We spent about six months openly discussing it. It started with a documentary on Netflix, and we were immediately infatuated with the idea. And from there it grew to scouring blogs on the web, looking up plans, and watching every YouTube video available. Hypothetically speaking became our regular terminology. If we did this, could we travel more? If we did this, could we save more? If we did this, could we live, truly live, and do so comfortably?

On our way home from our cruise in Jacksonville, Florida we passed a building site. Veering off on the next exit in pursuit of said business, we did a walk-through of their models. It felt so real. We stood in those four walls and imagined what our lives could be. The smell of pancakes filling up the home, the sound of nature and seclusion, the feeling of making a space exactly the way we want. We could do this. It was as if we needed this tiny sign (pun intended) on the side of the road to keep us on the path.

So that was it. We drove home and dived in, creating a 5 year plan and figuring out how this could all fit into it. We devised a budget and planned to save more. We moved, condensed (easier said than done), and revisited any doubts we had.

We’ve stayed mostly quiet because we wanted to be 110% sure we were actually going through with this. But, as of last week, our “foundation” has been delivered, so there’s no turning back.

Do you see where we’re going with all of this?

Daniel and I are building a tiny home! If you’ve never heard of that, you should definitely look it up! There is a plethora of information out there as it is becoming a growing trend. I heard there’s even a tv show! There’s something invigorating and gratifying about building something with your own hands. To know that each nail was hammered by you and each floorboard was laid by you.

Why are we doing this? Well, freedom. Freedom financially, geographically, and emotionally.

• Financially. We won’t have the strain of a mortgage or high electric bill to weigh us down. Yes, the initial cost will take a toll on our savings, but living in this home for a period of time will pay for itself by what we will be saving. There are other odds and ends ways to save by having a tiny home. We won’t have to worry about constant repairs as we would with an older home, we won’t have a need for extra furniture for the guest bedroom or half-finished basement, and we won’t have extra counter space to fill with knickknacks. And it’s not just about saving, but spending wisely. Investing in good products. Living Simply.
  • We are only two people. We don’t need that much space. Or things. As we condense, we realize we hold on to so many things that actually hold very little value. I haven’t worn this shirt in years; why do I still have it? All these crafting supplies have been sitting in a drawer collecting dust. You get the point. It is crazy to see how much stuff two people can accumulate over such a short period of time. I think of the man in the Bible that wanted to follow Jesus but was unwilling to sell his possessions to do so (Mark 10:21-22). Will we let our love for things hinder us from serving others? Discarding items and putting real consideration into what we need has been freeing. And to keep things shows their value and true worth. Because we now only own one spatula, we value it more and treat it with more reverence. And that analogy can be applied towards so much more than just a spatula like your clothing or your hobbies or the people in your life. Less is truly more.

• Geographically. Putting a home on wheels has more benefits than one. Besides allowing us the benefit of avoiding building permits, we have the opportunity to potentially reside anywhere. Our plan is to plant our home somewhere more permanent/long-term (more on that later), but we love the option of moving a home we’ve built and love to another location. What we’d really enjoy is to travel more. There is SO much of this world we haven’t seen! The money we save can be used towards exploring parts of the state or country or world we have yet to cross.
• Emotionally. This has made us step back, reflect, and decide what we as humans need to live. Lavish homes and large wardrobes is what society tells us to strive for as Americans today. But why? Why should we be pressured to purchase a home because it is “the next step in life?” To then spend less time in the home because of the need to work harder and longer hours to afford said home. It’s not that we don’t want to work, but rather that we want to work to live not live to work. Being enslaved to our job (even though we love what we do!) and being enslaved to debt isn’t enticing. We want to live more. Together. This concept has freed us of a rigid mindset we don’t want to conform to. We don’t need more things to be happy, we don’t need more money to be happy, and we certainly don’t need more home to be happy.

Goodness, this has gotten awfully long, but it’s been on our minds for a while now, and we wanted to share. This obviously is not for everyone, but this is why we’re choosing to move forward with our plans. Hopefully, if anything, this has inspired you to take a look at your own life and consider what is worth keeping.

We really want to hear from you! Please send us your thoughts or advise or questions you may have concerning our home. We will do our best to answer and update as we continue on in this endeavor :)

And… what’s a photography blog without pictures?? A recap on our year so far mostly through phone pics.

Saying goodbye to our first little home together. Happy and sad all at once. What’s the word? Bittersweet. #babyevaluna #sweetpeamarie

A photo posted by Ashley Rockey Frey ♡ (@ashley.tireswing.rockey) on Jan 31, 2015 at 8:42am PST

 

A photo posted by Daniel (@daniel_tireswing_frey) on Feb 8, 2015 at 12:31pm PST

Hey guys, it snowed today ❄ #sweetpeamarie

A photo posted by Ashley Rockey Frey ♡ (@ashley.tireswing.rockey) on Feb 16, 2015 at 6:24pm PST

 

 

Edit:  A lot has happened since this post! A complete list of our tiny home updates can be found HERE. If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us HERE.