A couple in New Zealand turned a truck that cost NZ$2,000 ($1,200) into a tiny home that looks straight out of a fantasy book.
The off-grid home, featured in a Living Big in a Tiny House (@livingbig) YouTube video, shows what can happen when people work with what they have.
Greer and Brent started with little more than a rundown truck and a patch of affordable land they found for under NZ$100,000 ($60,000).
They built it up over time — adding solar panels, a composting toilet, gardens, and eventually a small farm. It helps them earn a bit and stay connected to the community.
The space is small, just 17.5 square meters with the lofts. Still, every part of it is practical. They patched it together with secondhand wood, scavenged shingles, and scrap metal. A potbelly stove handles heat and cooking. Their solar setup takes care of lights and power tools.
Another remote island solar project showed a similar setup can still cover the basics without heavy energy use.
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Living tiny isn't always easy. The couple described doing much of the labor themselves. However, now, they're debt-free and enjoying a setup that costs little to maintain.
Others have done the same, embracing environmentally friendly renovations and reusing salvaged materials to reduce costs.
Tiny homes also consume far less resources than traditional houses. In the United States, the average home uses over 10,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, according to the Energy Information Administration. Off-grid homes use just a small slice of that.
Installing solar panels is one of the most effective ways to cut energy bills. It can slash power costs down to or near $0. EnergySage lets homeowners compare local installer quotes and can save customers up to $10,000.
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Under $1K 😎 The response to the couple's setup was just as thoughtful. "I am so impressed with this entire layout," one viewer wrote.
Another summed it up perfectly: "This looks like it was taken from a fantasy book and brought to reality!"
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