I bought the base of my tiny home on Facebook Marketplace for $100 and turned it into ‘luxury’ for less than $1,000

ONE savvy budgeter purchased a tiny home on Facebook Marketplace and was able to transform the unit into a full-scale luxury home for just under $1,000.

As many are looking to lower their monthly spending, tiny homes have become more common, no matter if you’re living by yourself or with a family.

With traditional homes’ price tags typically set above $200,000 and monthly mortgage payments remaining high across the board, some people turn to tiny homes for a low-cost and minimalist lifestyle.

Many people have converted vans and sheds into full-scale tiny homes for less than $10,000.

But for YouTuber President Chay, the tiny home lifestyle offered an opportunity to build his own camper home for less than $1,000.

He explained in a recent video that the idea came together when he and his brother found a basic trailer on Facebook Marketplace for $100.

“It was old and dirty and came with a ton of trash, but it was going to be the perfect base for our camper,” Chay said.

With a little cleanup, the duo had stripped the trailer and cleaned it down to its 48 square-foot base.

The small amount of space proved challenging to keep under $1,000 for the project for a few reasons, Chay said.

For one, they wanted the camper to be able to sleep two people. But they also wanted to include a living room and mini-kitchen.

The brothers had their work cut out for them, but with a little creativity and grit, they were able to build the tiny home of their dreams.

Chay said the first step of the process was to put a moisture barrier to cover up the wood.

After that, a layer of foam was added for insulation.

After all the layers of flooring were intact, it was time to build the four walls.

Chay and his brother used four-by-four wooden planks because they aren’t too heavy and are “super cheap,” Chay said.

For the window build, Chay said they used bus windows, which are routinely put up for free on Facebook Marketplace as well.

Then, plywood was utilized to frame the camper home, and it only ended up costing somewhere around $70.

The next step was crucial after the wood was in place.

By using “poor man’s fiberglass,” Chay said they made the entire unit essentially water-proof for free.

All you have to do is get some glue and dab it on like paint with a cloth over it until your wooden structure is fully covered.

Normally, by using more standard materials, this part of the process could have been anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.

For the brothers, however, they kept their spending below $200 by opting for basic glue and painting supplies.

Coating your unit in glue is what keeps it hard and strong, Chay explained to viewers.

To build the unit's door, they used a wooden frame and simply covered it in metal.

School bus metal was lying around in their yard, but Chay recommended others find it for cheap on Facebook Marketplace as well.

Add in some door knobs and seal up the corners and the two were ready to turn their design plans to the inside of the home.

With a $25 extension cord, the brothers added in electricity to the house.

They also used R13 insulation which they found for cheap on Facebook.

Once this and the built-in loft were added, the walls proved challenging.

The walls were a special case mainly because of the cost constraints.

“Because this is a budget build, the best solution we can think is to use plain old drywall,” Chay said. “The only concern is the weight.”

Altogether, the walls’ material weighed 500 pounds and cost only around $200.

He said: “It’s a little heavy, but it should still be within the 1,000 to 2,000 range.”

Aiming to prove themselves right, the sibling duo finally started to see the camper’s true potential.

After adding in the building’s trim from leftover wood, they decided to take the same approach when it came to the unit’s cabinets, which are entirely made from scrap wood.

One of the most expensive items Chay knew they would likely have to splurge on were the home’s countertops.

But there was also a way around that.

“One secret little building technique you can use to save some money: pallets,” Chay said.

By stripping the pallets and using pallet boards, the brothers saved a significant amount of money on their building project.

The brothers then multitasked, with one putting the finishing touches on the painting and the other building the hole for the sink.

Next up: the lofted beds.

“We wanted to do something as cheap as possible,” Chay said.

So the two used two layers of foam mattress toppers for each bed and then wrapped each to give the appearance of a mattress.

The next focus was the floor, which proved relatively simple for the two since they had spare tiles lying around from a previous project.

When the duo finally took the micro camper to the campsite, it was time to put all of their building work to the test.

The final product boasts two twin beds, with one being potentially available as a couch when you want to watch the TV on the first level of the home.

There are also two cubbies and windows for natural lighting.

Despite the small space used, Chay said, “You can very comfortably sleep two people.”

Best of all, you also get a full kitchen which enables you to prepare food and wash your hands.

You can also adjust the air conditioner, which rests near the two beds.

“Everything we did in this camper, including the trailer, we did for less than $900,” Chay said.

While there’s no requirement that a tiny home must exist in a larger community, many Americans have been joining special neighborhoods that have popped up to provide units specifically designed for the tiny home lifestyle.

These villages combine the low-cost, minimalist housing with community events and additional amenities.

In Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Tiny Estates offers 58 tiny homes, and rent begins at just $650.

At first, the space operated more like a hotel, but owner Abby Shank said over time, it became the community it is today, far different from its past as a mobile home park.

“Everybody kind of has a different lifestyle and a reason for having their tiny home, but it’s created this nice, well-rounded sense of community,” Shank said.

The space includes a community garden, firepit, mailbox space, and laundry facilities.

Meanwhile, in Wilmington, North Carolina, the Eden Village offers a solution for homelessness, providing a 32-unit tiny home community for those who fit the criteria of “chronically homeless.”

To live in the village, people also must have a physical or mental illness that makes them a high-cost burden to the public.

Once approved, you’ll pay only a small portion of your monthly earnings.

Orlando, Florida has also built a tiny home community with rent as low as $350.

The Orlando Lakefront at College Park community officially launched in 2015 when the 1950s RV park transformed into an upscale tiny home village.

“We offer available lots to tiny housers who wish to legally park, live on the shores of a beautiful lake and take advantage of all that a nearby metropolitan area has to offer,” said Adam Money, the owner of Orlando Lakefront.

To date, 27 RVs and 23 small houses line the property, but many more are interested in joining the tiny home neighborhood.

While tiny homes generally save money on upfront costs and rent, you’ll often need to be actively involved in finding and building your unit.

First, decide what type of tiny home suits your lifestyle best.

The most common type of unit tends to be either a shed or an RV, and there are advantages to both.

While RVs give you the flexibility of traveling wherever you’d like, many town ordinances require them to only be parked in certain spaces for a short period of time.

Sheds likewise require you to know your state and county’s zoning laws, as you typically won’t be able to fully live in a shed on someone else’s home property.

Many sheds are on sale at The Home Depot, but in most cases, you’ll be responsible for adding all the required plumbing and electrical services.

You’ll also need to ensure you have a space to put your tiny home.

This means you’ll likely need to search for land to rent.

Spaces are routinely put up for auction on sites like Facebook Marketplace or you can apply for a lot in an established tiny home community.

Another tiny home duo showed how they were able to build their mini home for just $18,000 and now live mortgage-free.

The Home Depot is also offering a $5,000 tiny home that even fits a King-size bed.