This 26-year-old woman lives for free in her "luxurious tiny house," which she built for $35,000 in her garden: take a look inside.

In 2019, I bought a three-bedroom house with an area of 1,400 square feet in Atlanta, Georgia for $196,000. I decided that I could earn extra income by renting out the spare rooms through Airbnb, especially considering that I travel a lot for work and am rarely home.

Unfortunately, bookings stopped in 2020. No one wanted to share a house with a stranger at the beginning of the pandemic. My work trips also came to a halt, so I was living alone in a house that felt too big.

But in May, when I was looking out the kitchen window at my huge backyard, something clicked: I could use that space to build a little house and live in it, completely renting out the main house.

Before starting construction, I had to obtain building permits, as well as permits for electricity and plumbing from the city planning department. Then I purchased a shed from Liberty Storage Solutions and hired a local construction team to pour the concrete foundation. They began work in October 2020.

Overall, building the house cost me about $35,000, including the cost of the shed structure, labor, and materials. Instead of taking out a bank loan, I sold stocks worth $8,500 and spent about $20,000 on my credit cards to cover all the expenses. Last year, I was able to pay off that debt.

During the construction of my house, I rented out my main house and rented a room from my neighbor for 300 dollars a month.

After completing the construction of a 296-square-foot tiny house in March 2021, I immediately rented it out on Airbnb for a few months to recoup my costs. By setting prices between $89 and $129 per night and $1,300 for a monthly rental, I was able to earn nearly $32,000 a year from renting it out. And in January, I moved into the tiny house to save on living expenses.

The monthly expenses related to the house are as follows:

• Mortgage and property taxes: 1200 dollars
• Electricity: 190 dollars
• Water: 110 dollars
• Internet: 80 dollars

Total: 1580 dollars

All of this is covered by the $2,725 I receive from renting out the main house, which means I can live in my tiny house for free.

To create a sense of space and lightness, I painted the walls a coastal blue and added some wooden elements, like a ladder leading to a queen-sized mattress in the loft. Under the sleeping loft, there is a small desk where I check my email and work.

In addition to the sofa bed on the main floor, there is a full bathroom, kitchen, and dining area. Rustic sliding doors provide easy privacy. The bathroom features a shelf for extra storage and a glass shower door, making the room feel more spacious.

My favorite area is the kitchen.

Eight separate windows, mirrors on the walls, and a glass shower door make the space feel more spacious. Sometimes I forget that I live in a barn. Small details, like this mirror, make the space feel more open and cozy.

I had to downsize my wardrobe and shoe collection. But instead of getting rid of the clothes I still want to keep, I'm storing them at a friend's place. Every few weeks, we do a wardrobe swap.

In a small house, my dog Sasha lives with me. When the weather gets warmer, I plan to use the fire pit area as a space for hosting friends.

I have gained numerous options for using real estate thanks to this house, including rental income and backup housing for myself or elderly family members. I believe that tiny homes will play an important role in addressing the global housing crisis. Last year, I gave a talk at TEDx about how they can help create a sustainable land-sharing economy.

When the weather is nice outside, a spacious porch is a great place to enjoy the fresh air with a cup of coffee.

In 2021, realizing the impact of short-term rentals on the real estate market in Atlanta, I stopped listing my properties for short-term rental on sites like Airbnb. Renting out more and more vacation space means less room for people who need long-term housing. Since then, I have reduced my portfolio and now rent to local students and low-income individuals. My plan is to add an attached guest room to the main house and provide even more stable housing.

My least favorite part of my house is the loft area, where there is little space for anything other than sleeping.