Tinley Woman Hopes to 'Trade' Her Way to Tiny House

TINLEY PARK, IL — Amber Holup isn't afraid to admit that she's broke. But the 18-year-old Tinley Park native also isn't about to let that get her down.

A graduate of Tinley Park High School and now a freshman in college, Amber dreams of living in a tiny house throughout college and beyond, saving her money and allowing her to adventure and explore. And she has decided to be a little creative in how she makes that happen.

Holup has started on a mission of "PaperClip to Tiny House," an approach in which she makes a series of trades, each time helping someone receive an item they want, while increasing the value of the item she receives.

"One day I will make my final trade for a tiny house," Holup told Patch.

She began with the first trade of a paperclip, for a pencil. Then she bartered the pencil for a Virtual Reality Headset. Next came a Purple 26" Schwinn Bicycle in exchange for the headset, and then the bike for a snowblower. Her most recent trade was the snowblower for a lawnmower. She posts each item and its information on her website, where people can read the descriptions and decide if they're interested.

But this isn't her first try at trades, Holup said.

"I've always found value in trading," she told Patch. "In fact, I traded my babysitting services for both a professional hair updo and makeup, as well as a manicure and pedicure for prom.

She was inspired to turn that resourcefulness into a pursuit for a place to live after reading the story of Kyle MacDonald, who made a series of 14 trades from a paperclip to a house in one year.

"Since I am a financially strapped college student without an exhaustible income, that has dream of owning a tiny home, I was inspired by Kyle's story to accomplish my dream by trading," said Holup. "If Kyle can trade for a full size house, I can trade for a tiny house."

But why a tiny house?

"I'd like to live in a tiny house mostly because they are affordable," Holup said. "Monthly utilities average around $51. In addition, they promote simplicity and they are mobile. I wouldn't even have to pack for vacation! Relocating, if needed, would be super easy.

"My dream tiny house would have two lofts, a balance of windows for plenty of natural sunlight yet not too many so I can have my privacy, and have cool color tones like white and soft blues to make it feel more open and spacious."

Taking up residence in such a small space would have its challenges, though, she knows.

"Tiny homes follow all municipal laws that apply to RVs," she explained. "That being said, Tinley Park would not allow me to plop my tiny house in my parent's backyard and live there. Thankfully, municipal laws do not apply to people living in unincorporated areas and I plan to rent a plot of land on a property in an unincorporated nearby village.

"Other challenges include downsizing my wardrobe, shoe collection, and other belongings. I'm confident that I can downsize though because I recently downsized when I moved into my college dorm room."

Holup, who works part-time at Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park, is studying nonprofit management in college, with hopes of securing a full-time job at the center one day. She aims to have traded her way to a tiny house by August 2018.

"This will allow me to move into my tiny house by the time I start my junior year of college, enabling me to live there my junior and senior year," she said. "This would help me save on room and board and help me graduate debt free."

Shortly after the holidays, she traveled to meet with tiny home manufacturer Titan Tiny Homes in South Elgin, Illinois. She toured some of the homes to get a sense of the different models and what they offer.

"I learned how much each type of home would cost and boy, am I glad that I am trading up to earn this house," she said. "I plan on purchasing/trading up for the 20-foot Tiny Home which would be around $45,000 out the door. I have a lot of trading to do so I need your help! Who would like to join me on this journey and make a trade with me?"

You can follow her journey and check out what she's looking to trade next on her website, PaperClip to Tiny House.