Home is where the heart is — and the tiny-house craze proves size doesn’t matter when it comes to creating our homes. We’ve seen tiny homes you can buy on Amazon and even ones you can have 3D-printed. Now, we’ve found some out-of-the-box-thinking homeowners who are repurposing storage sheds purchased at Home Depot into their own tiny houses.
Tuff Shed, a builder who partners with Home Depot, offers sheds such as the two-story Sundance TR-1600 model. It has standard 8-foot walls on the first floor, a full second floor, 36-inch stairs, an entry door with locks and boxed eaves on all walls. Customers can also order an optional front porch with a deck, windows, shutters and window boxes to make it truly look like a real house.
Concerned about limited color options? Tuff Shed offers 30 colors to choose from in their collection, including various shades of white, blue, brown, gray and red. Roof materials come in five standard colors and three different styles: three-tab composition shingles (which are standard to the shed), upgraded dimensional shingles or a metal roof. Each one has a specific warranty to guarantee protection from winds and rain.
Prices for this potential tiny home start at a base price of $12,629 for a 16-foot-by-20-foot-by-21-foot shed (unpainted). They go up to $22,889 for an unpainted 18-foot-by-36-foot-by-21-foot, 6-inch shed. You can also purchase them painted at a higher price point. You can choose from 10 different sizes and then add on the extras as you see fit. Insulate them, add drywall, and bring in plumbing and electricity if you like!
The Smith Family’s Tuff Shed Home
It’s one thing to talk about making a shed into a home sweet home, but it’s another to see it all set up.
We found My Tuff Shed Home on Facebook, a page from a family who has been sharing their shed home life since 2018. How charming is this little house?
Beth and Barry Smith of Georgia made the move into their Tuff Shed tiny home after trying to build a tiny house on their own. When it came to the second project, the Smiths decided to get some help.
“We’re not builders and that first project was a real pain in the neck. We knew we wanted the next one to be built for us,” Beth told Tuff Shed.
One day during a trip to Home Depot, the Smiths saw the TR-1600 and liked the look of it. They ordered one and hired builders and contractors to create their new tiny home. There were separate crews for shed construction, foundation pouring (an additional charge) and interior work.
What It’s Like Inside
We connected directly with the Smith family, who was generous enough to give us a virtual tour of their lovely home.
One the first floor, they went for an open concept. They have a nice, airy window in the kitchen area in front of the sink for some amazing views.
Tucked into the kitchen is a cozy dining area perfect for up to four people. Then, the Smiths and guests can retire to the living area for games and conversation, if they’d like.
The couple’s bedroom looks like the perfect private retreat for two. There’s the bed, complete with side tables and lamps. The room also includes windows, a ceiling fan, a dresser and even a nice seating area where they can relax.
The Smiths even have their own bathroom complete with a soaking tub! It looks like their own personal day spa.
But, how much did this all cost to pull together? After all, that truly is the bottom line, right?
“Our Tuff Shed shell was a bit over $20,000 including some upgrades,” Beth told us. “To finish it out, we did a lot of the work ourselves but hired out electrical and plumbing, HVAC, etc. All in we came in a bit over $60,000.”
According to Zillow, the average price of a home in the U.S. is $248,857. At about $60,000, the Smiths paid less than 25% of the average cost of a home. But, did saving so much on their house mean they traded in the enjoyment of their previous home? They may have cut their budget, but Beth said the Smiths gained a lot more in their lifestyle than they lost in space.
“We still love the size, we love the ease of living here,” Beth said. “We still enjoy a generally uncluttered life. Having a small home with very little overhead has allowed us to pursue a simpler life and to walk away from ‘corporate,’ which was one of our goals.”
How cool! We love what they’ve done with the place.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
