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

  • About
  • Book a visit
  • Events & Media
  • Gallery
Living, Planning  /  March 20, 2018

Insurance and safety for tiny houses

by tinygolightly

It’s been on my to-do list for a while now: calling around insurance companies to see if I can insure my tiny house on wheels. There’s not a windy night or a really hot stretch of weather that doesn’t set me a little on edge – one gum tree down or a few stray sparks and everything could be gone in a puff of smoke. That raises two issues to discuss, firstly safety and secondly insurance.

Safety for Tinies

This is an issue that needs more exploration and is now being tackled by some groups here in Victoria, such as the newly minted Tiny Not-for-Profit. I’m interested in hearing more about the Tiny House Safety pilot study currently underway and it’s something we’ll have to investigate as we continue to advocate for tinies to be welcomed into councils and the housing industry. Building regulations, whilst tedious and somewhat restrictive, must’ve been created to increase safety, accountability and higher quality homes. What happens when enthusiasts without any building experience take on these projects and work outside of regulations? How will the increasing requirements for homes in bushfire prone areas apply to tiny homes? And if those requirements don’t apply, or if people choose not to adhere to them, what might the consequences be? Not exactly my favourite questions to ask, but they raise important issues.

Insurance

Insurance is another topic that many tiny housers have tended to side step. I spent the day calling around last week and sadly had no luck finding someone who could insure my house. CIL now offer tiny house specific insurance but it seems limited to certain manufacturers in Australia at this point. They also said that because my trailer was 2.8 metres wide and falls outside the standard width of a caravan (2.5m) I didn’t qualify under their policy. The conversation stopped there, so I didn’t find out what paper work, certifications and valuations would be required if there was a policy I could apply for. It didn’t seem like an easy or straightforward process. Especially not for someone who paid cash in hand for carpentry, plumbing and electrics without any paperwork involved. At this stage, it looks like I’m on my own. My insurance policy currently involves a good savings account and learning how to invest for future contingency plans.

So where do we fit in?

Discussions about safety standards and insurance options for tiny houses are still pretty limited at this stage. Partly that’s because tiny houses have evolved outside of the mainstream housing system, at least here in Australia. Those who first tapped into the tiny house ethos and this way of living were outliers. Even now, in some ways living in a tiny house is a way of stepping out a system that doesn’t represent who we are and how we want to live. But with a rise in popularity, more people are asking where tiny houses fit in. Hiding on the outskirts is becoming less of an option and less appealing. Challenging the system to shift and make room for alternative dwellings such as tinies now seems like a possibility. If the system can evolve to include more realistic housing options such as tiny houses, perhaps we will see more options for insurance and safety in the future.

I don’t have any answers here but I think it’s important to continue having realistic discussions. This includes thinking about the risks and challenges that come along with building and living in a tiny home. Change is on the horizon, for better or worse. But government is a slow moving beast and we may also have quite a while to wait. In the meantime, stay safe everyone!

Tags

  • council
  • insurance
  • regulations
  • safety
  • tiny house

Post navigation

Laying a floating floor: my birthday wish comes true!
A homesteading summer

Related posts

Dumpster diving
Food, Living, Uncategorized  /  February 12, 2017
by tinygolightly  /  3 Comments

Dumpster diving

May Day: the realities of living on solar power
Living, Solar  /  July 24, 2018
by tinygolightly  /  2 Comments

May Day: the realities of living on solar power

Moving in!
Living, Uncategorized  /  April 3, 2017
by tinygolightly  /  2 Comments

Moving in!

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook feed

3 months 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
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 months 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
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 months ago
Timeline Photos

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

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 months 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!
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
« ‹ 1 of 77 › »
  • Elara Pro by LyraThemes.com
  • Made by LyraThemes.com