Making A Model

I built a duplex this year.  It was the first house I ever built.  I learned a lot of valuable lessons.  One lesson I learned is you need a model.  And once you make the model you figure out everything you would do differently to make it better, lower price, and build it quicker.  If the city of Minneapolis wanted to get a lot of new energy efficient affordable homes to the market quickly they should make a model.  Basically, you would take about $1,000,000 from the budget or less and use that money to build as many tiny houses as you could.  They would test them, adjust, do a few designs.  Then once they have a good model down they make a material list, a how to build guide, they create an inspection for the model, and have the blueprint online for people to see and get familiar with.  So then people can take this model and put it on a survey and build it.  During the experimentation period contractors from around the city will get a $500 rebate if they go to the site for a tour and see how the buildings are built.  They also would get a $500 rebate if they work on one of these tiny houses around the city.  So this model would be cheap and easy to build, plus contractors in Mpls would be incentivized to work on them.  It would be a way to inspire people to build.