What reasons will make you switch to tiny house living?
For Deb and Peter, they didn’t just have one reason, they had a lot of reasons to downsize from a regular-sized house in Auckland to a tiny home in Kerikeri.
Their major reason for downsizing, though, included their family.
Living in Auckland, they were always trying to win the rat race and to always be bigger and better.
Deb and Peter got tired of that lifestyle, especially while raising their young daughter.
They wanted to spend their money on travel and experiences and not on competition.
They built their tiny home on Peter’s father’s land in Kerikeri, New Zealand because he wanted to be closer in proximity.
The idea to build the tiny home came about because Peter’s mom was diagnosed with cancer and they wanted to live near his parents.
Unfortunately, his mom passed away before the house was finished but they still get to be there to support his dad.
Moving to the suburbs of Kerikeri was an easy decision as well because they get the best of both worlds.
They can go to the city whenever they want because it’s just a few minutes away.
But they live in the countryside full-time where they can get to enjoy nature all around them.
This is especially great for their daughter, who gets to explore the world around her.
“Tiny living means she’s outside all the time and that’s what we wanted. We didn’t want to raise her on a device. That’s really important for us,” Deb explained.
The entire tiny house was built to have experiences.
They added an outdoor deck, where they can host family and friends or just have extra space for their activities.
To get inside the house, the couple didn’t just build a door.
They installed three glass doors that open up to have that indoor/outdoor feel.
Even if their on the lounge reading, or eating their meals in the dining area, it doesn’t feel like you’re inside the house when the doors are open.
The house is built with many big windows so they’ll always feel and see the outdoors.
The kitchen has been peppered with lots of storage and counter space.
They have separate areas for the cooking and prep area, and for the appliances.
One of the smart ideas for the kitchen is to have cupboards and drawers.
They keep their pantry in the drawers so they see every bit of food they have.
The cupboard holds the microwave so it’s still there but kept hidden.
They spend a lot of time in the kitchen and it makes sense to make it very functional.
They have a long counter with the stove at one end, the prep area and sink in the middle and the dining area at the other end.
Plus they have a huge window that opens up to the outdoor deck.
This is a huge help whenever they’re spending time outside or hosting their family and friends.
The people inside the kitchen are not kept separate from the people outside so they can still interact with each other.
Upstairs, they managed to build two bedrooms.
Deb and Peter’s bedroom is on the landing while their daughter’s bedroom is at the other end, separated by a door.
They made sure that their daughter has her own personal space, where she is free to explore her creative mind.
Since their daughter is very young, they placed their bedroom by the stairs so they can see her going up and down to avoid any accidents.
Deb and Peter may have downsized their home and belongings but their life is far from being downsized.
Their life now has vastly improved, especially when it comes to their daughter’s quality of life.
They do plan to eventually build a bigger home on their own piece of land because they want to have a bigger family.
But for now, tiny home living is where they want and need to be.
Want to see the rest of their house? Watch the video below.
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