This Father-Son Duo Turned an Old Shed into a “Tiny Mansion”

Retailers like Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon sell kits to build tiny houses, so it’s common for people to opt out of the hard work associated with building a tiny home from scratch. But this father-son duo decided to do things the old-fashioned way by revamping an old shed and attempting to set the record for the world’s biggest tiny house.

In 2020, Danner Cronise and his father decided to renovate the abandoned shed on their Tennessee property into a tiny home. Originally, the shed was purchased from Home Depot two decades ago for $5,250, which is a steal compared to the current prices of their house kits. Once Cronise and his sisters visited the property, it was apparent that the shed was neglected for years and even became a home for two harmless snakes.

With nearly 40 videos on YouTube documenting the renovation progress, Cronise grew a dedicated following of 36.4k subscribers and 105.4k followers on TikTok. His most popular video followed the process to confirm that the shed met the building code — spoiler alert: he received the building permit.

The updated shed includes a bathroom, chimney, kitchen, and garage, which led to Cronise’s followers hinting that the tiny home isn’t so tiny anymore. He even joked that the shed has “evolved to [a] tiny mansion,” and now he’s hoping to officially have the world’s largest tiny home.

According to an interview with Business Insider, they’ve received sponsorships to assist with the hefty cost and benefitted from Patreon funds and YouTube advertising, but the estimated cost over the last three years has totaled to $15,000.

Although Cronise learned new skills while building the “tiny mansion,” the time spent with his dad has been a memorable part of the experience. “It’s been incredible getting to work one-on-one with my dad over the past couple of years,” he said to Business Insider. “I think it’s an experience that most people don’t get to have with their dads, so I’m incredibly thankful for it.”

Cronise hasn’t shared an update to his TikTok followers since January, but his YouTube channel is full of renovation content from the last six months. The duo doesn’t have an official completion date, which allows them to take their time with the project, but hopefully Cronise’s occasional updates on YouTube will unveil the final look at the not-so-tiny house.