A TINY home expert has revealed how you can purchase a mini-house for less than $5,000 at Home Depot as more and more Americans look to adopt a minimalist lifestyle.
Tiny homes are growing in popularity across the country as inflation remains at record levels and homeownership appears out of reach for many.
The mini-houses typically range from 100 and 400 square feet, making them a bit smaller than the average studio apartment in the United States.
According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, the average studio takes up 514 square feet.
While Americans are giving up space, they’re gaining in savings, convenience, and more.
TikToker @MiniHomeMonster regularly creates videos on how others can save money and live simply by investing in their own tiny home.
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You can find tiny home models from a variety of stores, but The Home Depot has proven especially helpful in getting you started on a mini-home journey.
One unit, the 12 by 16 Rainbow End, sells for just $4,839.
MiniHomeMonster showed off the space in a recent video.
The base model costs $3,749, but to get the extra 72-inch door, super-duty floor, vinyl windows, ridge vent, loft, and workbench, you’ll have to pay full price.
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Home Depot describes the space as an outdoor storage barn, but you can easily transition it into an entire home for yourself.
“You can see it’s a lot of floor space,” MiniHomeMonster said as he walked through the unit. “I really do like it.”
The barn comes with two windows on the side and a huge loft, which you could easily turn into your bed space.
The workbench could also be transformed into a kitchen with a little creativity.
“I really like this one compared to others,” the tiny home influencer said.
You can customize your tiny home with different paint colors and a living room design layout.
While most people browsing Home Depot might see the unit as your everyday storage shed, living in the space can save you thousands in rent.
To make it work, though, you’ll likely have to add in toilet plumbing, air conditioning, and heating.
While these services have high upfront installation costs, you’ll be saving more later if you opt to stay in your tiny home long-term.
TINY HOME NATION
As tiny homes grow in popularity, several other influencers have shown off how they created their own budget-friendly mini-houses.
A divorced mom named Jill Kanto purchased a 238 square feet tiny house after acquiring a $25,000 loan from her mother.
It was a leap of faith, but Jill was struggling with finances and knew the tiny home could be her pathway forward.
"It took me about two weeks to hit the click the submit button because I was so afraid of taking this on and not being able to finish it or just coming out with a terrible end product," she admitted.
She then used the website Nextdoor to find the plot of land to place her new home on.
Today, she has no regrets – Jill’s utility bills have been reduced by almost 70 percent and the family’s quality of life has greatly improved.
Meanwhile, Georgia newlyweds Kensey and Tristan Yaptengco (@Yappyfam7053) ditched their “decent-sized” apartment to move into a 500-square-foot property.
The couple spent at least $150,000 on their tiny home, documenting the transformation process in a series of videos.
In one of their YouTube videos, the couple told their 56,000 subscribers about buying the cheapest tiny home available at The Home Depot.
The 10x12 shed was on sale in The Home Depot lot for $4,127 or a monthly payment of just $83.
For many who choose this nontraditional type of living space, tiny homes have been the pathway toward financial freedom.
"The more that I look at these, the more practical it becomes," Kensey said.
SOME RESTRICTIONS ON YOUR HOME
If you’re considering making the transition to tiny home life, there are certain things you should consider first.
For one, make sure your state even allows this under its specific zoning laws.
Tiny home expert Dan Fitzpatrick, who is the president of the Tiny Home Industry Association, said you’ll need to follow your local state and town’s jurisdiction.
"Tiny homes by definition are under 400 square feet," Fitzpatrick said.
"Well, most municipalities require 700 or 1,000 square feet for the minimum size of a house."
Keep in mind, this varies by state so in some areas including Oregon, tiny homes are hugely popular due to the lack of minimum requirements on size.
Meanwhile, homes on wheels are often legally considered recreational vehicles.
While they can be parked in specific areas such as camping sites or RV parks, they are not allowed on private land or in a backyard.
They are also not considered appropriate for full-time living, meaning you could very well be kicked out of your own RV.
Fitzpatrick said: "There are some places where you build a tiny house and put it in an RV park, and they won't let you live there for more than 90 days or six months at a time.”
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Another tiny homeowner found a unit for even cheaper, paying just $200 a month.
But with any housing situation, there are still risks involved – one mom was evicted with her family from the tiny home she lived in for 16 years.
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