Budget Breakdown: This Austin Couple's $1.1 Million Renovation Started With a Yurt

While living in a yurt on their rental property's backyard, Margaret Tucker and Steph Steele decided it was time to bring in Side Angle Side to create the ranch home of their dreams.

Aug 30, 2024 - 14:34

Budget Breakdown: This Austin Couple's $1.1 Million Renovation Started With a Yurt

While living in a yurt on their rental property's backyard, Margaret Tucker and Steph Steele decided it was time to bring in Side Angle Side to create the ranch home of their dreams.

One of the couple’s favorite new details is the built-in, L-shaped bookcase in the den.

It was the start of the COVID lockdown in 2020 and Steph Steele and her wife, Margaret Tucker, were in the backyard of their rental property living in a yurt. It was a decision that surprised their friends, but then again, Steph, who founded Austin’s bespoke Tiny Grocer market, and Margaret, a family law attorney, had long loved making the short drive from their shared home in East Austin for weekend staycations in the property’s backyard.

Steph, Margaret, and their two dogs spent 2.5 years living in a 525-square-foot yurt on their 1.77 acre property in Austin’s <b>TK</b> neighborhood while their home was being designed and remodeled. — Steph, Margaret, and their two dogs spent 2.5 years living in a 525-square-foot yurt on their property in Austin’s Oak Hill neighborhood while their home was being remodeled.
Photo by Casey Dunn

Side Angle Side led the renovation of this 2,350-square-foot home for Steph Steele, the owner of Austin’s Tiny Grocer stores, and her wife, Margaret Tucker, who works as a family law attorney.
Photo by Casey Dunn

It was during their time quarantining in the backyard’s yurt that the couple had a revelation of sorts, realizing that this property was where they wanted to be long term. However, they couldn’t live in a yurt forever. Before they could move, they needed to renovate the main home on the plot.

$45,427 Sitework	$80,692 Concrete	$24,049 Masonry
$8,965 Metals	$226,419 Wood & Plastics	$55,647 Thermal & Moisture
$59,113 Windows & Doors	$103,015 Finishes	$2,190 Hardware
$74,904 Mechanical	$56,705 Electrical	$117,940 Builder fee
$86,000 Architect fee	$42,000 Solar	$26,000 Rainwater tank
$27,506 Appliance package	$80,350 Roof
Grand Total:$1,116,922