How This Young Millennial Couple Found Affordable Homeownership

Nicole and Jamie built their home over two years. Before they started, they followed many tiny home influencers on Instagram and watched many tiny home shows and Youtube videos to educate themselves. Then, Jamie did an extensive Google SketchUp that included every piece of framing and siding.

Although they did modify the sketch as they went along, it really acted as the basis for the entire design. This allowed the couple to ensure that the home fit their needs, while also minimizing building waste since they already had a clear idea of which materials would be needed for the build.

Nicole and Jamie used cedar siding for the exterior because it’s good quality and ages well, and chose to have big windows to let in natural light, with a total of 10 windows throughout the house.

The arched door to the home was a wedding present from Nicole’s uncle. When you come in, there is an IKEA sofa that folds out into a bed, which allows them to have overnight guests.

There are stairs with under-stair storage that lead to the sleeping loft, where they can climb straight into bed without having to crawl around; there is also an extra foot of storage thanks to a bump-out they had added to the trailer.

The entire build cost Nicole and Jamie $30,000. They kept costs low by building it themselves and being frugal with building materials.

Affordable homeownership

Millennial homeownership sometimes seems impossible, but this couple and their tiny home show that with some hard work and creative thinking, owning a home in your twenties is possible.

For more affordable homeownership stories, discover how this Montana tiny home is all about living mortgage- and debt-free or why this Gen Z-er became a homeowner and landlord in his twenties.

To see more videos, check out the Tiny House Giant Journey YouTube channel.