Two environmental studies majors at Iowa's Central College recently ventured to build a tiny house for their senior project. But when they couldn't find the grant money to meet their original budget of $3,350, Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten forged ahead anyway and managed to build one for $489, which is virtually nothing in the world of $65K "heirloom" micro homes. "Everything we used was on its way to the landfill," Andrew tells Central College News.
The main pitch-roofed structure, which the pair inherited from Van Kooten's family, was originally a granary for shelled corn. Andrews and Van Kooten also salvaged windows, cabinets, a sink, carpet, and insulation from local homes on the verge of demolition. As for the $489 in expenses, a $40 door frame, $13 exterior door, and $110 worth of ceiling plywood were among the goods the pair actually spent money on.
Relying on scraps and donated materials meant the pair couldn't afford to put in a composting toilet and a solar water heater as they wanted, but there are still plans to add rain barrels that would produce filtered water for the sink. Get the full story on this project, plus a complete breakdown of the expenditures over on Central College News.
· Two College Students Built This Tiny House for Under $500 [Apartment Therapy]
· Building a House, One Scrap at a Time [Central College News]
· This Company Will Build You an 'Heirloom' Micro Home for $65K [Curbed National]
· All Micro Homes coverage [Curbed National]
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