During our build I have posted quite a few ads on Kijiji hoping to find inexpensive building materials. Every time I post one that mentions we are building a tiny house I get a few responses from others who are either also building one or who are interested in doing so.
One day I was contacted by Sam and Brian, a couple in Bragg Creek who were farther along in the tiny house project. We started chatting and it turns out they were at the electrical stage and needed an electrician. Jeff and I drove out to meet them and we were super impressed by their house. Their exterior was completed beautifully! It was so inspiring to see a house so close to the final stages!
One day I was contacted by Sam and Brian, a couple in Bragg Creek who were farther along in the tiny house project. We started chatting and it turns out they were at the electrical stage and needed an electrician. Jeff and I drove out to meet them and we were super impressed by their house. Their exterior was completed beautifully! It was so inspiring to see a house so close to the final stages!
Jeff helped out with their electrical, although it was more of a crash course as Brian is a fast learner and very self-sufficient. We have remained in touch with them and are happy to have become friends.
We have been out to visit multiple times and each time we leave with a renewed enthusiasm for our own build.
We have been out to visit multiple times and each time we leave with a renewed enthusiasm for our own build.
When Jeff and I went away on a trip they were kind enough to take care of Trotsky. Trotsky has now officially stayed overnight in a Tiny House, great practice for what is to come! Since we have been learning from Sam and Brian's experiences as Tiny House dwellers, I thought it would be helpful to post an interview with Sam about the realities of living tiny. Sam was nice enough to answer my questions about what it's been like to build and live in a tiny house so far. |
T: What was the most difficult part of the build?
S: Finding a place to build and sourcing materials. Because what we are building is unconventional it was difficult to find materials in the Calgary area. We often compared sourcing materials to the Amazing race; it was like a treasure hunt to find some of the materials we needed. It would have been much easier to build a tiny house in the US and likely a lot easier in BC as well.
T: What has been the hardest transition since living in the Tiny house?
S: Living without running water. (It is a work in progress.) Water and grey water are issues that tiny house dwellers who are not on their own land face. You need to be creative, especially if you are planning on parking your TH in a city.
T: What would your advice be to other couples who are building together?
S: Expand your time frame. EVERYTHING takes longer than you thought it should. Building a tiny house is just as much work as building a small house. Think about if you work well together. Often times, the build will drain your relationship... Can you brush it off and forgive and forget at the end of the day?
T: What element of your house are you most proud of?
S: The design. Brian used Sketch up and we designed everything ourselves. We feel as though we used the space in a very efficient way and the TH seems a lot bigger than what it actually is.
S: Finding a place to build and sourcing materials. Because what we are building is unconventional it was difficult to find materials in the Calgary area. We often compared sourcing materials to the Amazing race; it was like a treasure hunt to find some of the materials we needed. It would have been much easier to build a tiny house in the US and likely a lot easier in BC as well.
T: What has been the hardest transition since living in the Tiny house?
S: Living without running water. (It is a work in progress.) Water and grey water are issues that tiny house dwellers who are not on their own land face. You need to be creative, especially if you are planning on parking your TH in a city.
T: What would your advice be to other couples who are building together?
S: Expand your time frame. EVERYTHING takes longer than you thought it should. Building a tiny house is just as much work as building a small house. Think about if you work well together. Often times, the build will drain your relationship... Can you brush it off and forgive and forget at the end of the day?
T: What element of your house are you most proud of?
S: The design. Brian used Sketch up and we designed everything ourselves. We feel as though we used the space in a very efficient way and the TH seems a lot bigger than what it actually is.
T: What would you do differently if you were going to build again? S: Expand our time line to make it less stressful. Also, we would likely buy an 18 ft trailer as ours seems huge (it is 22 ft). Smaller trailer = easier to tow. T: How has living in the house impacted your relationship with your partner? S: Overall, the build made us stronger and our relationship, since moving into the tiny house, has remained very strong. However, it is a VERY small space and I could see it not working well for the majority of people. Privacy is exclusively limited to the bathroom and even at that, it is a tiny house, so you will never have complete privacy unless you are home alone! |