You know you want to live smaller — but should you buy an RV or build a tiny house? Both lifestyles promise freedom, lower costs, and a break from the traditional housing grind, but they’re more different than most people realize. Here’s an honest, side-by-side breakdown to help you figure out which one is actually you.
This is the Wobbly Hobbit—a 300-square-foot tiny house studio built by Brent using a mix of cob, stick frame, and ICF (insulated concrete forms). The pentagon-shaped structure features a green roof, masonry wood stove, homemade wine barrel furniture, and a separate shed with shower and composting toilet.
Built in British Columbia, Canada over six years with help from friends and professionals, the total cost came to approximately $50,000 CAD ($35,000 USD) including appliances. The studio also collects rainwater—abundant in the temperate rainforest setting.
The Wobbly Hobbit combines multiple building techniques: cob (clay, sand, and straw), stick framing, and insulated concrete forms. This hybrid approach allowed Brent to use each method where it works best.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
Anne-Marijke has been living in her tiny house on wheels in Australia, making retirement affordable after realizing traditional housing costs would have required her to work until age 80. The cost of renting or owning a home was simply too expensive—tiny house living changed that equation entirely.
She bought a tiny house shell from a builder, then completed the interior herself with help from her daughter, despite having no previous building experience. This partial DIY approach kept the total cost to approximately $60,000 USD while teaching her valuable skills.
Image © Exploring Alternatives and Living in Tiny G
What if ditching your apartment could lead to over $100,000 in savings? That’s exactly what Arslan from the Solar Camper Car YouTube channel did.
In his latest video, Arslan shares his inspiring story of giving up traditional housing five years ago in favor of life on the road — and how that choice completely changed his financial and personal life.
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Images via Solar Camper Car/YouTube
This is to announce the find your alternative housing tiny house workshop event in Portland, Oregon on Thursday, June 27th, 2019 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Are you thinking about some kind of creative home — like a tiny house, RV, backyard home, or backyard community? If you know you want a home that’s “different” but don’t know which one, we have THE perfect event for you!
Don’t miss other announcements like this – just join our FREE Tiny House Newsletter and you won’t miss a thing!
Screenshot via World Domination Summit
