After years of stress within the meals business, Steve and Jen made their tiny home dream come true by leaving the rat race behind and beginning recent within the peaceable countryside of New Zealand.
From burnout to freedom
At one level, Steve and Jen’s days revolved across the high-pressure world {of professional} kitchens.
The lengthy hours and intense workload took a toll. They realized one thing needed to change.
So, they bought almost every thing they owned, left their chef careers, and took a daring step towards leaving the rat race.
That leap ultimately led them to construct a lifetime of simplicity, sustainability, and freedom.
Leaving the rat race for good
Initially, planning to maneuver to Edinburgh, Brexit issues altered their course. New Zealand—regardless of being unfamiliar—turned their new residence.
“It turned out to be the higher possibility,” Jen recalled.
They started their minimalist journey in a distinct tiny home in West Auckland.
However whereas they liked the idea, they wished a spot and one thing constructed fully to suit their long-term wants.
So, they dedicated to creating their second tiny home dream come true—this time with land, no stairs, and sufficient area to breathe.
A giant change in making their tiny home dream come true
The couple moved to New Zealand with solely the necessities.
“We mainly removed all of our possessions,” Jen stated.
That acutely aware downsizing helped put together them for tiny home dwelling.
They purchased into a singular off-grid neighborhood on three and a half acres of land, completely aligned with their low-cost, self-sufficient dwelling values.
“It’s a part of the rationale this was inexpensive,” Steve defined.
Off-grid but luxurious: A tiny home dream come true
This time, they didn’t maintain again. Their custom-built residence connects two tiny home pods—one for dwelling and one for sleeping—through a central deck, all powered fully by photo voltaic power.
The entire format is designed for consolation, operate, and off-grid independence.
“We’re not messing round with the photo voltaic,” Steve stated, explaining it powers your complete residence and their two electrical autos.
The panels sit on a ground-level rig for simpler upkeep.
Their $450,000 funding—funded by promoting their earlier tiny residence—supplied them full management with out the burden of a mortgage.
Contained in the tiny home that made their dream come true
The house feels surprisingly spacious at 750 sq. ft (together with the porch).
The primary dwelling pod features a chef’s kitchen, lounge, rest room, and laundry, all surrounded by glass doorways and skylights that flood the area with pure gentle.
“You open that door and you’ll see every thing… it’s very nice,” Steve stated.
The custom-built sofa within the lounge presents hidden storage—good for blankets, quilts, and even prolonged kitchen provides.
A separate pod for relaxation and work
The related bed room pod presents privateness and quiet, permitting every to chill out with out disrupting the opposite.
“I may be watching my baseball recreation, and Jennifer may be watching her present, and we will’t hear one another,” Steve shared.
A comfortable residence workplace and studying nook additionally occupy the pod, full of books from their work and household authors. A big wardrobe and private gadgets replicate their well-edited life.
A chef’s kitchen constructed for multiple dream
As skilled cooks, a top-tier kitchen was non-negotiable. Jen known as it “palatial.”
It features a high-quality oven, a big chopping board, and intelligent storage.
“We undoubtedly went for the upgraded every thing,” Steve stated.
A singular contact is a SodaStream related to a restaurant-grade CO2 tank that lasts almost two years.
“We’re the worst SodaStream clients ever,” Steve joked.
A toilet that surprises
Regardless of its compact footprint, the toilet feels luxurious. It incorporates a rainwater-fed bathe, composting bathroom, and elevated ceilings.
Jen designed the colour palette herself, whereas Steve, who’s coloration blind, fortunately trusted her selections.
In addition they included a devoted laundry space with separate washer and dryer models—no extra combo machines.
Freedom that modified their lives
Residing mortgage-free and off-grid gave Steve and Jen the final word reward—early retirement.
“Our dwelling bills went from $50,000 a yr to $3,000,” Steve stated. That sort of financial savings made it doable to cease working and really get pleasure from life.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that that is the rationale we have been capable of retire,” he added.
They now spend their days writing, gardening, and spending time with Iggy, their massive, deaf canine who “runs the home.”
A tiny home dream that lastly got here true
Steve and Jen’s house is greater than only a place to dwell—it’s proof that leaving the rat race and pursuing a less complicated life can result in happiness, freedom, and achievement.
Their journey reveals that making a tiny home dream come true isn’t about giving up consolation—it’s about redefining what issues most.
And for them, that features open skies, solar energy, and the peace of figuring out they’ve created one thing that actually seems like residence.
To see Steve and Jen’s tiny home in motion, watch the total video tour under:
Don’t neglect to subscribe to Residing Large In A Tiny Home for extra inspiring tiny home journeys like theirs!
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