If you think you need thousands of dollars to build your dream home from scratch, think again! One man is here to prove that simply being clever with design material sourcing can help you build the perfect home for less.

Derek “Deek” Diedricksen’s 140-square-foot home might only be tiny, but it’s his idea of heaven. And the best bit? He built the whole thing for just $10,000.

Obviously, the big selling point of Derek’s Massachusetts build is its cost-efficiency, but another surprising factor is how long the whole building process took: only four days.

It’s clear that Derek had a solid plan in place before he got started, as when he employed his crew to take on the physical tasks, every stage of the process was worked at with speed.

An entire wall of Derek’s new home is fashioned from recycled windows, which have their own colorful lantern inside on display. It’s no surprise that his house is named the ‘Glass House’.

Inside the home is a fascinating combination of modern and rustic. The windows and other furnishings provide bursts of color, while the wood used to make the window frames gives the place more of a rugged, natural feel.

Interestingly, the house isn’t connected to electricity or water – this was one of the ways Derek was able to save money and time on the build. He’s a fan of off-the-grid living, so being without the things many of us take for granted doesn’t bother him.

Despite the fact that the house is only 140 square-foot, the full wall of windows helps to bring nature into the space, making it seem a lot larger than it is.

And the windows aren’t the only glass in the Glass House, either. A see-through section of flooring gives us a glimpse of the earth beneath the house. We’re sure lovers of creepy crawlies would find this pretty fascinating!

There’s also a translucent ceiling, which brings in even more light and color, while further connecting the house to its surroundings.

Derek’s mission when building his tiny home was to create a space for him to escape to whenever the stresses and noise of the city got too much to him. The Glass House is proof that you don’t need much to produce an ideal save haven for relaxation purposes.

This angle gives an interesting glimpse into the Glass House’s ‘great room’, which features a basic kitchenette and several chairs for sitting. Derek has installed a television for when nature isn’t providing quite enough entertainment.

The ladder leads up to a loft with a spacious feel.

The loft is another example of how Derek was resourceful with the materials he used to build his home. The railing was fashioned from tree branches he found just outside the Glass House, as the ceiling was made from a polycarbonate material. There’s no choice but to wake up with the sunrise in this home.

The front of the house has a wooden deck, in case Derek wants to feel even more at one with nature. But we think we’d find ourselves around the back, where there’s an outdoor swing and a small outdoor fireplace.

If you’ve always dreamed of owning a vacation home, why not follow in Derek’s footsteps and consider building one yourself? If you simply want to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, cost-efficient, easy-build homes like the Glass House are absolutely ideal.

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Source: Home Hacks, Tiny House Talk,