People nowadays are thinking of a more practical way to go about real estate. Now that prices are on the rise, paying the rent or taking mortgages seem to be the less wise ideas.
One of the trends that are most preferred by most new homeowners is the concept of tiny living also known as the "right-size" way of living. This concept entails the homeowners to live in a smaller but more efficient space. Of course, this is cheaper to build and maintain all the while providing a roof over the homeowners' heads without having to break the bank.
In Hawaii, a family that has chosen to go tiny has built their 360-square-foot home on a gooseneck trailer that the family has constructed themselves.
Wanting to avoid loans or enriching a landlord, Zeena and Shane Fontanilla decided to build their own tiny home after getting engaged. In 2015, they were successful in completing the dwelling. Not only did they build your own house, but they also equipped their dwelling with a rainwater harvesting system and a solar power array. Although they worked on the tiny house for two years, working during weekends and at nights on weekdays, the time spent working was worth it.
The reason why the Fontanillas constructed their home themselves is that they were not able to find one that is custom tailored to the needs. What's even more challenging is that they built the home while they are planning their wedding.
Any visitor will be impressed by the interiors of the house especially with a 13-foot-high ceiling that is accentuated by the clean palette of materials and colors.
Many of the styles and trends even house design ideas that they have learned from television shows and websites. It is also a great benefit that Shane grew up in a family of builders.
One of the features of the house is the couple's choice to have plenty of windows that herald in the sunlight. This lights up the living room to the sleeping lofts, the bathroom, and the galley kitchen.
One of the sleeping lofts, the baby's loft, is located over the sitting area and is accessible via a shorter ladder. The couple built a patterned wood partition to give privacy to the space while not completely shutting off the baby's loft.
The master loft, on the other hand, is located above the galley kitchen. The master loft is accessible via storage-integrated stairs. It also has a wood partition that has more conservative wood slats. At the corner of the master bedroom is Zeena's mini office.
The galley kitchen has a large counter and the stove on one side and a sink and refrigerator on the other, forming an effective kitchen working triangle. In order to promote efficiency and energy use, all of the couple's home appliances were hand-picked by the couple themselves to fit their standards.
Another room under the master loft is the bathroom with a shower and composting toilet. The washing machine is also installed in this room.
Outside, a 3200-gallon water system was installed by the Fontanillas themselves as well. Their solar array is mounted on a custom adjustable rack so that they can follow the sun's path as it changes during the seasons.
Looking at the financial side of it, the family has spent only a total of about £45,000 (about $58,000) in building their home. This is really good news for the couple as they have met their goal of having their own home without spending a huge amount of £500,000 (about $649,000).
tiny home from Zeena Fontanilla on Vimeo.