Tiny slice of housing heaven

With rising house prices and mortgage payments, the property market is not looking bright for the young people of New Zealand, but one woman has built herself a way to escape the rat race.

Despite having no construction experience, Karitane woman Georgia-Rae Flack (26) is now putting the finishing touches on her DIY mobile tiny home.

Ms Flack said she was eager for her own space, but did not want to be bogged down by a mortgage.

A nurse by trade, she had little experience with building, but learnt all she needed by watching videos on the internet.

It had proved successful and in a bid to inspire others she started a YouTube channel to record her own progress.

Her father helped out with jobs that required a second person, but she built the rest.

A lot of the build was made from recycled materials, such as the exterior cladding and the windows, which she gathered from around the community.

The inside of the house was built with plywood.

The home was built on a trailer, which allowed her to move it and go off-grid whenever she liked.

Living without a mortgage meant she did not need a fulltime job and could spend more time on her own interests.

A tiny home was not for everybody and sacrifices had to be made, such as downsizing her belongings, but she said it was worth it for her.

"It works perfectly for this stage of my life."

She began the project two years ago and it had cost about $50,000 all up.

She paid for materials as she went, allowing her to build without taking out a loan.

The house was classed as a caravan and did not need any building permissions, she said.

She also owned a piece of land she bought to keep her home on.

She recommended anyone looking for an alternative to the housing market to look into building their own tiny home.

wyatt.ryder@odt.co.nz