ADU, Travel, Community
Lina Menard
Maui, Hawaii

After A Week Long Send Off, My Round the World Trip kicked off with eight days in Maui visiting my sister Sarah who has split her time between Hawaii and Alaska for many years. What an epic way to start this adventure! There was mist falling when my sister greeted me at the Kahului airport on Maui a week ago, so she teased me about bringing the rain from the mainland. We headed straight for Paia where she presented me with a young coconut and a lei, accompanied by the chant for the gifting-of-a-lei.

Maui, Hawaii
Tiny House, Travel, Planning
Lina Menard
Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla

A number of circumstances collided recently to compel me to move the Lucky Penny to my property in Walla Walla where I have a ground bound small house called Valencia Cottage. So on Tuesday trusted tiny house movers Linh and Stephanie Pham helped me move the Lucky Penny safely from Portland to my place in Walla Walla.

Lucky Penny Moves to Walla Walla
Minimalism, Workshop
Lina Menard
Downsizing Tune Up

As I packed up recently in preparation to travel cross country in my Honda Fit, I did some downsizing… It was harder than it had been during my last couple of moves because this time I had more stuff. I’d been living in a bigger space…My apartment was a studio, but it was still about 6 times bigger than the Lucky Penny! I talked with several people about the experience and a handful of them said “oh my goodness, I need to do more of that!” So I’ve decided to offer a 6-week Downsizing Tune Up…

Downsizing Tune Up

Lina Menard

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Lina's Tiny House: The Lucky Penny

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For those of you new to The Little Life, welcome! My name is Lina Menard and I live in a tiny house called The Lucky Penny. I designed and built the Lucky Penny in 2014. Thanks go to Guillaume for this photo of me and my tiny house, The Lucky Penny.

This profile will introduce you to my lil' house. If you'd like to see more photos and articles about my house, read Lucky Penny's Public Debut. If you have questions, please be sure to take a peek at my Frequently Asked Questions and if your question isn't addressed there, please contact me. If you want to see a video tour, please check out the Lucky Penny Tiny House Tour by Jenna and Guillaume of Tiny House Giant Journey. You can also check out other posts about The Lucky Penny on my blog.

Fast Facts

  • Name: The Lucky Penny
  • Location: Simply Home Community in Portland, OR
  • Location Type: Tiny Cohousing Community (three tiny houses act as detached bedrooms in the backyard of a single-family home)
  • Setting: Urban
  • Designer: Lina Menard of Niche Consulting LLC (yup, that's me!)
  • Builder: Lina Menard & Friends (I hosted work parties most weekends!)
  • Plan Set: To Be Released Soon
  • Number of Full-Time Inhabitants: 1
  • Number of Part-Time Inhabitants: 1
  • Pets: Raffi, 10 year old red Devon Rex tabby cat

Size Details

  • House Width (Exterior): 8'-4" (100")
  • House Width (Interior): 7'-4" (88") 
  • House Length (Exterior): 14'-9" (177")
  • House Length (Interior) = 13'-9" (165") 
  • Exterior Square Footage: 123
  • Interior Square Footage: 100
  • House Height: appox. 12'-6" 
  • Weight: Unknown

Construction Details

  • Style: Gypsy Wagon
  • Roof Shape: Vardo (curved)
  • Foundation Type: Single 5000 # Iron Eagle Vardo Trailer with side extensions, welded-on stabilizing jacks
  • Construction Type: SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels)
  • Insulation Type: EPS (expanded polystyrene foam)

Systems

  • electric point-of-use water heater
  • electric space heater (Oct-Mar)
  • mini-fridge without freezer (April-September)
  • one-burner induction cooktop
  • convection toaster oven
  • mini chest freezer 
  • kitchen sink
  • bathroom shower

Sustainability Features

  • salvaged door, windows, and finish materials
  • electric-only appliances
  • SIPs construction for energy-efficiency
  • liquid-applied water resistant barrier for air sealing and energy-efficiency
  • all LED lighting
  • energy-efficient appliances
  • low-VOC paints, stains and sealants

 Budget

  • Total Budget: $25,000
  • Total Build Cost: $24,250
  • Building Materials: $14,000
  • Car & Truck Rental: $2,750 (I don't own a car, so I rented cars and trucks for my build)
  • Build Space Rental: $2,250 ($250/month for 9 months)
  • Volunteer Meals: $1,500 (I ran work parties most weekends and provided coffee, continental breakfast, snacks, a picnic lunch and for those who stuck with me till the end, dinner!)
  • Furnishings: $1,500
  • Contracted Labor: $1,250 ($750 roofer, $300 welding for flip-up porch, $200 electrical consultation)
  • Appliances: $1,000
  • Estimated Sweat Equity: $16,000 (800 hours at $20/hour*)
  • Total Value: $40,250