Or What to do with all this stuff?

Consider having a garage sale or home auction: Having enough items that are likely to net a profit (furniture, antiques, electronics) may make the effort of having a garage sale worthwhile. Alternatively, if your possessions are potentially of substantial value, consider holding a home auction. You can often hire a service agency to catalog and appraise your possessions and coordinate a home auction for a percentage of the profit.

We had leased out part of our pole barn to an antique reseller. She used 1/2 of the building for storing stuff in as she collected items from garage and estate sales in the Minneapolis and St Paul areas. She was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness that meant closing up her stores and business. Our building is the last place she had stored items, so we suggested that we use our shop area to liquidate the items stored here.With our concept of downsizing, living sustainably, and recycling…we thought that holding a sale is a good solution.

We even set up a small area for marketing our tiny houses and have generated a lot of local interest and discussion about tiny houses with visitors that came for antiques.

Some of the items are:

Vintage Tea Cart

Vintage Side Serving Table

Mission Style Library Desk with Chair

Vintage Side Chair

TV Duck, 1950's Vintage

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Over the last 3 weeks of holding this antique sale, we also have had over 1000 people learn about tiny houses and Tiny Green Cabins in our local marketing area. We are always marketing because…well, we just love building tiny houses and talking about them.

Just some quick snapshots of the build of the Wildflower Bunkhouse

Tiny House Builder - Jim Wilkins

We recently partnered with Andrew Odom of tiny r(E)volution and Andrew for tiny house appreciation week and Andrew crafted this article about Tiny Green Cabins.

I typically take notice of most things with the word naked in the title. The Naked Cabin built by Tiny Green Cabins was no exception. I remember seeing the picture and thinking, “Metal? Really?” ‘Tis true. The extent of this nudity was that Tiny Green was marketing a framed out tiny house trailer ready for the backyard enthusiast or DIYer. And to think it was made of metal. It really turned my world upside down. I immediately thought about the weight advantages, the rigidity of metal, and the price factors. If I must be honest, I printed the photo and added it to the ‘inspirations’ section of our tiny house notebook. But after seeing this, ahem, salacious use of metal studs I had to find out more.

Jim Wilkins is the President and CEO of Tiny Green Cabins and an outstanding man. He is a designer and builder of non-toxic tiny houses and micro homes for people who choose to live a sustainable, healthy lifestyle or do so because of chemical/environmental sensitivity. His extensive background in the construction industry entails years of working as a journeyman carpenter, senior cost estimator, design and engineering manager, and his work in continuous improvement venues. And let me not forget that Jim is an experienced manager with a proven record in production, manufacturing, estimating, design, procurement, quality, and ISO9000 (Baldrige, Lean, TQM, CI) within construction, wood components, and machining manufacturing, as well as nonprofits.  His background consists of all aspects of wood-framed construction, including new home construction, remodeling, commercial, and agriculture. He is a great resource for tiny house materials, construction ideas, and actual building tips.

Recently, Jim partnered with the Bell Museum of Natural History on the project “Sustainable Shelters” and the video “Living Small.”

Oh, and did I mention that after four decades in the business and building all types of homes from tiny houses to mega-mansions, Jim began steadily downsizing about five years ago now living in his own tiny house?

The cabins built by Tiny Green Cabins – Wildflower, Sunflower, Denali, etc – are all built out of a devotion to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future. Perhaps what is most impressive is TGC’s attention to detail and their customer service. In fact, they advertise a sort of 12-step program in which they begin with a phone consultation and end with a very special thank you gift! As for detail, just look at these photos of the Wildflower II. From the drawers built in to the loft steps to the integration of a state-of-the-art washer/dryer system. It is just awe-inspiring.

Jim and his Tiny Green Cabins can be found all over the web including:

Online: Tiny Green Cabins

Facebook: Tiny Green Cabins

LinkedIn: Jim Wilkins

YouTube: BellMuseum

Twitter: @Tinygreencabins

For a novice builder like myself Jim has been a great sounding board and a true inspiration. His designs are top notch and Tiny Green Cabins’ execution is without reproach. He has been a supporter of both the tiny house community and Tiny r(E)volution for some time now and for that we are grateful.