The appeal of the tiny home has been gathering momentum in the past few years because the appeal can be undeniable: no mortgage, lower energy bills and incredibly cost-effective construction. Sure, the living quarters might be a little claustrophobic to some, but a tiny home can be customized to fit each owner's individual needs.
Austin Hay, a high school sophomore, was so inspired by this movement he decided to build his own tiny house as a school project, and now he's been sleeping there for months!
When asked to do a research project on anything he felt passionate about, he was just going to construct a tee house, but the more he learned about the movement, the more inspired he became. He got two summer jobs to earn money for a $2,000 trailer and he began scavenging for wiring, doors, woods and other equipment so he could save money in construction. He did all the wiring and building himself which further saved money. The estimated DIY cost of the house would be $23,000, but Austin was able to get the cost down to $12,000. After all the construction was done, Austin had no more waste than what would fill one trash bin.
Austin is especially happy that his new tiny home is built on a trailer; wherever he goes, there his home will be!
Hopefully, Austin will inspire other young people across the country to look into the benefits of building tiny home and the movement can continue! Please SHARE if you are also impressed by Austin's determination and hard work and SCROLL DOWN for a video of Austin giving a tour of his tiny house.
The Architect Himself, Austin Hay:
Hard at work in the early stage of building the house.
Inside the construction once the walls are up.
He even built this foam pad couch/guest bed himself.
He built extra storage space above desk to avoid clutter.
And he customized his own space-efficiency closet.
He was able to put in a functioning shower with running water!
And there's even a working kitchen...
... with a working stove. (A gift from Santa.)
Hopefully Austin will encourage other people to look into the Tiny Home Movement. Even a high schooler could do it!
