Here’s a fantastic story of a woman who found her freedom through an off-grid living in her forest tiny house within a rainforest.
Christine built a tiny house in the rainforest and filled it with the things she loves, including a piano!
She calls her tiny home her little sanctuary. It requires less maintenance and has low overheads, allowing her to do the things she enjoys, like music and travel.
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She chose where she built her home because she loves being in the bush, as it is secluded and gives her privacy.
Moreover, there’s a potential for other people to build their tiny houses around the site, which interests her as she believes that having such a lifestyle needs people to help each other out when they need some support.
Christine said she was at the stage in life where she realized that her kids were all grown up.
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She’s retired, has no house, and was in the rental market.
At her age, Christine said she didn’t want to pay rent or a big mortgage, so she thought off-grid living would be a great option as it could give her financial security.
She also loves the idea that it could move around since she wants to own a piece of land where she can put it.
The exterior of Christine’s 2.7-meter by 8-meter house combines cedar and metal.
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It has bifold doors and windows that can give her an outdoor feel inside her house.
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Her deck is detachable, making it portable, so she can take it with her if she ever moves.
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It also has extra storage for setting up solar, which is yet to be installed, so she uses it as an extra space for her gardening materials.
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Going inside, you will be greeted by a warm couch and her piano in the living room.
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Christine said that she loves the openness of the area, the space, the music when she plays the piano, and how the light changes throughout the day.
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Even her cat loves its spot in the living room near her piano.
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She also uses a wooden chest as a coffee table, giving her an excellent storage space.
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Christine has a small wood stove that she uses as a fireplace. She said her location is quite damp, and the wood stove makes her home dry and comfortable.
Moreover, it gives her home a nice ambiance aside from keeping her house warm the whole night, which is perfect for off-grid living.
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Chritine’s kitchen is elegant and looks luxurious, thanks to its vast windows and mirror strips along the top.
The mirror refracts the lights all over the room while making the area look spacious.
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The kitchen has a spacious countertop with a large sink.
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It also has a large gas stove and a refrigerator.
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Furthermore, the kitchen has many storages where Christine keeps a full range of cooking.
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In the dining area is a foldable table sitting against the wall.
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She saved extra space so she can unfold the table to accommodate more people!
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Her bathroom is on the other side of her tiny house, with ample storage and an excellent shower.
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She uses a bamboo composting toilet and says her daughter is a woodturner, so she gets a lot of shavings for her bathroom.
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The bathroom has a small bathroom sink with a large mirror.
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The tiny house has dual lofts.
Above the kitchen is her sleeping loft with a large, warm bed and huge windows.
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Christine said she loves to have breakfast in bed while looking at the forest through the window.
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Despite the large bed, she still has enough space to move around the room.
The other loft has the space where she can relax, watch tv, meditate, and do her drumming.
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Christine has enjoyed her off-grid living in her tiny home for three years and says she’s happy and satisfied with the house and the lifestyle.
Her house is easy-to-care-for, allowing her to travel while her daughter babysits for her.
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Christine said that her initial budget for the house is around NZD 145,000 (USD 90,000).
However, with the lockdown, the extension that added some extra stuff, appliances, and the deck, she spent around NZD 160,000 (USD 99,000).
“I think having my own space and not renting anymore means that there’s security in that you know it’s yours; it’s going to be there,” she said.
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“Nobody’s going to say, ‘Sorry we’ve sold it’ or ‘we’ve got a family member moving in,’ and then you’ve got to suddenly change your whole life to adapt to that, so for me having that security but the flexibility as well,” she concluded.
Take a peek at Christine’s tiny home where she enjoys off-grid living by watching the video below:
