Jeremy and Lindsay Weaver are already committed to tiny living in their 275-square-foot home, but also like to help others finding the best way to downsize with the company Jeremy founded with a friend: Wind River Tiny Homes. In the company, Jeremy is in charge of figuring out "the best systems and materials to use on the builds and then installs, assembles or implements them. I'm a little bit of a nerd when it comes to researching the best solutions to meet the needs of each tiny homeowner," as he explains on their website. Currently, Jeremy is also working on the development of a tiny house community project in downtown Chattanooga, TN.
Their tiny home is completely tailored for their needs: with Jeremy's 6'6" and Lindsay's need for baking, they needed an ample house able to fulfill their lifestyle.
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Here's what they told us:
Why did you decide to downsize?
Jeremy: We never really upsized before we got married. We both moved around a fair bit after college and didn't really accumulate junk. After we got married we traveled for a while, and lived in Tanzania for half a year together as part of a Master's degree we were both working on. When we got back we looked at houses for a while but decided to go tiny in the end because it made the most sense for us.
Lindsay: We liked how we were living in Tanzania. All we had was a small room, a bed, and a few change of clothes (most of which we ended up leaving there). With less to manage and take care of, we were able to spend more time building relationships and new experiences. When we moved back to the U.S. we didn't want that way of life to end, so going "tiny" seemed like the perfect solution.
Photo Courtesy of CityScope magazine/Med Dement
What inspired you to design your tiny home?
Jeremy: We both love to travel and many parts of our home incorporate things we've brought back with us as functional pieces. For instance, all our pillows are sewn from fabric that we had brought back from Tanzania, Kenya, and Cambodia. I am 6'6", so the space was built to accommodate for that with things like a Gooseneck-style bedroom that I can stand up in, and a shower that is recessed into the floor for added head space. Lindsay is also an excellent cook, so we have larger sized cooking appliances for a tiny house.
Lindsay: I did not want a loft bedroom. I am not coordinated enough in the middle of the night to shimmy down a ladder when I need to use the restroom. That's one of the reasons why we opted for a gooseneck. And, because we have a shed roof, Jeremy is still able to stand up straight on his half of the bedroom.
What do you enjoy the most about tiny living?
Jeremy: I love that we decided to just go for it because we knew it was a really good fit for our lifestyle, even though it may be nontraditional. I also love living in a space that feels so high quality and unique to us.
Lindsay: I adore the simplicity. If someone stops over, it takes me 5 minutes to tidy up my ENTIRE house. It's also sparked a lot of great conversations about what really matters in life, and how we all choose to spend our time.
What were some of the difficulties or challenges you had to face when you decided to transition to a tiny home?
Jeremy: A lot of people didn't understand why we would want to live in a tiny house and it didn't make sense to them, so it was sort of an educating process for some of our family and friends. Luckily I'm known for making decisions that may fall outside the traditional spectrum for most people, so it wasn't that much of a shocker. I have fairly basic space needs, so the actual "living tiny" part wasn't that big of a transition for me.
Lindsay: Yeah, I would have to agree with Jeremy on this one. Not everyone thought we were making a great decision and couldn't see the value in it at first. It helped me grow a thicker skin and honestly made me appreciate my lifestyle that much more.
Has tiny living introduced any major changes to your lifestyle?
Jeremy: I think Lindsay would say that I've gotten much neater since moving into our tiny house. There's not much space to lay things down.
Lindsay: A tidier Jeremy for the win!!! I would also say there were several things that Jeremy and I talked about doing or places we talked about going. Now there's no more talk, we just do it.
Financially, would you say that living tiny has helped you?
Jeremy: Yes, we're not rolling in dough by any means, but we have been able to shoe-string a business start-up without taking on massive debt, purchase land, and we have much more breathing room financially than if we had to worry about paying local rent or mortgage prices every month.
Lindsay: One of the reasons we went tiny was so that we would have enough money not just to help ourselves, but to put towards causes we felt passionate about as well. Now we are able to do that.
Is there anything that you’d have done differently? What sort of features would you include if you were designing your house now?
We have customized the house a great deal since moving in. We are always tweaking and changing things to fit our needs as we go. I think we would have installed a mini-split A/C and heater from the get-go instead of relying on a window a/c and space heater. We also would have installed a pocket door between the bathroom and bedroom where we only have a curtain now. Oh, and never repurpose an interior door as an exterior one, we did that and ended up having to replace it after having condensation and weatherproofing issues.
How long did it take to build it and how much it cost?
We built our home for season 2 of the TV show Tiny House Nation and 90% of the building was done in 8 days while shooting the episode. It was a hectic experience, but we ended up having a great time. John, Zack and the crew were great. We invested $20k of our own money into the build and the show kicked in a little to make up the difference. Most of the labor was free so we saved a ton there. If we would have paid someone else to build this for us we would have easily spent more than $60k so we feel like we got a great deal.
What advice would you have for people who are thinking to move into a tiny home?
Jeremy: Do your research first and make sure you have things like financing, insurance, and where you will park it worked out before you begin building. If you're having someone build for you, make sure you have a realistic idea of what the true cost will be (you're not going to get a super high-end custom tiny home for $30k). I highly recommend the lifestyle.
Lindsay: Downsizing doesn't happen overnight. In fact, if you think you can downsize and go tiny in a week then I think it will ruin the experience for you. Jeremy and I were downsizing as individuals for years before dating. Then we downsized some more when we got married. And we are still downsizing a year into going tiny. It's a process and one that needs time. You "think" you know what you'll need or not need before going tiny, but you really need to live the lifestyle a while to make any major calls on your stuff.
Do you have any tips for anyone wanting to incorporate the “tiny way of life” even if they’re still living in an apartment or a larger house?
Jeremy: Jay Shafer has stated that a tiny home is any home where all the space is used well. You can do this in any size space. If you live in a large house, but don't need all the space, consider renting part of it out to help pay the mortgage. If you live in a small apartment, think of ways to make the space more functional. Tiny is more of a mindset than anything else. If you think you might want to live in a tiny house in the future, start downsizing right now (both in possessions and mindset). It's a process best done over a long period of time. We won't always live in a tiny house, but it works really well for us at this stage in our life. Experience > stuff every time.
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Lindsay: Monitor how you spend your time during a normal week. Do you cook a lot? Do you have people over frequently? Do you need a separate workspace? How you spend your time will dictate how you use your space. So get rid of the items that are keeping you from how you like to enjoy your time, and invest in making that time more quality.