The tiny house movement isn’t going anywhere. And with real estate prices higher than ever, more people are looking for ways to downsize.
You’ve undoubtedly driven past a big box home store like Lowe’s or Home Depot and have seen their selection of sheds. Perhaps you’ve even thought they’d make a great chill-out space in your backyard.
SOURCE:YOUTUBE – ORIGINAL TEXAN
A few years ago, Home Depot sold Tuff Shed‘s TR1600 model (which customers are now eagerly awaiting a restock). More than one person decided that this particular shed would make a great tiny home.
If you’ve ever looked more closely at these cute sheds sitting out in the parking lot, it shows it can have more potential than just a shed in your back yard.
The TR1600 is very large unit at 16′ by 16′ foot and has a base price of $10,888.
If you want it painted and tricked out with some extra interior space, you’re looking at an investment of over $22k. That doesn’t include drywall, insulation, electricity, or plumbing.
Of course, it’s still cheaper than real estate in most American cities!
A good investment?
One couple decided to make a go of it, purchasing the 16′ by 24′ version of the shed and making it into their home. They’ve chronicled their life in the tiny shed home on Facebook.
But we’ll warn you, this very liveable version costs a cool $65,000. The couple already had a septic system and well water since they already had a home on the property.
And it required a whole construction crew, so this isn’t the kind of thing you can just have delivered to your driveway.
During the TR-1600 craze, a YouTuber named Original Texan stopped by Home Depot to take a look at the parking lot model, and nearly half a million people have now seen the video and responded with great interest.
At first, it’s hard to see the potential in the pressed wood tiny home.
You have to have a good imagination if you’re thinking of moving into it, even part-time. But the tour in the video below gives you a good idea of what you’re dealing with in terms of space.
If you’re thinking about turning a shed into a home, the first thing to consider is where you’d put it and whether it can meet building codes. There are areas in the U.S. where new houses are required to be a minimum of 1000 square feet.
Plenty of commenters were eager for smaller structures though.
“That is a pretty cool structure. That’s about all I would need, nothing big and fancy. That place would be perfect when fully finished and insulated out in the woods,” said one viewer.
Original Texan replied:
“Glad you like it. It is a great concept so that if a house is needed, one could make changes as needed. The idea is just to provide an idea to those that can’t afford a $200,000 house. Things are expensive now.”
And that was a year ago – the housing market has only gotten pricier since then.
While TuffShed isn’t currently making the TR-1600 (at least through Home Depot), they have plenty of other models.
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