Early Projects

As I wait for my tiny house to arrive I am going to start a few simple projects.

Loft ladder

Porch Stairs

Budget

When budgeting for a tiny house there are a lot of parts to consider past four walls, a floor, and a roof. Here are links to what I am planning!

Projects:

• Roofing
• Siding (two choices):
• Composite
• Wood
• Flooring:
• Cork
• Hardwood
• Laminate
• Walls (don't forget insulation):
• Cob
• Drywall
• Paint
• Electrical (I am hiring a professional)
• Plumbing
• Kitchen Countertops

Appliances:

• Stove
• Refrigerator
• A/C
• Solar Panels
• Toilet
• Shower
• Toaster Oven
• Laundry
• Heater
• Buddy Heater
• Water Heater
• Water Filter

Spend your money wisely if you are planning a on building a tiny house!

Home Sweet Home

USS BENFOLD getting into the
San Diego Bay

I got back to San Diego Friday after a very productive yet sleepless underway! BENFOLD was able to sail out to sea this week for the first time in 17 months. It was very long over due and we accomplished a lot! Personally the time at sea gave me an opportunity to live tiny! For four days I was living on a 500 ft boat. My bedroom (stateroom) in which I store all of my possessions while at work is 4'x10' and shared with two other women. This room doesn't include a bathroom or kitchen but other than that it was my whole world all week! I spent the week driving the ship, communicating with other ships at sea, doing live fire exercises with our 5" gun (really big gun on the front of the ship), and much much more. The other junior officers and I held an ice-cream social for the crew on Thursday night as well as partaking in nacho night and bingo - the week couldn't all be work!

Photo by Chris Tack and Tumbleweed

My time underway made it hard to make any progress with the tiny house. I spent lots of time thinking about design ideas and timeline. I am now leaning towards making my own shower! I think I can make a more usable design specific to my lifestyle. No matter what it will be better than a plastic one-piece shower stall. I have been thinking all weekend about what tile I want to use! Other elements of the tiny house also are forming in my head. I absolutely love this Bayside Bungalow - she wrote on her page about making easier kitchen cabinets by using curtains (or coffee sacks in her case). I am so thankful for all of the tiny house blogs that I have been able to read. They each have unique space saving and decorating ideas!

Look for a post this week about how official planning is going. I have laid out my calendar and budget for the next few months. The ideas are finally leaving my day dreams and getting put down on paper!

Underway Replenishment at Sea (taking on fuel) with USNS Yukon (T-AO 202)

Helping Hands

Today I had the opportunity to help a fellow tiny houser - Danielle. I learned a bit about flooring, sanding, and roofing. It was great to meet people who share the same goals! She started with at 24' trailer and built from the ground up. She is doing a unique roof so that both her daughter and her can have room to stand in the two loft areas! It was great seeing different ideas take shape and what tools I will need when I start!

Quick update on my build: I have found a small acreage that is allowing me to live and build! It is about a 25 min drive to work as well as downtown San Diego in unincorporated San Diego County. A family lives on the acreage in a big house but there is plenty of space! They also have chickens, a horse, and they are building a small fruit orchard. I have also decided to register my house as an RV. It will help staying legal in regards to zoning laws in California. My next two big decisions are what composting toilet to buy and what solar panel system I should get!

Next week I will be doing less tiny house planning and more Navy learning. My ship is going out to sea for the first time in 16 months. We just finished out midlife overhaul - receiving a new Aegis Baseline 9 combat system. The system helps the ship with air defense, ballistic missile defense, surface warfare and undersea warfare capabilities. Our sea time will give us an opportunity to run our engineering plant and knock off any rust that still lingers from our yard period! I can't wait to be on the bridge sailing out into the deep blue sea!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Don't forget to remember what you are thankful for today!

I am thankfully for the ability to pick up and move, the ability to fund this crazy adventure, and all of the support I am getting from family, friends, and strangers alike. I hope everyone has a wonderful meal today! If anyone in San Diego needs a place to sit, you are welcome at my table!

Yokosuka, Japan

After watching the Netflix movie Tiny: A Story About Living Small two months ago, my research brought me to a quick realization. Although creating a tiny house (TH) from scratch, trailer all the way to roof, would be amazing it would be a long project. Someday I want to build the entire house myself, but within the next year I will be temporarily moving to Japan for 6 months when my ship, USS BENFOLD (DDG 65), homeport shifts. Building the entire house will just not work with 6 mo. My goal is to have the house completed before leaving for Japan, so when I come back to the states I can move right back into it and start Nuclear Propulsion school in South Carolina without extra distractions.

Charleston, South Carolina

The Tumble Weed Houses website has provided me the jumping off point I need - a barn raiser. A partly finished TH, fully mounted on a sturdy trailer. Like I said in my first post, I have gotten my blueprints to the TH. Once purchased they are downloadable from the site. The great part about the website is they give you a discount (the same price as the blueprints) on your final purchase. Truthfully, seeing the plans makes the project a bit more daunting. It is a big undertaking, but I will have help! I have found a TH community in San Diego that is very eager to help each other out. I am planning weekend work parties to accomplish the big tasks. One weekend siding, the next roofing. My co-workers have also been very supportive (although they all think I'm a bit crazy) and have offered to help out too. Everyone is welcome - just let me know when you are headed out to San Diego and I will put you to work!

Start of an adventure

Rendition #1 California Tiny House

The start of this tiny house adventure was a long time ago - growing up with an amazing family who always supported crazy ideas. Early on my brother decided to build a tiny house. It was my first introduction to the minimalist life. I have loved learning through his different renditions.

Rendition #2 Trailer in Missouri 

Two months ago a good friend suggested I watch Tiny: A Story About Living Small. I quickly fell in love with the idea of building and living in a tiny house.

Currently I have printed blueprints, found land to build/live on near work, and made final decisions on the barn raiser I am ordering. Next week I will be out at sea for work, but I plan on ordering the barn raiser by 8 Dec! I will try to blog once a week or more with updates about being in the Navy and living in a tiny house. I am hoping this blog will give family, friends, and fellow Tiny Housers a chance to follow my building adventures as well as my Navy travels. Happy Thanksgiving!