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Aug 06, 2023

We bought a $17,000 ‘dome’ tiny home and now it rents for $268 a night

A YOUNG couple has created a $268-a-night Airbnb rental from a $17,000 tiny home. Wayne and Tawnie set up their unusual dome house in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, and added

A YOUNG couple has created a $268-a-night Airbnb rental from a $17,000 tiny home.

Wayne and Tawnie set up their unusual dome house in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, and added some impressive features.

While the 24-foot dome might look more like a yurt than a house, Wayne and Tawnie (@smokymtndome) have turned this quirky structure into a short-term rental moneymaker.

The couple purchased the dome home from Pacific Domes, a company on the West Coast that makes and sells homes made from galvanized steel and sun-shield vinyl.

Although the dome was just $17,000, Wayne and Tawnie have made a number of decisions to increase its short-term rental value.

First, they added a $9,500 winter liner to make it cozy and comfortable in the colder months.

Next, they added an external bathhouse featuring a walk-in shower, a toilet, and a large basin sink.

Airbnb guests can soak in the surrounding views of the Smokies in the on-site hot tub, or toast some s’mores around the campfire.

The house is set on an isolated four-acre plot, which Wayne and Tawnie purchased for $73,000 after selling their individual Florida homes.

Overall, they spent around $105,000 transforming the dome into a luxurious Airbnb experience.

The income from the short-term rental now allows the couple to travel around the US in their camper, which is their preferred way of living.

In a video for the YouTube channel, Tiny Home Tours, Tawnie said: “We can have it pay for our travel and stay at different campgrounds, and enjoy our time while we’re traveling to the maximum.”

Both she and Wayne were financial majors in college and they saved a lot of money after graduating.

But you don’t need sacks of cash saved to start living tiny.

Another young couple in Washington has created their own tiny home from a shipping container, spending just $20,000 in total.

Matt and Paiton live on a five-acre plot that offers stunning views of the Pend Oreille River from their 40 feet long home.

Living this way is around $200 to $300 a month cheaper than renting a one-bedroom apartment in their area.

And while many Americans used to dream of owning a large family home with a white picket fence, there’s a new generation of homeowners who are opting for something simpler.

One such person is YouTuber David Rule, who constructed a 150 square feet house on an old trailer bed for $8,000.

Meanwhile, companies have begun selling ready-to-go tiny homes for as little as $42,000.