Choosing the building

What a whirlwind this week has been. The plan was to slowly figure out the correct building size/specs so we could have the perfect building for our needs. However, then my husband woke up Wednesday and realized that there is so much to do, and with the snow starting to fall in early October, we really need to get on it. So the planning of the floor-plan took on a priority/panicking pace. 

Photo by Geran de Klerk on Unsplash

We decided to go with a portable building from Old Hickory. My mother-in-law wanted to have a little porch and loved the design of the "Playhouse Deluxe" model. It will have three windows that will give a bay window appearance, and she will be able to have a lot of light when she is working in the "kitchen".  She wanted around 400 square foot, which is moving from "tiny house" size to studio house. 

We chose the 14 x 32 utility shed. There is a lofted shed too, but we figured in order to heat it during the winter, having a lower ceiling would be better for us (we live in a very frigid region).  The loft would be a great option for those who could climb stairs, allowing for more storage or a place for a bed, but stairs are not something that we can use, and more storage means more places for bugs to hide, and more cleaning that needs to be done. So utility shed was the winner. 

After much deliberation (and switching the colors a zillion times, we choose the hunter green metal roof, and the chestnut brown siding. Our main house (ha, that makes it sound like quite the estate), is a cabin style so we wanted to mimic that color palette. I am hoping it was a good decision. 

Now we wait. 3-4 weeks until delivery.  

Until then we will be stock piling on building materials. We will be shopping for insulation, flooring and sheetrock this week. Yikes, more of the unknown.  

Big Changes and a Tiny House

So there are big changes in the Northwoods, and bigger changes about to happen. My mother-in-law, who currently lives in Seattle, is moving to our neck of the woods. She is going to convert a portable shed into a tiny house, which will be placed on our property. Our house is just too small so it seemed like a great option to have her closer, yet still have her (and our) privacy.  

I tried to look for information on the entire process, but really had no luck, so I am going to share the process with you and hope that it helps anyone looking to do something similar. I am totally clueless about all things building, so bear with me as I stumble through and I hope you get to learn something too.  

Photo by Sylwia Bartyzel on Unsplash