Lynda Mackillican, 56, shares her story:
Scrolling through Facebook back in 2009, I stopped in my tracks.
This is so cool, I thought.
It was a photo of a beautifully formed tiny house posted by Jay Shafer, the godfather of tiny houses.
Starting my research, I found people all over the world living in tiny houses.
Read more: Tarot cards told me to build an eco village…so I did!
I learnt that these houses are under 40 square meters, often on wheels, designed to be cost-effective.
Cost-effective would be nice! I reflected.
I had recently moved from the UK to Perth and was living on my own in a rental.
In Australia, I found an online community of Aussie tiny house owners.
I love how eco-friendly my new house is! one owner wrote.
The more I learned from them, the more I realised I could build one myself.
Then, in 2018, with the cost of rent and bills skyrocketing, I took the plunge.
I phoned a Perth company called Tiny Homes WA.
“How much would a 7m house with a loft cost?” I inquired.
“We can do it for $60,000,” they replied.
That’s nothing compared to a 30-year mortgage, I thought.
The only problem was that tiny houses were so new, local councils didn’t have any policies for them.
Classified as caravans rather than permanent dwellings, it was illegal to live in one permanently.
Contacting other Aussie tiny house dwellers on Facebook, I learned this lack of policy left them vulnerable. If someone complains about them, they have to move on right away.
I started volunteering for the Australian Tiny House Association (ATHA) and joined the fight for policy change. Meanwhile, I built a tiny house and kept it as an art studio until I could live in it with more security.
I used my savings to buy the home outright, something I never thought possible!
Four months later, Tiny Homes WA finished the frame and trailer of my 7.2m long, 2.45m wide & 4.2m tall home. Over the next two years, my weekends were spent fitting out the interior, with the help
of a few friends and my trusty nail gun.
Just like a normal house, but smaller, ‘Tiny’ has been my happy place for six years.
Complete with a queen bed, fridge, oven, toilet, bath, and air-conditioning, it’s more comfortable than any rental I’ve lived in.
And I can vacuum it top to bottom in five minutes!
Because I’m not tied down with debt, I’m now able to work less and live more.
I often host ‘tiny’ dinner parties and gatherings. My mates are shocked by how homey my place feels.
“I can’t believe how spacious it is,” one friend said on her first visit.
In 2022, thanks in part to the ATHA’s campaigning, Esperance Shire Council adopted a policy that recognised tiny homes as permanent dwellings — a first for Australia.
As soon as I found out, I rented a piece of land in Esperance. However, I’ve been in the UK campaigning for tiny house rights there.
With the current cost-of-living crisis and growing homelessness, tiny houses would be a great solution.
I can’t wait to get back to my tiny Esperance home.
It may be small, but it’s made my life so much bigger!
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