A couple bought a 380-square-foot shed for $12,000 and turned it into a tiny home they share with their 3 dogs

Meagan Edson, 55, and Scott Edson, 41, bought a half-acre of land in Leadville, Colorado, in 2017.

They were living in Barrington, Illinois, and happily running their gym, but they planned to move to Colorado eventually, as Meagan Edson's daughter was in college there and her son intended to end up in Denver.

Then, in 2020, they had to shutter their gym amid the pandemic.

"We had to close our doors, and we thought, 'Why not just go?'" Meagan said.

They sold their house, bought a camper, and set out for Colorado with their four dogs in July 2020. They started working with a company to build a barndominium on their property, planning to live in a camper as the work was completed.

Today, Meagan owns her business, Bear + Scout, upcycling lucky horseshoes and other products, and Scott is a sales manager for a law enforcement equipment company. They now have three dogs.

By September 2020, the Edsons learned that the company they had hired hadn't actually prepared plans for their barndominium, so they had to find alternative housing as winter approached. Their camper was too small to live in for an extended period, particularly with their dogs.

The Edsons decided to buy a 380-square-foot shed from Shed Depot and turn it into a tiny home. It cost $12,000.

The shed had plywood floors, solar panels for electricity, and no electric heat. It also wasn't connected to a plumbing system, and they didn't have time to get it hooked up before the colder months started.

Instead, Scott Edson installed a water tank in the yard that can hold 150 gallons at a time, which they fill from a nearby hydrant. It functions similarly to an RV pump.

They hard-connect the tank to the neighborhood water system in the warm months, but for the bulk of the year, they just use the hydrant as their main water source.

The Edsons made the shed work for around two years as it was, dealing with the lack of electric heating and other creature comforts, while deciding whether to stay put or find an alternative housing solution.

"In 2021 and 2022, we contemplated buying a house somewhere else and waiting on this property, but everything was so crazy up here price-wise," Meagan said. "We live in a very desirable area for recreation, so a lot of people were buying second homes and paying cash. And to rent something, we had four dogs, so that was not an option."

In 2023, they decided to make the shed work until they could afford to build a larger home on their property. Since they would be there longer, they invested in renovations to make it more comfortable. Scott said they spent around $30,000 in renovations over the years.

They swapped their plywood floors for laminate, upgraded the electrical system, and got a heating unit. Three years later, they've come to love their tiny home.

To the right of the Edsons' entryway, hooks hang from the wall where they stow jackets and hats. Their shoes sit below the hooks, and their trash can sits nearby, away from their sink and counterspace.

When they bought the shed, the kitchen was pretty basic.

"We started off with a commercial sink and a separate metal restaurant table," Scott said. "Since then, we put in real cabinets and a butcher block countertop."

They also have open shelving sitting above the sink, using baskets to store some items. Plaid curtains under the sink add to the cozy, cabin feel.

The kitchen sits at the front of the shed, separated from the living area by an archway.

Past the kitchen, an open-concept room serves as an office, living area, bedroom, and dining room, while the bathroom and closet sit at the back of the shed.

Scott splits his time traveling for work and working from home, so he uses the desk as his office when he isn't on the road.

The Edsons have leaned into the cabin aesthetic with antler decor and iron light fixtures.

The Edsons have upgraded the seating in their tiny space since moving in, creating a dining nook.

A bench sits against the wall that separates the kitchen and living room, while a chair is on the other side.

They use hanging storage wherever possible. For instance, a guitar hangs on the wall rather than sitting on the floor.

Rather than a traditional bed, the Edsons have a bunk bed in their home.

The bottom mattress is full-sized and mostly serves as a couch for the Edsons. A TV sits across from it, so they often lounge there, as do their dogs. When they have guests, they can sleep on that mattress comfortably.

A queen-sized mattress sits on the second level, which is where the Edsons sleep.

They have a closet in their bathroom and two lofts, both of which they use for storage. The loft above their bed houses their additional bedding and water tank, while the one above the kitchen houses their out-of-season clothing.

They also have a storage unit for their larger furniture that doesn't fit in the shed. Overall, though, they try not to have too much stuff.

"We got rid of a lot of stuff," Meagan said. "I do have some stuff back in Illinois that eventually we'll get down here, but otherwise, we're pretty much starting from scratch."

When you walk into the Edsons' bathroom, the shower sits directly in front of you, while the sink and composting toilet are to the right. The composting toilet doesn't bother the Edsons.

The walls surrounding the bathroom serve as their closet, thanks to a combination of shelving and hanging storage.

Because of their water system, they don't have much hot water. It's one of the biggest pain points of the shed, particularly for Meagan.

"We only have a 10-gallon hot-water tank, so the showers suck, especially for me as a woman," she said. "Between shaving and hair washing, I always say I have to pick one or the other. So one shower gets the shaving, and the next shower gets the hair washing. That's challenging."

They also don't have a washer or dryer in the house, which is tough for the couple.

"I never thought that I'd be going to the laundromat at age 55, but I do," Meagan said. However, she makes it more fun by taking one of her dogs, Levi, with her, turning it into an outing for both of them.

The second shed is 135 square feet and sits a few yards from their tiny home. It serves as a gym for the couple and a studio space for Meagan's business.

They also fenced in their yard for their dogs, and they created a seating area between the two sheds.

"We have a little outdoor fire pit. Our grill is out there," Scott said. "There's a little outdoor living space. Where we live, we have eight months of winter, but the four months of summertime and fall are beautiful to be out."

The comfortable outdoor living area makes their home feel bigger.

The Edsons have everything they need in their shed, and they appreciate that it's simpler to clean than a larger home.

"I vacuumed yesterday, and it probably took 10 minutes," Scott said.

Likewise, they don't have a mortgage, so they're only paying for utilities each month. And despite the small space, they've still been able to entertain and have loved ones stay with them.

"We had a full Thanksgiving early on," Meagan said. "That was before, when we had plywood floors. My daughter and her boyfriend at the time came up, stayed, and brought another dog. We had five dogs, four adults, and a full Thanksgiving dinner."

And their dogs might be the biggest fans of the tiny space.

"Two of them are pit bulls, so they're Velcro dogs," Meagan said. "They are just on top of us all the time, so they're like, 'This is great.'"

Six years after they moved to Colorado, the Edsons are finally getting a larger space. They bought a 1,000-square-foot kit home for their property, which should be finished in the fall of 2026. They're looking forward to having laundry in their home and to taking longer showers, but they also said they'll miss the shed in some ways.

"It's really changed my perspective on everything, to be honest," Meagan said. "I grew up in a pretty affluent family, so nice houses, and the typical suburban life like you see in the movies. I never felt like I fit in there."

"Here, you're really present," she continued. "There are no distractions. Scott and I have connected more than we ever have. I couldn't be happier. I don't feel the need to rush out because I'm bored and go to Target and buy random stuff that I don't need. I've never felt more grounded in my life, who I am, and what matters to me."