PAYING rent or a mortgage can be crippling, but one 28-year-old shared how she doesn’t pay a penny of it by choosing to live in a tiny home.
UK-based Roxi Janiszewska, who is better known as Roxxsaurus online, gave a tour around her small pad that she’s lived in for a year – and shared what she would change about it.
Roxi gave a tour around her home, showing her cosy lounge space[/caption]
In a YouTube clip, she shared: “It’s actually been over a year now—probably about a year and a half—since we moved into our tiny home.
“We’ve definitely learned a lot from living in such a small space, and I wanted to share the good, the bad, and any changes we’d make if we were to build another one.”
Roxi shared how she is living in the tiny home with her husband to save money on rent while she builds her dream home.
The pad is also located close to the building site which helps her ensure that “everything is running smoothly.”
Roxi, who started making YouTube videos in 2014 as a “hobby”, continued: “Originally, when we thought of living in a tiny home, we planned to buy an old, static caravan, but unfortunately, we couldn’t get it through the access.
“That’s when we decided to build our own tiny home.”
Tiny tour
She then gave a tour around her humble living space, and started in the lounge area, which connects to the kitchen.
Roxi said: “It’s a small space, but it’s been designed to house everything we need.
“We’ve got a two-seater sofa, which works fine since it’s mostly just the two of us here.
“I also have my work desk in this space, which I love because I can work whenever I want without walking over to my studio.
“We have a coffee table, a TV, and everything is mostly the same as when I filmed the original house tour.
“The only issue we’ve had is the TV unit falling off the wall due to the weight, but we fixed that by adding more support.”
Next, the YouTuber showed off her “small” but “great” kitchen, and said: “It houses everything we need, and I’m happy with the white colour scheme—it makes the space feel light and airy.”
Perks and drawbacks
She then weighed up the pros and cons of living in a tiny home.
Roxi continued: “The positioning of the tiny home is perfect. It’s south-facing, so we get sunlight all day, although it can get quite hot.
“It’s also conveniently located close to the front gate, so I don’t have to run far when packages arrive.
“I also love the open-plan living space, especially for socialising while preparing food.”
She showed her bedroom area with open wardrobe[/caption]
But she was honest about the drawbacks.
She added: “However, the main thing I’d change is our laundry system.
“In the summer, laundry is fine, but in the winter, it’s a nightmare because we don’t have space to dry our clothes.
“We end up with piles of laundry, and it’s just not practical. I wish we had invested in a washer-dryer sooner.”
She added how she would also love to improve their storage.
Roxi said: “As much as I love the floating units, we could have used freestanding ones for extra storage.
“The breakfast bar, which we thought would be a great feature, hasn’t been used at all.
“We could have replaced it with more storage space. Lastly, I would extend the overhang of the house to protect us from the sun—it gets really hot because of all the glass.
“Despite the small frustrations, I still love living in our tiny home.
“The cosy, small space feels perfect for now, but I am curious how it will feel to move into a bigger house.”
Home history
Roxi shared some background information about her life with her husband, saying: “We bought our first house together in 2016 and documented that journey, and now, we’re building our dream home together. It’s surreal!
“Things like this don’t usually happen to people like me. I rarely talk about my background, but I grew up in a poor family, and my parents worked tirelessly to provide for me.
“There were times when we didn’t have enough money for food, and I didn’t even have my own room.”
The rise of tiny homes
By Jonathan Rolande
Property expert Jonathan Rolande told Fabulous: The reason we are seeing more creative ways of finding a home: super-high property prices and rents. Younger people are remaining in the family home later in life to avoid paying high prices and to save for a deposit. With increasingly busy lives, staying within a larger family group makes sense, chores such as gardening and housework can be shared.
Garages are rarely used for their intended purpose as cars are far more reliable and less prone to rust and so are perfectly happy outside. On the other hand, the amount of property space per person has been shrinking – converting a garage can make great sense.
Things to consider. (the boring stuff)
Usually easier than building from scratch but still a lot to do to turn a garage in to a habitable space.
You’ll need to check if you need planning (more likely to be required if the garage is detached).
Building Regulations stipulate many things to make homes safe and secure. Consider
Walls, are they cavity?
Roof height
Windows
How will you get plumbing, electrics and drainage connected
Insulation – it will be cold!
Fire safety
Damp proofing
Also consider if, by converting, you are adding or deducting value from the main home. Garages can add value in busy urban areas where parking is limited.
