Many will look back on 2020 as a catalyst to re-assess their life goals.  The restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic caused people to stop and think about what is truly important for a fulfilling life.

The lifestyle ‘reset’ experienced by many in 2020 due to the pandemic is familiar to those in the Tiny House community.

Darren Hughes is the founder of Tiny Houses Australia. Like many, it was a major life challenge that made him reassess his priorities in life. His interest in ‘living tiny’ began when his marriage ended and he needed somewhere affordable to live.

“I came across the concept of Tiny Houses but couldn’t find a lot of information, so I started a Facebook page,” Darren said.

“That was about seven or eight years ago. We now have a couple of Facebook pages with about 25,000 people in those groups.

“There has been a lot of interest in the last couple of years, partially because word has spread but also because more people have seen Tiny Houses in mainstream media. TV shows and more stories about them in the news.

“But I never envisaged my initial interest in Tiny Houses would turn into a business.”

It was through the Facebook page that Darren met his now-partner Lisa, who also expressed an interest in downsizing. Together the couple have developed a business that aims to bring the burgeoning Tiny House community together.

While some may see cost as a factor when deciding on a Tiny House, for those who have embraced the lifestyle it is much more than an economic choice.

“A lot of people are starting to reassess their financial situation,” Darren said.

“It has been happening over the past few years but more so now with Covid. People are reassessing what size house they actually need and what level of debt they should be carrying.

“When people start living tiny for a long period of time – whether it’s a tiny house, a caravan, a container a bus or whatever – the advantages are that you get rid of a lot of stuff, the clutter. When you get rid of all the accumulated stuff – the books you don’t read, the clothes you don’t wear, such a weight is lifted off your shoulders.  

“Covid has spurred the amount of interest in tiny houses, it’s made people reassess. A lot of the builders have been inundated with enquiries through people realising they don’t need all the stuff and the big mortgage.”

When deciding whether or not a Tiny House is for you it is important to gather as much information as possible. Online communities offer a wealth of information and ideas and welcome everyone, from experts to those just starting to consider a scaled-down life.

Just as the community is diverse, so are the houses. They can include everything from remodelled shipping containers, buses or purpose-built homes.

One thing nearly everyone involved in the community agrees on is the ambiguity surrounding building regulations.

Currently, no one set of regulations applies to Tiny House living. Laws – and law-enforcement – will vary from council to council. As a general rule, councils tend to regard Tiny Houses as caravans, as they are not considered permanent structures and can be moved from place to place. This means the rules that apply to caravan living apply to Tiny Houses. They must be transportable (on wheels) and they must not exceed a certain size.

As Darren explained, generally those who adhere to the tiny lifestyle do not like to think of their homes as caravans.

“They are vastly different to caravans; they’re built far more robustly and more house-like in the construction.” Darren said.

According to those in the community, thousands of people have made their homes in Tiny Houses throughout Australia.

“In our Facebook community there are numerous threads happening about how to deal with council regulations and so on,” Darren said.

“The short answer at the moment is there is no hard and fast rule or check list you can go to.

“Worst case scenario would be if the council found out and decided to hassle you, you would tow it away to another spot.”

As well as navigating confusing council regulations, Darren says people considering a Tiny House need to be realistic about what they are prepared to let go of. And, if in a relationship, ask yourself honestly if it will survive the tiny lifestyle.

“For some people letting go of their stuff is a hard thing. A lot of people have spent so much time and money accumulating their things, they have a real attachment and have difficulty letting go.

“The whole idea of minimalism is not so much getting rid of the things that are special to you. It’s getting rid of the stuff that you don’t use and don’t need.

“The other pitfall, especially in a relationship, is learning to live in a smaller space. If you’re a couple and you have a big house it’s easy to live your life and hardly see your partner. But in a tiny house you are kind of always in each other’s faces, so there’s a bit of a learning curve there as well.

“Lisa and I both realised through our own paths that assets and things and money don’t matter, it’s experiences and relationships that do matter. So, the advantage of us coming together is we are both on the same page, we just want a simple life.

“And I think that’s what tiny houses is all about. People that decide to go tiny have come to a point in whatever way where they’re going ‘I need to do a reset of my life’ They’ve looked at what’s important and what’s not important and there’s a lot of positives in tiny living.”

With three small children, Tiny House living is not yet a lifestyle choice for Laura and Kev Martin. But as owner/operators of Pyrenees Tiny House B&B, Laura can see the appeal of a scaled down life.

“I often say to Kev, once the kids are off our hands, we’re moving here,” Laura says.

Set on 400 acres of grazing land and surrounded by the Bung Bong state forest, the holiday accommodation offers visitors the ultimate in off-grid living.

If the couple weren’t busy enough running their farm and building business while raising three children, Laura said they have been surprised at how popular the Tiny House has been.

“Since we started a few months ago we’ve had back-to-back bookings,” Laura said.

“A lot of them are people just wanting to escape the city or suburbs for a few days, but we’ve also had quite a few who have come here to ‘try out’ tiny living and see if it really is for them.”

For information about the Tiny House festival being held in Bendigo this September go to: www.facebook.com/TinyHouseFestivalAustralia/photos

For information on the Pyrenees Tiny House call Laura on: 0417 014 164