Single mom & daughter tiny house on her own private land

hi there welcome to my channel where I take  you on tours of tiny and Creative Homes and   showcase stories of people living alternatively  in today's episode we're traveling to Wisconsin   to meet Stephanie a single mom who's been raising  her daughter in an off-grade tiny home for the   last 6 years Stephanie was inspired to build  a tiny house as a solution for affordable home   ownership and she prioritized her home design with  Room to Grow for years to come this tiny house has   always for me really represented a physical  manifestation of what I'm really capable of   that was really empowering to me especially as a  single mom to care for my daughter and have this   house that is for both of awesome that we both own  before we jump right into this tour make sure that   you subscribe and hit that notification Bell so  that you know every single time we publish a new episode make this house our tiny home oh my name is Stephanie and this is  my tiny house the willow [Music] tree the tiny has been my permanent home for 6  years between myself my daughter three cats and   two dogs I just remember thinking to myself I'm  a single mom and it's so hard to afford rent I   wanted to own something but I knew I couldn't own  a house there was just no way I had that kind of   income and so I thought well I could do a tiny  house and that's kind of what inspired it for me   so then I just took a lot of time tweaking it  it was just like a lot of sketching like okay   Steph if you're going to do this you're going to  be doing this for a hot minute so you need to be   committed to this be comfortable and feel like  you can grow in this space because you have a   dog daughter and she was like five when we moved  in and now she's going to be 11 so I had to make   sure it was going to grow with her as well the  very first thing people say when they walk into   my house is like this is a lot bigger than I  imagined it which I'm like sweet that means I   did it right raising Elliot in the tiny house  has been such an experience I think she loves   that she was a part of the whole experience  she saw it when it was just a trailer and she   saw it when we had the walls Being Framed up I  think it's been such a great experience for her   being able to learn to like live within your means  and work with what you've got she's made it very   well known that we will never be selling this  house I was like girl I was never planning on it this is the obviously the best circumstance  for me now being in my own land like oh my God I   can really do what I want with the space that I'm  living in and not be at the will of a different   land owner so now that I'm here just going to be  able to settle in for the first time like truly   settle in the house was built in St Cloud I had  hired my contractor Ryan a of Midwest tiny living   to build the shell so he was really supposed to  be handing this thing to me like gutted and empty   right and I was supposed to take it from there I  feel that building my own house is where I really   grew that passion for homeownership but this is  such an intimate process when you go into it with   like no real knowhow hoping for the best measuring  five 00 times definitely having to cut like three   times praying you don't cut a finger off you just  figure it out and it's never done perfectly but   you learn a lot more and you're like capable of  so much more than you thought you were it takes   grit I at least made not knowing what I'm doing  look [Laughter] good to have this house built was   probably around $100,000 the trailer was custom  built for the house it is a 30t long trailer 8   and 1/2 ft wide the house at its highest point of  the roof line is 13' 6 in the house weighs empty   without my belongings in it just over 16,000 lb  I'm sure with all my stuff in it it's probably   closer to 18 but it is a triple axle so it is  rated for 21,000 lb so it definitely is able   to carry its weight I picked the colors because I  really wanted it just blend into nature I didn't   want it to be something that really popped or  stood out which is why I went with the green   and the wood tones It's All Steel though so even  the wood grain in the front is steel siding steel   roof and the board and Baton all the way around  my house has 17 Windows despite its tiny nature   I wanted to make sure that I had a whole ton of  natural light and then on this end of the house   I have a really big bay window that was custom  built we used three different Windows to custom   make that space in that window and then we used  real cedar Shake as an accent to the exterior on   the bay window [Music] when you first step into  the willow tree you're right in the living room   so I have the 10t long couch closets on both  ends underneath the couch seasonal items are   underneath there you know things I need to keep  but don't necessarily need access to I like all   the winter gear a lot of that ends up under there  during the warm season and vice versa this is like   the grab closet this has like all the sweaters  and the jackets that we're currently wearing   Under the Stairs that lead to The Loft I have all  of this storage it's been open-faced storage the   whole time I lived here but I've just taken  advantage of all these different baskets and   chests as a means to store things but then also  have some sort of front facing that just gives   it a cleaner look we've got a step that opens  up and is a shoe storage this is an apartment   Size fridge I intentionally wanted the fridge on  top and the freezer on bottom one of my favorite   Parts about the kitchen is probably the pullout  Pantry which is pretty awesome and then it's got   a little bit of storage up here as well these  are custom-built cabinets that I had built by   a company and then they brought them to the build  site in st. cloud and had them installed then we   have utensil drawer and all sorts of storage with  a full Lazy Susan which is super nice so lots of   storage in there this was actually a recent  upgrade I had just a white double bolded sink   when we built the house but then it was a lot  of work to get it fit in here but we upgraded   to this big giant one bowl sink and it does come  with its own cutting board and drying rack which   are just put away right now but I definitely love  the upgrade I love the look of it bay window it's   a huge area for the cats to hang out in quite  a bit so I'm definitely made sure to have that   and I just love that it really makes the kitchen  seem like it keeps going well beyond these four   walls where I keep the paper plates and it's just  a really nice easy way to quickly grab stuff that   would have otherwise been unused Ed's face you  do have a little washer or a little dishwasher   down there which is pretty awesome but it's  the perfect little size it's great for just   two people to help keep up with the dishes this  is where we sit to work this is where we sit to   eat this is where we sit to hate out got my work  monitor here and like I used to have two stools   but now we just have this one desk chair so this  is the backs side of the tiny and we've got all   the um awning windows which are really nice  cuz it allows us to open up the windows even   when it's raining we are equipped to hook up to  water and this is our water inlet access this is   the tongue side of the trailer and I built in  this Cedar Shake shed on top now I just use it   for various items probably put some shelves in  here eventually just to give it a little more   organization to it so I have a mini split system  and it definitely helps quite a bit I'd say it's   definitely not something that can compete with the  Midwest's extremes because in the summer it gets   incredibly hot and humid in the winter it's below  freezing um but it certainly helps quite a bit we   do use secondary heat sources on the inside our  wood burning stove and even just like an electric   heater so the house has four corner Jacks um I  don't actually typically use them but we just   moved so I often will use them in the beginning  before I truly get the house fully leveled and   then I do my best to elevate it onto like bricks  of some kind along the skids of the trailer just   to help get some of that weight off of the tires  as the house is sitting uh for long periods of   time I have had it sink down into the Earth before  and get stuck um so now anytime that I move and   park the house we actually Park the wheels on  really really big thick boards so that it gives   the house sort of like a Runway uh if and when it  needs to move again so it doesn't just get sunken   into the Earth this is the electric box so it  just has all the switches for the house just like   your standard house we're not plugged in right now  without electricity for the first time um because   we just moved onto this property um and we still  have to have the electricity installed so we are   pretty off grid now um utilizing a generator and  power Banks as needed hey I'm Mark I work as a   nomadic videographer for this Channel and I live  in this self-converted Overlander today I'm going   to be testing out the Yoshino b2000 portable  power station in a variety of ways let's see   what it can do this device works great for me when  I'm filming on set and I need to keep my devices   charged as well as power my big Cinema lights at  only 31 lb this thing's super lightweight and with   the two aluminum handles on each side it makes  carrying it a breeze you can use this anywhere   to power your devices and stay connected there's  even a wireless charging pad on top oh baby feel   the power it has 1326 W hours and a 3,000 W  Peak output another great feature this power   station has over its competitors is the new Solid  State Battery Technology which is much safer than   traditional lithium batter batteries that gives it  2 and 1/2 times energy density over other types of   batteries which results in a smaller lighter  portable power station the long lifespan of   this power station is up to 2500 Cycles which is  2 and 1/2 times more than conventional lithium   batteries I love the multiple USB and USBC as  well as four outlets on the back this thing is solid as we make our way through the living  room we kind of end up where the fireplace is   so this is the summer setup um but I have the  cubic mini wood burning stove the Cub model so   it's this adorable little fireplace kicks out  quite a bit of heat but I clearly don't use it   at all during the summer so this is just kind  of like my fun little setup that I have with   some plants and some knickknacks this is just  like an old thrifted item but it fit in here   perfectly and it has like a little door and a  little pull out so it's just nice for when I am   hanging out here um or like doing some tarot  sometimes I just sit there and I'll use this   spot as I have some candles lit and then this  we turned into a litter box station so this   little step is just makes it easier for them  and the cats can go in and out and so it just   opens up on a hinge and then I can pull out  the whole box and vacuum it out and clean it   out this looks corner of the house this is the  closet that has all the utilities in it so the   propane water heater and the water tank access  are in this closet it's got all of my guitars   and my ukulele hanging here they all three  happen to fit perfectly together but when we   just bump this out and open this door it just  shows this is the tank access the water filter   and the tankless water heater so with Elliot  being you know about 5 years old when we moved   in it was really difficult for her to carry up  her own items to her room so we developed this   pulley system that allowed for her to come down  here and lower a basket put all her items in here and then send it back up and  then climb up there and empty the basket so the bathroom's pretty big it's actually  like 8 by as wide as the house is and and we just   kind of pieced together the bathroom like this is  a vanity that I got off of Facebook Marketplace   and just got the bathroom vanity mirror and then  we just have a simple over the toilet storage unit   for like jewelry and then just various items in  there and with the composting toilet I have the   Nature's head composting toilet been using this  thing full time for almost six whole years and we   built these shelves a couple years after moving  into the tiny house they've been just a really   nice addition to kind of keep all my oil and a  few little shower knickknacks and then we've got   the bathroom vent up there that's the only true  like ventilation in the house so occasionally   I'll just turn that on throughout you know random  times just to help kind of push and move some air   through the house and this is my little miniature  claw foot tub this was pulled out of a Still Water   home like it was the original tub to a Victorian  house definitely came a little worn and torn but   it's been pretty awesome as far as being able  to utilize it and then we have clothing storage   so this is a huge reason why I prioritized the  bathroom being its size because I knew that I   was going to have to store all the clothes in it  I've seen people storing their clothes in tiny   houses like up in the Loft space and I just can't  imagine hauling laundry up and down and having to   deal with it folded and having to like change in  the Loft so I made sure that the bathroom was a   big enough space for us to store the clothes and  have room to change comfortably without feeling   like we're changing in a closet it just like in  the kitchen we had to frame around the bathroom   ceiling and when we popped these up it just made  us realized that we had this storage available and   so it's really convenient for me to have just  like different boxes that I've saved and it's   nice because these run pretty deep that was just  incidental and it's on both sides of the bathroom   so that kind of worked out really well and added  a little bit more [Music] storage this is my loft   this is the Mas Loft if you will and I've got a  king-size bed got the TV I have a little shelf   that goes back here which is multi-purpose it's a  shelf obviously for things but it actually really   helps the functionality of the bed so it doesn't  slide back and forth over time so that shelf helps   to keep it in place so it's actually quite a big  Loft I mean I have this king-size bed and I still   have room on either side of the bed for all sorts  of stuff headboard is essential because I have   these big floor to ceiling Windows which I thought  were a really cool idea and they are but any   bedding touching the windows in the winter will  create condensation and moisture and freeze so it   became essential that I actually had a headboard  to put some divider between the window in my   bedding but I spend a lot of time in my loft it's  really hard like when I get home I'm like right   up here right up to the loft it's just a really  cozy space same with birdie there a good girl we often cover this window we just have these  little curtain rods so that we can kind of   cover up all that hot sunlight coming in to  The Loft and that just helps give it a much   Cozier Vibe and then the sun's not blasting in  on me right away when I wake up in the morning   and it really helps to reduce the heat in the  [Music] summer well we're on the roof which is   a spot I actually do hang out on quite a bit it's  always fun to just have that higher up view I used   to bring blanket up here and like a pillow so  I could just really lay down and stargaze and   it's so amazing to know that like this is all  untouched and that the only way it's ever going   to change is if I change it and it's just really  really cool to know that I finally have like my   own little forest and we're going to put in some  paths so that we can hike the woods and it's just   really really cool to be like this is mine it's  like it feels like my own little State [Music] Park this is Elliott's Loft she has a queen-sized  bed Elliot loves her room she is able to do so   much she's got her desk she's got multiple shelves  lots of places for her books she's got drawer   units it's taken a lot of work and fine-tuning  over the years to keep this space nice a lot of   continuous purging in order to maintain a child's  bedroom in a space such as this but we've managed   to fit an enormous amount in such a small room  for her and it's her favorite room in the house   she is up here so often for a kid who has Both  Worlds at her dad's house she's got a big town   house and a room and then she's got this Loft  here this has been a very humbling experience   for my child she's very unlike most kids her  age because she's lived an entirely different   lifestyle so I wanted to give Elliot more of like  a sense of like a room that was closed off with   a door but it's also really important that we  have good airflow otherwise her room would be   way too closed off so it's open right now but we  actually designed this wall so that it can fold up   and become more of a private room or she can fold  it down so that we can hang out have a more open   feel chitchat she can sometimes sit here and use  it as like a desk but it's pretty simple we just   simply move these pillows and we just fold this  up and then it locks shut right here with two latches and this door just closes in latches the  hole is so that when she's on the other side she's   able to reach through and unlatch this but that  helps to keep the dogs out while she and I are   gone otherwise they like to go after all of her  stuffed animals and it does kind of help deter   the cats a little bit bit but they can leap over  this wall regardless of whether it's up and down   so she's a single kid and she definitely values  the introverted part of herself so she definitely   enjoys her privacy and being able to have a whole  nice cute little Loft that she can hang out up in   and everything that she could have fit here and  anything we can't fit here goes to her [Laughter] dad's this tiny house has always for me really  represented a physical manifestation of what I'm   really capable of that was really empowering  to me especially as a single mom to care for   my daughter and have this house that is for both  of us and that we both own I'll have difficult   days days I'm feeling insecure or days I'm just  feeling like down anxious depressed worried and   the house really is a constant in my life and  it's a good reminder that I can continue to   always learn new things and push through adversity  and I can get through the hurdles that this entire   lifestyle comes with with because I built the  whole damn house I'm capable of this I did this   I don't think I'd changed everything that we've  been through and everything that we've learned   because it's really led us to this point where I  always imagined being in the time I've had with   this power station I absolutely love it I've taken  it camping I run my power tools on it I charge   all my devices I've used it on video shoots it's  so lightweight small yet extremely powerful and   with only 45 minutes to recharge it up to 80% this  thing is awesome if you're interested in learning   more about the Yoshino b2000 SST portable power  station be sure to hit the link in the description below I want to say a quick thank you  to our sponsor Yoshino for making this   week's episode possible and make sure that you   check back soon because we publish  a new unique home tour every single week

Channel: Tiny House Giant Journey

Views: 101,836

Keywords: tiny house giant journey, tiny house, Tiny houses, tiny homes, tiny house tour, simple living, tiny house living, tiny house on wheels, diy tiny house, single mom, mother daughter tiny house, tiny house with kids, single mom in a tiny house, tiny house with children, offgrid living, off grid tiny house, tiny homes with kids, raising kids in a tiny house, tiny house wisconsin, debt free living, tiny home tour, self built tiny house, tiny house family, single parents

Id: GLHkddKMkrE

Length: 20min 58sec (1258 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 10 2023