Don’t let money deter you from building a tiny house if that’s what you really want. There are plenty of ways you can do it for $10,000 or less if you are determined and resourceful. We put together this list of ways to build a tiny house for less than $10K to give you some ideas and inspiration. Hope it gets you on the right track and into your future dream (tiny) home!
Seven Ways to Build a Tiny House for Less than $10,000
#1. Sheds, Barns, Garages…
Portable sheds, barns, and garages are ideal frames for a tiny house. In fact, our tiny house is technically a portable garage we had built to look like a house – we had the garage door removed and replaced it with a normal house door and windows. At only $8,400 including delivery, it was a great bargain. We also love the fact that the inside is like a blank canvas we can customize anyway we want.
Our building is 12×24′ but if you went with something smaller, you could get the price down even lower; much lower, leaving you plenty of extra money to finish the interior for less than $10K in total. Some of the popular companies who make these buildings are Tuff Shed, Weather King, and Derksen.
Image courtesy of shedsunlimited.net.
#2. Schoolies and Bus Conversions
Weather you loved or hated riding the school bus as a kid, you have to admit living in one looks pretty sweet. People have done some really incredible and inspiring things with schoolies and other types of bus conversions.
School busses and other public transport vehicles can be bought for pennies on the dollar after they’re retired. This doesn’t mean they’re dead vehicles – though sometimes it does – it simply means the county or city has replaced them with a new fleet. With a little due diligence, you could find yourself a 72-seater for as little as $3K, leaving you with $7K to convert it.
However, before you jump into this, be sure to do a lot of research for your area and find out if you need any special permits or modifications to the vehicle to legally drive it/live in it – typically you are required to change the look of the bus.
Image courtesy of adventureorbust.com.
#3. Van Conversions
If a bus seems like too much for you, maybe all you really need is a van. Bear in mind, if your goal is too stay under $10K, it’s gonna have to be a very old van because new vans aren’t cheap; but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn it into something nice.
This used cargo van was purchased for $4,000. Image courtesy of thevanual.com.
Image courtesy of thevanual.com
#4. 20′ Shipping Container
If you know how to work with metal and you live in a place with loose zoning regulations, you could build a tiny shipping container home for $10K or less. A used 20′ shipping container can be purchased for around $2K plus a little extra for delivery if needed, leaving you with roughly $8K to transform it into a 160 sq ft studio.
This custom built container home was listed for $33K, but if you built it yourself, it would cost a fraction of that. Image courtesy of backcountrycontainers.com.
Image courtesy of backcountrycontainers.com.
Image courtesy of backcountrycontainers.com.
#5. Cob House
Cob is a concrete-like material made from sand, clay, and straw. While some people build massive cob homes that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, you could easily build yourself a tiny one for less than $10K. A lot less. The cob itself is virtually free since all you have to buy are the hay bales – unless you have a free source of straw, of course.
This cob house was built for roughly $200. Image by Michael Buck.
#6. DIY Stick Build
If you’re a resourceful person with a knack for carpentry, you could certainly build your own stick-built tiny house for less than $10K. You’ll have to use cheap and/or salvaged materials, but it’s totally doable.
This tiny treehouse was built for only $4,000. Image courtesy of herrlecustomcarpentry.com.
#7. Yurts
Many different sized Yurts, ranging from 115 sq ft to 452 sq ft, can be purchased for under $10K. While the idea of essentially living in a tent may be off putting at first, they are surprisingly well built, durable structures. Many individuals and families choose to live in Yurts throughout a variety of different regions and climates.
2018 Yurt pricing chart.
Image courtesy of Yurts.com.
Image courtesy of Yurts.com.
Photo by Erich Schlegel
As you can see, these are just some of the ways you could go about building a tiny house for under $10K. With enough imagination and ingenuity the possibilities seem endless – zoning regulations permitting, of course. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start working on your ultra-affordable tiny home!