Self-Reliant Woman Builds Her Own Tiny House with No Experience - FULL TOUR

Carina built this spacious and minimalist DIY tiny house on wheels with no previous building experience. It was a housing solution that fit in the gap between renting and buying a full-sized home, and another advantage is that she can move it wherever she wants to live (as long as she can find a parking spot for it!).
You can follow and find out more about Carina's tiny house builds here:
/ @dirtbagminimal2268
/ dirtbagminimal
The house is 10 feet wide x 24 feet long, so it's wider than your typical tiny house footprint. It has an open concept living room with minimal furniture so that there's room to move around and do yoga. She has a coat closet, a built-in sofa, a small woodstove for heat, and 2 desk spaces for her and her partner.
The bathroom has a washing machine, a composting toilet, and a stall shower with a sliding glass door. She dries her clothes on the line outside to reduce her energy consumption, and the house will eventually have solar panels.
The kitchen is galley style with custom cabinets on the bottom and open shelving up above. It was designed to grow and change, so part of the counter can actually be removed to accommodate a larger fridge if she decides to upgrade down the road.
The main floor bedroom at the far end of the house has built-in storage under the bed, and the loft is used for storage only.
Carina is already building a second tiny house and you can see her latest project here:
You can follow and find out more about Carina's tiny house builds here:
/ @dirtbagminimal2268
/ dirtbagminimal
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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STAY IN TOUCH!
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Website: www.exploringalternatives.ca
Facebook: / exploringalternativesblog
Instagram: / exploringalternatives
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COMMENTS
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We want our channel and our comments section to be an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome to watch and contribute. For this reason, comments that are inappropriate or hateful will be reported and/or deleted.
Please discuss and debate with respect, and report inappropriate or hateful comments directly to KZbin.
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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Footage provided by Carina from Dirtbag Minimal
#tinyhouse #DIYtinyhouse #tinyhousetour

[@ExploringAlternatives]

Thanks for watching y'all! You can follow Carina on KZbin and Instagram here: kzbin.info/door/sCmDXLmyIMMOYnBTkoxF3A instagram.com/dirtbagminimal

[@cloverhighfive]

I've seen so many tiny houses and spaces with wildly varied budgets and goals over the years and yet this one is... I can't tell you why but I love it a LOT. Something about the placement of the bathroom along the kitchen space, the main floor bedroom, the custom dimensions of everything, the windows with window sills to put stuff everywhere, I love it and I find it inspiring.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you so much Clover :)

[@ParallelRentals1987]

@@dirtbagminimal2268 I agree, great layout and a good scale to everything.

[@katevanhoudt]

Yes! Agreed! Layout, window placement, materials, thought, scale . . . flow. That's what sets this seemingly simple design apart from others: Flow. The bathroom has an open feeling; and it's as if the kitchen was designed by a line cook. It's what you need. Impressive, Carina. You did good. Keep following those instincts. ♥

[@groggersk2909]

The bathroom placement is very cleverly done. Doesn't take away from the kitchen space at all and allows for a downstairs bedroom, leaving the loft free for storage or spare room. Very well done.

[@AvaniJatin1221]

I have also seen lots of tiny house but I love this house is so much,

[@marciawhite7448]

Yay, a downstairs bedroom, yes. So cute and practical. Love it. You go girl👍😅

[@liselottnelson5479]

Probably the best layout of any tiny house that I have ever seen. Awesome

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@angelatillman4323]

I'm going to do this! I am working on this now! It's how we will maintain our freedom!

[@cathylynnpietranton]

I really like the simpilcity of this tiny house. Love the layout and especially the bedroom on the main floor.👍👍Thanks Matt and Danielle for sharing her story ❤

[@davidospina5216]

Hi Cathy how are you doing today ☺

[@jeremytorgersen]

Awesome interview and tour, I am always inspired to see people building their own tiny homes.

[@rosemarydoran9907]

Love the home she built! So many smart features that work for her and would work for many others. Love the downstairs bedroom feature!

[@thinkplanetearth2946]

I always admire people that are willing to undertake building their own home with no prior experience. I too would prefer not having to climb stairs into a loft to sleep, so I appreciated the bedroom on the main floor. I appreciated her candor about not being thrilled with challenges of the composting toilet. Not sure I could make due with the couch she created, seems a bit small and uncomfortable, and would make it tough to have people visit. The other thing that was interesting was she had mentioned that she liked the idea of having a mobile home in case she wanted to move, but if I understood her correctly I thought she said that the dimensions of her home were not really legal to be on the road? Anyway, good for her for doing this.

[@baddriversofcolga]

It's legal to move, but it has to be moved as a wide load like you sometimes see with mobile homes which of course costs more.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

@@baddriversofcolga true!

[@infjfemale200]

A loft is fine for extra storage like clothes, or even to put some Bean bag chair type of furniture.

[@Nokenify]

One of the more impressing lodges I have seen on this channel. Seems quite sustainable. Great job.

[@robbing8452]

That’s just what I want to do! Bravo!!!

[@carolyng3875]

Very creative. Great job dudette.... rock on

[@VeganCheeseburger]

She's made a lot of smart choices with the layout and furniture.

[@tinyhousesonahill5489]

So impressed by her accomplishment w/o experience… gives me hope for my tiny house builds!

[@Noukz37]

Finally, my kind of tiny house, and my kind of person ♥♥ And no cringey commentary here, like *ahem* on the *ahemahem* that other channel 😁

[@CoCo-we6tk]

You did great. Very smart 🙂

[@SMB_80]

Well done to you girl!! And to everyone there who live off grid 🥰...I also want to live this way, or countryside...I more than happy leave the noisy London for a peaceful corner 🥰🥰🥰

[@debbiekelly6835]

Love this sooo much!!

[@dianna8626]

Wow, I am impressed. No money or experience you did a really nice job. Enjoy your beautiful home.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

thank you Dianna!

[@naubaucat]

You have everything I would want in a smaller house, and i learned to live with less 12 years ago 500sqft 100 year old house. I have a large lot next door, and a house like yours has the perfect floor plan. Thanks so much.

[@erinbrown6962]

Her design is amazing!!! She should be so proud to have built such an amazing home 🏡 !!!!❤

[@SkySpiral8]

Changing the title would allow the self-reliance to speak for itself and then people will focus on other things besides picking this poor person apart with tweezers. Nice job on the house🔥 I think that sliding door would look really nice with a full length mirror.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

aw thank you! I really appreciate. your comment

[@SagaJohanna]

i LOVED this one! I am in the final stages of our van build, and this video gave me hope and inspiration! Thank you

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Yay!

[@ashokgarhwal4690]

Love it everything she did is perfect

[@earthrider700]

Good job chica! I love it allot! Clean and simple, perfect!

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@mikael_e]

Carina can be proud - there are so many well reflected, clever ideas build into this home which you can rarely see on other tiny houses (it was again nice to see, as I already knew it from her own page🙂) Cheers, M.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you Mikael!

[@williesmart3726]

Nice job! re moisture & airing get a lunos should be easy to retro fit

[@thecommonsensecapricorn]

I was gonna say - the title has to be clickbait - of course, her dad is a carpenter and she had help along the way… that’s not to minimize what she’s done, this is awesome, but it would be near impossible to build a tiny house with no experience. I’m in carpentry school right now and there’s so much to learn starting from square one. I can’t wait to have all the skills and money to start building for myself, though, it’s certainly going to take a lot of trial and error, blood sweat & tears!

[@thesuperjohn57]

yeah the clickbait frustrates me, having been a framer for a few years, and now doing audio visual work. there is so much to learn to do things correct and safely to code. Like is all she did the trim? some painting? tables and chairs? countertops? so not the framing, the plumbing, the electrical the roofing. It really feels like this was dad's build, with the daughter doing helping out as an assistant. kudos for atleast participating in the build, but it aint her build.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

I actually did do this with no experience. I asked along the way and watched youtube. When my dad helped me, he followed my direction on many things, since it was my build. It is quite possible to learn everything through watching and asking.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

@@thesuperjohn57 I did practically everything myself. I had help when I needed actual physical help of more than one person to lift things into place. Designed and executed all framing, window, flooring, ceiling, wall panels, etc. I paid for help on electrical and plumbing. I watched and watched and watched youtube and read and read and read, that is how i learn.

[@MerwinARTist]

It is well worth it to build a tiny 10 ft. wide. You can get a permit to move it anytime .. and how often does a person move .. it's rare. 8.5 ft. wide is just too small. Excellent decisions .. I'm a new subscriber to Carina's channel!! 🙂

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@MerwinARTist]

@@dirtbagminimal2268 💙

[@peony_pink]

I was wondering how she would be able to move it if it’s too wide, since mobility was important.

[@MerwinARTist]

@@peony_pink .. She could pay someone who has a year long permit .. like the people who move mobile homes .. or the people who build storage buildings .. many of which are 10 or 12 ft. wide. Or she could call the State DMV .. and pay a small fee .. $45(?) and move it. She would need a couple XtraWide signs (front and back) .. extended mirrors and a good signal system .. also brake controller in the truck. Can't drive at night .. but it's not a problem. I took one that was 10 ft. by 35 ft. from southwestern Arkansas to eastern Tennessee and back again .. using my 3/4 ton truck. You don't have to have an escort .. but anything extra is always a plus.

[@pauledwards5607]

I'd go 12 feet wide. When you are that small, every foot helps, and the difference between 8 1/2 feet and 12 feet is monumental at that point. I'd rather be permanent anyway, so I would not build something movable, so actually 15 feet wide or so is ideal.

[@brianahawkins8124]

Great job!😊👍

[@herschelpowers5086]

You done a great job building this house it's something to be proud of

[@candymcclure2476]

You can be very proud of your home. It is sweet and cozy. Gramma Candy

[@davidospina5216]

Hi candy how are you doing today

[@albertine2169]

Beautiful tiny house, i love the layout and the downstairs bedroom. Perfect❤

[@Je-Lia]

First off, I love that you built it yourself (even with help/guidance) but I also love that it's not "fancy"... So many of the tiny house videos showcase such luxury features like the slow-closing doors/drawers, etc. I don't need such things, Cut-outs of thin plywood for cabinet doors is 100% doable and can be made quite pretty and useful/functional.

[@jennifersutton3115]

I love tiny spaces. I watched several of these videos. Everyone effort is impressive ‼️ Thanks for sharing 😊

[@texxstalker]

Nice build! Congratulation! 🙂☺😊

[@Kelly_Ben]

I love this home, totally liveable, and realistic, with personal touches. My husband and I would need a bigger lounge to snuggle on though... maybe a futon. Subscribed to her channel, looking forward to seeing more!

[@rondar.8746]

I'm so inspired even more now to build my own small home. Awesome!!

[@rhondamastropoalo2237]

Love this tiny house and it’s layout definitely subbing to her YT channel 🤙🏼✌️🫶

[@mtwz71]

You did a great job on this tiny house. lots of good ideas added into it.

[@theerarestjewel]

Love love love this

[@jakarta65]

Another Tiny House builder recommended an air exchanger(?) as being a must for moisture issues.

[@sonorin3]

Great job

[@OrendaDesignStudio]

Beautiful home 😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@nowanobady]

Nice minimalist Scandinavian design. Well thought floor plan, space saving furniture. I like it. I'll save this for inspiration 😉

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@lizparsons7301]

I love this!!! I want to build a small cabin but also a unit like this for my daughter. I hope she wears gloves if she is a floral designer....pesticides! I love these self reliant people🍂🧡🍁💛🍃🏠

[@lavondacarter7228]

Even though she is young, she is so smart to have 1 level !

[@zoewilliams7851]

Love that this doesn’t have a loft bedroom, what puts me off tiny houses the most is having to climb and stoop around

[@latonyalee7821]

Agreed! I find it funny when people say they're building the tiny house to age in place or have a forever home and it has a loft bedroom (NOT)! This house is perfect!

[@theylied1776]

I have always loved that type of shower door.

[@kaymcm946]

I think your tiny house looks great i live my caravan which works in the same way but your house is more solid good luck

[@janinafisher101]

Nice job, Carina! And so nice to see someone with a tiny NOT getting a washer/dryer combo, knowing that the sunshine is a much more environmentally friendly alternative! Yes, moisture is a problem in tiny houses. Definitely something you'll want to deal with - and probably worth sharing with your readers.

[@Kelly_Ben]

Unfortunately, assume of us live in climates with below freezing temps for 4-6 months a year. I hang laundry when possible, and have a spare bedroom to put drying racks in, but cluttering up what open space you have with wet laundry in the winter isn't a viable option in a tiny home.

[@janinafisher101]

@@Kelly_Ben I hear you. I live in a cabin in Canada myself. A good option, especially in a tiny house with high ceilings is to build an Edwardian-style drying rack. It's a drying rack that hangs from the ceiling, and can be pulled up and down with a rope on pulleys. Of course excess moisture can be a problem in tiny houses with insufficient air exchange, so it's not suitable for all tiny homes, but where there's a will there's a way. Dryers use so much energy, and I really try to keep down my fossil fuel consumption. It's often a trade-off situation. We can only do our best given the circumstances. Often those in tiny houses are using way less fossil fuels to begin with.

[@junochlim]

Can consider a portable dehumfiler or a ventilation fan that are used in caravan for moisture removal. Where do u dispose the urine from decompose toilet?

[@StephanieJoRountree]

Awesome build! Kudos to you.

[@davidospina5216]

Hi Stephanie how are you doing today ☺

[@Randy8923]

Very nice. Great job.

[@deborahwilliams5566]

Everyone has a beautiful home.I love watching.

[@gonnadanceagain]

L-O-V-E THIS❣️

[@StirlingLighthouse]

The wood stove isn’t a good choice for Canadian winters unless this house is in BC. You’d be up every 2 hours feeding it. I’ve recently spoken to a pellet stove company who was very interested in building the smallest stove possible. I told them that the tiny house movement would benefit greatly with a self feeding but small stove. Is this house in Quebec by chance?

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you so much for featuring me. It was a joy to work with you both 💛💪✨

[@johnstone7763]

Fantastic job! This can be done with little experience and some help. Got some help and people say you're not self-reliant, that's crazy. From your channel it's clear you are doing the build with some helping hands, making mistakes and saying "it doesn't have to be perfect." GREAT advice!

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

@@johnstone7763 Thank you John, your words mean so much

[@infjfemale200]

Your place looks so awesome! It is so airy and spacious looking! You say that sometimes you have a moisture problem? Since I don't have a dryer as well, and can't hang clothes outsiside, I use a dehumidifer when my gauge shows a high humidity content. It is small enough to put in my small closet. Can't believe how much water it collects and how it brings down the humidity. I also use these small packets in my closet where I hang my towel after a shower, that also collects moisture. You can buy these packets at Walmart, Target etc, maybe even Amazon.

[@karenstanislaw8912]

Admire. Beautiful "wabi-sabi," yielding, proportionate living space. Love a dimensional and intelligent spirit like this. Continued expression and vitality to her. Much thanks for the visit.

[@michelleoliveira2853]

This is wonderful!!!! I would like to have a tiny house. I think they are pretty cool

[@marcmongango]

Que bonita le quedó !! Disfrutela !!

[@Greg5D]

Absolutely wonderful. Well done

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@simini1837]

Wonderful job she did 👍🏻

[@annesmith5192]

Beautiful home. I love the minimalist design. I'm pretty tired of shiplap. So this house is very refreshing. For the problem she has with moisture, she should get a dehumidifier. I saw another video about a tiny house couple and they said their dehumidifier sucked up a gallon and a half of moisture a day.

[@lyreparadox]

From what I saw through her windows, it looks like she might live in a pretty humid area too. Something to consider when finding a place to live in a tiny house.

[@ginnyberg9271]

I just bought my land in April and I agree this is the best thing I have done. Mines much small but I do have sewage. I like we can learn from each other

[@latonyalee7821]

This is by far one of the best layouts I've seen and I've seen a lot. Since my Tiny House will be on a foundation, I'll be able to widen it just a little for more kitchen space since I love to cook, but everything else is PERFECT!

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

you are so kind, thank you!!

[@estellewedgwood7449]

I really really love this design!!

[@adviceguru4u]

I love her tiny home - it’s beautiful. However, let’s keep it real. She did not built it by herself. She had LOTS OF HELP.

[@edsonherald3720]

! ! ! A W E S O M E ! ! ! ! ! ! NICELY DONE ! ! !

[@kellybryson7754]

I really like the galley kitchen backed up to the bathroom with the bedroom behind.

[@thinker1056]

Very impressive

[@bosse641]

Lovely simple little home.

[@claudiabottom4086]

Beautiful house

[@esra2146]

With its simple furniture,the bathroom and the kitchen being back to back and those eye-level windows..soo adorable!

[@junehulton9776]

Brilliant and you should be very proud of yourself....great space...

[@eleanorbertuch135]

Interesting and inspirational

[@sashastarshanti3599]

This may be my favorite tiny home build yet. I love Scandi style and she's done a beautiful job of it in her very first build. I wonder, does having the home 2' wider than what is allowed to be on road mean that this home isn't moveable on the road?

[@lauriemcnaughton5916]

Maybe it needs special permits to move it on the road?

[@sashastarshanti3599]

@@lauriemcnaughton5916 Yeah, that could be so.

[@louwhetman1542]

I wondered this too. From what I can tell from googling, it would be considered a wide load vehicle. Depending on what states it was being transported in, it would require permits and could also require an escort vehicle.

[@simonem.3092]

Yep. Wide load permit.

[@edjack1993]

Very cool

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

Love it, its one of the best, airy spaces I have seen, the way you did it makes it seem way more spacious than it is. I am thinking that the bedroom is perfect there too as I don't think I could do the loft thing either! (Mind you I am ancient compared to you!). I already live in a small apartment in London but am going home to Scotland in the near future and will be tiny there too but off grid because we have a bit of land (my sister and I,) and I want everything off grid.

[@treysgranty5643]

Awesome job on your tiny house!

[@nickywilks7928]

This is amazing!

[@mayamyu]

Oh, you finished it already. Congratulations. Beautiful and simple house 👏

[@daniil6089]

Quite a unique layout!

[@Hunter_Bidens_Crackpipe_]

1:10 So she is NOT self reliant and did NOT build it on her own. Thanks for the clarification.

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

I did practically everything myself. I had help when I needed actual physical help of more than one person to lift things into place. Designed and executed all framing, window, flooring, ceiling, wall panels, etc. I paid for help on electrical and plumbing. I watched and watched and watched youtube and read and read and read, that is how i learn.

[@mikeb3603]

Great build. The young lady knows what she likes. The toilet has got to be a giant pain but otherwise it's a nicely designed/built house! Great job young lady!

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you!

[@VegansAreTheHealthiest]

thanks

[@adbc8737]

Nice build! 🌀💚🌀

[@dajonbradford]

great to see a build that isn't perfect perfect, just perfect for the builder

[@LaLadybug2011]

Research Lunos-air exchange systems. You can install it yourself if you built this house. It brings in fresh air into your home and pushes out the inside air. (I've explained this terribly-just look it up for Tiny Houses) I think it will come on automatically when the moisture (humidity) level gets too high in your house. I've been watching Tiny House videos for over 10 years so, sorry I can't think of a channel name for you to go watch.

[@JH-no8sy]

This house is so cute!!!

[@Dave_167]

Inspired,. Awesome!

[@curious1366]

Color me Impressed! I love the downstairs bedroom and all the light! Also, I'm very short so I can see that your sofa and tables could be good for shorter people. I look forward to your future builds. I may look you up when I'm ready for my tiny home to be built. 😀

[@dirtbagminimal2268]

Thank you Adrienne!

[@devonnabrown1234]

Great job hands down. 1 concern mentioned in another comment section was needing to properly vent gas fumes. What's your take on that? My husband and I have been downsizing after our kids became adults from 2800sq ft to now less than 1200sq ft(no basement) on 9ac. 36+ yrs of accumulation is mind boggling. We are refurbishing a 100 yr old home. We love it!

[@ginny2071]

very beautiful

[@davidospina5216]

Hi Ginny 👋 how are you doing

[@ebert8756]

Amazing

[@angeladawn805]

Congratulations of such a great build :)

[@suzanneblaylock9598]

Most importantly, WHERE are you putting it ? Do you pay a monthly ? Some places are charging 400-600 per month, making it another large bill for the 'tenant'. That is my issue.

[@davidospina5216]

Hi Suzanne 👋 how are you doing today

[@eduardoteixeira3293]

Lindezas! A casa e a dona da casa

[@sriparnabhattacharya1703]

Simple and beautiful ❤

[@veresay82100]

awesome!