A few weeks ago all I had was a dream and a savings account. I knew where I wanted to go, but I had no idea what the route would be like or how long it would take me to get there.
Now I know stuff. And I'm super excited to tell you guys about it. Over the past few weeks, I've resolved several things that have made this all more real.
For one, I signed an agreement with a builder. I've decided to go with Upper Valley Tiny Homes. They're based out of Pleasant Grove, Utah, and they're a reputable builder and able to offer some financing. I'll be honest, that last part is a big reason I decided to go with them. The money involved with all this has been one of the trickier things to resolve, and Upper Valley gave me what I think is a really reasonable price for the amount of work they're going to do. Plus they're willing to let me make payments on part of it if I need to, which is great because it means I can move in when I wanted to.
This is not what my house will look like.
But it's an example of a house that was built by Upper Valley.
But it's an example of a house that was built by Upper Valley.
Speaking of moving in, as part of that agreement, we set a date. Sometime around August 15th is when I'll be picking up my new home; or rather, the shell of my new home. I know that probably sounds like ages and ages from now, but the exciting part is that having a date means I can start a countdown!
I love countdowns! I generally have two or three of them going on an app on my phone at all times. I just love looking forward to things. Sometimes I even like the anticipation more than the actual event. But in this case, I'm pretty sure I'll like them both!
Anyway, in case you were wondering, August 15th is exactly 163 days from now. Pretty crazy. It sounds like a lot, but it's gonna fly. Seriously. I have counted down for way longer than this before. I'm so excited.
What exactly will my house look like on August 15th? Well, on the outside it will be almost completely done. The only thing missing will be a coat of paint. I asked the builder to leave that off so that I could do it myself. I like painting and this way I'll get to be sure about the colors I want. Plus it saves me some money, and with a house as small as mine, it shouldn't take long to get it all painted.
On the inside, the walls will be done along with the loft and all of the plumbing and electrical work. I'm expecting it to look pretty bare at first, but the fact that the exterior will be complete and the whole thing will be insulated means that I can theoretically sleep in it my very first night! I keep picturing that moment of lying in my loft, looking up through the skylight at the stars.
And that brings us to another piece of news. I'm 98 percent sure I've found a place to park my house. I met with a friend of mine this week and she and her husband have generously agreed to let me park in their yard in Eagle Mountain. We're both excited about it, and I'm so relieved about how well this has worked out. Definitely an answer to prayers. I was really worried about not being able to find a place and having to put my house in an RV storage lot or something until I did find something.
Also, in case you didn't know this, Eagle Mountain is GORGEOUS.
On the day I visited, the sunset was even better than this one.
The last piece of news is that I was able to secure a loan to help pay for my house. This is really good because it means I can move forward on the schedule I was hoping for. I was hoping for a little bit bigger loan, but at the same time, I'm glad that my payments will be reasonable and that I'm not going to be borrowing more than I really should.
I'll do another post sometime with all the numbers and the specifics of this financing stuff, but basically I've used the loan to put in a down payment. I'll pay another chunk when I pick up the house. And then I'll pay off the rest of it over the next few years. Ideally I'd be able to pay for my house in cash, but even though tiny houses are much less expensive than regular houses, they're still pretty pricey, and I don't happen to have that many extra thousands of dollars sitting in my bank account.
For now, I'm just glad I was able to get this loan because while I have excellent credit, it's also very thin. And I really didn't want to have a cosigner, which is probably what I would've needed if I'd had to borrow more than the small amount I'm borrowing on this loan.
The really exciting part is that instead of a 30-year mortgage, it's looking like closer to 3 years if not sooner and then I'll have all of this paid off, my house will be finished, and I'll only have to pay a few hundred dollars each month for parking. I'm definitely looking forward to that day.
So yeah. I'm glad to have a good job with a steady source of income. I'm glad to have some savings. And I'm glad that I can pay for my house all by myself like a real adult. Yay for tiny houses making home ownership possible, even on my shoestring budget!
Also, big yay to my grandparents for letting me stay with them so I could save money. The only downside to this parking spot I'm planning on is that it's fairly far from my office, which means that at least at first I'm planning to split my time between the tiny house and spending a few nights a week at my grandparents' house, so that I don't have to commute so far on a daily basis.
I think that will be a nice way to ease into tiny living and give me some time to finish up the interior of my house before I totally move in full-time. Plus, I'm glad I'll still get to check in on my grandparents regularly. It's been so fun living with them and getting to know them better. They're great! (And I'm not just saying that because they took me out to Chinese food tonight. Though the sweet and sour pork was quite tasty.)
Thanks for reading my update.
I'll keep you posted as I figure out more and more things.
Till then,
Heidi
