Tiny House Conversations

21/12/2023

I'M BACK! You've been asking me for months...

"Hey Lucy, when are you doing Season 2 of the podcast?"

Well, the suspense is almost over! 🙌

After taking a good chunk of this year off to simply LIVE and be present in my first year of tiny life, it felt important for me to take space and be immersed in it for myself, without capturing everything on camera to share as content for the show and beyond.

Now that I've well and truly settled into this lifestyle, I'll be sharing more of my experiences and journey with you next year on the pod, as well as here and other social channels 💫

There are some big life changes on the horizon in Tiny land for me next year, and part of that means I'll be back behind the mic 🎙️ bringing you more awesome Tiny House Conversations!

You'll get to hear from more Tiny House builders, some of your familiar favourites in the Aussie tiny house space, some new and old fave Tiny Housers, other experts, and of course, yours truly, sharing more about what's happening in my own Tiny life 🏡 -->
..so you can soak up all that tiny goodness, insights, tips, stories, experiences, mistakes, mishaps, and more, to help you along the way on your own Tiny path 🧡

If you're a Tiny Houser, Tiny Builder or other business with relevant experience, products, or services that align with the Tiny House lifestyle and would be of interest + value to the Tiny community, and you'd love to join me on the show, DM me or...

Head to www.tinyhouseconversations.com/story and share your details there 🙏

Plus, stay tuned early next year for some more exciting announcements about where my tiny journey is headed next, so I can take you along for the ride 🌞

For now... HAPPY HOLIDAYS + SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! 🥳

29/11/2023

ONE YEAR LIVING TINY 🏡

Well, almost... Next week marks 1 year in my tiny home! (1 1/2 years on Yuin Country, Far-South Coast, NSW)

Since returning from Bundjalung- Northern Rivers a couple of weeks ago, it's been raining everyday.

I've loved the slowing down to be with all that has emerged after a wonderfully healing Sacred Ceremony retreat up north 🥰

It’s a welcome change, especially as the land has been so dry for months. We’ve been preparing for bushfires for a while, and now it looks like we’ll be ok 😅

That seems to be the thing about living on the land. One day (or for months), it’s bushfires & the possibility of them reaching us 🔥

And then just like that… the Sacred waters start flowing again 🌧️ rainwater tanks filled to the brim + overflowing, everything is growing again, and “relief” emerges that we probably won’t have to worry about fires in the coming months, or running out of water 💦

Now it’s the opposite… my off-grid solar trailer is down to around 50%- most days since living here it’s usually 95%+

I'm very fortunate with more sun this past year, and the best spot on the property for the panels to receive it all day long ☀️ I still haven’t had to turn the generator on either… yet.

Somehow, even with the understanding that these precious resources can be finite at times, I wouldn’t change it.

There's deeper gratitude for the simple things that can easily be taken for granted living "conventionally", with running water + electricity, 24/7, and more protection from the elements.

Last night it poured hard + fast with rain, a simultaneous dance with the Sacred winds moving and shaking my tiny + deck 💨

So today, we’re flooded in. Thunder claps + lightning ⚡️ illuminate the sky as it starts pouring again as I write this.

I accepted that I wouldn't be going anywhere today & possibly part of tomorrow. It’s a reminder to flow with the elements, seasons, and cycles of Nature/Life/Self. There’s no separation - the internal flows + dances with the “external” 🌀

The power has been out, but I’m fully off-grid, so I didn’t even know at first. Super grateful for the energy independence that living with off-grid solar brings 🙏

05/09/2023

9 MONTHS LIVING TINY 🏠
Some questions I asked before I moved in: How am I living? How much space am I taking up? What am I consuming? What lifestyle choices + daily habits are detrimental to the Earth? Where am I contradicting myself? How can I do + be better? Where can I take more self-responsibility?

Some experiences to highlight have been living with less impact + doing things that are less “convenient” in a “regular” home… but at the same time, feels more fulfilling + allows me to be more connected to the workings of my life + nature, rather than outsourcing.

Like using SO MUCH LESS water with a composting toilet, managing my own “waste” + creating compost, having a solar trailer for energy independence, being mindful + less wasteful of resources + more.

Knowing I may not have infinite access to water or power (in droughts or with multiple cloudy / rainy days in a row), brings deeper appreciation.

Living in a small space means everything has it’s place, + some things need to be taken out + put back again + again + again, instead of being left around. Yet it’s so satisfying.

I go to great lengths for health + happiness. I don’t care if it’s “inconvenient” or less “efficient” as in the big picture, I’d rather connection + presence over convenience + productivity.

Not having more than I need, with some extra things that bring me joy is also satisfying, + a lighter load, in all the ways.

I’ve also learned… How to use a whipper snipper, push mower, wood splitter, mulcher, creating compost, growing veg. I never grew anything before living tiny + always bought from farmers markets + health food stores.

I work from home + it allows me to be around the land more often + enjoy my tiny life. I'm working more than I’d ideally like to for now so I can pay back what I borrowed for the tiny.

There’s a lot to learn + explore. I don’t take for granted how fortunate I am + I’m beyond grateful to the people who played a part in creating my tiny life, especially my family, the lovely landowner sharing her space, + .com.au , supportive friends + others 🧡

Living tiny reminds me of a quote from the book, Braiding Sweetgrass 👇

10/08/2023

If you have acreage in any of the following areas...

Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Robertson, Jamberoo, Albion Park, Thirroul and surrounds.

There's a tiny house tenant ready to move in around the end of October 🏡

Get in touch with parkmytinyhouse.com.au and more details are below 🌟

20/07/2023

WORD ON THE STREET 🏡

Excited to be doing some meaningful work in the tiny community with parkmytinyhouse.com.au 💖

It’s taken the better half of the year to find the right fit, but we FINALLY did it!

Please welcome our new Host Hero: Lucy!!

In hindsight, we can’t imagine anyone else in the role.

Lucy isn’t new to either Tiny Houses or hosting:
* she lives Tiny herself
* she’s on a stunning NSW property we matched her with via our platform
* she hosts the super popular podcast and has a broad knowledge of both the industry and the ins and outs of Tiny living

Lucy has settled into her new role with us over the past month or so like she’s been here forever.

Her role is to work with all our incredible hosts from their first contact with us- to ensure they’re across what’s involved with hosting, and help them present their property in the best possible light to attract the perfect tenant/s. She is also already streamlining the process to make our prospective hosts’ lives easier!

We are SO excited to have Lucy on the team, showering our hosts with all the love and support they need to have an amazing experience within the Tiny House industry.

Welcome, Lucy!

xBry and Carolyn

12/07/2023

TINY HOUSE INDUSTRY AWARDS 💖

THIA- TINY HOUSE INDUSTRY AWARDS,
INTEGRITY & JUDGING PROCESS//

INTENTIONS//
I created the Awards program to showcase the best of the best of the Australian Tiny House Industry.

As someone who is asked for recommendations for quality build companies every single day, it also made sense to develop a means of evaluating these builders, to provide a list of the top few in different categories. This provides a range of build options to meet the specific needs of potential buyers.

Integrity, ethics and transparency were all areas I ruminated on very carefully before making the formal decision to go ahead and launch this behemoth.

My personal reputation and standing within both the Tiny House industry and community are EVERYTHING to me. I have worked incredibly hard for 5 years to establish myself as someone knowledgeable and trustworthy, and committed to the betterment of the industry. I’ve spent thousands of unpaid hours creating and sharing an extraordinary amount of information and resources, in the hopes it will help buyers make smarter decisions when considering if Tiny life is for them.

I consider myself pretty much an open book.

My hope is that you can see my heart and my intentions in every piece of content I’ve ever created.

INTEGRITY//
Integrity is one of my core values, and a key factor in deciding whether or not I work with or recommend a particular business.

I have declined numerous, potentially lucrative collaborations where it was evident the other party valued money over ethics. I wake up to new messages along these lines EVERY single day.

Despite my many years of financial struggle, I have never once so much as considered compromising my ethics for the sake of a dollar.

And I don’t ever plan to change that.

My business and my ability to help others in this industry are far too important to me to risk.

THE REALITY//
Running an industry Awards program comes with a gigantic price tag. Honestly, it’s costing more than double my last wedding 😅

This program absolutely would not be possible without the financial support of our sponsors, most notably our Major Partners Removed Tiny Homes, Aussie Tiny Houses, Alphaline Tiny Homes and Bretts.

I am beyond grateful for their trust in me to successfully run this industry first event.

As the first event of its kind in Australia, it was never likely we would secure sponsorships from businesses outside the industry in our first year.

For those unfamiliar with industry awards programs, the vast majority are run by private enterprise, with sponsorship from major players in that industry.

These are the businesses financially able to contribute to such an event. From conversations I’ve had with all our amazing sponsors, they’re excited to play a part in helping propel the industry forward, and give back in some small way to the industry that supports them.

While we are super grateful for our sponsors, they’re under no illusions that there will be any favouritism! If there is a business we assess to be more successful than one of our sponsors in a particular category, absolutely we’ll be making the right choice.

TRANSPARENCY//
Transparency and trust go hand in hand.

This is why the judging criteria for each Awards category are listed publicly on the website here: www.ParkMyTinyHouse.com.au/awards

Every nomination is assessed based on these specific eligibility criteria. If they didn’t meet all of these initially, they were eliminated during the first stage of judging. The second stage (currently underway) seeks to evaluate to what extent each finalist fulfils these criteria. Some of these will come down to splitting hairs, let me tell you this is not an enviable task 😰

JUDGING PANEL//
The panel is a very select group of three well-known industry experts and peers I know well, who have demonstrated repeatedly their commitment to operating with integrity within the industry. We also have a well-respected, qualified builder who works in the industry (and is not nominated) who is consulting with us to ensure there are no questions around the build quality of our winners.

The very frank and insightful conversations we had during the first stage of judging left me in no doubt the right people were selected for the job. We spent a good 45mins discussing ethics before we even started evaluating each of the nominees.

The Tiny House industry is still relatively small, and it’s definitely true the majority of us know each other. Building these relationships is crucial to being able to collaborate, share resources and make sure we’re all operating to best practice for the good of the industry.

I strongly believe that the key positions our judging panel holds within the industry are actually a major advantage in the judging process. Each of us are popular touch points of the Tiny loving public and Tiny businesses alike.

This makes us privy to situations and conversations many others are not. There are businesses who may look amazing on paper, who we know from private conversations are cutting corners, being dishonest with clients and so on.

Our inside knowledge is crucial to ensuring these types of businesses are not inadvertently rewarded (very publicly!).

When our winners are announced at the Awards gala in Brisbane next month, it will be a celebration of those doing truly amazing things for the industry, to a standard all other businesses should aspire to.

That’s the entire purpose of an industry awards program. And I will not waver from that under any circumstances.

xBry

02/03/2023

Thanks for the shoutout Glomad!

"How to find tiny house inspiration" 🏡

Part 1 | A step-by-step guide to designing your tiny house

15/02/2023

How cool is this!

Tiny House lovers? 🏠 We're thrilled that Australian Tiny-Housers, Megan and Colin share why they're so happy with their Cinderella on Australia's Tiny House Conversations podcast. 🥳 Read more and listen here: http://bit.ly/3IlWCfu

02/02/2023

TINY TOILET EXPERIENCES (CINDERELLA INCINERATING TOILET) 🏡 🚽

Colin and Megan Leeson are tiny housers living in Brisbane, QLD, in what they call the "Serenity Tiny House". They have lived in their tiny since late 2019.

Megan and Colin were guests on the show right back in episode #2, and I’ve asked them to join me again to talk all about their Cinderella Incinerating toilet.

In this conversation we talk about:

❇️ Their main reasons for choosing an incinerating toilet rather than a composting toilet, standard flushing toilet, or any other option.

❇️ How the incinerator toilet works

❇️ All about emptying, cleaning, smells, and ventilation

❇️ Some challenges they experienced using this toilet

❇️ Advice for curious tiny housers looking into which tiny toilet option is right for them

🎧 Tune in to the full conversation on any podcast app or www.tinyhouseconversations.com/051

01/02/2023

My deck is all finished and I'm in love! 🥰

Nyall at NTP Stairs & Contracting did an incredible job and went above and beyond with his care and service.

Especially loving the Mahogany and Blackbutt decking boards finished with some leftover natural exterior timber oil after oiling the cedar cladding, from Bio Products 🙏

Looking forward to !

26/01/2023

AUSTRALIAN TINY HOUSE ASSOCIATION & LEGALISATION OF THOWs 🏡

Janine Strachan is the President of the Australian Tiny House Association

Janine is a wealth of knowledge and very passionate about all things tiny houses on wheels, as you’ll get to hear in the episode today.



In this conversation we talked about:

✅ The recent progress with tiny house planning policy & local law by two local councils / Shires in Australia, for long-term tiny house occupancy

✅ How you as an individual can approach your local council for long-term tiny house approval using ATHA’s templates (links in the show notes)

✅ The progress with tiny house insurance and the specific policy for tiny houses on wheels, now available

✅ The importance of doing your due diligence when it comes to finding a tiny house builder, and what’s important to look for

✅ Where Janine sees the future of tiny houses going in Australia, when it comes to wider acceptance, including in council planning and with legislation… and lots more!


🎧 Listen to the podcast and get the episode show notes & links below… or tune in on any podcast app!


www.tinyhouseconversations.com/050

13/11/2022

{NEW PODCAST} SELF-SUFFICIENT LIFE IN A TINY HOME 🏡

On the latest episode of the podcast, I loved talking with Amy and Greg who are experienced tiny housers based in South-East Queensland.

They share their journey on IG as which serves as a vessel to share with you their pursuit of a more simplified life, financial empowerment and a lifetime of great memories all while living full-time in a 7.2 x 2.4m tiny house on wheels.

In this conversation we talk about:

🌟 What it means to “make space for life, not stuff”

🌟 What tiny house life has done for their family’s relationship

🌟 Some of the main challenges they’ve experienced during tiny house living

🌟 Why living in a tiny house is not a “sacrifice”

🌟 Some advice for curious tiny house folks with kids, wondering “can I actually live this way with kids?”….and more!

🎧 Listen to the full podcast at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/043 or on your fave podcasting app!

09/11/2022

A big difference between tiny homes and caravans 🏡

From episode #043 with Fred Schultz from Fred's Tiny Houses

🎧 Listen to the full episode at:
www.tinyhouseconversations.com/042
..or any podcasting app!

03/11/2022

TINY HOUSE CONSTRUCTION, TRAILERS & SAFETY 🏡

Fred Schultz is a thought leader, innovator, advocate, and teacher in Australia's Tiny House movement. He designed, built, and lived in his own off-grid (fossil-fuel free) tiny house with his family and in doing so, innovated the Unified Construction Method® to make tiny houses lightweight, safe to tow, and comfortable to live in year-round.

Fred educates DIY builders and professionals alike on how to build safe tiny house vehicles through his online course and face-to-face workshops. He also makes highly engineered tiny house trailers that are perfect for building a tiny house on, featuring the strongest attachment method available between the tiny house and the trailer.

If he’s not supporting trailer clients in his tiny house office, he’ll be on the tools or working in the garden at his home in Castlemaine.

In this episode, we talk about:
⭐️ The shifts Fred has observed in the tiny house space over the years and where he thinks we’re headed
⭐️ The importance of constructing a long-lasting, safe and thermally well-performing tiny house on wheels / tiny house vehicle
⭐️ Why building to the Building Code of Australia or the National Construction Code doesn’t necessarily make a safe tiny house vehicle
⭐️ Some consequences of building over the weight limit of a trailer (4.5T)
⭐️ All about the Unified Construction Method®, Fred’s Tiny Trailers and Tiny House University….and more!

🎧 Listen to the full podcast at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/042 or any podcasting app!

🏡 Follow Fred at Fred's Tiny Houses

31/10/2022

Finding the Perfect Place with Zeisha and Bronson from episode #041 of the podcast 🎙

🎧 Hear the full conversation at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/041

Follow Zeisha and Bronson at find the Perfect Place

26/10/2022

Are recycled and reclaimed building materials the healthiest option?

From episode #040 with Zara D'Cotta...

www.tinyhouseconversations.com/040

25/10/2022

Do the building codes account for health affects when it comes to building materials?

🎧 Get the full podcast at...

www.tinyhouseconversations.com/040

24/10/2022

ASSESSING THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF BUILDING MATERIALS 🌍

In this preview, Zara D'Cotta shares a few of the criteria she uses with her clients to determine whether a building material is safe to use when it comes to the impacts on our health and the environment.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation to hear what the other criteria are.

Head over to...

https://tinyhouseconversations.com/040

20/10/2022

ARE BUILDING MATERIALS MAKING YOU SICK? 🏡🤔

Zara D'Cotta is a Building Biology New Build Consultant, Keynote Speaker & Founder of The Healthy Home. She discovered her passion for environmental health after going through cancer.

Through her own experiences with environmental illness, including four years on the move from one ‘unhealthy’ home to the next, and extensive research, Zara realised unhealthy homes are making us sick.

She has been on a mission to help families make informed choices ever since.

After experiencing mould symptoms in more homes than she could count, Zara woke up after her first night in a newly built home with stinging eyes, and experienced other symptoms during her first months in her new home.

It was at this point she realised new builds can contribute to health problems too, and decided to learn all she could about home design and building materials so she can one day build her own healthy home, and play what part she can in changing the way homes are designed and built.

Zara has spent the past three years studying Building Biology, with a specific focus on healthy home design and building materials, in Australia and the USA.

In this conversation we talk about:

❇️ Different chemicals contained in building materials and how they can be detrimental to health

❇️ How to determine whether a building material is safe to use when it comes to the impacts on your health and the environment

❇️ Why reclaimed and recycled building materials are not always the “healthiest” choice

❇️ The limitations with the building codes when it comes to building materials and health

❇️ How to reduce exposure to chemicals and “off-gassing” in your tiny home… and more!

You can follow Zara on IG at

🎧 Listen to the full podcast at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/040 or on your fave podcasting app!

19/10/2022

Rick Smith from Havenwood Tiny Homes talks about starting the tiny house process before you're ready, on episode #039 of the podcast.

Catch the full episode here:
https://tinyhouseconversations.com/039

17/10/2022

START THE TINY HOUSE PROCESS BEFORE YOU'RE READY 🏡

From episode #039 with Rick Smith from Havenwood Tiny Homes

🎧 Get the full episode at...
https://tinyhouseconversations.com/039

16/10/2022

CHOOSING A TINY BUILDER 🏡

I’ve been seeing far too many mishaps and sad situations when it comes to unethical tiny building companies lately.

Customers having dodgy work done, losing money, often in challenging housing situations already and adding more emotional & financial stress with their tiny dreams being tainted or shattered before they’ve even begun 😔

This is a big reason why I interview Tiny House Builders on the podcast, so you can gain a deeper insight and know more about the people, practices and vibe behind the business.

My intention for these conversations is to contribute to helping you make informed choices about who fits and aligns with your needs & values, so you can find yourself a trusted, ethical, reliable, professional builder to create a home and space you absolutely love 💕

Doing your due diligence is critical, and even though there are some shady characters out there doing the wrong thing and ripping people off, there are also many great builders who go above and beyond to help bring people’s tiny dreams to life 💫

And this week on the podcast, it was a pleasure to chat with one of the good guys, Rick Smith from Havenwood Tiny Homes

🎧 Get your earphones in, listen to and feel the genuine, passionate and down-to-earth nature of Rick, and learn more about why Havenwood do what they do and how they operate.

The podcast is on your fave podcasting apps or at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/039

13/10/2022

TINY HOUSE BUILDERS (HAVENWOOD TINY HOMES) 🏡

Rick Smith (along with his wife Shani) is one of the Founders of the tiny building company, Havenwood Tiny Homes who are based in Albion Park and Oak Flats on the South Coast of NSW.

Havenwood wants to provide people the opportunity to live simply. They make it their mission to serve their clients well, to provide homes that bring life and joy to their owners.

Taking all of their combined years of building experience, their love of interiors that spark authentic living, bringing in handmade and bespoke materials, and staying true to who they are and how they believe life should be lived.

They hope to inspire you also to walk forward into your dreams.

In this conversation we talk about:

💫 The bigger purpose behind Havenwood Tiny Homes and why Rick, Shani and the team do what they do

💫 Rick shares some great insights on starting the journey to get your tiny house built, and what steps to take, even when you’re not ready yet

💫 Behind-the-scenes of tiny house deliveries - challenges and memorable moments navigating different terrain, conditions and situations

💫 The tiny house models Havenwood build, including their unique tiny food truck model and the process to work with them as a customer

💫 What brings Rick the most joy when building homes for people… and more!

🎧 Listen to the podcast and get the episode show notes & links here:

https://tinyhouseconversations.com/039
.. or just head to your fave podcast app!

12/10/2022

It's easy to get stuck focusing on the future instead of creating and living with what you need RIGHT NOW...

Wise words by Mieke from Summerset Hill on episode #038 of the podcast 🙌

Catch the full episode here:
https://tinyhouseconversations.com/038

11/10/2022

MY TINY HOUSE INTERIOR VIBES 🏡

This was from today at the Designer Eco Tiny Homes workshop!

It's the end game for completion of my tiny and sh*t's getting real! 🙌

The next few weeks/month or so are going to be filled with the final bits and pieces of coordination and organisation with...

🌟 Getting the excavation work complete (when it stops raining for days!)

🌟 Getting the tiny and solar trailer delivered to my parking space by Tiny Towing

🌟 Setting up my Designer Eco off-grid solar trailer

🌟 Getting the plumber to connect to the existing rainwater tank, complete the Water Wally Wandering Wally composting toilet installation and greywater system

And a bunch of other stuff too... before moving in properly.

Then once I've settled in... I'm looking forward to helping with the permaculture gardens, bees 🐝 🍯 and chickens 🐓🥚 and being out there on the land, where I belong 🌳

No doubt with this new way of being and living, there'll be challenges, ups and downs, humbling experiences, and probably days when it would be "easier" to live in a "regular" home.

But it's all part of the journey and trade-off for choosing where and how I want to live - A gift, privilege and "luxury" I do not take lightly or for granted. Beyond grateful 🙏

It's simultaneously exciting and also a little scary. But I'm ready and it's time 💫

Look out for more solocast Tiny House Conversations in the coming months where I'll share more of the details about my tiny journey with you!

10/10/2022

LIVE WITH WHAT YOU NEED IN THE MOMENT... YOU CAN ALWAYS ADAPT LATER 💓

From episode #038 with Mieke and Tom Lashford from Hill

🎧 Get the full episode at...
https://tinyhouseconversations.com/038

06/10/2022

TINY LIFE ON A HOBBY HOMESTEAD 🏡

Mieke and Tom Lashford from Summerset Hill are tiny housers based in the Noosa Hinterland in Queensland.

Their journey to transitioning from living a life stuck in the rat race working 6 days a week and paying a big mortgage in a life not aligned, to moving to tiny house living and building a hobby farm in the Noosa hinterland and creating a space for connection and living simpler and more connected to nature.

Mieke and Tom were previously living in a second-hand tiny house and have recently moved into another tiny home which is absolutely stunning!

In this conversation we talk about:

💫 Why they decided to downsize from living in a 10-metre tiny home to an 8.4-metre tiny, and why it works so much better for them

💫 The benefits they have experienced from tiny house living

💫 How living in their first tiny home helped them to design their current tiny based on what worked and didn’t work, what’s most important to them and what their current needs are

💫 The importance of presence and creating your tiny home based on what you need in this moment rather than trying to predict what's going to happen in the future (this can apply to everything we do in life!)

💫 All about their hobby farm, Summerset Hill... and more!

🎧 Listen to our tiny house conversation at www.tinyhouseconversations.com/038
..or on your fave podcasting app!

05/10/2022

🏡 "Tiny Quote" on questions and considerations when looking for a trusted, ethical and reliable tiny house builder ☀️

From episode #037 of Tiny House Conversations with Thiago Perrone from Aussie Tiny Houses

🎧 Catch the full episode at https://tinyhouseconversations.com/037

03/10/2022

QUESTIONS TO ASK & THINGS TO CHECK WHEN LOOKING FOR A TRUSTED, ETHICAL TINY HOUSE BUILDER 🏡

From episode #037 with Thiago Perrone from Aussie Tiny Houses

🎧 Check out the full Tiny House Conversation at...

https://tinyhouseconversations.com/037

02/10/2022

Great news about tiny insurance in Aus! 🙌