In my research, the average Tiny House costs around $25k to build. My house is no exception (click here for an explanation and breakdown of my Tiny House costs). Does that mean you have to build a $25k Tiny House? Certainly not. You CAN have a cheap Tiny House, built on a shoestring budget. Cheap is not necessary a bad word. If it bothers you, replace it with “thrifty.” In this article, I list SEVEN TRICKS THAT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY ON YOUR BUILD. Use all these tricks, or just a few, to stay within your budget.

7 Tricks for Building a “Cheap Tiny House”

1). Refurbish a Trailer

Manufactured Tiny House trailers can cost thousands of dollars (mine was $4,850). Often, it’s a big chunk of your budget. Macy Miller built her Tiny House for $11.416.16, and one reason that was possible is because she refurbished an old gooseneck trailer that she bought for $500.  If you have the skills, structural knowledge, and time to refurbish a used trailer, go for it! You can save thousands of dollars on your build.

2). Source Reclaimed Materials

Deek Diedrickson (writer, instructor, and HGTV show host of “Tiny Home Builders”) is the master of cheap Tiny House construction. What’s his secret? He spends A LOT of time sourcing and restoring reclaimed materials. Refurbishing old items can save your budget and add character to your home. I used reclaimed materials on my Tiny House, such as my reclaimed crate staircase. Salvaged items can be great for saving you money, but they won’t save you time or labor. You’ll pay for it with sweat!

3). Build Smaller

This should be obvious, but I’ll say it anyway. The smaller you build, the less money you will spend on materials. Do you really need a 26-foot Tiny House? Perhaps an 18-foot Tiny House is better for your shoestring budget. Adhere to the saying: “If you build it, you will fill it.” The larger the house, the more belongings you will have. Building a smaller abode will save you more money in the long run.

The first Tiny House that was ever built was only 14 feet long!

4). Install Less

Question everything you want to put in your Tiny House. Do you need an oven? A bathroom sink? Should your design have 10 windows, or will 6 be enough? Can you live with a DIY composting toilet ($5) or do you need a manufactured compost toilet ($900+)?  Appliances can blow your budget, especially smaller and more efficient appliances. If you really want to save money on your build, opt for used appliances or live without.

5). Skip the Wood Stove, Solar Power & Skylights

These three items made up $8.296 of my total budget of $31,360. That’s a lot of money! These items aren’t “needs.” They are “wants.” I love them, but I recognize they were splurge items. Choose where to save and where to splurge.  Keep the balance to stay within your budget.

6). Design Openings to Have Standard Sizes

My windows were all custom sizes because, at the time, Tumbleweed plans used only custom sized windows. Tumbleweed has since updated their plans with standard size windows, saving new DIY builders thousands of dollars.

Likewise, a custom door will cost you a lot of money, while standard size doors are easy to find and relatively inexpensive. Entry doors are generally 30 inches, 32 inches, or 36 inches wide. Meg Stephens modified her Tiny House plans (which she designed as an architect) to have a standard door size. She then salvaged an old door and spent two days refinishing it.

7). Find Sponsors

My sponsors saved me! Even though I say the total cost of my build was $30k+, some of that value was put up by sponsors. I have written an in-depth article about how to attract sponsors to your project, read it here. Another great resource is Andrew Odom’s (fellow Tiny Houser) eBook: Your Message Here and the sequel Put Your Message Here Too.

One Thing You Should NEVER SKIMP ON …

Structural integrity. Unless you are an engineer or expert carpenter, you should purchase a set of high-quality build plans that are PROVEN to withstand forces on the road. In fact, it’s a good idea to buy plans even if you are an expert. Tiny House construction can be different from regular construction. There is no point in building a cheap Tiny House if it falls apart. Buy plans, be safe and build a safe Tiny House.

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How much do you want to spend on your Tiny House?