Budget Breakdown: A New Zealand Architect’s $96K Plan to Become a First-Time Homeowner

William Samuels leased land to save dough and then DIY’d a tiny home he can relocate using a flatbed truck.
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Buying a home is expensive business. Looking to become first-time homeowners but without deep pockets, New Zealand architect William Samuels and his wife took a different tack. "When we looked at the housing market the only homes within our price range were in poor shape and unable to provide us with the level of comfort that we were after," explains William. "So we chose to build our own to ensure that it matched our expectations for livability."

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Mandi Keighran
Design and travel writer based in London.