Many families build tiny houses to make maintenance easier, reduce utility and rent costs, and have more money for other interests such as traveling.
Brenda and Peter from New Zealand sold their large house to better enjoy their retirement.
Instead, they moved into a brilliantly designed yet highly functional Tiny House.
This allowed them to free up capital to spend more on things that mattered to them and fully enjoy their later years.
Brenda and Peter’s Tiny House is perfect for a downsized life.
By reducing the size of their home and lifestyle, they were able to focus on their various interests and time spent with family.
The idea of a downsized daily life became appealing during the lockdowns imposed during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The couple shared that their daughter Rebecca owns a Tiny House construction company.
The Tiny House rests on a spacious plot owned by their daughter.
During the lockdown, she invited them to live with her.
„We lived in a Tiny House for a month. And it was the beginning of our journey,“ said Brenda.
Living with their daughter, Brenda and Peter cherished the time with her and their grandchildren, deciding they could no longer go back to their old house.
The main living area features a sofa from their old house.
They decided that a Tiny House would be particularly suitable for their retirement.
The house they built ultimately has a single-story design with a bedroom.
The house may be small and compact, but everything was extremely functional and easily accessible.
The bedroom has a regular bed and ample closets.
The living room has a beautiful sofa from their old house.
The extensive kitchen stretches along the length of the house and has all the amenities of a regular home, such as a standard-sized refrigerator and a large sink.
There is also a small bar that can accommodate the couple or grandchildren when they come to visit.
The kitchen has the conveniences of a regular home.
They cook on an induction cooktop that can be stored when not in use to gain more kitchen space.
The bedroom has a regular bed, and there is plenty of storage space everywhere!
In the bedroom, there are large closets, as well as a lot of wardrobe space in the kitchen.
The bathroom in this extremely functional Tiny House.
The bathroom also offers more storage space for bathroom necessities.
It is larger than most Tiny Houses, and the shower has been designed to accommodate Peter’s size.
It also houses their washing machine.
Interestingly, in this downsized Tiny House, a door at the opposite end of the bathroom opens to their pocket garden, allowing them direct access to the bathroom when needed.
A woman sewing in her extremely functional Tiny House.
The main living area has a large terrace with a sofa and a dining table that blurs the boundaries between the indoors and outdoors of the house.
The outdoor living area expands the Tiny House and makes the home even larger than it actually is.
Peter watering plants in the garden.
Additionally, the couple built an additional pod next to the main building.
It contains a workshop where Peter can do crafts.
There is plenty of space for his passions that keep him busy.
It also serves as a room for Brenda’s hobbies and office.
Brenda sews a lot, and this space allows her to continue enjoying her interests.
Their downsized lifestyle allowed them to purchase a camper for traveling.
Peter shared his appreciation for their downsized lifestyle, saying, „I could go into my workshop and work a few hours a day.
We eat with the family and play with the grandchildren. So, it worked.
Everything was there. It made sense.“
Brenda added, „It was like, why lock up all that money in a house?
If we could free up the camper, have a Tiny House, and travel?“
Their home even won an award for its design!
The decision to downsize certainly has its benefits.
After selling their large house, the couple had enough to buy a camper.
This also gave them the freedom to explore the country in style!
Peter said, „We’re in our daughter’s land, so we can go visit her.
Or the grandchildren come here regularly. So I wouldn’t go back to a regular house.“
This fantastic Tiny House gave Brenda and Peter not only a better quality of life in retirement but even won an award!
Enjoy a tour of this wonderful home in the video here.