The layout of my tiny house was tough to plan out because I was working with such a small place and wanted a lot in it. My challenges of the build was figuring out my roof layout, cutting and shaping the roof, and keeping it watertight. The materials I used are a mix of old and new timber.
I’m a 20-year-old carpenter from the Bristol area. I have grown up in the countryside just outside of Bristol and have always had a passion for being outside and doing lots of extreme sport like skiing, surfing, and climbing. When I was younger, I really struggled with school because I was not good at exams and Academic subjects. I knew from a young age I wanted to make my family proud of me, and I had a love for anything to do with building things and the outdoors.
My inspiration for my tiny house was watching lots of YouTube videos of builds other people had done. I was super interested in the lifestyle and the accomplishment of building my very own house at a young age. Most of my finishing touches are made with reclaimed wood. The build did took me about three years due to finding funds to buy all the timber and tools.
The main idea behind the tiny house was to make it look rustic and at the same time, modern. I wanted the tiny house also to have a log cabin style on the outside. The main feature of my tiny house is the waney edged boarding to the front to give it a unique looking house. Space-saving is a must in a tiny house because it’s such a confined space, for example, my ladder to the sleeping loft can pull up on a rope to make room for when you are in the kitchen and lounge to create more space.
My favorite part about the house has got to be the log burner because it makes the house feel really homey and is my only source of heating.
My tiny house has good privacy because of all the trees which surround my house. It also has the capacity to accommodate up to 6 guests. Recently, I have had six friends in my tiny house for a small gathering and they all managed to sleep comfortably. I have set up air mattresses on my lounge floor, which was a squeeze but good fun.
My overall cost of the build was £6000 roughly.
My tiny house is located on my grandparents land out the back of their house, which is roughly an acre of land all surrounded by big tall trees. The location is amazing because it’s out of the way, and I am surrounded by trees and nature.
The best thing about building my tiny house is the achievements of owning a tiny house at 20 years old. Also, my best friend helped me a lot with the build, and it was good to spend some quality time with him. Another good thing is spending time with my girlfriend and friends enjoying the tiny house. The worst thing was getting the tiny house weathered in when it was winter in the UK, and it wouldn’t stop raining. At points, it was a real challenge!
If I could start from scratch I would change the roof design because it’s quite tight getting from the lounge to the sleeping loft. I would have made the pitch of the room higher and put two dormers on the end for the sleeping loft.
Tiny house for sure changed my life because it’s taught me to persevere, and if you have a goal, stick to it because it will be worth it. I’m also thankful for all the lessons it taught me about building and good life skills and it showed me who my true friends are because of the help they have given me.
Going tiny is definitely an amazing thing to do and if you have a dream of your house, persevere through all the trials it may bring when going through the process of your dream build. Never give up on your dreams!
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