when i came upon your page on the internet, a light went on.! this is something (an option) for me to consider. Im a retired Navy veteran, and i qualify for a vet loan to buy or rent a home. Im almost convinced that this might be something for me and my dog Freckles, i know she would love it. why am i sharing this with you? because you are going through the process, and are in a good place to tell me if this idea of small house living might be good for me at this junction of my life. My only problem is my age, and arthritis in my knees, otherwise am good to go. So any feedback is appreciated!
Mike Ortiz and Freckles
Hi Mike and Freckles! Thank you so much for reaching out to us and sharing your story. Yes, as you probably expect, we sincerely recommend this way of living for you and your dog. Both of you are most welcome to visit us and experience a tiny house. Have you googled “tiny houses without loft” yet? You can build one without a loft, so please don’t let your arthritis stop you. 🙂
I live in nh and really want to buy the Kimberly wood stove but I want to see it work and throw out ton of heat before I commit to 4k could I possibly see the stove in your setup to see how it works
Hi Matt,
Please see our reply to your first comment…
If I understand corretly the inteli power panel you Boughy will allow you to hook your house batteries to it so the energy can be converted to ac or left as DC and you can also charge the batteries with sure power
So for example I wire my batteries to the panel then I run a cable from one of the connections to an ac outlet and I can then plug in my ac device and use it no other equipment necessary
We just bought that panel, but that’s exactly what we’re hoping to do. If you visit us we can talk about it further. We are still trying to figure out the electrical and I don’t want to give any false information.
Where are you located I will definatley come visit i can come most Mondays and Tuesdays pleade et me know
We are in Newtown, CT. We both work full time, so Mondays and Tuesday only works after 6pm…
Is the inteli power panel a pure sign wave inverter
We still have to find out. 🙂
This website is incredibly helpful! I have been designing plans my tiny house for 2 years (I’m definitely going Gambrel) and have finally landed a job where I feel financially stable enough to make it a reality. However, this job has just started so I have no savings. I’m wondering how much I should save up before I start actually physically constructing? I’ve been thinking 15K…do you think more or less?
Thank you so much, Evan! I would say $15k is a good amount to start your project. We did not even have a third of this when we started building and have been paying for everything with our paychecks over the last three years. That’s why it took us so long. Good luck to you!!