Small Homes | Simple Living | SnugShack

  • Design
  • Living
  • Mobile
  • Houses
  • Videos
  • How-Tos
  • More
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA / Removal Request
  • Search
12.5 Square Meter WAVE Eco Cabin Provides Elegant Off-Grid Living Possibilities

12.5 Square Meter WAVE Eco Cabin Provides Elegant Off-Grid Living Possibilities

Two Story One Bedroom Cabin Perfect For Waterside Living

Two Story One Bedroom Cabin Perfect For Waterside Living

See the Harbor of Grand Marais From This Unique 2nd Floor Studio Nicknamed the ‘Lighthouse’.

See the Harbor of Grand Marais From This Unique 2nd Floor Studio Nicknamed the ‘Lighthouse’.

New Zealand Couple Call DIY Box Truck Home

New Zealand Couple Call DIY Box Truck Home

A Heartwarming Tale of a Couple’s 20+ Year Road Trip. And One Amazing Mercedes G Wagon.

A Heartwarming Tale of a Couple’s 20+ Year Road Trip. And One Amazing Mercedes G Wagon.

Tiny House Love Strikes Twice For This Florida Couple

Tiny House Love Strikes Twice For This Florida Couple

Tiny House Love Strikes Twice For This Florida Couple

By Andrew Odom Design, Houses, Mobile

Tara Hudson explains why she sold her first tiny home, only to buy another soon after. For her, the second time is the charm.

If you’ve ever been to a really good buffet meal (and I’m not talking about a calabash at Myrtle Beach or an all-you-can-eat-with-this-ticket-stub on the Vegas strip) you know what it’s like to enjoy something so immensely that you have to go back a second time.

The same can be said for Florida couple Tara and Pete Hudson.

In early 2013 the Hudsons wanted to own their own house. They wanted one they could customize and move.

After stumbling onto pictures of tiny homes on the Internet, Tara became fixated and began telling people about her desire to build one.

She admits that most thought she had gone mad.

The Hudson’s first tiny house

The Hudson’s first tiny house

Even her husband Pete was a bit skeptical.

The initial idea was to downsize their lives. But Tara quickly realized that she and Pete had to decide between their wants versus needs.

After opting out of a traditional mortgage, eliminating needless spending, donating items, having a few sales, and giving things away, they finally felt ready to embark on their tiny house journey.

But here’s the twist!

Once finished with their 160 sq.ft. tiny house trailer they realized that it wasn’t exactly what they wanted.

Due to some health complications the sleeping loft wouldn’t work for them any longer and the layout didn’t quite suit their needs.

So they quickly sold their first tiny home and jumped head first into their second. 

Tara and Pete both agreed that they wanted something semi-permanent, and not on either a trailer or fixed foundation.

So with the purchase of a pre-fab barn unit mounted on skids, they began building their home: The New Tiny.

‘The New Tiny’ is delivered to the Hudsons

‘The New Tiny’ is delivered to the Hudsons

Andrew Odom: When did you build your second tiny house and is there one reason in particular that you did so?

Tara Hudson: We started building our first tiny house on wheels in May 2013 and sold it as a shell (interior not finished) in May 2014.

Pete and I wanted to downsize because of my health problems. We both thought it would be easier to take care of, and with my daughter away at college it was just the two of us and we didn’t need so much space.

The idea of being mobile appealed to us too but as I called around to find a place to park it we quickly realized that central Florida zoning had the upper hand and it would be next to impossible to live legally in it unless it had a RIVA certification.

Soon after I had quite a scare while working in the loft and I decided it would be best to have a down stairs bedroom, so we listed it and found a buyer within a month.

The inside of the cabin is ready for a little TLC

The inside of the cabin is ready for a little TLC

The second tiny house/cabin was purchased at the beginning of summer 2014.

It is a pre-built shell. We went with a completed shell because after working on the first tiny house we just wanted to get on with it. We knew the Florida storms would make the project drag on just like the first one, as we had to build in our driveway that was open to the elements.

AO: What are the size specs of your tiny house (size of trailer if applicable, square feet, number of stories, number of occupants, etc)

TH: The new tiny is 12’ x 24’ including a 4′ front porch (closer to 11 feet wide after the walls are up).

The kitchen/dining area is 8′ x 11′, bedroom 8′ x 11′ and bathroom 4′ x 8′ with a small 4′ hallway to the bedroom. Livable square feet will be around 210 when finished. We decided on a one-story, non-lofted cabin.

AO: Are you living in your tiny house? If so, for how long now? If not, when do you expect to move in?

TH: We are still completing the interior of the tiny house so we haven’t moved in yet, although we have found the front porch quite enjoyable at night.

We hope to move in by the end of this year. We are finishing up the bathroom now, next is the kitchen, then walls, ceiling and floors.

Shown are pieces of the vent hose, lighting, HVAC, and interior walls

Shown are pieces of the vent hose, lighting, HVAC, and interior walls

AO: How do you feel about the tiny house movement and being such an instrumental part of it?

TH: Earlier this year I had grown to dislike the tiny house movement. I was running into so many roadblocks and hearing “NO” all the time didn’t help.

It seemed the powers that be were dead set on derailing any progress the movement made. I had to take a step back, take a break and realize why I fell in love with the whole concept of tiny house living in the first place.

It was never about ‘the house’. Rather, it was about living within our means or below it, finding happiness in relationships not physical possessions, being the best person I could be and not being so bogged down worrying about money.

The need to live this way didn’t come because of a lack of money though. Pete and I had a little savings and continue to do well with some real estate we outright own.

As for being instrumental in the tiny house movement, I don’t feel that I am.

It’s the people who came before me and plowed the roads, the group working on paving those roads and the group that will tend said roads.

When I look around I can’t point out one person who made this happen but the effort of so many. Corny metaphor but I’m going with it.

AO: What one thing would you do differently or do you wish wasn’t part of your tiny house?

Pallet wood will play a larger role in the interior

Pallet wood will play a larger role in the interior

TH: If we could do one thing different it would be to go with a larger tiny house, even if it was just 8 feet larger.

We had to give up a living room so we could have a larger kitchen and I would have liked to have a small sitting area for guests.

Follow the Hudson’s latest build online or LIKE them on Facebook. It’s exciting to watch this shell of a cabin turn into a cozy home! 

Get Email Updates
   
What Do You Think?

About Andrew Odom

Founder of Tiny r(E)volution and author of the popular book ‘Your Message Here : GAINING CORPORATE SPONSORS for your tiny house project’. Andrew recently sold his family's 240 square foot tiny house and travels in a 27 foot Aruba travel trailer with his wife and 3-year old daughter.

← PREV
NEXT →

Free Email Updates

   

Search

One Man Shares Everything He Wished He Had Known When Building His Tiny House

One Man Shares Everything He Wished He Had Known When Building His Tiny House

Vintage Transit Bus Now A Charming Country Retreat

Vintage Transit Bus Now A Charming Country Retreat

Witness Wide Open Views From the Arado WeeHouse

Witness Wide Open Views From the Arado WeeHouse

How Can a Shipping Container Home Cost $65,000!? Oh Wait, I Get It Now.

How Can a Shipping Container Home Cost $65,000!? Oh Wait, I Get It Now.

Meet This Musician’s Custom Winnebago LeSharo

Meet This Musician’s Custom Winnebago LeSharo

This Hobbit Hole Tiny House Will Make You Want To Squeeze Right In

This Hobbit Hole Tiny House Will Make You Want To Squeeze Right In

Rustic Exterior and Modern Interior in This Tiny House. Plus a Shower to Die For!

Rustic Exterior and Modern Interior in This Tiny House. Plus a Shower to Die For!

This Charming Small Home With Natural Heating Will Take Your Breath Away

This Charming Small Home With Natural Heating Will Take Your Breath Away

6 Gorgeous Shipping Container Homes Big On Imagination, Short On Cost

6 Gorgeous Shipping Container Homes Big On Imagination, Short On Cost

This Woman’s Chemical-Free House Will Make You Wonder If You’re Safe in Your Own Home.

This Woman’s Chemical-Free House Will Make You Wonder If You’re Safe in Your Own Home.

Run-Down Decades-Old Cargo Trailer, Now A Tiny Camper Fit For Living

Run-Down Decades-Old Cargo Trailer, Now A Tiny Camper Fit For Living

This Colorful 1976 Airstream Is Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Seen

This Colorful 1976 Airstream Is Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Seen

Up Next

Hands On Education: Building A Tiny House for a Degree

Hands On Education: Building A Tiny House for a Degree

5 Best Selling Books On Tiny House Living

5 Best Selling Books On Tiny House Living

RSS RV Mods – RV Guides – RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV

  • The Best Way To Clean An RV Stainless Steel Sink
  • A Guide To RV Slide-Out Water Damage Repair
  • RV Bug Screens That Are Easy To Install

RSS Boating Information and Entertainment | BoatBible

  • This Crazy Fast Homemade Speed Boat Will Astonish You
  • This Aging And Poorly-Kept Pontoon Boat Got A Fabulous DIY Upgrade
  • Pond King Mini Pontoon Boat Fits In The Back Of A Pickup Truck

RSS CampZing

  • Here’s How You Can Safely Change The Color of Your Campfire
  • 7 Simple Camping Hacks That Might Just Save Your Life
  • This Inflatable Solar Powered Camping Lantern Takes Up Almost Zero Space

RSS Unpack | DoItYourselfRV

  • Magnetic 100 Minute Timer For Easy RV Cooking
  • Manual Solar Panel Positioner
  • Custom Made Tent For Prius Car

RSS Small Homes | Simple Living | SnugShack

  • This Hobbit Hole Tiny House Will Make You Want To Squeeze Right In
  • Charming Cottage Built By Couple With Own Hands Over 6 Years
  • This Tiny Chapel Puts A Whole New Spin On Small Weddings

Copyright © 2022 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in