009 - Kathy and Matt McMillan are experienced tiny housers from the mid-North Coast of NSW.

Kathy and Matt have been living in their pre-loved tiny house on wheels with their dogs Chloe and Webber since April 2021. Their tiny is parked on the property where Kathy grew up, on Dunghutti Country in the Mid North Coast hinterland of NSW. The family appeared on the "Too Much Stuff" episode of ABC’s Compass program in July 2021, which is still available to view on ABC iView.

Ten years ago, the couple started questioning their stressful city life and excessive consumption. They had busy corporate jobs, a mortgage, and mounting personal debt just to keep up with all the things they thought they needed.

Five years ago, they discovered the tiny house movement but thought it would remain a dream for them. When Kathy’s Mum died in 2018, it forced introspection and set the wheels in motion that got them to where they are now.

Going tiny was a conscious decision to live more sustainably, downsizing to what they really needed, and fuelled by a desire to slow down, live simply, in the peace and quiet of nature. Financial freedom was a motivator, along with freeing up time to concentrate on meaningful pursuits and most importantly living close to family.

In this conversation we talk about:

  • Why Matt and Kathy chose to buy a pre-loved tiny home instead of DIY building
  • Their off-the-grid set-up including what they do with solar, water, a composting toilet and management of greywater
  • Financing a tiny house
  • How living in a tiny house connects you to everyday life and nature
  • Some misconceptions they commonly hear about tiny house living
  • Plenty more!

Find out more about the podcast and get the episode show notes & links here:

https://tinyhouseconversations.com/009-off-the-grid-tiny-house-kathy-matt

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You can follow Kathy and Matt’s tiny adventures here:IG: https://www.instagram.com/atinylifeafterall/

Compass documentary: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/compass/series/35/video/RN2011H020S00

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