350 Words, $100 and a Tiny House

October 30, 2015

by UrbanTurf Staff

350 Words, $100 and a Tiny House: Figure 1

Inside Minim House

The idea seemed like a winner. Back in April, UrbanTurf covered a local essay contest with a tiny, but substantial prize. For a 350-word essay and a $100 fee, entrants would have the chance to win a tiny house.

The contest was organized by Annapolis-based Sustainafest, whose students would construct the Minim House for the eventual winner.

Alas, things do not always work out in creative competitions like this one.

“Unfortunately, by the time we reached the deadline, we had not received enough essays to follow through with picking a winner,” Sustainafest’s Josh Bennett told UrbanTurf. “We stipulated in our rules that there was a certain number of entries we needed — the minimum that would cover our out-of-pocket expenses on the house – to select a winner. We extended the deadline another month but in the end, only received about half of what we needed.”

350 Words, $100 and a Tiny House: Figure 2

Minim House

Despite the fact that the contest was cancelled and the entry fees were refunded, this story has a happy ending.

A couple from Texas — who submitted three different essays for the contest — made Sustainafest an offer to buy the house outright for $50,000. They will take full ownership of the tiny abode in November.

“The couple who bought the house decided to downsize and have been living out of an Airstream trailer,” Bennett said. “They started their own business and have decided they need a bit more space so the tiny house will become their primary residence and the trailer will be the business headquarters.”