Tiny Green Cabins For Your Tiny House Build

Our Journey With Jim Wilkins at Tiny Green Cabins

Our first visit to see Jim & Our trailer August 2015

Jim & Wyatt

Our journey started as most do, with our lives busy and chaotic and we were looking for an out! It was Spring of 2015. I was running a daycare while raising our 1 year old son and 7-9 other kids, depending on the day. I was loving daycare, but not loving the long hours, lack of sleep and constant cleaning. There had to be a better way. We heard about the tiny house movement from my sister in-law, Frances. We started watching Tiny House shows on TV and then started sketching up ideas. We quickly came to realize that we did not have the time to build our tiny house ourselves with a toddler, Justin working full time and he was in grad school at the time. It was time to find a contractor. We searched high and low, but everyone was out of state and most of them only sold just the empty frame. One day, my sister in-law mentioned a contractor she had seen on the local news. I didn't think much of it then, but put it on the back burner. We went to see Kim & Ryan Kasl's tiny house and fell in love (I used to teach with Ryan before I started daycare. Link to their blog: http://www.blessthistinyhouse.com/). It was time to get a contractor after seeing how much they enjoyed living in their tiny house with two kids and a dog. So, I looked the local news up online and found the link to the tiny house contractor they highlighted. As they say the rest is history....

Downsizing

Our last day in our 2,100 square foot house

Last load to mov

First of all I want to give a big shout out to those who have built their tiny homes themselves. I wish we had the knowledge, time to build as well as had the time to salvage items, but that was just not our journey. Helping out on weekends and Justin helping on several weeknights has opened our eyes to the amount of work and love that goes into building a tiny house. I am amazed that people get them done so quickly and with all the thought and care they put in to each piece. It is truly inspiring. Even though we were unable to build it ourselves, we were able to be a part of the process, including much of the design. We purchased Andrew Morison's design, which can be bought here: http://tinyhousebuild.com/. We really loved his deign, but it was made for two adults. We needed a home that fit two adults, a toddler 4 cats, a dog and potentially one more kid down the road. That's where Tiny Green Cabins came in and was able to help us customize our build.

Working with Jim has been a huge blessing to our family. I came with all these big ideas and dreams of how I wanted the tine house to look. I started by using Pinterest for ideas, sketching it out on paper and the computer and by watching great Youtube shows such as; https://www.youtube.com/user/tinyhousegj, https://www.youtube.com/user/livingbigtinyhouse, https://www.youtube.com/user/explorealternatives. Jim took all those ideas and worked with us step by step to give us our dream home. That is the great thing about working with a contractor. Jim found ways to give and take to still have the look we want with a price we can afford. He helped us prioritize what things needed to be non toxic and which things we could let go of since we couldn't afford a completely non-toxic model. We are so thankful for his expertise and vision. Jim and I did a great job working together on the fun artistic pieces of the house to really make it feel special. We wanted it to feel like nature was brought into the house but still very bright and airy feeling. Jim sure delivered! We brought in birch with live edges to make it feel like we were in a forest, yet kept it looking classy and let in lots of sunlight.

Wood from local company in Hayward, WI

Wyatt, Justin and friend Rob helping paint

Jim & Wyatt hard at work

Many people looking for a tiny house are looking for a $30-40,000 build. This is possible if you take the time to research and tweak your design. Some ways people save are by doing the work themselves, using salvaged wood and windows, finding a used or cheap trailer, not needing a lot of insulation and finding used or cheap appliances. The tiny house shows are often not including labor, space rental, appliances, water filters, etc, which are included in our price. We are going to be living in our tiny house for 20+ years. Our custom build including EVERYTHING (solar panels too) will be around 75-80,000. When the kids are grown, we will pass our tiny house to one of them or sell it to downsize again. Our trailer was about $8,400. We wanted the highest quality trailer for good reason. It needed to hold a lot of weight, including two large indoor water tanks to withstand the Minnesota winters. Just like when you buy a home on a foundation, you want to be sure it won't crack or shift and create problems down the road, right? So we wanted our trailer to be new, sturdy, and be able to last the test of time. As with most things in the world, you get what you pay for. We understand most people are building a tiny house to save money, which you will. With no mortgage and the potential for little or no utilities cost, you are going to save money. Andrew Morrison explains it better here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYhtKE-oEEM. We sold our home and used the money to build our tiny house. We are paying more up front to ensure our home is done correctly and will be there for us as we age. We built with the capability to be completely off grid, which will also save us money. We chose to buy new appliances, including wood burning Hobitt SE furnace, 3/4 size refrigerator, compact gas stove, 1/2 dishwasher and washer dryer combo. After all, we did this to be sure we could spend time with our son and explore our world. We wanted cooking and cleaning to be quick and easy, so we can get back outside. So, when you hear prices on TV remember they are usually not including labor costs, appliances, space rental, trailer, etc. If you have the time and luxury to search out salvaged materials, by all means that is the best way to do  it. Unfortunately, that was not the case for us, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We have a beautiful, customized home that will fit our needs.

Frame is up! 

Jim & his son Nate helping with the build.

Working on our color scheme at
Natural Built Homes Store

The best part of working with Jim was being a part of the process. We were able to come in and help as much as possible with our level of expertise (which is minimal). It was a great learning experience for us all, especially Wyatt, being 2, loved trying to help and be like the big boys. Our dog Sabbath was there to supervise as well. We spent almost every weekend and Justin spent weeknights at the shop and we began to feel like a part of the family. Jim has family and friends who help him with jobs that require more than one person. It was such a blast joking around with them and feeling welcomed.

Wyatt hard at work

Taping up the frame for insulation

Wyatt helping Justin in the loft

Justin and Wyatt painting exterior

Wyatt & Emily Tapping for paint job

Being at the build site often, not only was fun and educational, but it was a great way for us to continually communicate about what things needed to be changed or tweaked to fit in our budget. Jim worked very hard to be sure we could help as much as possible to cut down on labor costs. His experience with buying materials for big companies in the past, really helped cut down on cost because he knew exactly how much to buy. We shared Jim's contact information with several friends interested in building because he is an expert at making material lists for those wanting to build their own tiny homes. The software he uses to design tiny homes is very up to date and helped us keep modifying our design as we go. Having a visual was very important, especially in tiny house design, as every square inch counts. The computer model helped us decide we needed to extend out loft, how to best arrange the bathroom and where to put windows. Jim has also built tiny homes for those out of state. He responds quickly to e-mail and texts and is always willing to chat on the phone. Jim was always researching ideas and better options throughout the build and was keeping us up to date on his progress.

Wyatt working on window trim

Computer model exterior

When it came to making the big decisions, it was very helpful to use Jim's experience to weigh out our options. For example, we wanted to be sure we had heat through the Minnesota winters. Jim, having lived in a tiny house himself, knew exactly what we needed. He talked to us about a wood burning furnace, but also adding a single zone inverter mini-split (aka heating and cooling unit) to be sure we had heat through the whole night and an option for air conditioning on those muggy Minnesota summer nights. He helped us decide where to put windows in order to get the best natural sunlight and air movement through the house. We added a air filtration system after he discussed with us the importance of air quality and moisture. We decided to put water tanks and propane water heater inside due to his experience with off grid water systems. Jim encouraged us to bump out the second loft two feet to ensure space for a potentially growing family. This made sure we will have room for two twin beds. Jim surprised us with a custom medicine cabinet that is also a mirror and window cover. We were also surprised when he made us a custom stair railing, reclining bench, cat door, birch shelving, mason jar lighting, toe kick storage, furnace surround, sliding spice rack, book storage in the stairs, window box and smugglers hold storage under the tiny house floor. It was so important for us to have an outside opinion as we weighed each option and made it fit our budget.

Custom reclining bench seat

Custom stairs with cubbies for books, cat door and birch railing 

Custom furnace surround made from left over tile of our old home

Custom Window Box
with planter

Smugglers hold

Window Cover/ Medicine Cabinet & Mirror

One of a kind lighting 

Folding kitchen table

View from the kitchen

We are so thankful we found Jim at Tiny Green Cabins. His expertise, craftsmanship and kind heart are unmatched! We know where to go when our son is ready to build his tiny house! We can't wait to see Jim's business and the tiny house movement grow as people continue to look for a better life. Make a life for yourself that makes everyday feel a vacation!

Our dream come true!

Kitchen Heaven

Cat area and Reclining Bench

Our son's loft

For more info and PICTURES follow us at: https://www.facebook.com/tinyhousebigmoments/?fref=ts

Follow Jim at:https://www.facebook.com/Tiny.Green.Cabins/?fref=ts
Or on his website at: http://tinygreencabins.com/