Minnesota backyard 'tiny home' is yours for $8,000 — if you can move it
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Tiny home fans have an array of reasons for choosing the lifestyle. For starters, it's cost-effective and a way to combat climate change.
For Matt Broshat, he had an additional incentive to build a 120-square-foot bunkhouse in his St. Paul backyard: His roommate was loud.
"It was a mix of wanting my own little space back and also learning how to build and seeing where it went," said Broshat, who leases rooms to friends at his house in the Dayton's Bluff neighborhood. "I just watched a lot of YouTube videos and as time went on I built my skills. ... It's been a really fun journey."
The project, which he started in June 2022, took two months to complete and cost about $8,000. He's selling it for the same amount — if a buyer can solve the puzzle of how to move it, something that's been an obstacle for interested buyers.
Building blocks
When tackling his backyard build, he took everything he learned from remodeling his house, which was built in 1919, utilizing YouTube when he came across a new problem.
During the day, he worked at his family's company Wrap-It Storage and then hopped into his hatchback, headed to Menards, picked up supplies and spent hours working in his backyard.
The just-for-fun project came with a hefty price tag, in part because he had to buy new tools. To keep costs down, some of his materials — such as the flooring — were selected at the clearance section.
He decided not to include a kitchen or bathroom, since he had access to the main house. He outfitted his bunk house with a loveseat, television, desk and mini-refrigerator. There's a sleeping loft, with a staircase that doubles as a bookshelf. And Broshat also added some shelving on the loft level for clothing. The space is insulated and equipped with heat so that it can be used...