SMALL HOUSE, BIG PERSONALITY!
I can finally live in my tiny dream home
Lynda Mackillican, 56, Esperance, WA.
Scrolling through Facebook back in 2009, I stopped in my tracks. is 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.
I learnt that these houses are under 40 square meters, often on wheels, designed to be cost-e ective.
Cost-e ective would be nice! I re ected.
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.
e more I learned from them, the more I realised I could build one myself.
en, 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.
at’s nothing compared to a 30-year mortgage, I thought.
e only problem was that tiny houses were so new, local councils didn’t have any policies for them. Classi ed 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 ght 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 nished 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 tting 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 ve 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 rst 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 rst 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-ofliving 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!
I can vacuum it in five minutes!
Ants hate talcum powder, so sprinkle some where they start venturing into your home.
Carol Hill, South
Launceston, Tas.
Mash up avocados and put scoops onto a tray to be frozen. When they’re rm, put the scoops in a zip-lock bag and thaw out one or two scoops when needed.
Diana Lynch, Geelong, Vic.
Clean any water marks off your taps by rubbing in a blob of toothpaste.
Lisa Aziz, Wollongong, NSW.
Using kitchen scissors is a much easier way to slice up pizzas than a knife.
Veronica Dillon, Glen Waverley, Vic.
If you’re cooking something and it tastes bland, add lemon juice or vinegar to give it a little acidity. A chef taught me this!
Ellie Russell, North Lakes, Qld.
Put icing sugar into a loose-leaf tea steeper before you sprinkle it over cakes and desserts. It’ll sprinkle more evenly.
Dorothy Owens, Busselton, WA.
I’ve saved lots of money by ordering books I want to read at the library instead of buying them.
Jo Kang, Bunbury, WA.
Baby oil is cheaper than shaving cream and works really well for a close shave on legs.
Lila Middleton, Dubbo, NSW.
Wind a rubber band around the soap pump in your bathroom so that people don’t pump (and waste) too much of it.
Amy Lee, Lower Hutt, NZ.
Old shower caps are useful for covering large bowls of food in the fridge.
Karen Davis, Rotorua, NZ.
If you’re cooking a meal for friends, heat the dinner plates. It will impress your guests by keeping your food warmer for longer.
Anneke Visser, Kellyville, NSW.
I have all my body measurements saved in my phone so they’re easy to check when I’m online shopping and want to buy the right size.
Tori Ryan, Albany, WA.
Cookbook holders are great for storing chopping boards in the kitchen so they look tidy.
Lynda Reid, Toowoomba, Qld.