By Kelsi Karruli For Dailymail.Com

Published: 11:31 EDT, 7 September 2022 | Updated: 11:32 EDT, 7 September 2022

A former realtor has revealed she bought a used flatbed trailer and turned it into a tiny home so she could travel the country - spending $15,000 and one year on the transformations. 

Stefanie Fischer, from Vancouver, Washington, loved her job as a real estate agent, but when the pandemic hit, she found herself struggling to make ends meet and decided to pursue another passion of hers. 

As her business slowed down, Stefanie needed something to keep her busy and wanted to take on a new project - so she began by purchasing a used flatbed trailer with the intent of building her 'dream home.' 

Stefanie Fischer, from Vancouver, Washington, bought a used flatbed trailer and transformed it into a tiny home so she could travel the country

 Stefanie created a tiny home complete with a sleeping loft, kitchen and built-in-bench from the seven by 12 foot trailer she purchased

 The former realtor decided to build a tiny home from the ground up when the pandemic hit and she needed something to keep her busy

It took Stefanie a year to complete her tiny home and she spent a total of $15,000 on the home and has already started traveling the country with it

In an interview with Insider, Stefanie revealed:  'I am a people person. I need to be interacting with people, but with the social distancing, I couldn't do that. 

'That's why I came up with building my dream travel home. Building Misty, my tiny wagon, was a way for me to stay sane.'

She then got to work, and built her tiny home from the ground up with her seven-by-12 foot trailer. 

Stefanie originally wanted only a '200-sqaure foot' house, but knew it wouldn't bode well if she wanted to travel.

The former realtor then decided to scale down her initial dream of a 200-square-foot home and build a 'vardo.' 

A vardo is a traditional living wagon, popular in Romania and commonly horse-drawn. 

Although Stefanie toyed around with the idea of a 'school bus conversion,' she ultimately decided against it because she wanted to be able to run errands 'without loosing [her] spot.' 

When she finally decided on the layout of her tiny dream home, she began researching how she should go about building it. 

While Stefanie had previously helped while she was remodeling homes as a realtor, she was by no means a professional builder.

Stefanie knew she wanted to create something 'light' while also ensuring the top was wider than the bottom. She also said she wanted a 'rounded roof and sleeping lot.' 

Stefanie originally wanted only a '200-sqaure foot' house, but knew it wouldn't bode well she began to travel as a tiny home of that size doesn't tow well

When she finally decided on the layout of her tiny dream home, she began researching how she should go about building it

Stefanie tries to remain as off-the-grid as possible and didn't even build a toilet or shower in her mobile home, but instead uses a flushable camping toilet

The former realtor had her work cut out for her and even added that she went through 'two gallons of glue' and 'only' used screws for the majority of her mobile home

Luckily, Stefanie purchased her lumber 'right before' the pandemic hit its peak and lumber prices soared. 

She bought 'cedar and birch plywood' for her tiny home because she wanted to use 'as little plywood as possible to keep it light.' 

Stefanie noted that she had to take into account the climate when building her dream mobile home and ensured that her materials would survive the 'moisture of the Pacific Northwest.' 

The former realtor had her work cut out for her and even added that she went through 'two gallons of glue' and 'only' used screws for the majority of her mobile home, other than the windows, which she used nails for. 

And Stefanie wanted to become the ultimate travel nomad and go completely off-the-grid while she traveled in her tiny home. 

She built four small windows on each side of her tiny home and purchased a portable solar panel to charge her LED lightbulbs. 

'I ended up simplifying a lot of things because it was very hard to find professional help.

'I had two people bail out on me to install the solar panels and all that stuff, so I went with a portable solar panel instead,' she told Insider. 

After she finished the framework and built her small windows, she determined exactly how she wanted her floor-plan to look. 

Stefanie wanted to become the ultimate travel nomad and go completely off-the-grid while she traveled in her tiny home

She built four small windows on each side of her tiny home and purchased a portable solar panel to charge her LED lightbulbs

When Stefanie began building the cabinets in her dream tiny home she made sure to build to her needs, creating plenty of storage spaces for her items

She explained that the hardest part of her entire build was when she tried to pour epoxy on kitchen countertop and ended up with a leak

And she took a little inspiration from her past.    

'I traveled the west coast in a little Dodge van when I was younger, and I know how limited space can be,' she said. 

When Stefanie began building the cabinets in her dream tiny home she made sure to build to her needs, creating plenty of storage spaces for her items.

She was able to fit a fridge, cooking range, sink and full-size mattress in her tiny home.  

Stefanie even added hidden cabinets into her built-in bench seats to make a pull-out table, where she can eat. 

And to further use every inch of her tiny home, Stefanie created a crawl space under her bed to hold her clothes. 

Under the sink she keeps 10 gallons of freshwater and one five-gallon container of household wastewater. 

To further encompass the life of a someone always on the move, Stefanie didn't install a bathroom in the home, but opted for a flushable camping toilet to keep the moisture out of the home. 

And no bathroom inside meant no shower either. 

Stefanie decided to set up an outdoor shower that consists of a portable water heater that she attaches a shower head to. 

And if she didn't consider herself a professional builder before, she most certainly did after completing her project, which she did almost entirely herself. 

Although her son or a friend would occasionally help her, Stefanie took on most of the work herself. 

And she noted there was definitely a learning curve. 

She explained that the hardest part of her entire build was when she tried to pour epoxy on kitchen countertop and ended up with a leak. 

Although her son or a friend would occasionally help her, Stefanie took on most of the work herself

Although she faced a few hiccups, Stefanie noted that she loved building a tiny home from the ground up

Stefanie noted that she has carpel tunnel syndrome and was only to work on her tiny home for about three hours each day

She even has some advice for those trying to build their own tiny home: 'If you build with wood, it's very forgiving. I mean, anything can be corrected'

'I tried to stop it with duct tape, crawling underneath where the sink area is, and I ended up having epoxy all over me, in the hair, everywhere,' she said.

She then thought she could mend the rest of epoxy she had left by mixing it with a different product and applying it to her countertops, which she notes was a mistake as her counter 'turned grey' and she was forced to 'chisel everything up again.' 

And when it came to the exterior, Stefanie chose to keep the original wood finishing and installed a fold-out deck to relax. 

'I wanted something low-maintenance, and I didn't want to paint the outside because paint always peels off,' she said.

Although she faced a few hiccups, Stefanie noted that she loved building a tiny home from the ground up. 

'I made a lot more progress more quickly on the outside compared to the interiors. It was also fun, but just building the structure itself, I think, was the highlight,' she told Insider.

She even has some advice for those trying to build their own tiny home: 'If you build with wood, it's very forgiving. I mean, anything can be corrected.'

The entire renovation process took her one year and spent a total of $15,000 on her tiny home. 

She started building it in April 2020 and completed it in May 2021. 

Stefanie noted that she has carpel tunnel syndrome and was only to work on her tiny home for about three hours each day. 

'My goal was to go down to a tiny house festival in San Diego, and I actually finished it the day I left for that trip. 

'It was my first trip, and it was like 1,500 miles — which is kind of crazy to do that on the first trip.' 

Stefanie's build has also inspired her to share her trailer transformation with her over 2,2000 subscribers on YouTube.  

Stefanie revealed she has been traveling in her tiny home alongside her dog Ralphie for the past six months and has Washington and Oregon areas so far. 

Although she plans to travel the whole country in her tiny home, she is choosing to stay 'local' for now until gas prices go down. 

Other than her tiny home, Stefanie also has a home in Vancouver that she shares with five other people, but hasn't been back much as she's been focusing on her tiny mobile home. 

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