I asked 13 Tiny Housers the question, “What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from tiny house living?”
In this special compilation episode, I’m sharing their answers with you, so you can take their insights into your own tiny house journey.
You’ll hear topics such as…
- Conscious consumption, use of resources and our impact on the Earth
- Intentional living, simplifying and slowing life down
- What we do and DON’T need to be happy
- Self-sufficiency and resilience
- Designing a space around your dream life… and plenty more!
What You Really Need to Have a Happy and Fulfilling Life
Colin Leeson from the Serenity Tiny House (Brisbane, QLD)
“Throughout my life, I’ve been captive to the idea I need the best car, best gadget, or the next cool possession to be happy. And then I was prepared to trade my life for the amount of work required to get those things. Unfortunately, this is because we all live in a world where the perceived need for more is thrust upon us, all day every day. Living in a tiny house has allowed me to mostly escape from that mindset. I’ve truly learned that a simple life is a great life.”
Listen to our full conversation: Making Tiny Houses Accessible
How Much Can You Strip Back Your Personal Levels of Consumption?
Emmet Blackwell from The Woodbutchers Tiny House (Western Australia)
“Realising how much we can strip back our personal levels of consumption, in the form of unnecessary building space, infrastructure, possessions, energy and water use. This was especially the case for me with my own tiny house, as the design was very stripped back, simple and built on a budget, including only a kitchenette and bedroom area. I also constructed a simple compost toilet and bathroom outside of the tiny house, so the hands-on experience of designing and managing my own energy, waste and water systems meant that I had become increasingly aware of my exact ecological footprint. And this transformed the way I lived compared to the way I grew up living in a conventional house in the suburbs.”
Listen to our full conversation: Considerations & Challenges of Tiny House Living
Everything You Buy Has an Impact on Your Own Space and the Earth
Clare Lovelace from Soul Tribe Studio (Batemans Bay, NSW)
“Only to buy what is actually necessary. I’ve learned how to recycle and up-purpose and fix things instead of buying new things. And I really understand now that everything has an impact on my own space and the Earth. Because everything I buy takes resources from the Earth. So I’m so much more mindful about what I’m actually buying. And instead of buying stuff, I’m more likely to make things myself or trade with my friends, and it’s a beautiful way to live.”
Listen to our full conversation: Van Life & Being a Minimalist
If You Have Hobbies or Activities That Require Gear, You’ll Want Extra Storage Space
Lisa Tranter from Tailored Tiny Co (Blue Mountains, NSW)
“A shed, shipping container, borrow someone’s garage. We have snow gear. I have a horse. Matt has classic cars, and we both enjoy camping. And those sorts of things we don’t want to try and fit into our house. Our house is for living. Those things you only bring out seasonally or for a few months… A good place for those things to be stored is elsewhere. You don’t want to try and fit them in the house.”
Listen to our full conversation: Living the Tiny House Dream
Having a lot of Possessions Weighs You Down
Kathy McMillan from A Tiny Life After All (Dunghutti Country, Mid-North Coast, NSW)
“You don’t need much stuff to be happy. Having a lot of possessions weighs you down. Not just physically, in terms of it being a mission to move. But mentally and emotionally too. It took a long time to reach this conclusion. We were stuck in a consumerist mindset, that we needed more things to be happy. There was a lot of the self-talk… ‘I’ll be happy when we have… a bigger house, a better car, nicer furniture, clothes or whatever.’ Looking back, all those things were an attempt to fill holes. Holes that would be better filled with experiences and spending time doing things with the people we love.”
Listen to our full conversations: Off-the-Grid in a Tiny House
Composting Toilet Experiences (Separett Tiny)
How Much Do You Need to Live a Really Full Life?
Briony Jenkinson from Park My Tiny House (Central Victoria)
“It’s all too easy to buy into the things that society tells you you should aspire to. We’re bombarded with marketing messages every other day on all platforms. The underlying message from all those sales pitches is… You are somehow ‘less-than’ or ‘missing out’ if you’re not buying whatever it is they’re trying to sell you. We’re sold the idea that we are not successful as we could be if we’re not homeowners in the traditional sense, which people are starting to move away from when taking up tiny house living. It really boils down to, how little you need to live and live well. You really only need four things, in terms of materials needs. You need a roof over your head. Warm clothes on your back. A bed to sleep in. And food on the table.”
Listen to our full conversation: How to Find a Parking Space For Your Tiny House
FB Group: Tiny Houses Buy & Sell Australia
When It Comes To Your Home, Is Bigger Better?
Anthony Hill from Little Fig of the Hamptons (Northern Rivers, NSW)
“When it comes to my home, bigger is definitely not better. I’ve been able to live without a mortgage or debt for many years now, without any electricity bills. And my quality of life has increased substantially. I can’t imagine that I’d ever go back to living in a normal house or flat ever again.”
Listen to our full conversation: Relationships in Small Spaces & Connecting with the Seasons
Tiny Houses Can Be Designed & Constructed to Suit People of all Physical Abilities
Tom Coupe from TC Tiny (Victoria)
“I actually had the experience of doing quite a nasty back injury and became very thankful for the measures I had built into the house, which were not intended for myself to use. They were always intended as an example of how tiny houses could be built to cater for all skill levels and all physical abilities. I wasn’t intending for me to be that person who used it. But there I was, quite suddenly unable to do simple tasks. I was extremely thankful for the house being on one level. I think if it had a loft bed I would have had to move out of it. The house was also quite low to the ground which made getting in and out very easy. I’d certainly encourage people to consider when designing a tiny house, what their physical skill level is. Not just at the time of building but how it might be down the track.”
Listen to our full conversation: Bushfire Resilience and Tiny Homes
Living Experientially, Not Commoditized
Jimmy Hirst from Polkadot (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
“We don’t need much to be happy and content when we go tiny, because we don’t need stuff. In a tiny house, there’s little room to hoard it. So I’ve become more environmentally sustainable and saved a lot of money in the process. And rather than living commoditized, I’m living experientially. I live to be and experience life with others. Learning a sense of humility and appreciation for other people. Because land is expensive and you don’t need to own land. You don’t need much land to park a tiny house, so you can share it with others, and help them curate and maintain their land.”
Listen to our full conversation: Tiny House Eco Communities
FB Group: Tiny Houses Tiny Villages (Polkadot)
Design a Space Around Your Dream Life
Marie Beringer (Auckland, New Zealand)
“You can design your tiny house for the life you want to have. You don’t need a lot of space or a thousand different windows, because this is going to be more time to clean and more time you spend inside your house as well. I wanted to design a small, very efficient space for the things I need to do, and I’ve got more time to do the things I love. I got to imagine my dream life and design my space around it.”
Listen to our full conversation: Women in Carpentry & Tiny House Building
How to Be Self-Sufficient When it Comes to Home Repairs
Ethan Waldman from the Tiny House Lifestyle Podcast (Burlington, Vermont, USA)
“Over the course of 10 years with my tiny house, I’ve done electrical, plumbing, propane, carpentry, you name it. When things break, instead of calling a contractor, I think about how I can fix it myself. And I do research and I learn new skills and I get to buy new tools. And that’s really something that tiny house living has given me. That drive to be self-sufficient and to learn how to, not just do home improvement, but do home maintenance and home repairs in a way that I never thought I would be able to do myself.”
Listen to our full conversation: Tiny House Decisions
Remembering Your Resilience and Letting Go of Stuff That Doesn’t Serve You
Mel Sparkles from Slice of Tiny Pai (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
“When you get going on the tiny journey, it can really shake things up. From learning to let go of stuff you don’t need. Letting go of old attitudes and ways, and then letting go some more. And then some more again. It feels a bit endless. This is where resilience comes in. This covers looking at your mental, physical and spiritual health, and then making changes to suit your new, upgraded life. For me, it’s a much-needed upgrade of letting go of old ideas and ways that don’t serve me anymore. Not to mention stuff. What’s tricky about that is when you let go, there is the space, which usually gets filled up quickly with new stuff.”
Listen to our full conversation: Stay tuned in a future episode
FB Group: Tiny Houses Brisbane & QLD
FB Group: Land and Tiny Houses to Rent or Buy in Australia
Living a Life of Intentionality, Not Deprivation
Amy from Life Done Simple (South-East QLD)
“Previously, when we lived in a traditional house, I was of the opinion that bigger meant more. More comfort, more happiness and more success. In reality, it meant less money, less time and less connection, but more stress. In going tiny, we haven’t sacrificed on space or general comforts. Instead, we have been intentional in creating a home that serves our family’s daily needs, while still being beautiful and comfortable. Having limited space means we’re also conscious about what we choose to bring into our home. We have created a life we love, where happiness is found in simple, slow moments and a slower life. I am learning to sit in the quiet, to slow my mind, to be present and enjoy the ‘now’. When we reduced our physical possessions and downsized our home, we made space for life.”
Listen to our full conversation: Stay tuned in a future episode
What About You?
If you’re a tiny houser I’d love to hear your own response to the question, “What’s one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned from tiny house living?”
Share your answer and tag me on socials through the links below or send me an email with your insights at: tinyhouseconversations@gmail.com
Thanks so much for being here. Your support means the world, and know that we’re co-creating this Tiny House Conversations podcast together. Without you continuing to listen and being part of the conversation, this show wouldn’t be here.
