by Bob Whitney
This month my tiny house was completed after a few years of preparation and three months of building. Josh Wengard, a terrific carpenter of Re-Design Construction in Londenderry, Vermont did most everything. I sealed the cedar siding, sanded the maple kitchen counter and generally got in the way. The house was built using the Epu plans from the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, though some modifications were made. The final cost was just under $32,000 for building.
I was able to find a 1.1 acre piece of land bordered by a brook that already had a well and septic installed. The land was $36,000
We encountered some unexpected problems that were not mentioned in Jay Shafer’s book or at his seminar. For instance, we needed a pressure tank for the water from the well and since there was not room in the house a shed had to be built and insulated so the water would not freeze which cost an additional $1,000. Then we needed to hooking up the house to a septic system. The State of Vermont does not have any building requirements, but does require septic, even for graywater. Grading the land and attaching septic was an additional $4,000.
Overall, it was a good learning experience. Now that I am living in the house those past problems seem minor.