An Australian Couple Downsize to a Tiny House and Discover an Idyllic Lifestyle

"After the death of my father almost two years ago, we realized we were in constant fear of losing our jobs—and so we decided to work toward financial freedom," says Amy, who lives 304-square-foot home in Queensland with her husband Greg and their two children Zack and Jayda.

"We were so dependent on our jobs to pay for our high rent, large bills, and all the stuff we needed to fill our big house," Amy says. "If we’d lost our jobs, we wouldn’t have been able to make ends meet. We were working long hours and not spending time with our loved ones."

Before moving into their tiny home, Amy and Greg lived in home with four bedrooms, two living rooms, and two bathrooms. "Our bigger expenses were associated with the large house, which is crazy given that we never used most of the bedrooms and the second bathroom outside of the time the children were with us," says Amy, who is stepmother to Zack and Jayda, Greg’s children from a previous marriage. "Increasing your income is more difficult than reducing your expenses," she says. "We decided our best option was to reduce the footprint of our home."

The tiny home is located on a six-acre property that features a creek; native gum, eucalyptus, and bottlebrush trees; and birds, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and lizards. "It’s mesmerizing to sit outside, smell the gum trees and listen to the birds," Amy says. "The air is fresh, and you can feel the wind on your skin—it’s easy to stop and just be when we’re at home."

Clad in dark gray steel accented with cedar, the tiny home blends into its wondrous natural surround. "We worked with Aussie Tiny Houses and customized one of their earlier models to include elements that would work for our family and lifestyle," Amy says. 

A large, steel water tank behind the home collects rainwater from the roof. "We’re in a drought-prone area, so capturing our own water is really important. As a bonus, this means we don’t have a water bill," Amy says. "The water from our bathroom and washing machine go into a gray water storage system, which we use to water our vegetable garden—there’s no water wastage in our house." A composting toilet also saves on water. "It made finding a parking spot for our house easier, too," Amy says. "Not having to hook into an existing sewage system means we only need to have a powered site."

Because the family spends much of their time outside, plenty of outdoor living space was essential. "Our deck was a DIY project," Amy says. "We used reclaimed pallet wood to build the majority of it. It’s modular, so we can relocate it if we move to another parking spot." 

The deck and outdoor entertaining space provide 193 square feet of additional living space. "Greg designed and began building the deck while we were still living in our old house," Amy says. "Each piece of timber was pulled off the pallet, planed down, and sanded before being put back together in the modular design. The idea was that we’d have all of these modules built, and then we’d just need to put them together."

A large bifold window connects the kitchen and the deck area, where bar stools pull up to a counter attached to the front facade. "The bifold window is a great servery window, and it makes summertime barbecues a lot more fun," Amy says.

Beyond the deck, there’s a chicken coop and garden beds that Greg built using reclaimed pallet wood and PVC pipe. "We wanted to minimize costs and waste," Amy says. "In going tiny, we also wanted to become more self-sufficient and in touch with nature. Almost all our meals include items from our garden or eggs from our chickens."

Amy and Greg wanted maximum efficiency inside, too. "During our research, we noticed a lot of tiny designs had small fridges, tiny washing machines, and no ovens," Amy says. "We didn’t want to feel like we were compromising, or like our daily activities were more difficult than they needed to be." 

They weren’t willing to sacrifice a full-size oven and refrigerator, but they were happy to include a stove with only two burners. "In our previous home, we only ever used two burners at one time, so not having more was perfect for us."

Shop the Look

When it came to bedroom areas, they required two sleeping lofts. "It was important that there be two separate lofts to allow us to have our own space outside of the living areas," Amy says. "For us, having a bed that we’d need to pack away daily wouldn’t have been practical. We also wanted to ensure that the children had a permanent bedroom setup they could personalize."

Amy and Greg’s sleeping loft is Amy’s favorite place in the home. "It feels luxurious, and I’ve never slept better," she says. "We enjoy a cross breeze from the well-positioned windows and drift off to sleep, gazing at the stars and the moon through a skylight. The space is uncluttered, calming, and cozy."

Since moving into their micro home, Amy and Greg have been able to reduce their expenses by at least fifty percent. "We took time to think about what was necessary for our lifestyle," Amy says. "We challenged ourselves to see how much we actually used in terms of everyday items. If we weren’t using it regularly or it didn’t mean something of great importance, we got rid of it."

It was a gradual process that took place during the build, and by the time they were ready to move in, the couple "reduced clothing, appliances, and all of the random items we’d been keeping but never really knew why," Amy says. "Once we did, we felt liberated. It was an amazing feeling. The goal was to have more time. Having a lot of stuff takes money, time, and mental space. Being free of that allows you more time and energy to enjoy life, do what you love, and cultivate meaningful relationships."

Related Reading:

This 180-Square-Foot Tiny Home in Australia Is One Woman’s Fresh Start

A Retired Teacher’s Tiny House Opens Wide to the Landscape in Australia

Project Credits:

Homeowners: Amy and Greg / @Life_Done_Simple

Construction: Aussie Tiny Houses / @aussietinyhouses