Tiny go Lightly

Living sustainably and designing my lifestyle to be meaningful and low impact. My story of building and living in a tiny house, in Gippsland, Victoria

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Living  /  January 14, 2019

Moving out, moving on

by tinygolightly

And then suddenly, it happened. Before Christmas, we picked up the keys to our new home. We were away for most of the holidays so I had a few more weeks pretending things weren’t going to change…but here it was, still waiting, when we got back.

After about six weekends of visiting open homes last year, we found this one. It’s an older home that’s been relocated. A bright, open, airy 2 and a bit bedroom house with polished floor boards and a decent sized block. We’ve got room to build a garden, and we’re close enough to town that our bikes won’t be gathering dust. It’s so wonderful and still so surreal.

What now?

The natural question that follows is, so what now for the tiny? The truth is I still don’t really know. I have some ideas, a few of which I outlined in the last blog post. I have, since then, even considered the possibility of selling it. I’m not really sure how you go about making a decision like this. Part of me knows that one house is already a big project. The tiny still needs finishing and this house needs work too – and by my math that’s more than one house. Sometimes I think it’s foolish to hold on to the idea of something, just in case. But on the other hand – it’s not as simple as moving forward with no looking back either.

I’ve put off writing this blog post because I still haven’t quite come to grips with what this means for the tiny. What does this mean for the part of me that swells with pride when I tell people that I live in a tiny house? Who does this make me now? Where does this leave the blog? What do I have to say that’s any different from any other person, doing their best to build something beautiful that brings joy? Tiny go Lightly – the blog and the house, all of it – has been a massive part of my life for the last 3 years. It still is a big part of me. And although everything is changing, in the most important ways, nothing will.

Tiny go Lightly

I will keep writing. This project may be less romantic, less exotic, less appealing to audiences in many ways. I said in an interview a while back that the idea of a 2 bedroom brick house in the suburbs had zero appeal to me. As it turns out, the houses aren’t the things that matter in these situations. It’s how we choose to live and let these places define us. Sean and I have chosen to do this for a certain period of time and in a certain way. It’s not off grid (yet), it’s not hand made and it’s not bucking the system the same way that tiny houses do. But it’s a chance to change things in a different way. And that’s what I’ll keep writing about. I don’t mind if that’s not something you’re interested in. I won’t be upset if this is where our adventure together ends. The photos I’ll be sharing from here on in will reflect a different stage in my life and I’ll cherish them the way I’ve shared every other photo with joy, or sorrow or frustration or amazement. I hope you will too.

Truthfully, there are still chapters to come in Tiny go Lightly’s story. I was ahead of a curve when I moved into my tiny and have watched a movement grow enormously. There are parts of this movement still to come, including the limits of tiny houses and their natural conclusions too. For all of you out there still dreaming and building and preparing for your tiny, don’t dismiss this as a failure or as me giving up. Your tiny journey will shift and evolve too, perhaps more like mine than you may think. I wish you all the best with whatever projects you are undertaking. I hope you gain as much along the way as I have.

 

With love,

Sarah

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Is this goodbye?
Ravenscroft Farm and the road ahead

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2 years ago
Timeline Photos

I don’t know what feels more luxurious, having a towel rail in the tiny house or owning more than two towels!

What amazes me more than how much stuff you can live without, is how much stuff you need to live in a regular house. This was put into perspective doubly when family came to stay from interstate recently. With 6 adults and a toddler in the house, suddenly our two sets of sheets and 4 towels (already double what we had in the tiny!) was far from adequate. We ran out of cutlery, crockery and pillows. I forget the things people expect in a house, like a washing basket or a rubbish bin. Or a stash of kid’s toys. I feel like we’ve spent the last 8 months collecting things to try and make this house functional and comfortable, but we’re definitely trying to walk the line between those things and falling into the trap of needing ‘stuff’. We have brought a lot of the tiny house lessons into this house and it works for us. But having a space that is welcoming and comfortable for other people is sometimes a different task again - it’s not all about us. And it’s often not until your partner’s mother asks where the laundry basket is and you hand her a shopping bag that you reflect on these things 😬

Finishing the tiny also means thinking of other people. Sure, we didn’t mind hanging our towels in the shower or over the clothes drawers, but probably some people will. Sure, we managed just fine on one towel each most of the time, but that is also a personal choice. As we ready the tiny for its new stage in life, I am trying to look at things from different perspectives. And rather than marvelling at how little we needed, I am instead marvelling at how much it seems we can’t do without!

#minimalism #tinyhouse #bathroom #stuff #freshtowels #diy #airbnb #towelrail #progress #details
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2 years ago
Timeline Photos

My weekend fashion soars to new heights at the tiny. Rocking my Michael Long foundation jumper, toolbelt from the hardware corporation that shall not be named, boots from a local plumbing shop and my well loved hiking pants that are now marked by paint, varnish and a wild concoction of who knows what else. Also, a cap I found this morning.

Sunlight and green green grass by Mother Nature, deck by Mick and photo by insta boyfriend. For once, serving his purpose.
Happy Sunday, folks!

Peace, love and sunshine
☀️✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾☀️

#peaceandlove #farshion #womenwhobuild #toolbeltswag #michaellongfoundation #alwayswasalwayswillbe
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2 years ago
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Some nights I dream of straight lines and saw dust.

There’s poetry in the building process. I’m no poet but I feel connected and creative in this space, and it becomes easy to find beauty in unexpected places. ... See more

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2 years ago

Would you like a tour of Tiny go Lightly and Ravenscroft farm? Are you interested in learning more about sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture practices? Do you love being outside and have some time on a weekend to help support a local project?

If the answer was yes to any of these questions, please consider coming along to a tree planting day at Ravenscroft farm in Tanjil South. I'll be there and happy to discuss any tiny house questions you have while we plant!

Date: Sunday 8th September, 2019

10:30 am - arrival for coffee and cake, followed by planting

1:00pm ish – Lunch

Post lunch – tour of farm featuring revegetation, tiny house and other activities

Please bring: warm clothes, gloves.

If you're keen to join us, please get in touch for the farm address and further details. Hope to see you there!
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