This Tiny House Is Surrounded by Nature, Boasts a Downstairs Bedroom and Runs Off-Grid

Moving a tiny home to a different location is much easier than a traditional house. Most of these dwellings are mobile and can be transported to any place that allows them. People who choose this kind of lifestyle are happy to get rid of mortgage rates and expensive bills and, at the same time, can own a place to call their own.

Bethan is a woman who chose to move into a tiny home for many reasons. A few of those reasons are reducing her footprint and being more environmentally friendly. Her house measures 32 ft (10 m) in length and 10 ft (3 m) in width. It does not have a second level or a loft because she did not like the idea of going upstairs every night to sleep. This layout also offers more headspace and makes the interior look more spacious.

The exterior is exceptionally prepared for any weather. The walls are made entirely of steel sandwich panels with thick insulation. In the winter, it keeps the inside of the house warm, and in the summer, it keeps it cold. The deck is giant as it has the same length as the house. It has two stair steps at each end, a table with benches, an umbrella, and a bean bag.

Since Bethan is mindful of Mother Earth, the house has an off-grid system with solar panels mounted in the garden, a water tank with a hose that connects to the plumbing, and a gray water system.

While the house size is not enormous, you do not feel cramped once you step inside. This is due to the fact that the ceiling stands high, and the interior color scheme is bright and welcoming.

The living room and kitchen have an open-space concept. Bethan can enjoy the sunset from her couch through the two big glass entrance doors. The couch can be used as a guest bed and storage. Next to it is a coffee table with a TV, a bookshelf with tons of books, plants, dual timezone clocks, and many wall pictures representing all the places she traveled to.

The kitchen comes in a decent size but is fully functional. There is plenty of cuisine space since Bethan enjoys cooking. We find a dishwasher, a washing machine, a gas cooker, a steel sink, a microwave, a rangehood, and an apartment-size refrigerator. Bethan chose all the appliances with the lowest water usage and electricity. There is plenty of storage provided by the base and upper cabinets. On the right side of the kitchen is an office with a small desk, a chair, and a storage cabinet.

Next is the bathroom, which is located in the hallway and can be accessed through a pocket door. It might look like there is little space available, but she did manage to fit a bathtub, a composting toilet, a small vanity with a sink, and a large open shelving cabinet. Installing a tub in a tiny home can be considered a luxury since most of these bathrooms are so small that even a teensy-weensy shower cabin can struggle. More storage can be found in the hallway, where she placed a massive broom cabinet.

The last area in the house is the downstairs bedroom. For a tiny home, it is pretty spacious. The deck can be accessed from here through the sliding doors. They provide just enough natural light and help open the space much more. The bedroom has a twin-size bed, a sizeable wardrobe, two cabinets, and even more wall pictures.

The house is located in Auckland, New Zealand, on a farm. It cost A$ 69,990 ($43,300), and with all the changes that have been done to the interior, the final price ended up at A$75,000 ($47,000). Bethan moved into the tiny home in 2020, and since the price is so affordable and the house is connected to an off-grid system, she managed to pay the loan in about two years. Depending on the size, the builder, and the customizations, tiny houses can cost as much as $200,000. But many of them are similar in price to the one presented above.

She currently rents the parking spot but plans to own a piece of land for her tiny. The next step in house decorating is painting the interior since, right now, it is just plain white. But Bethan does not plan to have anything else changed to the house until she has her land.