Many areas have a minimum square footage for living dwellings which is often dependent on lot size.
If you intend to have Electric service, that will use all your budget before you even start your building.
Water is usually even more costly to bring in.
What are you going to do about waste water?
Disposing of waste water is also quite costly; likely more than Electricity and Water installations combined.
Check with the local and national building, fire, health, codes first.
This book (around $20) is an excellent guide to building tiny houses, including sections on using recycled and salvaged materials.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/compact-...
One option for furnishing one is to look on sites like Craigslist for a cheap older small RV trailer. You can often get water damaged ones for a few hundred dollars but you would be able to salvage things from one like a chemical toilet, water tanks, sinks, rangetop, fold down dinette, windows, etc. Since most RV appliances and lighting run on 12 volt or propane they are perfect for a remote location where you would use solar, wind power, propane gas or other alternatives to regular power connection.
I even know people who have bought them cheaply with leaks and just built a gazebo type shelter over them so they had a ready made house inside. Just make sure the water damage is not so bad that the interior wood framing is rotted (I am in the middle of repairing inside wall rot in my class C camper right now).
As others have suggested, check with zoning and life safety regulations for your area. If you don't get the proper permits and meet the requirements, you could be made to dismantle what you have built.
I am building a small 16 x 20 ft one room house and the cost has already exceeded $5,000.00
The expenses in nutshell are lumber, electrical, insulation, and roofing supplies
It would be cheaper for you to just buy and old travel trailer.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/garde...
No it is not possible for the price you want to pay.
I have a small lake lot in SC that I want to build a small house on by myself. Something I could maybe spend a night or two in, fairly minimal. Probably about the size of one of those tiny houses you can buy at lowes. The thing is, I don't want to spend more than a few hundred dollars. Is this doable? The lot has electricity and water access, I'm just not very experienced in building. Does anybody have any links or any sources of info where I could learn some? Any advice? Thanks
