Tiny House + |

Goal: live in a tiny house while building shelters for others & operating a mobile food kitchen.

The face of homelessness and the working-poor has changed drastically since the housing-bubble burst. I aim to be one part of the solution and building this Tiny House is the first step.

This will be my home, my mobile office, a testing ground where I learn what not to do, and the model home used as an example of what I’d like to build for others. This will be a life-changing endeavor, and not just for me.

Ultimate goal: live in a tiny house while building shelters for others and operating a mobile food kitchen.

Get on board and come along for the entire journey!

>> Project updates (videos, photos, & fundraising) are located on the Project Updates page. <<

Can she do it??

I’ve worked on Habitat houses, building remodels, cars, repaired and refinished furniture, so I know my way around a toolbox.

I’ve also studied my building plans, attended a builders workshop, compiled a list of the materials, fixtures, and tools I’ll need, and have taken a realistic look at how long this is going to take: about 500 hours.

Yep. 500.

Since I work full-time already, I’ll be dedicating nights/weekends to building this house. At that rate, it should take about a year to finish. (If we raise enough to allow me to dedicate myself entirely to building this tiny house and/or hire a few extra hands to help out, we could be done in just a few months!)

I’ll definitely need to hire some help for the bigger items, like raising the walls, but we’ve got lots of people who could use the work and I intend to enrich my community as much as I can through this project.

Yes, “community” includes you!

I know there are lots of questions, curiosity, and good old fashioned excitement around building and living in tiny houses. Let me be your guide!

Every step along the way, I’ll share:

The decisions being made
Lessons learned
Progress reports
Lots of “behind the scenes” footage
And don’t forget to ask questions — I’ll share questions with the group and do my best to answer every one of them!

You get to be a part of this process without even breaking a sweat!

Take a look at the entire process here! This is an easy way to keep track of how far along we are and I’ll cross things off the list as they’re completed.

And I mean it when I say you’ll be a part of this. Every member of our new tiny house building community who backs this project with at least $25 will have their name written on the frame of the house. You will literally be a part of this. (Want to have a part of this, too? Check out the full list of Community Perks below!)

How do I join the community?

You can get on board with or without perks: your choice! Just include a note with your contribution and I’ll keep track of it. And whichever method works for you, works for me!

	PayPal :: Super simple donate-what-you-want option. (I’ll absolutely honor the perks from the IndieGoGo campaign listed below, if you’d like!) Where it goes :: into a PayPal account where it will only be used for Tiny House + expenses.
	Square Marketplace :: This is just like purchasing an item using a square card reader connected to someone’s phone/tablet, only it’s online and I’ve pre-coded the perk items from the IndieGoGo campaign (see below) so you can simply select one and check out. Where it goes :: into a savings account specifically for Tiny House + expenses.
	Cash App :: From the makers of Square, this is a simple app that lets you send funds fee-free. If you don’t have the app, here are the links: Android or iPhone \| Please send your contribution to: burning21 [at] hotmail [dot] com (Sorry about the email address weirdness — but it really helps reduce spam.) Where it goes :: into a savings account specifically for Tiny House + expenses.
	Off-line :: If you’d like to contribute without the aid of modern technology, we’ve got you covered! Andrea J. Burns, P.O. Box 1800, Smyrna, Ga, 30081-1800 Where it goes :: into a savings account specifically for Tiny House + expenses.

Community Perks!

NOTE: Each perk *includes* the perks at the lower contribution levels.

$5 – Eternal gratitude! As well as blog & video updates throughout the project. These will include project updates as well as decision details — how do you choose a toilet for a tiny house? What about cooking? Electric or gas appliances? On-grid vs. off-grid water and power systems?

$10 – Vote on the house name! The winning name will be permanently burned onto the exterior of the house. (I’ll send you a really great digital photo!)

$25 – Your name written on the frame of the house. (I’ll send you a really great digital photo!)

$50 – A copy of one of the design sketches. (Not a photo. A physical copy!)

$75 – A signed piece of the house! Yours to do with as you wish (shrine, paperweight, cane topper). There will be lots of scrap material after cutting all the boards. Let me send you a piece! (US Shipping Included. Will add $15 for international addresses.)

$100 – Invitation to a 1-hour webcast where we talk design, decisions, and answer your questions!

$150 – Suggest a name for the house! These names will be voted on by all the backers and the winning name will be permanently burned onto the exterior of the house. (There may be a bonus for the backer who suggests the winning name!)

$175 – A 30-minute Skype call! Ask questions, take a virtual tour,… dealer’s choice! (Limit: 50)

$200 — A customized souvenir, just for you! Have your custom graphic (a combination of the completed Tiny House and your name that was written on the frame) applied to a select product of your choice. (US Shipping Included. Will add $15 for international addresses.) Example graphic (this will have your name and all the real details & images from this Tiny House) with your choice between many items, like shirts, ceramic mugs, travel mugs, mouse pads, aprons, ball caps, bags, posters, etc.

$250 – An invitation to the housewarming party! This will be in Atlanta, Ga, so you may need to travel… but you’ll get the Grand Tour in-person! Photos, hugs, BBQ, the whole thing. See what you helped create!

$500 – I will bring the house to you!! I’ll embark on a road trip across North America once the Tiny House is finished and will come visit your city so you can get the Grand Tour in-person! Photos, hugs, the whole thing. See what you helped create!

$1,000 – An overnight stay in the Tiny House! Yep, not only will I bring the house to you, you get your very own slumber party! (Room for 2) Sleep in what you helped create! (I may even cook breakfast for you!)

$2,500 – A full weekend in the Tiny House and consultation on design plans for your own tiny house and/or community enrichment initiatives you have in mind. This can be a weekend workshop all to yourself OR you can invite others who want to join the conversation and we can have a group session. Your choice! (If you want to have a group workshop, consider going in on this perk together!)

What do these pledges go toward?

I’ve provided a detailed list of building materials, fixtures, and tools here.

The highlights!

Trailer: $4,000
Tools: $375
Building Space: $2,400 (12 months @ $200/mo.; If we build it faster, this gets cheaper!)
Framing, Windows & Doors, Cabinetry, Roof, Exterior Trim, Fasteners, Interior Finish, Plumbing, Electrical, and Miscellaneous (Hurricane Ties, Rafter Straps, Door Lock, etc.): $8,910 (Intend to use as much reclaimed, re-purposed, and leftover materials as possible, so we may be able to save a little more on these costs.)
Appliances/Fixtures: $6,022
Costs I’ve already got covered: $12,154 (Labor, Building Plans, Training/Builder’s Workshop, Most of the Tools, about half of the Appliances & Fixtures)
Things we’ll need to add later: $9,010 (Heater, Solar Panels, Water Filtration System, etc.)

Here’s how it breaks out:

I’ll be using as much reclaimed/re-purposed material as possible to reduce waste and (potentially) costs.

Risks & Challenges

I’m hardheaded and like to do everything myself, but let’s be real… I’m just one person and may not survive building this whole thing on my own. (Raising the walls will take more than just me!) This is going to be an exercise in learning to accept help and I’m ready to learn.
Sourcing gently used, reclaimed, leftover materials for this build. I know the materials are out there and available. I’ll need some help finding them and it will take a little longer to acquire materials this way. Ordering things is much easier and very predictable, but I think it’s important not to be wasteful.
Weather. Honestly, heavy rain and cold weather could put a damper on building something like this, which is why I’m looking for a warehouse or workshop in which to build the tiny house. This will provide protection from the elements (for both me and the tiny house) until it’s road-ready, as well as provide a secure location to store all the materials and tools, so I can take excellent care of everything that is so generously donated, loaned, and purchased for this project.

The more realistic the approach, the more successful the project will be, right?

When can we get started??

If enough kind, thoughtful, socially progressive, loving, smart, and sexy people get on board with this project, we’ll be able to get started as soon as we reach the first threshold: enough to purchase the trailer!

I’m looking forward to dedicating my life to something bigger than myself.

I certainly hope you enjoy this project. It takes a village to raise a child and a community to build a house — I’m asking you to become part of my community, if you’d like to. I welcome you and my undying gratitude is yours.

Are you ready?
Let’s do this!

More ways to help!

Naturally, supporting this project financially will go a LONG WAY, but there are some other things we can do, too:

Share this project with other people who may want to know about it! The more people who get involved, the more people will learn about the process and potentially get involved with the bigger picture. Let’s build this community!
Do you have, know someone who has, or want to help locate materials that could be donated to the build? Send me a message! Cutting costs is just as helpful as raising money. (Here’s the full list of needs!)
Feel free to get creative! I am super-grateful for every little thing that helps make this a reality.

XOXO,