Debt-Free Tiny Home: Wanda's Custom Build in South Carolina
- Tiny Home Tours
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
Wanda was paying for a house she barely lived in. Her Florida home was beautiful, but two of the bedrooms only got opened once a month, just to sweep out dead bugs. So she sold it, took the $91,000 in equity, and built exactly the home she needed in South Carolina, two miles from her daughter and grandkids, completely debt-free. This is her 450 square foot custom tiny home on a foundation, and every inch of it was designed around how she actually lives.
Why She Did It
Wanda had been watching tiny home shows on television when she did the math on her own situation. "I'm working to pay for a house I hardly ever use," she says. Her family was all in South Carolina. She was in Florida, driving up several times a month to see the grandkids.
She decided to sell, found a lot two miles from her daughter, and moved into an apartment for six months while she and her architect mapped out the design. They sat down at a Chili's down the road with papers and drawings, and Wanda brought a list of specific furniture she wanted to bring. She bought the land in 2015 and moved into the finished home in September 2017. By then, nearly everything was paid off.
"I wanted everything new," she says. She has allergies, she is in the South, and she was not willing to walk into someone else's mold. Starting from scratch was the practical choice.
Living Room
The front room doubles as a living room and guest space. Wanda has a recliner for reading, a fold-out puzzle table, and a sleeper sofa for when her son visits from Utah. She gave him the options upfront: sleeper sofa, blow-up mattress on the porch, or pitch a tent. He said he was good with all three, so that settled it.
"This is my sanctuary," Wanda says. "This is just where I find peace."
Kitchen
Wanda loves to bake, so the kitchen was designed around what she actually does. She has granite countertops, a large double sink with a view of the woods, deep cabinet storage for baking pans, and a walk-in pantry for food storage. She skipped the dishwasher on purpose. "I only used it maybe once a month anyhow," she says. "I'd rather have another cabinet."
She also chose a smaller refrigerator than the original plans called for, which opened up cabinet sections on both sides of the stove. Every choice gave her something more useful.
She does some canning and says there was plenty of room when she made apple butter a couple of months ago. Her one concession is cookie-baking season at Christmas, when tins take over and she briefly misses the island she had in Florida.
Bedroom, Bathroom, and Closet
The bedroom is separated from the main living area by a wall, which her architect initially questioned. Wanda held firm. She wanted privacy, especially when her son sleeps on the sofa. The room fits a queen-size bed with space to walk all the way around it. Ten-foot ceilings keep it from feeling small. A separate mini split lets her keep the bedroom cooler at night than the rest of the house. Under the bed: totes of the Christmas ornaments she collects, kept inside where temperature and humidity are stable.
Behind the bedroom wall is a walk-in closet. When a neighbor walked through during construction and saw it, she said, "Oh yeah, a woman is building this house." The closet holds clothes, extra blankets and pillows, the vacuum cleaner, and overflow pantry storage.
The bathroom has a large shower (Wanda never used her tub at the Florida house, so she did not include one), a window she can open on summer mornings, and drawers under the vanity for everyday items.
Screen Porch and Outdoor Storage
The 200 square foot screen porch sits on the north side of the house, facing the woods. It is the coolest spot on the property and helps keep the electricity bill low. Wanda has people over for dinner regularly and they almost always end up out here. Her oldest granddaughter asked for a porch swing, so it is in the design.
"Peaceful is what most people will say," Wanda says. "It's really peaceful sitting out here."
Outdoor storage ended up with three sections instead of the original two, after she switched to a tankless water heater and freed up the third bay for the lawnmower.
What It All Cost
All figures below are Wanda's own on-camera estimates.
Land (purchased 2015): $30,000
Land clearing: about $6,000
County impact fees: $6,000
Soil testing, tree survey, and lot surveys (multiple rounds): several thousand dollars each
Home construction (450 sq ft house plus 200 sq ft screen porch): approximately $91,000
All-in total: "probably about 150, maybe 160,000," Wanda says
Monthly costs now:
Electric: $40 to $50 per month (down from $300 in Florida)
Water: $100 per month
Property taxes: $700 per year
She was nearly debt-free before she moved in, and paid off the remaining lot balance within the first year.
Fresh Bread From the Oven
One of the first things Wanda named as a priority was the oven. "There's nothing like fresh baked bread and pastries," she says.
Wild Grain delivers parbaked sourdough breads, pastries, and pastas, all frozen, ready in 25 minutes or less. Simple ingredients, no preservatives, and fully customizable boxes including gluten-free, vegan, and high-protein options. For every box ordered, Wild Grain donates two meals to a food-security nonprofit.
Use code tinyhome30 at checkout for $30 off your first box plus free croissants for life.
Disclosure: Wild Grain sponsored Wanda's original video tour. The experience and opinions are the homeowner's own.
Lessons From Wanda's Build
Design for how you actually live. Wanda skipped the loft, the dishwasher, and the big refrigerator because none of them fit her real life.
Know your land before you design. Her architect walked her through which way to face the house, how the wind moves, and how to stay out of flood areas. All of it shaped the final plan.
Build to last. Wanda built to Miami Dade hurricane standards. A tree might fall on her, she says, but she is not going to blow away.
The Team Behind the Build
Wanda designed her home with architect Danielle Gilbert, then brought it to life with builder Ryan Risher. If you are considering a custom build of your own, Ryan can be reached at (843) 270-2244.
FAQ
How much does it cost to build a custom tiny home on a foundation? Wanda estimates her all-in total at around $150,000 to $160,000. That covers $30,000 for land, $6,000 for clearing, $6,000 in county impact fees, multiple rounds of engineering and surveys, and approximately $91,000 to build a 450 square foot home with a 200 square foot screen porch. All figures are her own on-camera estimates.
Can you build a tiny home on a foundation instead of wheels? Yes. Wanda specifically chose a foundation for stability and security in hurricane country. Her lot also required stick-built construction, which allowed her to build to Miami Dade hurricane standards.
How much did utility costs drop after going tiny? Wanda's electric bill dropped from $300 a month in Florida to $40 to $50 a month in South Carolina. She pays $100 a month for water and $700 per year in property taxes.
Is a tiny home on a foundation good for aging in place? Wanda designed hers with that in mind. The bedroom is on the ground floor, the shower is large, and she kept space around the bed for future accessibility needs.
How small can you build in South Carolina? It depends on the county. Wanda's county allows homes as small as 170 square feet. Her 450 square foot home was well within local minimums.
Watch the full tour on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k-Ovku_g7s
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More Tiny Home Tours to Explore
If Wanda's story has you thinking about what a smaller, simpler home could look like for you, here are two more tours worth watching.
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