Bradley is a college student who is living in Jacksonville Florida. He built a 22-foot long tiny house for approximately $15,000.
It took him a year and a half to build the perfect small home on his own, with just a little bit of help from friends and a lot of upcycling and reusing of scrap materials to stay within budget.
A tour of the home
Blue vinyl siding covers the picturesque exterior of the home, stopping at the 5-foot wide white-painted porch. From that porch, you can enter the carefully crafted tiny home.
The first thing that becomes obvious is that there is a space for everything. Bradley has been very organized about the design and made sure that everything in his tiny home has a home of its own to avoid clutter. Even shoes have a place to call home in a locker under the L-shaped couch near the entry.
Combining spaces
The front of the tiny house contains the living room, dining room, and a part of the kitchen – all in one. The dining room table folds flush against the wall in case Bradley or his guests need more space to move around in. He also has a movable kitchen island to create more table space when needed. When not in use, it fits perfectly along the wall with the other furniture.
The kitchen
The kitchen takes up the middle of the home, with an 8-foot counter top, cabinets, shelves, a sink, a fridge, an oven, and a cooking area. He keeps a microwave, cooking supplies, and a 2-burner stove tucked away and out of sight until it’s time to use them.
And more
The tiny home also comes complete with a corner office for Bradley to use his laptop and keep up on his courses. Across from his office is a closet large enough to keep all his clothes as well as provide additional storage space. His bathroom is just two steps further away. Above it all, and reachable by a ladder, is a loft that contains his bedroom with a full-size mattress, a television, and extra storage lockers.
Going electric
Everything in the home is electric. The water heater, tiny home heating, and appliances all run on electricity. Bradley has chosen to avoid using propane, although he has left enough room for a conversion to it in case his needs change in the future.
The roommate
The tiny house is so roomy that there is even space for a roommate – a year old Brazilian rainbow boa constrictor named Peanut. The boa’s tank is stored above the living room in his own loft area, giving him an eagle’s (or snake’s) view of the entire tiny home.
Surviving adversity
Living in the tiny home has come with its own challenges, which Bradley has overcome. When there was a hurricane, the tiny home flooded. The flooring and insulation were destroyed.
One of his neighbors also experienced flood damage and decided to help Bradley out with a gift of some of their extra replacement hardwood flooring when it arrived. Since then, Bradley has replaced his damaged flooring and insulation. He has also made plans for higher ground to park on during the next potential flood.
Within a month of the flooding, he was back in his tiny home once more.
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