Goodbye Big House, Hello Tiny House
I wasn't kidding when I said this story is happening faster than I can write about it. It really is.
A short recap: After a year of debating, we met with our realtor on Tuesday, March 17th and decided to list the house. The stager came that afternoon and gave us a three page list of to-do's to get the house ready. Over the course of one week we got the house prepped, inside and out. It went on the market on Wednesday, March 25th. On Friday, March 27th we left for the Tumbleweed Tiny House Workshop. The official sign wasn't in the yard yet when we left.
We booked this workshop back in January as our anniversary getaway. We had been researching tiny houses for several months and had a common interest in them so we thought it would be a fun weekend away. We both have busy minds, so while this may not seem like a vacation to some, for us it was the perfect way to spend time together and learn about something new. When we arrived at the workshop we thought there was a slight chance we might build a tiny house. When we left day one of the workshop, we knew we were right where we were supposed to be.
So what is a tiny house? A tiny house is a house built on a trailer that ranges between 100-400 square feet. It is on a trailer because typical building codes do not allow for a foundation to be less than 600-800 square feet depending on your local codes. Therefore, tiny houses are built using RV code versus building code.
When we got back to the hotel on Saturday night we had a long talk about what something this small would mean for our family. Yes, there would be struggles, but there are struggles now. Yes, there would be some downsides, but there are downsides to a big house. All in all, the possibilities of a decreased lifestyle far outweighed the burdens of a maxed out budget.
We had received one request for a showing while we were in class on Saturday. It was scheduled for 3pm on Sunday afternoon. We received two more requests on Sunday morning, also for that afternoon. Day two of the workshop wrapped up at 3pm and we decided to put down a deposit on a Tumbleweed trailer. When we left Madison that afternoon we said, "Ok God, if this is Your plan for us, we're ready." Two hours later we had an offer on the house. By Monday morning we had two offers. The house had been on the market for four days.
The sold sign went up this week. It has been less than three weeks since it was put on the market. The inspection has been completed and passed and we are currently awaiting appraisal. We will be moved out by May 14th. We will begin construction on our tiny house this summer and expect the build to take about six months.
There have been several pieces to this story that have reassured us we are on the right path.
- Zac and I have never been so much on the same page about any other idea or topic as we are about this decision.
- As we have shared our dream with family and friends and sought their counsel the response has been overwhelmingly supportive.
- Most importantly, we have been praying and seeking God's will since the first day this crazy little idea entered our minds. Every single time we have stepped out in faith and asked God to reassure us, He has shown up in ways we never could have imagined.
So when all the pieces fit, there is only one decision left to make: sit in doubt or move in faith. So we say goodbye to the big house, and hello to the tiny house.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9