In 2018, a woman named Christine welcomed the team from Exploring Alternatives – a YouTube channel documenting people trying out alternative homes and lifestyles – into her beautiful tiny house.
After watching a Netflix show called “Tiny: A Story About Living Small,” Christine was inspired to take a similar path.
Christine found the idea of living in a tiny home very appealing because she enjoys small, cozy spaces and wants to reduce her ecological footprint.
Within a week of watching the documentary, she met someone selling trailers and bought one for just $6,000.
Christine then called her ex-husband George, a contractor, and asked if he could help her convert the CAD trailer into a tiny house.
He agreed, picked up the trailer, and brought it to his home to start construction.
“The tiny house is built with extended rafters that also serve as the frame of the house.
Insulation consists of a combination of rigid foam insulation and spray foam insulation,” said the caption of the video on YouTube.
Christine named her tiny house “Lilly Mae” after her mother Mae and her grandmother Lillian.
“My mother has dementia, and one of the few things she could remember was that I was building a tiny house,” she explained.
Since moving into the tiny house, Christine’s expenses have significantly decreased.
The house runs exclusively on propane – from the stove to the hot water to the heating – and costs her only about $70 every two months.
A concerned friend, worried about Christine’s safety, allowed her to temporarily park her house on his property, but it’s only a temporary agreement that will last a year.
Long-term, she would like to move into a community of like-minded people living in tiny houses.
Ideally, Christine’s permanent location would be in a wooded area that would allow her to hike and snowshoe – somewhere that brings her closer to nature.
“I work at the dentist’s office, so everything is very clinical, and everything has to be on time and so on. When I come home, it’s just nice not to have to answer to anyone else.
It’s just me and my tiny house; it’s very easy to keep clean,” she said.
Christine’s living room features a beautiful comfortable sofa where she knits.
Her kitchen is fully equipped with a three-burner stove, a small oven, a pull-out pantry, and a great workspace.
Christine’s bedroom is located in the loft.
It has a full bed right next to a window that makes the space appear larger than it actually is.
At night, she lies there and watches the stars.
At the time of filming, the house did not yet have solar panels, but Christine said she hopes to install them at her next location.
The bathroom features a compost toilet.
However, Christine said that if she were to do it again, she would use a dry toilet instead because they are easier and simpler to empty.
Christine said she could imagine living in her trailer house until she’s a “little old lady,” and we totally understand that!
Check out her beautiful tiny house in the video.