My Houzz: A Budget Tiny House on Wheels
This DIY-built tiny moveable home offers an avenue for living a simpler and more meaningful life for its owner
Louise Lakier
27 November 2016
Houzz Australian Contributor: I am a content creator with a background in architecture and construction management, passionate about design, sustainable lifestyles, and storytelling. I am fascinated with how personalities inform the creation of space and make a place feel like 'home'.
Houzz Australian Contributor: I am a content creator with a background in architecture... More
In 2014, former town planner Emmet Blackwell participated in a 12-month living experiment called The Simpler Way, at a community property called Wurruk’an in Victoria. There, Blackwell honed his carpentry skills by helping to build new structures, and was part of a one-week building workshop for a tiny stationary house. This gave him a taste for carpentry, and informed his design ideas for a tiny mobile home of his own.
His greatest resources during the building of this project were time, space and community; his biggest obstacles were money and building knowledge. The result of his labour and ingenuity, however, was a tiny house built on a $7,000 budget, predominantly through thrifty material sourcing and a lot of DIY work. Read on for all the insights on how he did it.
His greatest resources during the building of this project were time, space and community; his biggest obstacles were money and building knowledge. The result of his labour and ingenuity, however, was a tiny house built on a $7,000 budget, predominantly through thrifty material sourcing and a lot of DIY work. Read on for all the insights on how he did it.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Emmet Blackwell
Size: 8 square metres
Designer and builder: Emmet Blackwell aka The Woodbutcher
Year built: 2016
Cost: $7,000
Emmet Blackwell parted ways with a 9-to-5 full-time role as a senior town planner in Perth in 2014. He then moved to the intentional community of Wurruk’an in Victoria, where he was involved in an ongoing community project exploring permaculture, communal living and reducing consumption as a way of life.
Blackwell also learned about natural building, which uses a range of sustainable building systems and materials, and food production on a larger scale than he could achieve in a city. This ecologically sustainable way of life inspired Blackwell to embark on his own off-grid journey, and he began the process of building a tiny house on wheels.
Who lives here: Emmet Blackwell
Size: 8 square metres
Designer and builder: Emmet Blackwell aka The Woodbutcher
Year built: 2016
Cost: $7,000
Emmet Blackwell parted ways with a 9-to-5 full-time role as a senior town planner in Perth in 2014. He then moved to the intentional community of Wurruk’an in Victoria, where he was involved in an ongoing community project exploring permaculture, communal living and reducing consumption as a way of life.
Blackwell also learned about natural building, which uses a range of sustainable building systems and materials, and food production on a larger scale than he could achieve in a city. This ecologically sustainable way of life inspired Blackwell to embark on his own off-grid journey, and he began the process of building a tiny house on wheels.
Blackwell’s first step in designing his tiny house was to strip everything down to its basics. The limitations of space in the 8-square-metre house inspired personal investigations into what is essential in a home. He needed it to provide comfort, warmth and a degree of functionality, as well as the means to maintain personal hygiene. To that end he included a comfortable bed, a basic kitchen, a hot camp shower and a charging port for his technology.
The goals for Blackwell’s design also included various concepts such as mobility, living off the grid, building with salvaged materials and fashioning a toxin-free interior. Through the process, he discovered how much electricity and technology impacted his life.
The goals for Blackwell’s design also included various concepts such as mobility, living off the grid, building with salvaged materials and fashioning a toxin-free interior. Through the process, he discovered how much electricity and technology impacted his life.
The regulations required for the building of a caravan/trailer can generally be applied to the construction of a tiny house on wheels. These proscribe the limits for the vehicle’s width and height. For example, the width to fit roads is 2.5 metres wide, the height to fit under overpasses and lights is 4.3 metres. Blackwell chose to build the house at 2.5 metres wide and 4 metres high, which clears most lights, bridges and verge tree branches.
He did most of the carpentry on the house himself, but relied on experts for welding to ensure the project’s structural soundness. He also got help putting together the house’s solar power system.
He did most of the carpentry on the house himself, but relied on experts for welding to ensure the project’s structural soundness. He also got help putting together the house’s solar power system.
An important consideration in the construction of a mobile tiny home is safety. Blackwell consulted the vehicle standards for small trailers and caravans and took great care to consider weight implications, durability, and stability. His design responded to his trailer, which was the biggest financial investment in his tiny home build. It was a 1970s single-axle caravan trailer, which he found on eBay for $350 and then upgraded to make it safe for roads. He then cleaned up the surface rust and replaced the axle, suspension, brakes and wheels. The initial rating of the trailer allowed it to carry a total load of 1.2 tonnes; thanks to Blackwell’s upgraded system, the trailer is now rated for 2.5 tonnes.
If he could do anything differently in the design of his tiny house on wheels, Blackwell says he would have spent more time sourcing a secondhand trailer with a double axle in order to spread the weight of the load. “It’s best to contact your own state’s transport authority to ensure you have a copy of their relevant documents,” Blackwell advises anyone interested in starting their own mobile tiny house journey. You can access the Vehicle Standards Bulletin here.
If he could do anything differently in the design of his tiny house on wheels, Blackwell says he would have spent more time sourcing a secondhand trailer with a double axle in order to spread the weight of the load. “It’s best to contact your own state’s transport authority to ensure you have a copy of their relevant documents,” Blackwell advises anyone interested in starting their own mobile tiny house journey. You can access the Vehicle Standards Bulletin here.
While the budget for his tiny house was small, Blackwell had plenty of time to devote to the project. “I was very fortunate to have a lot of time to spend on the process. I didn’t have a partner, kids or a mortgage.”
He used secondhand materials for economic and sustainable reasons, scavenging timber from a sawmill in Gippsland, finding corrugated metal in skips and went looking for other items at building sites.
He used secondhand materials for economic and sustainable reasons, scavenging timber from a sawmill in Gippsland, finding corrugated metal in skips and went looking for other items at building sites.
The door to his house came from a dump where he salvaged 10 150-year-old doors, including one from the house of a former Collingwood mayor. The door Blackwell choose to use for his house was the only one that still had a functioning lock and key.
Blackwell’s advice to tiny home builders using recycled materials is to “be open minded and fluid throughout the design and construction process.” He also advises that builders should let the recycled materials steer creativity: “Think outside the box and be open to creative re-use and adaptation. There are a lot of free resources out there in Australia and most of them end up in landfill.”
Blackwell’s advice to tiny home builders using recycled materials is to “be open minded and fluid throughout the design and construction process.” He also advises that builders should let the recycled materials steer creativity: “Think outside the box and be open to creative re-use and adaptation. There are a lot of free resources out there in Australia and most of them end up in landfill.”
For off-grid living, Blackwell designed his roof to double as a water catchment system for potable water. He found gutters in a skip and installed connection points for downpipes that empty into rain barrels with filtration. The limited roof space, however, yields a small capacity, making self-sufficient water supply challenging in drier climates.
Batteries, extra water supply and natural gas containers are generally stored over the axle in areas accessible from the exterior, to protect against fumes, spillage or contamination in the interior.
Batteries, extra water supply and natural gas containers are generally stored over the axle in areas accessible from the exterior, to protect against fumes, spillage or contamination in the interior.
The timber weatherboards used on the tiny house are a collection of predominantly Baltic pine and cypress from a variety of sources. Hardwoods were generally avoided due to their added weight.
Sometimes Blackwell made mistakes, but he often found a way to turn them into positives. For example, when he made an incorrect cut into a piece of exterior corner trim which resulted in a square gap, he turned an oversight into a detailing opportunity. To fill it, he created a feature detail with the ends of “some rusty railway pegs” from the railway line behind the property where he was building. “I love that it is a piece of the local area’s history where I built the house. I think it’s great that an initial mistake presented an opportunity to create a beautiful feature,” he says.
Blackwell wanted an aesthetically pleasing home that reflected his lifestyle and personality. The words he uses to describes his design style include: “historic, Australiana, rustic, creative re-use, bohemian, recycled art, minimalist.” The original concept for the tiny house design was inspired by an image of a gypsy carriage with a curved roof Blackwell saw online. He scaled the design back to a pitched roof for ease of building. Outside, salvaged lightweight corrugated metal covers the roof, as well as the lower half of the exterior, giving the home the rustic Australiana vibe Blackwell likes.
Blackwell also drew inspiration from tiny-house related books and movies, as well as houses he’s helped build over the past few years. His interest in construction methods include alternative styles such as earth building. It was Lloyd Kahn’s book, Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter that prompted him to personally question how much space he needed for a home.
The geodesic dome window was built with the help of a friend, and the design was inspired by a similar window on another house at Wurruk’an. The open-pitched roof trusses above the window provide a convenient place for storage.
The geodesic dome window was built with the help of a friend, and the design was inspired by a similar window on another house at Wurruk’an. The open-pitched roof trusses above the window provide a convenient place for storage.
Blackwell turned to Gumtree, eBay and Facebook when sourcing materials to build with. A cast-iron stove was bought from eBay for $300; the inner flue is secondhand from a local tip shop but the outer parts were bought new, to ensure safety and legal compliance. He also bought new screws and nails to ensure safety. The ex-police station locker used as a cupboard, however, is from an op shop.
Salvage, wholesalers and close-out sales provided Blackwell with the small amount of insulation required for his home. Building this way takes more time, problem solving and compromise in order to source and fit the ideal components.
Salvage, wholesalers and close-out sales provided Blackwell with the small amount of insulation required for his home. Building this way takes more time, problem solving and compromise in order to source and fit the ideal components.
Blackwell learned to wet-sand paint and remove it safely with a heat gun to avoid inhaling lead dust commonly found coating older timber planks, windows, and doors. He stayed conscientious in his choices for low-toxin stains and finishes and was aware of materials containing lead paint, asbestos, arsenic and formaldehyde.
The benchtops seen here are offcuts from a sawmill. The sink is recycled and free from Gumtree.
The benchtops seen here are offcuts from a sawmill. The sink is recycled and free from Gumtree.
Blackwell keeps a portable cast-iron burner for cooking and heating water when the pot belly stove is not in use.
The splashback is a new pressed tin panel, found in a pile of scraps in an alleyway behind a cafe fit-out in Melbourne. Light switches for the ceiling pendant are connected to his solar-panel system.
The antique cast-iron pot belly stove, the old tile base it sits on, and the pressed tin heat-proofing behind it are Blackwell’s favourite design details and finds. Next to the stove is a wooden bench with a liftable lid for extra storage.
The interior walls are a combination of cypress, Oregon, and cedar timbers Blackwell cut into boards and whitewashed with natural milk paint. The flooring is Baltic pine, which he salvaged from a Port Melbourne townhouse prior to its demolition.
Although in a comfortably liveable condition, the house is not quite complete. Blackwell says there is still a long list of things to do, such as building shelves for books, adding more kitchen storage, making chopping board plugs for the sink, rigging up curtains, more rustproofing, and touching up the paint on exterior cladding. He’d also like a fold-out side roof structure for a covered patio area, and a composting toilet (to be located outside when parked). “I would say that it will never really be finished, there’ll always be maintenance, additions and small changes that I want to undertake,” he admits.
Although in a comfortably liveable condition, the house is not quite complete. Blackwell says there is still a long list of things to do, such as building shelves for books, adding more kitchen storage, making chopping board plugs for the sink, rigging up curtains, more rustproofing, and touching up the paint on exterior cladding. He’d also like a fold-out side roof structure for a covered patio area, and a composting toilet (to be located outside when parked). “I would say that it will never really be finished, there’ll always be maintenance, additions and small changes that I want to undertake,” he admits.
That said, Blackwell’s tiny house on wheels provides him with everything he presently needs. His essentials for a simpler life are embodied in a mobile home he created from toxin-free and mostly secondhand materials, natural light, solar power for light and charging technology, and wood-fired heat.
His experience has meant that Blackwell can now lecture on the subject. Here he is with his tiny house on wheels during a workshop presentation at Siteworks in Melbourne. Upcoming dates, venue locations, and news regarding 2017 workshops are posted on his website at The Woodbutcher’s Tiny House.
His experience has meant that Blackwell can now lecture on the subject. Here he is with his tiny house on wheels during a workshop presentation at Siteworks in Melbourne. Upcoming dates, venue locations, and news regarding 2017 workshops are posted on his website at The Woodbutcher’s Tiny House.
During the workshop, Blackwell’s friend Ahmed Mulla educated attendees on the components required for a solar powered system and how they work together. Mulla of Sustainable Solar, and two other solar experts, worked with Blackwell on a system that would suit his needs for powering a water pump, a fridge, a camera, tools, a stereo, an electric bike, a phone and computer charger, and lights. Blackwell’s recently upgraded system utilises four large 310-watt panels and takes up the entire roof area.
Blackwell’s future plans include some time off to enjoy living in the house while he fine tunes it and finishes off details. He is planning another series of workshops for 2017, expecting he will host them in Byron Bay, Brisbane and Noosa.
Next year, he plans to build another tiny house on wheels to rent out, giving people a chance to experience staying in a tiny home before building their own.
Next year, he plans to build another tiny house on wheels to rent out, giving people a chance to experience staying in a tiny home before building their own.
Blackwell says he loves having an intimate connection with every part of his home, knowing the detailed story of where the pieces came from, the relationships formed by researching and resourcing, and how every piece was shaped to come together.
He emphasises the role community connections and generosity played in achieving his vision for a tiny home. “This was not only from the intentional community in Victoria where I lived and built the house, but also friends, family, neighbours and mentors who helped me along the way. Having the support of a broader community for a DIY building project of this type is very helpful,” he says.
TELL US
What do like best about this tiny house? Would you ever consider making one yourself and taking off on your travels? Share your thoughts in the Comments
He emphasises the role community connections and generosity played in achieving his vision for a tiny home. “This was not only from the intentional community in Victoria where I lived and built the house, but also friends, family, neighbours and mentors who helped me along the way. Having the support of a broader community for a DIY building project of this type is very helpful,” he says.
TELL US
What do like best about this tiny house? Would you ever consider making one yourself and taking off on your travels? Share your thoughts in the Comments
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Love that little cast iron "hotplate".
It is adorable, but as others have pointed out you can get a used trailer in good condition and not spend a lot of money. For somewhat more, you can get a used RV and then you don't have to worry about things like hitches.