After the coronavirus upended their business, a couple built a tiny house in Hawaii and sold it for $98,000 — take a look inside

Frank OlitoSep 4, 2020, 01:33 IST

This tiny house was built in lockdown.Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

Taylor and Michaella McClendon built a tiny house while in lockdown when the coronavirus ruined their wedding business.
The 356-square-foot tiny house has 11 windows, two lofts, and a galley kitchen.
With the help of family, the McClendons built the house for around $55,000 and sold it for $98,000. They hope to turn this into a business in the future.

When the coronavirus forced Hawaii into lockdown back in March, residents Taylor and Michaella McClendon had to rethink their whole lives.

The couple had moved to Hawaii two years prior to work in the wedding industry, but when every wedding on their calendar was canceled in early 2020, the couple were forced to turn to another avenue for income. With the help of their extended family in lockdown, they decided to build a 356-square-foot tiny house and sell it for profit.

Here's how the McClendons made thousands of dollars by building a modern, airy tiny house in Hawaii.

In 2018, Taylor and Michaella McClendon moved from Colorado to the Big Island of Hawaii to further their wedding business.

Taylor and Michaella. Courtesy of Michaella Elliot McClendon

At the beginning of 2020, however, the coronavirus canceled all of their weddings.

Taylor, Michaella, and their baby. Courtesy of Michaella Elliot McClendon

Taylor and Michaella had to brainstorm a new way to make money — it felt like the perfect time to finally live out their tiny house dreams.

Taylor and the extended family. Courtesy of Michaella Elliot McClendon

Taylor pitched the idea to a family member on the island, and they partnered to start building the tiny house and earn 50/50 of the profits.

Working on the trailer. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

After buying a trailer, Taylor and Michaella sat down to finalize the design plans.

Working on the tiny house. Courtesy of Michaella Elliot McClendon

They built the entire tiny house in their driveway in just 25 days for around $44,000.

The exterior of the tiny house. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

When completed, the 356-square-foot tiny house was designed to be clean, open, and airy.

The interior. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

The entryway leads right into the living room, which has 13-foot ceilings.

The living room. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

The couple also designed the kitchen to be large because they love to spend their time around food and guests.

The kitchen. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

Through the kitchen, there's a bathroom, which has a sliding pocket door for privacy.

The bathroom. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

Above the kitchen and bathroom, there's a loft that fits a queen-size bed.

The lofted bedroom. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

Although it was difficult for the McClendons to let go of the house, it sold for $98,000.

The whole tiny house. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

Taylor and Michaella have plans to move to Texas in the coming weeks to start their tiny house building business.

The tiny house. Courtesy of Michaella Elliott McClendon

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