‘I can’t wait to return to my tiny house’

“MY LIFE will be hugely simplified by chucking out or giving away the possessions I’ve accumulated over the years.

“I have a built-in aversion to buying household things and other items, knowing I have nowhere to put them.”

This simplification of life is just one of the reasons why Mike Addison cannot wait to return to his 30m² home in the Western Cape.

“I would also save masses of cash currently spent on running my ‘big home’, not to mention the mortgage. Imagine having the freedom and money for the truly joyful stuff in life.”

The dream home Addison so fondly talks about is a converted 12m x 2.5m shipping container that is currently being rented out on Airnbnb.

However, he plans to live there again one day for “like forever”.

Describing his home, which was converted by Sustain Ability Prod- uct, Addison says the outside is the original container exterior.

The inside is divided into the main living area – comprising kitchen, dining room and corner sofa – and has a bedroom at each end. Next to the main bedroom is the bathroom.

The main bedroom contains a double bed with bedside tables, a hanging cupboard and storage space.

The second bedroom has two adult-sized bunk beds, each with a bedside table, plus hanging space and storage. The house it is completely off-grid.

“I believe the interior is unexpectedly spacious because the furniture is scaled and custom built to fit. The ceiling is very high.

“Even with four people, which is the sleeping capacity, it does not seem crowded.”

Addison says he hosted a braai for 12 people on the deck one summer afternoon, but it unexpectedly started raining, accompanied by chilly winds.

“We all somehow squeezed into the container and had a raucously wonderful time until the wee hours.”

Addison says the sliding glass doors leading into the house give an added feeling of spaciousness.

When the doors are fully opened, the living environment naturally extends to the 8m x 3m deck, where the braai is located.

‘The interior is