The Progression from Changing Room to Tiny House...and how it all started.

   I have been thinking a lot lately of all the work that I have not finished on the house. There is a ton. I still have not installed the ceiling, the new roof or put new siding up. The outside trim is not finished and the inside is till mostly raw wood nailed into the shape of an interior. I was getting bummed out and then I looked at all the things that I had accomplished. This building started out as a plywood shell missing 1 wall. There was floor rot, wasp nests, mud daubers, and exposed wall joists. There was no insulation, a chipboard floor and it smelled suspiciously of wet feet. 3 years later I have a house with hardwood floors, tons of light, overlooking a 10 mile view with the sound of a waterfall hidden behind the Locusts. When I turn on the shower, hot water comes out and when I walk in the front door there are switches on the wall for my living room lights and ceiling fan. When it rains my cistern fills and the sun keeps my battery bank topped off even in the winter. There is a huge garden in the yard and a chicken coop with a few hens who lay more eggs than I care to eat. There is a composting toilet that works great and a small shed to store my camping gear. There is a couch that folds out into a bed and a table that acts as a counter top but does double duty as a dining table when I pull it out and flip up the drop leaf. There is a small wood stove that heats the house perfectly and a wood pile that seems to last forever. There is honeysuckle and blackberries all over the place a fire pit made out of an old washing machine (Thanks Chris and Meagan). So yes, the house gets super cluttered and there are still some major projects to do but really, when you think about it, more has been done than needs to be done....that feels pretty good. Here is a timeline.....

First I obsessed over tiny houses and tiny house woodstoves until I found the perfect stove for a fraction of the cost of a new one...on Craigslist!

YEAR 1

1. Acquired the house from the Hamptons, built the transom windows and closed in the open end
2. Chris and Jess insulated and installed a window while I was away (Thanks!)
3. Replaced window
4. Added sliding glass door, installed floors and put wall panels up

YEAR 2

5. Stalled....Lived in my Van on the acreage at Leah's
6. Moved the house to the acreage and  Installed the loft and the stair/shelf combo
7. Bought and installed the solar system
8. Built the first generation of the kitchen
9. Installed the shower, plumbed water from the outside and built garden beds

YEAR 3

10. Rebuilt the kitchen, adding a slide out for the fridge
11. Bought the cistern and built the addition on the end

YEAR NOW...

12. Added gutters, 1st flush diverter and water overflow tank
13. Added light switches!!!!! and a second overflow tank.


    The neat thing is that there will always be something to do..I still have a bunch. Here's the list in no certain order.....

1. Install the ceiling
2. Install metal roof
3. Plumb the sink
4. Rebuild the deck
5. Better shower drain
6. Buy a proper TV
7. Add batteries and a bigger inverter
8. Outdoor pizza oven
9. Wood fired hot tub and path to the creek
10. Grey water filter
11. New Siding

WOW! Still a bunch....now I'm depressed again. Thanks lists.