Tiny House Costs a Tiny Amount

A stock photo of Ojai, California landscape (Larry Emerson)

Over the years, one woman’s “tiny house” has become a topic of discussion among people looking to “downsize” and save money.

According to HouzzTV, Vina Lustado, of California, owns the 140-square-foot home.

“It’s not temporary. I’m never leaving,” she said to clarify.

“I’ve never entertained as much as I have since I built my tiny house,” she added. The house only cost $40,000 to build.

It’s located in Ojai, California. It has one bedroom and one bathroom.

“After completing a professional degree from USC and spending 20 years in high-end corporate architecture, Vina decided to focus her career on smaller-scale projects that could make a positive difference,” according to a profile from Yale University.

According to The Tiny Life, the typical American home is about 2,600 square feet, and “the typical small or tiny house definition is a home with square footage is between 100 and 400 square feet.”

The site says owning such a home “provides huge financial advantages and the ability to live a lifestyle filled with adventure. For most Americans, 1/3 to 1/2 of their income is dedicated to the roof over their heads! That means many people will spend a lot of time figuring out how to afford their homes. Buying a house often translates to at least 15 years of working over your lifetime to pay for it.”

It adds that on average, tiny houses cost between $10,000 and $40,000, and the cost of upkeep is typically and comparatively low.

“Depending on where you park your tiny house, you may need to pay for land rental and insurance, but in the long run, the savings on a tiny house is huge,” it says.