SMALL WONDERS

THE TINY HOUSE MOVEMENT IS GAINING MOMENTUM AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE CHOOSE A HOME (AND A LIFE) THAT IS CHEAPER, SIMPLER AND KINDER TO THE PLANET.

- LESLEY STONES

Most of us tend to spend a lifetime accumulating stuff. Clothes bought on a whim, kitchen gadgets you never use, books you'll never read again... The list goes on. Sure, you might do a half-hearted declutter every now and again, but a few months down the line you're often right back where you started.

If you put your mind to it, how low could you go? Could you pare down your life enough to join the tiny house brigade?

Driven by environmental concerns, self sufficiency and a craving for adventure, a growing band of retirees, wanderers and eco-warriors are swapping excess and big bills for the tiny house lifestyle. (Never mind the benefits of a lowercost, less cluttered home - since there's very little storage, you generally buy and consume less.)

Debbie Agenbag has scaled down her living space to 80 m², but as a champion of the tiny house movement, she admits that's still a little on the large side.

'It's all about a smaller footprint,' Debbie says. 'It's about clever design, how you utilise space, quality appliances and quality living in general. We're so fortunate in South Africa because you can extend your living to the outside. So inside it's small and super functional, and outside you have beautiful decks and open spaces.'

Debbie lives in the rural Free State village of Rosendal, which is becoming a tiny house hub, in part thanks to her Facebook group Building Tiny Houses - The Journeys. 'The interest is there, but people don't know where to start, so they message me asking how to do something or what the best options are,' she says.

One couple who had planned to build at the coast visited Debbie for advice and bought land in Rosendal instead. At least 10 plots in the village are currently earmarked for mini homes, and Debbie is building two more herself.