Tiny home: How a Cork musician built her own little house for €12,550

For many people who build their own home, additional space is high up there on the list of essential criteria – an extra bedroom, a conservatory, a granny flat for ageing parents – more room for people and stuff in general seems to be a necessary requirement.

But one new homeowner has gone entirely the other direction and instead of building a mansion, or even a regular house, for herself, has found that size isn’t everything and is now the proud owner of a tiny home.

By her own admission, Áine Duffy has always loved building and creating things and, having been in rented accommodation for years, she found herself without a place of her own and realised that although she didn't have the finances to build a house, she could, with a little ingenuity, create a cosy home for herself.

“Like so many others in a similar predicament, the housing crisis had started to really affect me,” she says. “My friends had given me refuge for a while, but as I am independent and not afraid of hard work, I decided to take things into my own hands. So when a tree fell on my parent’s land, I asked if they would mind if I built a small moveable home there. I said it would be secluded and beautiful and they said to go for it – legends.

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"So I went to the credit union, where, as a long-term member, I have some savings, and borrowed €12,000. I then drove to the Munster Joinery seconds factory with my van and bought some windows which I thought would work for me. From there, I drew up some plans on my iPad – using the window measurements as a guide – which ensured I would have privacy and that I could place my home into the best positioning to work with nature."

Duffy, who is a musician, singer, songwriter and performer, sought the advice of an expert in tiny homes and then, together with her family, set about building it.

Restrictions

“Luckily, I am friendly with JP from bigmantinyhomes.ie who has done this many times before as he told me the exact measurements [needed] to stick within restrictions,” she says. “I got him and his crew to build a steel frame base, a frame for the house and a fibreglass roof so I could build a green roof on top. Then my folks and I set about digging out the foundation.”

The shell was then dropped on to the blocks for finishing and she ordered the necessary materials.

“I then got on with cladding the outside, with both timber and black corrugated iron sheets, working throughout the winter, while either my friend or my mum held the ladder. But there were tight restrictions because of the pandemic, so I was on my own for most of the time.

“I insulated the whole place with two different insulation types [six inches in thickness] then wrapped it in an airtight membrane, ready for slabbing. I also wired it and laid underfloor heating. A professional electrician is coming to connect it up to make sure everything's in order, but in the meantime, I ran a cable from my parents’ house so I could move in. This was great timing as my dad recently had two operations, so I am now close by.”

Getting the roof sorted was a little tricky as it was so expensive, but the Cork woman used her creative streak and got some hessian coffee bags from a friend who is a coffee roaster and laid them across the roof before putting gravel, sand, and compost on top.

“My mother was a great help here as she put the materials into a bucket on a rope at the bottom of the house and I hoisted it up,” she says. “We had fun doing it and she is a great worker.”

Outdoor toilet

She installed a composting toilet just outside the house with a shelter and some plants around it for privacy.

“My vaulted bed, wardrobe, tub and kitchen were all designed to suit my needs and some friends donated pieces of timber, a worktop, fridge and cooker top that they didn’t need. There are still some pieces which I haven’t finished, due to the pandemic holding things up, but after having the idea last August, I was on the finishing touches in December, so it took just six months.”

The one-room house, which is 11ft high and 16ft by 10ft wide, is in the countryside outside Bandon, Co Cork, and is surrounded by trees and fields. It has been designed to maximise light, and the decor is simple but effective.

“The walls are white, with three-quarters of one wall finished in timber around my large window,” says Duffy. “There are white rectangular tiles behind my homemade timber tub and plants are a big part of the design, in keeping with the nature all around me. I have one small partition for my wardrobe, which is in green corrugated iron, again matching the outdoors, and the timber inside is lighter than outside.

"I like cooking, so my spices and grains are part of the display, so too are my books, pictures and photos. In total, my house cost €12,550 but I also worked on another project – an old donkey box which I converted into a stage/camper, fondly called the Duffbox for the release and tour of my single, I'll Wear White. I converted it using some materials I had already and a few donations of unwanted things."

She used GoFundMe to raise money for the PA system which cost €1,500, and reached her target in just eight days.

“I think people were excited to have live music again – I was so grateful and overwhelmed and now I am out touring,” she says.

“My new house is great – it’s easier to clean and to keep warm and I definitely don’t lose things as often. The stress of worrying about a mortgage and fighting for housing has been lifted, and what a weight that is. Also it’s nice to have a green roof and passive home and feel like I’m doing my bit for the environment.”

aineduffy.ie @aineduffymusic