Tiny Houzz Tour: Living the Good Life Their Way
This owner-built home in Australia may be on the small side, but it provides the perfect space for the family’s big dreams to come true
As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. It was in this spirit that Murray and Vicky Goodchild decided to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: building their own tiny house. When the family of three were told that they had to move out of their rental house, Murray was determined not to go back into that market. “It’s money down the drain and provides no long-term certainty in terms of being able to stay in one place,” he says.
Not having the resources to apply for a home loan, they decided to try something different and join a movement still in its infancy in Australia. “Building a tiny house on wheels seemed to offer a solution, given its affordability and movability,” Murray says. “Vicky and I both earn modest incomes…. We try to live simply, doing what we love.” Thankfully, their new home — a 107-square-foot tiny house perched on a farm owned by another family in Victoria’s Yarra Valley — gives them the opportunity to do that.
Not having the resources to apply for a home loan, they decided to try something different and join a movement still in its infancy in Australia. “Building a tiny house on wheels seemed to offer a solution, given its affordability and movability,” Murray says. “Vicky and I both earn modest incomes…. We try to live simply, doing what we love.” Thankfully, their new home — a 107-square-foot tiny house perched on a farm owned by another family in Victoria’s Yarra Valley — gives them the opportunity to do that.
The idea to live the tiny life came to Murray when he met a man who was building one for himself. He instantly fell in love with the idea. “[I loved] how little space you actually needed to live, and how the life that you lived in it could be so surprisingly rich,” Murray says.
“And I loved how cozy they seemed. Something about it spoke to the child in me, and I think the human scale is inviting.” But what about his wife’s initial reaction to the idea of downsizing to such a drastic degree? “She was rapt,” Murray says. “It made so much sense for the position we were in.”
“And I loved how cozy they seemed. Something about it spoke to the child in me, and I think the human scale is inviting.” But what about his wife’s initial reaction to the idea of downsizing to such a drastic degree? “She was rapt,” Murray says. “It made so much sense for the position we were in.”
Thus inspired by the idea of living the tiny life, the couple started on the planning practicalities for their new home. “The design process began with us asking what we needed the space to do,” Murray says. “Vicky and I both work for ourselves, so we needed room for admin/office-type stuff and, of course, room for Gracie to grow and flourish.”
With neither Murray nor Vicky having much practical building experience, the couple turned to the most valuable source around for the information they needed to get their project started the right way: the internet.
“We spent literally hundreds of hours on the net … to soak up all of the inspiration we could,” Murray says. “From there we developed a concept of what could work for us.”
With neither Murray nor Vicky having much practical building experience, the couple turned to the most valuable source around for the information they needed to get their project started the right way: the internet.
“We spent literally hundreds of hours on the net … to soak up all of the inspiration we could,” Murray says. “From there we developed a concept of what could work for us.”
Having gone so far with the design process by themselves already, Murray and Vicky then decided to take on the construction work as well. Aside from the obvious bonus of financial savings, they also loved the idea of the hands-on nature of building their home themselves. “I think the more you’re connected to the story of where the things you have and use come from, the richer and more meaningful your life can be,” Murray says. “I love being creative and also … love pushing the limits of what’s possible on a limited budget.”
And so the process began in March 2015. A year or so later, and the Goodchilds are finally able to add the finishing touches to the house they built with their own hands. “It cost around [$9,000 U.S.] to build, and that’s for everything, including solar, plumbing, furniture and accessories,” Murray says. “My mantras have been, ‘Can I make it myself?’ and ‘What else could I use instead?’”
And so the process began in March 2015. A year or so later, and the Goodchilds are finally able to add the finishing touches to the house they built with their own hands. “It cost around [$9,000 U.S.] to build, and that’s for everything, including solar, plumbing, furniture and accessories,” Murray says. “My mantras have been, ‘Can I make it myself?’ and ‘What else could I use instead?’”
As Murray had done the design work himself, with Vicky’s input and assistance, the couple were able to create a home that was perfect for their family and the lives they wished to lead. For example, “because I wanted a flat surface upon which to do yoga,” Murray says, “I built the floor above the wheel wells of the trailer.” This meant that the height of the house ended up being 15 feet (4.5 meters).
The average ceiling height in Australian homes is about 8 feet (2.4 meters), and when you consider that this has to take in the height of a trailer as well, things can get a bit cramped. Within this small home, therefore, no space is wasted, and most areas serve a double purpose.
The average ceiling height in Australian homes is about 8 feet (2.4 meters), and when you consider that this has to take in the height of a trailer as well, things can get a bit cramped. Within this small home, therefore, no space is wasted, and most areas serve a double purpose.
For instance, the kitchen also doubles as a dining area, with the help of a pullout dining table. The table does triple duty: as a kitchen counter for preparing meals, as a dining table for enjoying those meals and as a craft table. There is even a double-sided set of pullout drawers, seen at right, which hold kitchen essentials in the front three drawers and — once you pull out the cabinet and turn it around — holds crafting supplies in the back.
The kitchen sink has a double basin. Laminated wood and plywood — handmade by Murray to fit into the larger side of the sink and the draining rack — create extra prep space when the sink isn’t in use.
The kitchen sink has a double basin. Laminated wood and plywood — handmade by Murray to fit into the larger side of the sink and the draining rack — create extra prep space when the sink isn’t in use.
The materials throughout were chosen for durability, availability, low cost and lightness, as well as to fit in with the aesthetics of the home. “It was always a case of designing with the elements at hand and not the other way around,” Murray says. “For example, it was only once I had the windows that I could finish the framing plans that would house the windows. Working the other way around is when your costs go through the roof.”
The couch in the living space was handmade by Vicky and Murray, as were most of the home’s furnishings. Sitting atop a wooden frame (with built-in storage, of course), the cushions were crafted out of an old futon that the couple salvaged. They cut and reassembled the foam and padding to suit their own configuration, then covered each piece in fabric that was just the right shade of green.
“We were really set on a certain green color for the couch, and so we bought that fabric new when we found it. It happened to be on sale at the time, though. I learned that you can’t just get the cheapest and expect to save,” Murray says.
“We were really set on a certain green color for the couch, and so we bought that fabric new when we found it. It happened to be on sale at the time, though. I learned that you can’t just get the cheapest and expect to save,” Murray says.
“It’s pretty much all handmade by myself and Vicky,” he says of their home. “She has done all of the furnishings and pretty touches. I designed it with my wife, so it’s a one-off original.”
One of the main considerations of building a tiny home, and one of the trickier issues to deal with, is fitting everything needed for a family to live comfortably within a limited height. Although sleeping quarters were added easily enough in the loft spaces at either end of the house, there was still a requirement for separate spaces for the couple to work from home, and for the occasional bit of alone time.
“A little glitch along the way during the building phase was when I installed the mezzanine and felt the openness of the space shut down in an instant,” Murray says. “After some impromptu rearranging, I came up with something that allowed the space to breathe, but because it was not in accordance with the original plan, it created a few design anomalies, like a window about [8 feet] up the wall that no one could reach.
“We overcame this with a bit more improvisation, and I’m happy to say, created an end result that was better than the original idea.”
“A little glitch along the way during the building phase was when I installed the mezzanine and felt the openness of the space shut down in an instant,” Murray says. “After some impromptu rearranging, I came up with something that allowed the space to breathe, but because it was not in accordance with the original plan, it created a few design anomalies, like a window about [8 feet] up the wall that no one could reach.
“We overcame this with a bit more improvisation, and I’m happy to say, created an end result that was better than the original idea.”
The solution? The solid mezzanine space was instead turned into a more open catwalk. “That is a low slatted floor over the couch that allows you to stand up on the second level. The slats allow light to pass through, so you don’t feel cooped in below on the couch. It’s not an idea I’ve seen anywhere else,” Murray says.
“A realization that awakened in me during the build was the way that changing levels allows you to occupy different air space,” Murray says of the way they’ve made the most of the space available. “A number of conversations can be going on at once in a small space and not feel too busy, because the lines of communication are not intercepting each other.”
Surrounding the catwalk on the upper level of the home, this natural branch provides an organically shaped railing for added security and a beautiful natural aesthetic. The branch, found while Murray was out on a riverside walk, adds to the rustic appeal of the recycled-wood home.
Toward the rear of the upper level, a loft serves as the couple’s bedroom. Wood shelves supported by more found “whole tree” branches give the space the feel of having been grown, rather than built.
Thanks to the relatively large windows, this space feels open and bright, despite its low ceiling height. When open, the secondhand windows also help create a pleasant cross breeze, great for warm summer nights.
Thanks to the relatively large windows, this space feels open and bright, despite its low ceiling height. When open, the secondhand windows also help create a pleasant cross breeze, great for warm summer nights.
This space is a particular favorite of Murray’s, both for sleep and just relaxing when the mood strikes. “I like sitting up on the bed in the mezzanine, he says, “as the airflow is amazing and you feel perfectly secluded, like you’re at the top of a tree.”
Not only did the couple keep the costs of their new home down by doing the bulk of the building work themselves, but they also learned how to do more specialist trades as well. For example, Murray constructed the house’s plumbing system himself and connected it to an external rainwater tank, helping them to stay even further off the grid.
At the bottom of this hand-built shower cubicle, an ofuro-style Japanese soaking tub was also crafted by Murray out of plywood that was coated with epoxy to make it watertight. The bath, which is compact but quite deep, is filled from the rainwater tank with water heated by a wood-burning system.
“A lot of the costs came at the end of the build with plumbing, electrics and paint. OMG, paint! On the other hand, it was thanks to a product called liming white that I was able to turn $130 worth of baltic pine lining boards into chic, rustic gorgeousness,” Murray says.
At the bottom of this hand-built shower cubicle, an ofuro-style Japanese soaking tub was also crafted by Murray out of plywood that was coated with epoxy to make it watertight. The bath, which is compact but quite deep, is filled from the rainwater tank with water heated by a wood-burning system.
“A lot of the costs came at the end of the build with plumbing, electrics and paint. OMG, paint! On the other hand, it was thanks to a product called liming white that I was able to turn $130 worth of baltic pine lining boards into chic, rustic gorgeousness,” Murray says.
“Anyone who enters the tiny house immediately feels like they’re in a kid’s treehouse, because there’s a big focus on vertical space that you can climb up into and make use of,” Murray says. In the space behind the bathroom, at the front of the house, this staircase leads to Grace’s loft, and doubles as built-in storage for her toys and other belongings.
This space, known as “the nook,” sits underneath Grace’s room at the front of the trailer just opposite the stairs. It offers family members a quiet retreat should they desire some alone time.
The deliberately pared-back, simple and somewhat raw design of many of the house’s spaces was inspired by the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi — finding beauty in the imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. This was one of several search terms the couple used when they were looking online for inspiration. Others were “Japanese,” “Zen,” “recycled” and “upcycled.”
The deliberately pared-back, simple and somewhat raw design of many of the house’s spaces was inspired by the Japanese idea of wabi-sabi — finding beauty in the imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. This was one of several search terms the couple used when they were looking online for inspiration. Others were “Japanese,” “Zen,” “recycled” and “upcycled.”
Making the home’s levels accessible and safe for a child was one of the most important concerns for both Murray and Vicky when building their home. “Having a 4-year-old, I’ve always needed to consider how Grace will handle any design elements,” Murray says. “For example, whether she’d be able to navigate the trap door in her bedroom, or whether the steps leading up to that same trap door were suited to her size.”
When Grace is in her bedroom, a sliding trap door covers the space at the top of the stairs for safety. “Grace has her own set of stairs that go down into the nook from her room, but she mostly chooses to use the other stairs,” Murray says, adding that she easily navigates all the stairs.
When Grace is in her bedroom, a sliding trap door covers the space at the top of the stairs for safety. “Grace has her own set of stairs that go down into the nook from her room, but she mostly chooses to use the other stairs,” Murray says, adding that she easily navigates all the stairs.
Dotted throughout the house, May Gibbs’ gumnut babies bring added interest and appeal to the home for Grace and the rest of the family. This pair nestles below the main light switches, which illuminate the home with a solar-powered glow.
The solar panels, seen here just off the home’s view-capturing deck, were one of the few elements of the build with which Murray sought help. “The prize for all-time legend goes to my dear friend Dominic Hawkins,” he says, “who has worked tirelessly to get me on solar power. He even provided the batteries free of charge because they were being off-loaded at the end of their career.”
So, not only is the couple able to live off the grid, creating and storing their own power thanks to the sun, but they also used recycled materials to help make this happen. This truly is an ecologically friendly home. “Because he’s a genius,” Murray continues, singing Hawkins’ praises, “he has developed a way of reconditioning them, and now I have batteries that capture energy from the sun. What a miracle.”
So, not only is the couple able to live off the grid, creating and storing their own power thanks to the sun, but they also used recycled materials to help make this happen. This truly is an ecologically friendly home. “Because he’s a genius,” Murray continues, singing Hawkins’ praises, “he has developed a way of reconditioning them, and now I have batteries that capture energy from the sun. What a miracle.”
Though the house is small, it sits on 15 acres, allowing the Goodchild family to live the simple sustainable life they have always coveted, surrounded by the beauty and bounty of the natural environment. But if the time comes that they want to move, the house has been built on wheels for just that purpose.
For general access vehicles, the maximum height allowed on the roads is 14 feet. Murray got around the problem by making the extremities of the roof above the sleeping lofts retractable.
“If I ever wanted to move the house, I needed to work something out, so I built the house so that the roof can be lowered. How that works is that there are hinges on the lower part of the main roof. The brown wedges that you see on the upper walls from the outside can be removed so that the roof can be lowered,” Murray says.
For general access vehicles, the maximum height allowed on the roads is 14 feet. Murray got around the problem by making the extremities of the roof above the sleeping lofts retractable.
“If I ever wanted to move the house, I needed to work something out, so I built the house so that the roof can be lowered. How that works is that there are hinges on the lower part of the main roof. The brown wedges that you see on the upper walls from the outside can be removed so that the roof can be lowered,” Murray says.
“I’d say the house has great green credentials,” Murray says, taking into account the modifications he built in himself and with help from friends. “It’s off-grid, which means it produces its own solar power, own solar and wood-fired hot water, harvests its own rainwater, and recycles the greywater by watering the [veggie] beds, which grow our own food.”
This sustainability was of the utmost importance to the Goodchilds, who located their family on the border of Victoria’s PEACE Farm, with which they are closely associated. PEACE stands for Permaculture, Education, Art, Community and Enterprise, and the farm is an organic living and learning space that teaches the community about self-sustainable living. The couple worked hard to make their home fit in with this ethos, which they also strongly believe in.
This sustainability was of the utmost importance to the Goodchilds, who located their family on the border of Victoria’s PEACE Farm, with which they are closely associated. PEACE stands for Permaculture, Education, Art, Community and Enterprise, and the farm is an organic living and learning space that teaches the community about self-sustainable living. The couple worked hard to make their home fit in with this ethos, which they also strongly believe in.
Seen here is one of the beds Murray and Vicky built outside their home, enabling them to grow much of their own food and adding to their self-sufficient lifestyle.
Since moving into their tiny house earlier this year, Murray, Vicky and Grace are loving the massive change in their lifestyle. “Because it’s such a scaled-down existence,” Murray says, “a lot of time and energy gets freed up. We feel more spacious. The demands on us are less. We don’t have to pedal as fast to keep on top of things. We have no debt.”
The lack of debt is one of the most significant advantages of tiny house living. While property prices around Australia continue to increase, making the dream of home ownership unattainable for so many, and putting the majority of those who can enter the market in lifelong debt, the Goodchilds have found the best of both worlds: affordable housing and a sustainable lifestyle.
The intimate space of the tiny house has even helped make their small family closer. “We spend a lot of time together, and getting along is just a skill that has to be developed as part of the conditions of this lifestyle,” Murray says. The plan is to build Grace a separate structure at some point that she could live in through her college years if she wanted, he says.
The lack of debt is one of the most significant advantages of tiny house living. While property prices around Australia continue to increase, making the dream of home ownership unattainable for so many, and putting the majority of those who can enter the market in lifelong debt, the Goodchilds have found the best of both worlds: affordable housing and a sustainable lifestyle.
The intimate space of the tiny house has even helped make their small family closer. “We spend a lot of time together, and getting along is just a skill that has to be developed as part of the conditions of this lifestyle,” Murray says. The plan is to build Grace a separate structure at some point that she could live in through her college years if she wanted, he says.
Another big advantage is having more room to roam outdoors, thanks to the expansive plot of land on which their new home sits. The family keep their own flock of chickens in a coop that is hopefully more secure than their last one, which was unfortunately infiltrated by a fox.
Murray describes the experience of living in a tiny house as providing “lots of invitation to the outdoors, but still enough sheltering to feel protected and nurtured as well. I see the house as an interface with the world, not an attempt to contain the whole world within the four walls.”
Murray describes the experience of living in a tiny house as providing “lots of invitation to the outdoors, but still enough sheltering to feel protected and nurtured as well. I see the house as an interface with the world, not an attempt to contain the whole world within the four walls.”
When asked what advice he would give to anyone considering embarking on building a tiny house, Murray says, quite simply, “Do it. You’ll find exactly what you need when you need it if you have faith in the process and your motivations.” Sounds like a good reason to give it a go.
For those who agree, Murray also provides the following guidance: “Much assistance came in the form of ideas developed when sharing our dreams with friends, family and other tiny house enthusiasts. Connecting with like-minded individuals, largely through Tiny Houses Australia’s Facebook page, provided heaps of affirmation and moral support.
For those who agree, Murray also provides the following guidance: “Much assistance came in the form of ideas developed when sharing our dreams with friends, family and other tiny house enthusiasts. Connecting with like-minded individuals, largely through Tiny Houses Australia’s Facebook page, provided heaps of affirmation and moral support.
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Who lives here: Murray Goodchild, an acupuncturist; his wife, Vicky, a yoga teacher; and their 4-year-old daughter, Grace
Location: Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Size: 107 square feet (9.9 square meters), with a deck that’s 54 square feet (5 square meters)
Budget: About $9,000 U.S.
That’s interesting: Although small, the open-plan space includes a living room-kitchen, bathroom, study nook, bedroom mezzanine and another bedroom above the bathroom. And the home can be moved to a different site with relative ease.