Budget Breakdown: An Architect Turns Her Parents’ Garage Into a Tiny Home for $2,695

With the pandemic raging and her father’s health worsening, architect Monica Chang decided to move closer to home—much closer. She and her partner, Antony Tran, left their apartment in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles for her parents’ garage in Torrance, California. Enlisting the help of friends and making creative use of materials, she converted it into a live/work space for $2,695—all in less than two months.