People have different reasons behind their choice to lead a ‘tiny house’ lifestyle.
Most of them don’t want to be strapped with a mortgage – which is understandable, granted how expensive housing is these days. Others want to declutter and tend to prefer a minimalist lifestyle.
Generally, it is a genius and bold move for financial reasons.
For people wanting to save on living costs, building and living in a tiny home is a great choice for a minimal budget.
Michelle “MJ” Boyle realized this when her children went off to college.
As a single mother living paycheck to paycheck, she experienced how difficult it was simply to survive. Most of her income went directly to the essentials. She wanted to enjoy her newfound freedom now that her kids were away from home, but it seemed that the cost of living was just way too high.
She started thinking of retirement, but that was not an affordable step.
She thought of building and living in a tiny house. She invested in a tiny home with the money she saved from her monthly income in the corporate world. In a few months, she had her own home that she fondly named ‘My Empty Nest.’
The house was simple, but it had everything she needed in a home.
It had an ample living area with more than enough storage space. MJ said she couldn’t let go of her collection of shoes (boots, sandals, and heels), accessories, scarves, and hats. And they’re hidden everywhere – from compartments on the stairs to under her couch.
She also had a walk-in closet that led to her bathroom.
MJ wanted her bathroom to be as far away from the kitchen as she could get it to eliminate any smells. Surprisingly, she said, her composting toilet doesn’t smell at all. She was happy how this choice (and the design of her entire bathroom) also reduces the carbon footprint of her entire home.
But her favorite part of the house is her full-sized kitchen.
All her appliances are vintage – circa 1945 – which she curated herself. She refurbished them and had them powder-coated. Her drainboard was also something she worked with. It was an old one about to be thrown away, but she thought she could use it in her tiny home.
MJ added a catwalk – a 2×4 plank of wood that connected her bedroom and cat loft.
She lived with a cat, and she wanted to make the cat loft more accessible for her cat. It was an addition that was also a blessing in disguise because it worked as a “handrail” when she went up and down her stairs.
With her tiny house, MJ’s monthly bill totaled only $75.
That left her enough budget to build more tiny homes as home rentals, especially for those who want to give tiny living a try before building their own tiny home.
She currently has five other tiny homes for rent.
MJ named each other her properties based on their exterior design or overall interior feel. You can visit her website if you want to check her other properties and would like to rent or get some tiny home ideas.
Hear MJ’s story and see a tour of her ‘Empty Nest’ in the video below!
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