Woman Shares Unfiltered Reality of Tiny House Living + Finances & Parking Challenges

Thanks for watching! You can follow and find out more about Stacie's tiny house experience here:
www.youtube.com/@CasaDuroTinyHome

I'm so glad to FINALLY hear someone who owns a tiny home to being realistic, genuinely transparent, and not delusional about how much this can ACTUALLY cost. So many people who live tiny that I see don't realize how much privilege they have whether its financially or resourcefully. I'm always confused when people say they only paid $50k for the house but how'd they find the land? what about the patio? and their water or electricity?
this is the first realistic breakdown of the obstacles one can face without trying to make it sound all sunshine and rainbows. While i think she is happy with her home I really appreciate how much they emphasized how hard it was to get there and how many things they still might be trying to adjust to.

I'm glad she was so honest about the costs.

I would love to see a Part 2, why she talks about living tiny during Winter... Most of these types of videos are shot in the Summer season, an doesn't take cold and wet weather into consideration and how it affects the tiny home. I live in Norway, and a main thing I'm planning for my future tiny, is the wet room/entrance, because living in the North is living with weather.

Good to hear an honest experience of going tiny! The people interviewed on "Living big in a tiny house" always paint a very rosy picture of tiny house living, almost too good to be true. This woman on the other hand gave a good account of the plusses and minusses of purchasing a tiny house.

Imagine if all of us were taught building, electrical, plumbing skills in school. Since those are some of the biggest financial hurdles the world would be much different.

Finally, someone speaks to the reality of home ownership. Mainspring and terrifying all at once. My first home... moved in on Dec 20th; had a flood from a 3-day January heat wave. Prepare for the worst and realize that over time it does get better. This is probably one of best episodes on this channel. Thank you Stacie for your honesty and best wishes for the future.

Wow, I appreciate her candid explanation of the reality of purchasing a tiny. She gave me so much to think about that I wouldn’t otherwise thought of. Thank you ❤️🌹

WOW she is brutally HONEST about real life & the expenses in tiny home living - thanks a million for that!!! Much respect. Too many channels sugar-coat the experience, this experience seems the most genuine - thanks ( subscribed to casa duro)

Thank you for being much more honest about the financial aspect than most others have been. It's very much the same with a house as far as unforeseen expenses.

It's a beautiful home that you've created, Stacey. I'm sorry to hear it's not exactly the dream, but the truth is, no house, tiny or otherwise, will be. I think we all have to "grow into" our spaces as you said. We have to accept the heartaches we suffered getting to the point of moving into our home, and learn to love it as it is rather than as we thought it would be. I found myself quite uneasy in my new space when I moved first. I had moved quickly just as the pandemic took hold, and now, three years later, I'm only starting to get a true feel for the place. Perhaps it's because our priorities are elsewhere for a time, I don't know, but loving where you are is often a challenge. Then again, no place is ideal, and having a place to begin with is a blessing. Anyways, every happiness to you and may your tiny house be your happy home. 🏡 ✨️

I am so grateful that you shared your story. The good and the bad. It's especially valuable for viewers who live in Ontario, Canada. I have seen lots of info on tiny living elsewhere, especially in the USA, with different issues, options. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

An excellent video on the things to look out for when thinking about buying a tiny house - especially all the unexpected costs. In terms of design, when a friend was building hers I mentioned making room for garbage and recycling and she realized that she had not taken that into account. Lots of details. So great that you guys are showing videos like this.
It is also very nice to hear that Stacie is loving her new home in the country.

I applaud the honesty. Warts and all I still think she’s made smart choices. Good on her also for being able to work from home at the end of 2019, perfect timing as Covid was starting.

Thank you for being so realistic and honest about tiny house living! It will help many people!

So refreshing to hear someone being so transparent about their experience!

Hearing about anything that is realistic and seeing anyone being transparent is a healing experience for me. This was really illuminating for various reasons. Thank you

I like how relatable this narrative is to mine. Location as the greatest barrier for placing my shipping container house. Also, the restructuring of costs verses the outcome in 8 years time is really well received. Thanks!

Thank you so much Matt and Danielle for sharing her story. It was really nice to hear another side of tiny house living. We appreciate her honesty.❤

Rare to see a tiny house vid for Ontario. Building codes are strict as hell here, as well as the rules of parking and land depending on what township you want to be in. I'm not surprised of how much it cost her in comparison with other provinces and especially countries. Materials are super expensive as well. Our province isn't very "self-sustainably" or rural friendly. We're hoping to get land and live in a yurt which is going to be quite the navigation. Her finding a trailer park was undoubtedly the best option for her, especially with her requirements.

Stacie is right about, if a person has and knows about building, then the cost of building a tiny home is cheaper however if a person doesn't have that building experience or knowledge, then a person has to find a tiny home builder which costs more money. That's why she paid so much for her tiny home.
I agree that you definitely need to research and find a parking spot for your tiny home because I know my people said that has been difficult to find.

Thank you for your honesty about the true price and prep circumstances. No sugarcoating it. What a lovely home you've created for yourself.

Love the whole design! Personally as an older lady I prefer bed on same level but the rest is beautifully finished 💚

Beautifully-designed home. I love the tiles in the kitchen backsplash and shower, the woodwork, and the colorful decorations . It's great that you have a place to garden too and that it's so quiet without light pollution so you can enjoy the moon and stars at night. It sounds like while you have to work more hours that it's all worthwhile. Thanks for sharing. Jenny, USA

I love this realistic view of tiny home living. I've started looking at the process and the money adds up similarly to purchasing a regular home even though the end results may be less.

She's got a wonderful aesthetic! This small space is cozy and airy at the same time with lots of natural light. Great use of space.

Thank you for such an honest review of what tiny house living is like and all the process to get there! There are so many videos out there selling this romanticised idea that it's all easy, cheap and perfect.
Best of luck!

I appreciate your honesty on the reality of a tiny house.

I absolutely LOVED your realism and honesty. Thank you for showing us ALL aspects of tiny home living. I’m very interested in tiny home living, but I would also be willing to look at trailers.

Omg this is so realistic! I can relate to major parts of your story. Thank you so much for sharing your experience❤. I had similar experience and I panicked and did something very different. YES -figure out the parking situation before hand. -have a buffer set aside because things come up.

First - I LOVE YOUR HOME! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Second - Thank you for being so open and honest. While I love the TH movement and all of the experiences folks share, however, often times the hard truths are not disclosed. I own a piece of land in New York State and and now grappling with the challenges of starting the build. It has not been easy and I have yet to start as the realities are eye-opening. This video is so helpful. Thank you!

This is a great video. I could listen to her all day long. And what valuable advice she gives!!!

This is fantastic, finally some real and deeper information about the realities of tiny home living. Honestly I was less interested in owning tiny because everyone was so constantly vague about the costs... thank you channel owners.

You're doing a brilliant job🖤

This video was informational and educational! Thanks for sharing and honestly explaining the “little” things we don’t think of or know.

It is very refreshing to hear someone talk about the true grit of having or living in a Tiny House. Thank you to Stacie for sharing her story with us.

Important information about the reality of buying and managing all the hidden costs of living in a tiny house. It is such a longed for fantasy for many of us imagining all the positive aspects of living small that this dose of reality really hits home. Stacie was wonderful in describing her experience, what a lovely warm person. I do hope she continues to do well and in good health.

Thanks for keeping it real 💜

Really appreciative to see the good and bad side of someone’s experience x

THANK YOU! I really appreciate the honesty -- both cons and pros. I've been researching tiny houses for a year, and this is the first time I have been shown this view. It did not make me feel negative about this living environment. It only helped me be more realistic, and I really appreciate that. 😊

I hope her partner grows tf up and is willing to move somewhere she'll always have access to emergency care.

Thank you for this video! This is so helpful to hear. As someone who has land but has still been trying to figure out an affordable way to live on it, this helps!

If you pay this off in 8 years, you'll be golden. Hang in there, Stacie.

I thank her for her honesty and transparency!

Love love love this erganomic desk / lounge set up. This is what I need to too, so it's great to see someone who has done it well.

Love how she's transparent with her experience. **I'm taking notes** lol

Thank you for sharing this, it is very helpful to us looking into getting a tiny house due to there are almost no place to either buy or rent where we live. (Your tiny house looks very lovely)

Beautiful home. This is a very informative about the process and the living situation. Your honesty about the parking, site prep and extra expenses will help a lot of people with their planning.
Big financil surprises are never fun. Thank you for your sincerity.

Nice to hear about some of the financial realities of building and living in a tiny house, particularly if you're paying someone else to build it for you. Also the parking and building restrictions, etc. Lovely house BTW!

Fantastic honest review of the hardships. Intelligent woman living her best life, awesome

What an articulate and deep-thinking young lady! Love her honesty and transparency on the whole process! Lovely home! Living should not cost so much for people, however!

It's so refreshing to see Stacie (and others!) finally sharing the realities of finding a place to put a tiny house. My husband and I originally planned on having a tiny house built for us and parked on land we were planning to buy, but even finding a county that allowed you to live in a tiny house was incredibly difficult (prior to 2021, it might still be). We ended up going in a different direction but I would still love to have a tiny house for a vacation home one day. Maybe when we're done building our house haha.

Thank you for this reality check! You can always dream big but need this!

So nice to see someone from Ontario. I have a feeling we live around the same area, and it's nice to see this way of life becoming a thing here

Your home is beautiful! And you seem so wonderful, thank you so much for being transparent and sharing your REAL, honest tiny home experience. There are a lot of people who make it seem like all sunshine and rainbows, when in reality, trying to own anything comes with unexpected costs and stress (especially when it comes to tiny homes there is so much uncertainty and lack of uniform regulations across regions). Definitely going to check out your channel :D

So often when I see videos about
tiny homes itis in the US and it shows the design or talks about the building but not the finances and things of that nature to consider, so I really appreciate her honesty.❤

The loft height is a tough one but I think she did a great job and $80k (USD) now for a home that will be full owned in 7-8 years is a great place to be in at that age.

Many thanks for the details. You are the only one who talks about financial reality and extra costs when considering a tiny house. BTW, your tiny house looks great and I agree that it'd be best to have some more ceiling height for your bedroom.

Fantastic. Love your pragmatic assessment of the pros and cons. Thank you so much. ❤

Your tiny house is very nice and I admire your dedication and commitment to make up your mind and see your dream over the finish line. I also more than anything and admire your ability to grow such beautiful vegetables in pots.👏🏾👏🏾You’re doing a great job. I’m glad you’re happy with your home and your location. I wish you the very best.🥰

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!! As a fellow Ontario renter (Toronto), this resonated so much with the plights of how difficult it is to get into the market and live a sustainable and affordable life. I can't wait to follow her on her journey and learn everything she's learned.

Honesty from someone who still loves living in their tiny home. A grounded, sensible young person who thinks about everything. Building permits need to start adapting existing regs to this new style of housing. Living room height taking away from sensible loft bedroom height makes no sense. Thank you for sharing your experience. Australia is still catching up to tiny house living.

This is her reality and it’s nice to hear other perspectives than the sugar-coated ones. Other people have their own circumstances though and many of her struggles mentioned might not be issues for someone else. I do love the little world she’s created out there though. Adorable.

Love it! You did a beautiful job! So homey!

Stacie is fantastic, puts some realism into this whole thing! Thanks for the video :)

Wonderful job Stacie! Thank you so much for your insight on tiny living. We know this isn’t in America, because she isn’t bankrupt from her T1DM. She needs to be near healthcare and pharmacy, but isn’t worried about payment. Yay for national health care. Allows all people the chance to seek their dreams. Listen up fellow Americans. We need this too.

Beautiful home! And, she seems really smart about everything - - great job planning it all out & making it happen for yourself..... it is one of the nicest tiny homes I've seen. : )

What a lovely young woman , totally grounded and upfront about reality. Great video....thank you. Subscribed to see what else you have ❤

I am so delighted to know that someone like Stacie live tiny just North of Toronto and I like to find out where it could be. I heard lot of people live Tiny in the States and on the West coast but never knew that it could happen in Ontario. I like to find out how to do it.

Loved the video and how candid and open she was...particularly about added costs and things to consider.

Love how you feel so free and happy to do what you wish, Stacie, wishing you all the good things in life and blessings 💞🙏. Best wishes from South India.

Thank you for sharing your knowlege and experience so honestly and articulately.

I admire your drive and appreciate your transparency! Your presentation is also very eloquent!

❤ Great video! Thank you.
Like so many people I appreciated her honesty, transparency, and sharing costs. She gave great advice too! Hope she continues to enjoy her home.

Stacie, your home is wonderful, your life is wonderful, and you are wonderful. Cheers.

Awe…your home and location are lovely. Stacie, keep going girl you got this ❤👊🏼

Thanks for keeping it real. That helps me better put things in perspective.

This was such a good video and very informative. You will appreciate the tiny house more when it comes to the maintenance over time. I've got a 1600sft home (not a tiny house) and though I purchased it for about $139k USD 4 years ago, which was pretty good at the time and is even better now, it had been neglected and needs alot of work. The roof will have to be replaced in the next 5 years, currently the estimate is $13k USD, I have no idea where the market will be in 5 years. I have 16 windows in the house all of which need to be replaced at approximately $1100 USD per window, I am currently working on those a few at a time. Your maintenance over time should be so much less. I will envy you when you have to have repairs. What a ggreat home you have. I lived in a 600 sqft apartment for a couple of years and I had plenty of room so I could totally dig living in a tiny house. They weren't a thing when I was looking to buy and my needs placed me in a neighborhood with no tiny houses or affordable lots available. I don't regret it though, I love my home.

I liked so many comments here. Thank you for sharing your experiences. We can try so hard to make realistic, informed decisions but we still don’t know what we don’t know.
All best wishes to Stacie from the US Midwest.

Nice to see one of these finally discuss the financing aspect more, than the budget. That and parking realities and what the process is, needs to be covered.

Thank you for your honesty, you own your own house ! all the best to you 😊

VERY helpful and practical insights into the entire process for anyone considering a tiny home!

Thank you for the video! Really enjoyed her honesty and openness! Wish her all the best from Germany!

I love her honesty about the entire process.

Very honest and realistic ❤

Great video of both the pros and cons of going tiny. I think when some people give really high numbers for their tiny home build, it might include some of the costs she covered in this video. This was an honest and insightful list of things to consider cost-wise. Regardless, in eight years she'll have paid off her home -- still a huge difference from a thirty year mortgage.

Thank you for your openness and honesty. These things rarely, if at all, get discussed. I wish you all the best💐

Suggestion for tiny home folks: get a portable induction cooktop, no range. Get a 24 inch oven. Ranges are too big, too heavy, you,don’t need that. And yes you can still have a hood over the space you’ll place the portable cooktop. Induction shortens cooking time so the need for a hood is diminished anyway, but you can still have one.

Thank you for sharing! I wouldn't be comfortable sleeping so close to the ceiling and would have a difficult time climbing up and down a ladder so sleeping downstairs would be a must for me. Wonderful tiny home!

This was very informative. It is incredible she did this in Ontario. Most of the information out there relates to milder climates.

Thanks for being super honest about the cost of tiny homes. I have been in love with tiny homes for almost 10 years and the main thing I always considered was the fact that I can't build one of my own, and I know the cost of getting a home built, plus the initial out of pocket payments has been my main reason for not pursuing it. Yeah, you have your own house in less time, but as a single person I actually have found it cheaper to rent.

Such a sensible and useful video. I wish her every luck.

Very interesting analysis of all the financials impacts buying a tiny home near Toronto. So much rules and regulations aren’t enough to discourage this young women great!! Space is neat and very functional. There are so many expenses to considered once is done.
Interesting to know it is so difficult to get financing from banks.
For sure this video is very informative. Thanks exploring!

This was so informative and transparent, thank you. Two questions, if you are responding to comments. (1) How cold does it get in winter, and how is it living in the tiny house. Both for warmth and wet? (2) could you have had a taller house to increase your loft space? I do realize this would have added cost.

Thank you! These are the things I needed to know at the beginning of my own tiny home build.

Good job. I hope over time this really pays off for you. I am retired and finding a safe place to live that I can afford was a huge confront. I wanted to put a tiny home on my Sister's property and unfortunately where I live tiny homes are not allowed. I ended up putting a single wide mobile home on the property. The county where I lived charged me $9,000.00 US in impact fees to do this. Let me tell you I am hooked in to my Sister's septic and electric and I do not have a car so it's not clear to me how much I am impacting the environment but there you have it. I think anytime you purchase any kind of home there are many extra costs that you just can't get away from. I am fortunate that my house sits in the most beautiful wooded area and I have lots of wildlife and peace and quiet. It has been worth every penny I had to achieve a good quality of life.

It’s nice to see a tiny house video that is based in reality. I definitely see the difference between someone selling a house in the city and having that kind of money available so good on her for persevering for a much more sustainable lifestyle for her ….is it me or did her hair match her backsplash?

I enjoyed hearing her story. A sImple and cozy home!

Good learning experience. There are many mobile homes that may have suited your needs before doing a scratch build and you could have saved money. I'm looking to build an ADU that's going to be a passive net zero home, so I'm doing a hell of a lot of research. Everything in life is a trade off, I guess is the point of the video, so you'll have to look at the what you'll be getting and giving up. The house looks super nice but I wonder if she could have saved the 20K with going with a standard mobile home set up or really dialed back the finishes in the home.

It's good to hear the costs broken down and pros and cons. I did some quick research here in the UK and I think legally people can only park these tiny houses in designated camp ground areas whose monthly cost is the same as renting, so it's even more restrictive here and not viable. It makes me feel sad and a bit stressed that home ownership is now so unaffordable that we're having to build boxes to live in then beg people for land. I could not cope with how claustrophobic her loft looks, she barely has room to turn on her side. The rest of the space looks nice though albeit naturally v small. Another thing is what about winter, it must be hard being in a tiny house in winter if you're not physically able to walk or drive in snow. You could feel claustrophobic and cut off.