Last year, 31-year-old Alek Lisefski was inspired to try to live a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle. So the Web designer built a tiny house for himself, his girlfriend Anjali, and their dog, Anya, on an 8-by-12-foot flatbed trailer.

"Without room to hoard things and hide away from the world, I’ll be forced to spend more time outdoors, in nature and engaging with my community," Lisefski explained on his blog when he first started his project. "This will foster better health and healthy relationships. With no more rent to pay, I’ll save money, allowing for a less hectic work life and more time and funds for health, leisure, and travel."

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Aptly dubbed The Tiny Project, the home took Lisefski a year to put together, including seven months of construction work where he labored on the house every night and weekend.

Lisefski built his tiny house on a flatbed trailer in order to make the house mobile and avoid the minimum square footage requirements most municipalities have for permanent structures. Because the house is technically considered an RV, its height could not exceed 13.5 feet and the width could not exceed 8.5 feet.

In total, Lisefski spent $30,000, including the money spent on the trailer, tools, supplies, and appliances. Lisefski did almost all of the labor himself, asking for advice and trouble-shooting problems online and at his The Tiny Project blog.

The couple's home is currently parked in the backyard of a home in Sebastopol, Calif. that they found on Craigslist. They do some yard work as a form of minor payment, and have access to the city’s water supply. They even built a fence around the tiny home to let their dog Anya play outside.

The house has been such a success that Lisefski created a downloadable book available on The Tiny Project website that details the entire construction process, including trailer details, wall framing, and window installation to help all those interested in building their own tiny dwelling.