I Didn't Set Out to Be "The Tiny House Woman"
My plan wasn't to spend years talking about composting toilets, loft ladders, or council consents. But life had other ideas...
It Started With a Simple Need
We wanted another child and needed extra income during maternity leave. Living in a normal two-bedroom house with a basement, we'd recently renovated downstairs into a one-bedroom flat for our friend Jim.
The first idea? Build a rental unit in the backyard.
After researching costs - connecting services, engineers, designers, retaining walls - the build would cost more than we'd ever recoup in rent. Not to mention the stress while possibly pregnant.
That idea got canned fast.
Then I Found a Tiny House on TradeMe
While scrolling for house buses, I stumbled across something different. Small house, but mobile like a bus. This could work.
Four-hour drive to view it (already sold, but owners let us look). Dad came along. We took notes, sketched, dreamed.
Cue the phase of endless floor plan sketches, Pinterest rabbit holes, and YouTube binges. Tweaking and re-tweaking the "perfect" design.
But here's what happened next:Â we actually built it.
The Reality Hit
Many weekends driving back and forth from Auckland with a toddler. Building by day, working by week. Exhausting but exciting.
Then momentum hit. We took it to the Home Show in Tauranga. Phone started ringing. People fascinated, curious, full of questions.
We sold a build. Hired staff. The momentum never stopped.
From Family Project to Movement
Tiny House Builders Ltd grew to a team of 14. Over the years, I designed more than sixty tiny houses. My parents now live in one on our property. My kids think having Nana and Grandy a few steps away is normal.
We won Tiny House of the Year, Best Commercial Tiny, and the Resene Colour Award - all at once. "I've spoken at expos, field days, and government meetings. Chaired the New Zealand Tiny House Association. But what matters most isn't the industry recognition - it's the real transformations I've witnessed."
But here's the twist:Â
What really lights me up isn't building beautiful spaces. It's watching people transform their lives.
Seeing someone move from debt and stress into freedom. Watching an empty nester rediscover joy in a space that finally feels like them. Helping families live close - but not too close - in ways that actually work.
That's the magic.
Why I Stepped Into Education
Because I can only build so many homes, but I can guide hundreds - maybe thousands - to create their own version of tiny living success.
The problem? Most people never make the leap. They spend years researching but stay stuck in overwhelm, afraid of costly mistakes, confused by council rules and builder horror stories.
My mission:Â Help you sidestep the overwhelm, avoid the costly mistakes, and get clarity, confidence, and a plan that actually works.
Because your tiny house isn't just about downsizing. It's about creating the life you want, not the one you've outgrown.
