She Escaped Rising Rent and Retired Off Grid in a Tiny House Living Big In A Tiny House

Retirement should be an opportunity to reclaim our lives for ourselves, to build a life of our choosing. But sadly, that's not always the case. For so many people out there, there's so much anxiety now around retiring and how they're going to make things financially work for themselves. But today, we're about to meet an inspiring woman who has built herself a beautiful tiny house that truly allows her to live big in her retirement. Hi, Kobi, it's so nice to meet you. Likewise, Bryce. Very nice. And what an absolutely gorgeous wee home you have here. Thank you. Tell me about your journey into tiny house living. How did you come to be here? Well, it was pretty much by accident because I was becoming pension age. I wanted to sort of slow down with my work and the place that I was renting, they were going to increase the rent again. Right. So I thought if I want to live on a pension, I cannot survive. Yeah. So I must have picked it up somewhere about a tiny home. And then when I mentioned it to somebody, he said, there's a display village on the south coast. Go and have a look. The first one that I walked into was this model called the Jackson. And my son is called Jackson. Oh, perfect. So I just fell in love with it. And then my son said, well, mom, that's an omen. You've got to you've got to buy it. Yeah. Then slowly I started sort of decluttering. Then I moved here and I'm on a friend's property. I'm closer to the coast now and it's perfect. And this is a lovely property that you found yourself on as well. The outlook is gorgeous. You've got a great amount of space around your home and beautiful gardens that you've started to plant for yourself. I took to it like a duck to water. I love nature. When you live in a tiny home, you don't want to be inside the whole time. Yeah. So I'm always outside playing in the garden. And yeah, I just I love being outside. Tell me about your journey downsizing into the tiny house. Well, that was very easy for me because I'm Dutch for starters and we live very minimal. And every few years I was moving house. And then when you do that, you realize that you don't want to continue to lug the same things with you. And I've also lived in Japan where you live very small. So I knew that I did not need much and it felt so liberating to just have stuff that you use. And then the trick when you live in a tiny home, when you bring something in, you take something out. Otherwise, it just gets too much. So prior to being in this tiny house, you were renting, but now you own your own home. How's that? Oh, it's great. I also live off grid, so the overheads are just minimal. You know, I've got my solar panels, my water tank. I've got a compost toilet. I've got a few gas bottles for hot water. It's very simple, inexpensive living. And you're here on a friend's property, so you have a very secure parking spot, much lower overheads. That must feel so much more secure as you now come into retirement. Absolutely, yes. It's such stress-free living. Beautiful. And what size is your tiny home? It is three meters wide by 8.2 meters long and 4.6 meters high. And that was the standard measurements when I bought it. And can you tell me about the design of this house? Well, I didn't have much input. This was the first tiny home that I looked at. I could not compare it to anything, so everything that I saw was perfect. It all happened very spontaneously. And then you've got this wonderful outdoor deck area as well. When you have a tiny home, you need to have a deck because it's almost like another room. You've got the awning, and this is 2 by 4 meters. And in the winter, I have a patio heater sitting here so I can sit outside. And it's perfect. I love it. And you've even hidden a bathtub in the deck, haven't you? Yeah, a spa bath. A spa bath? Yes. Oh, even better. Yeah, that was a good choice. I have to move the furniture and then lift the lid up and put a lid to the side and fill it up. Which I don't do a lot because it takes a lot of water and I'm careful with my rainwater. But on days where it's been really hot, I filled it up with cold water and I just sat in there with a gin and tonic. Lovely. So not bad, is it? Not bad at all. So being off the grid in this house, was that a big adjustment for you? I think I just learned as I went along. My friend is very familiar. Not that he lives off grid, but he is the ultimate handyman. So he gave me lots of ideas. I also looked on some tiny home YouTubes. You just have to reach out and ask and then be creative and put it to the test. Yeah. And that's what I've really enjoyed. And I've had the time for it as well now that I don't work anymore. You become very creative. Yeah. What did you do before retirement? I mostly was in aged care, assisting elderly people. And I loved that. And I was my own boss like that. And I still do a little bit of voluntary work. Having worked in aged care, how did that shape your own vision for your own retirement and golden years? Well, certainly wanting to be independent. Thank goodness I've got beautiful sons that if anything happens, I know they are on my side. They would never sort of push me into a nursing home. But I became aware of it that you be a well human being, stay fit, stay active. Yeah. Stay part of the community. That really helps. I've seen enough elderly people in the community that have that uncertainty. Yeah. And I don't have that here. The recipe for a beautiful retirement. Yeah. I love that. Well, I absolutely love what you're creating here for yourself. I think this house is absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to see inside. Can we have a look? Yes. Okay. Welcome. Thank you. This is absolutely gorgeous. You have such a beautiful style. Oh, thank you. It's kind of Dutch, isn't it? It is. Well, not that you would know, but it's minimal and it's easy. Yeah. Easy to keep clean. Yeah. Well, I used to live in Europe, so I do have a little bit of experience with Dutch homes and they're absolutely gorgeous. And as you say, it is that very sort of light, beautiful, minimal, but then also with these very soft touches that come from all of the gorgeous fabrics that you've chosen. Yes. You have lovely artwork in here as well. Oh, thank you. It's a work in progress. I've been in now for just over three years and it's changing all the time. I like that. Because, you know, when you live in a small space, you look at it all the time and then you go, oh, that's not quite right. And I might change that. And always changing. I like it. Having been a renter prior to moving into this tiny house, what was it like being able to take a space like this home and truly make it yours? Oh, it just feels so good. You don't have to please anybody. Well, it helps that I live on my own. So it's all my choice. I'm surprised how easy I took to it. I love all the photos that you've got on the wall as well. Obviously, these are your sons? Yes. Those are some tall boys. Yeah. Well, it skipped a generation. It did for my mum too. It's funny. I look at photos of me and my brother standing next to my mum and it's so similar to that. Me and my brother just absolutely tower over her. More to hug. Exactly. Don't they just? Yeah. And what a beautiful and cozy lounge space you've created for yourself. The fire in the corner is just the icing on the cake, isn't it? It's so cozy at night. Just soft light and some candles burning and sitting there in a comfy chair with a glass of wine, staring at the fire, maybe some nice music. Perfect. And what a great outlook you've got from all of the windows in here. Yeah. And getting the eastern sun coming in in the morning, which is lovely in the winter because it's quite warm. And I've got these blinds on the awning and they go all the way down to the deck. So it's almost like another room and the wind comes through it. So it's really lovely and cool. Yeah. What a perfect spot. Yeah. And I have visitors staying, family, friends, and I not so long ago bought this sofa bed and it sleeps wonderfully according to the people that sleep in it. And that's a double bed. So it's easy to rearrange things. And then I've got also a pullout king single chair turns into a bed. So two, four, five people can sleep here. Oh, wow. Yeah. Great. Yeah. Do your sons fit on the bed? Well, their legs stick way out, but they sleep well. And sometimes what I do is they sleep in my bed because that's a king size. Gotcha. And then your kitchen is just lovely as well. A lot of space to work in here. Yeah. It works well for one person and probably for two people as well. I've got my stools here where you can sit and they're adjustable. And then you've got this table that pulls out. And I've had dinner there with two other people. And we somehow fit around it. And I've got lots of storage as well. I can see that. Lots of storage. Yes. So no problem working in this kitchen. And you've got all the appliances. It's a very fully featured kitchen. Yes. Yeah. I haven't used the oven much because I'm waiting for more solar panels. I've managed for three years with three solar panels and they used to be on the roof. And now they are about 30 meters away so that they're facing properly into the sun. So next month I'm having another three panels done. And then I can do some baking, which I look forward to. But otherwise it works fine. And just having the two burners, that's enough as well. Yeah. What kind of cooking do you mostly like to do? Oh, well, I get a bit lazy on my own. You know, I'm happy with steaming veggies or a little piece of fish. I'm a pescatarian. Right. In the winter, pots of soup. Oh, yeah. You know, it's easy. And because I'm out and about quite a bit, I can just sort of get some soup out of the freezer and heat it up. But once I have the solar panels or the extra ones, then I hopefully become a bit more creative. Yeah. And impress my friends. Fair enough too. You know what? I think soup for me is probably one of the ultimate comfort foods. It is. Yeah. Are you keen to get some veggie gardens planted here? Yes, I've got a tiny one in the corner. It's finally starting to happen because I put some mesh over it. So bugs and snails and slugs and whatever won't come to it. So for the first time, it looks like it might actually happen. It sure does. Yeah. And through the kitchen is your bathroom. Can we have a look at that? Yes, yes. Okay. Yeah. Oh, this is really nice. That is a big shower you've got in here. Yeah, it's spacious, isn't it? It surprises everybody. It's well designed. Yeah. It certainly is. And you've got the composting toilet there too? Yeah. How are you finding that? Oh, pretty good. That was also a learning process because you have to do it all yourself and swap the chambers around every six months or so. First, I had the plumber do it. And then I thought, well, why pay him if I can learn to do it myself? You've got to be willing to learn and just give it a go. And then a lovely size vanity you've got here as well. Yes, yeah. And the washing machine fits underneath it. Oh, great. You've got a washing machine in here too then? Yeah. Great. So very fully featured. Yeah. And then, of course, I've got the mirrors there with storage behind it. So every area is well utilized. Yeah, there's space for everything. Brilliant. And then there's the upstairs. Can we have a look up there? Yeah, sure. Okay. Happy to. Oh, and a storage in all these steps. Yeah, very nice. And you get used to the heights of the steps as well after a while. Yeah. Oh, this is really nice up here. Just can't quite stand up. But it's absolutely perfect for you, isn't it? Yes, yeah, yeah. Still have a little bit left. Yeah. And again, lovely style up here with the gorgeous artwork as well. Yes, this has lived in many rental places. And I was so happy that this fitted here. So very happy with it. Absolutely. And a king-sized bed in a tiny house is a definite touch of luxury. And it's got storage drawers, really good quality one. It holds a lot. Absolutely. And this area is really cool over here as well. It looks like a very creative space for you. The puzzle board is awesome. Yes. I used to have a camping table, so it was more raised. But then when I bought that chair that folds into a bed, I've decided to make it work like that. And then you've got your wardrobe and clothes storage over there as well. Yeah, this has storage, jumpers and things. And then at the back, I had that put in for all my hanging space and linen. And then your photographs up here as well. Is that you? Yes, yes. When I was a sweet, naive 21-year-old living in London, somebody suggested, you know, you should do some modelling. And the person that suggested that, she was a top nude model. And she said, come to my agent. And they said, well, you can only do nude modelling. And I thought, oh, really? And then somehow I ended up doing a shoot for Page 3 in the Sun in London. Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, look, I was pretty happy with it and got paid pittance for it. But, you know, as I got older, I thought, you know what? Put it in a frame, be proud of it and show it to the grandchildren. Absolutely. Yeah, what a great thing. What a great photo. And I totally agree. What a lovely memento and a thing to have in your home. Yes, yes. So you've now been living here for about three years. Tell me what life in this tiny home is like for you. It is light. It is simple. It's calming, which is good for me because I'm a bit of a chatty person. I wake up every morning and I have the beautiful view. And I don't have worries, thank God. So, yeah, it's really lovely. And my friends and family love coming here. They see it as a little bit of a family home. Sometimes they stay overnight and they wake up, you know, with this view. I really recommend it. It's so lovely. And it doesn't cost much, really, in comparison to buying a house or an apartment with a mortgage. Yeah. You can buy this outright for a few hundred thousand dollars with everything on it. And in my case, I just keep adding things to it to make it more comfortable, like the solar panels. And I'm incredibly at home here. Yeah. So what did this house cost you to build? All up around two hundred thousand. Great. Yeah. And that was with a lot of extra bits. I know the prices are coming down and designs change a little bit. But, yeah, it's been worth every cent. Tell me about having a space that's just yours. Oh, it's great. It's great. I happen to love living on my own very much. The security and the simplicity and having nature around me. It's so good for your soul. This home feels like a haven to me. It's a calm, safe space. It's a happy space. It's a creative space. Yeah, I become really calm here. This leads to, you know, meditating, thinking of the possibilities of how I can be creative. When I was renting, I think I was a different person here. I've really come into my own. It's just great not to have to have stress. So hopefully more people go and experience living in a tiny home and just find that it's a simple way of living. I think there are so many people that are coming into retirement now that are so worried about their financial security in the future. They're worried about increasing rents and how their pensions are going to stack up next to that. And I think that especially in that baby boomer generation, there are so many people that even if they own their own homes, they're finding themselves in a situation where they're potentially having to downsize in retirement in order to release capital and actually have quality of life in their retirement. What would you say to people who are in that situation but are maybe a little bit resistant to going through that downsizing process? I think regardless of your age, if you can buy a tiny home and you've got a good council and now the laws are changing all the time and hopefully it will be more geared towards people that have their own home and that takes them out of the rental market. If you can afford something like this, yeah, I highly recommend it. There are very low fees that people charge to have a tiny home put on their property. Start looking around, go to tiny home display villages, look at all your wonderful videos and because I can see that every video that you present, it has something interesting where you go, oh yes, that would work for me. There's a lot of food for thought out there if you really want to go down that path. How has tiny house living changed your life? Oh, well, look, as I said before, you've got no worries really. Yes, it's when you have a lot of rain around, you've got to be careful with your power and you've got a generator going. It makes you in tune with nature. You live in a moment. That's a really important one. Yeah, and now that you're here and so beautifully settled into your home, what does the future hold for you now? Well, I'm not planning to leave from here. Maybe now I might start doing some courses again. I want to go to TAFE and look into possibly becoming a death doula. That really appeals to me. Okay. Which carries on from my work in aged care. Yeah. It's important to keep contributing. Yes, I love sort of being lazy with my book and my puzzles and my music and pottering in my garden, but I do a little bit of voluntary work in the village. But yeah, I need to become stimulated again and possibly work part-time. But the world is my oyster. I've got no pressure. So I do it in my own time. I still like to do a bit of traveling. So yeah. Fantastic. Well, I just think you have found yourself in the most beautiful position here, not only in this wonderful tiny house, but just also in the life that you've built for yourself here and all of these wonderful options that you have ahead of you. Thank you so much for sharing it with me. Thank you. So good to have you here. Thank you. Kobi has created so much more than just a home for herself here. She's created a place where she can truly be herself, where she has security, where she has the ability to focus on all of the things that she loves, where she's built herself a future, where she can feel peace when she thinks about tomorrow. And I think that is such a beautiful thing. Kobi describes this home as a haven. And honestly, I can't think of a more perfect description.