Tiny house living and mortgage free - Is it worth it?

A few years ago I became interested in the tiny house movement. I watched the TV shows and romanticised what it would be like to sell up our 4 bedroom home, quit my job and live the simple life in a mortgage free 'tiny home'. I could give up all the 'stuff' and space if I didn't have to work, right?

Fast forward a bit and my family and I (husband and 3 kids aged 8-14) have spent the last 9 months living without our 'stuff' in small quarters. We packed a suitcase each with our clothes and recreational items and that's what we've been living with. It's been liberating, exciting and an eye-opening how little you really need. We have one drinking glass per family member, very basic cooking supplies and 'make do' wherever we can.

However, it is not without it's challenges. The morning bathroom rush with a teenager isn't fun and having three kids squabble over what time 'lights out' should be in shared sleeping quarters adds extra stress to an already hectic family life. With 3 kids life is never going to be 'simple'!

In 4 months we will have a 4 bedroom house again. We will have our own bedrooms, a full kitchen complete with an espresso machine and kitchen aid. We'll have a yard with our own trees bearing fruit that we will be free to pick and eat. It will also have a mortgage - and I think it will be worth every last cent. I'll be able to cook a scrumptious meal 3 course meal and share it with friends. I'll be able to come home on a Friday and relax in the pool with a glass of wine. Spend a lazy Sunday morning on my alfresco with a coffee, overlooking the bushland.

Sure, I could do some of these things in a tiny home - but it just isn't the same. I will never take for granted having space and life's luxuries again. I am cured of my 'tiny house' fantasy!

 

Did the tiny house experiment help you save to get your Mortgage?

 

As a family it would be hard.
As a single or couple, perfectly feasible.

When I was young I lived in a granny flat which was about 35sqm. I found it more than enough.

Blacky

 

What a fantastic experience!
While a teenager my family and I lived in a small bungalow in Port Moresby for a couple of years ; louvers for windows and very thin walls. Pretty small - though the yard was big enough, but it was pretty bare bones.Mum made the curtains and the chair cushion covers. We had about 1 bag's worth of stuff too. I think it was easier for us kids than it was for the parents.
We all shared the bathroom but were pretty used to that anyway.
I know we were all glad to get back to our lovely big house in our bushy Sydney suburb when that stint was over. But we looked back on that time as very formative, cleansing, earthing.
Good on you. I have had ideas of doing something like that (but still live in a big house with a big garden).. Do you have any pics?

 

What about after the kids have grown and moved out? Would you do it again?

 

Quitter

In all seriousness, I have watched some of those shows and wondered what they were thinking.

 

good on you for doing it!! so many people live in big houses consuming copious amounts of ****!! have you found that moving back into a bigger house you have the luxuries but less "stuff"? there's some good info out there
Slow Your Home - Slow right down and live the simpler life you want
Curing Affluenza


We are living in a grany flat with my parents between buying/selling homes. We have a kitchen/lounge room land then the games room has 4 beds in it! there is a small bedroom but with the littlies we gave up on our adult human room a while ago! we fit our stuff into a small storage room and are sickened by the amount of stuff my parents have!! so much built up and hoarded over the years. we cant stand it. we spent a lot of time in a 16 foot caravan and you get to appreciate what small amount of things you actually need to live then the rest is enjoying life and each other. many people probably thing we are strange - the mother in law thinks our parenting is "unique", but i think we are normal and everyone else has it wrong!

btw i "liked" then "unliked" your post when i got to the end ....haha i still like it good on you for giving it a go! im sure the challenges and experience will have a positive effect on your family

 

haha it would have been! kids are so adaptable and the parents are more affected by the new environment, new people, new routine etc

what made your family over there?

 

Especially the ones with kids or pets

 

Was this move to a smaller place meant to be permanent because you had committed to small living?

Or was it due to having to move temporarily because of renovations at your home or a job etc.?

 

Ever since our kids moved out last year, I look around our huge living room grieving over the "space" that doesn't have any furniture in it. Then I remind myself that I'm not hurting my feet on pieces of lego and metal train engines and all is good again.

I have no intentions of ever living permanently in a Tiny House (aka caravan), but for temp accommodatgion it is just that - accommodation. Remeber that in some countries, family units really do live in one room. When it is the wet season and you have a thatched roof and mud floors, and no "sanitation", a Tiny House would be luxury.

Good on you, @freyja, for giving it a go.

 

Just over 12 months ago I sold what was our family home (4 bdr, reasonably large yard) and downsized to a Torrens Titled villa. Our children had purchased their own homes and moved away and sadly I lost my wife 2yrs ago. So, I couldn't see the sense in maintaining a large home with only myself residing in it. The villa I purchased is modern with everything I need. Now that I am approaching retirement the last thing I want to spend time doing is home maintenance, lawns and the like. My lifestyle lends itself to outdoor living.
Having a family live where I am now would be very difficult.
Thankfully, downsizing also put money in my pocket. Best decision I have made. Not for everyone though!

 

I cant live without a large garden, I love spending time in it and doing stuff in the garden
I yet to find anything as relax as watching fish swimming in a large pond, they come and greet you when you near and eat out of your hand

and I like a large house for all my gadgets, so it more like a resort whatever I need it there to enjoy and never have to pack it away, each has its own places

 

My garden is the Pacific Ocean. Each to their own I guess.

 

bigger yard than mine for sure

 

We are currently decluttering our home in preparation to move into a 'tiny house' 3km away should we wish to free up $30k a year (the difference in 'rent' between the 2 places, we'd just swap the PPOR for the IP). We can't decide whether to do it or not, hence we're just going to be in a ready state to do it. Having had previous hoarding tendencies (more an inability to throw things out), it's liberating to get rid of junk that I've spent 10 years carting around from house to house. Also the financial difference is significant and could allow an earlier retirement.

I wouldn't be able to keep my chookies though! Still, for $30k a year...

 

Great, honest post.

Have you still managed to cut out a lot of the stuff? When we moved last year - we carried out a massive cull. We try to only buy/keep stuff that serves a purpose/makes us happy. All the other crap was given away/thrown out. It seems to make life a bit easier - less stuff to tidy up/maintain. Less clutter/cleaner house (usually.... the kids still manage to trash it).

Cheers

Jamie

 

Just quickly - short answer would be debt -+ career move for Dad. Simple lifestyle plus tenants paying the mortgage solved a few financial problems. The increased family closeness and fantastic social lifestyle gave each of us a new lease on life, too.

 

Thanks for sharing this, I look at them and often wonder how can people actually live in them? I have a 5 bedroom home on a 1000 m2 block and with 3 kids, husband and my dad living with us, it’s just not big enough.