Living Luxuriously on a Budget: How a 27-Year-Old Built Her $4,000 ‘Luxury Tiny Home’ and Pays $0 in Rent
In 2020, I invested over $4,000 to build a microhome in the backyard of my 1,400-square-foot residence in Atlanta, Georgia. The rental income from my main home now covers my mortgage, property taxes, and utility expenses, allowing me to live there rent-free.
Despite its compact size of 296 square feet, the microhome maximizes space efficiency, often making me forget that I’m residing in a shed.
While the tiny house trend gains momentum in the United States, the process of building one is not as straightforward as it may appear. Here are some tips for constructing a small house in your yard:
- Begin by researching the zoning regulations in your area.
- Some major cities are easing restrictions on tiny homes to address housing shortages, but others maintain strict limitations on private property construction.
- Locate zoning regulations through a city’s zoning map.
- Zoning details are often available on a city’s zoning map, accessible through a quick Google search using your city’s name along with “zoning map” or “zoning office.”
- If you encounter difficulties, contact the city’s planning and construction division.
- For further assistance, reach out to the planning and construction division of your city, who can provide guidance on zoning regulations and construction requirements.”
