{"id":688489,"date":"2026-05-23T01:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T01:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/688489\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T01:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T01:28:13","slug":"couple-embrace-130000-housing-crisis-solution-sweeping-australia-never-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/688489\/","title":{"rendered":"Couple embrace $130,000 housing crisis solution sweeping Australia: ‘Never again’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple have vowed to \u201cnever live in cities again\u201d after building their own tiny home<\/a> in regional Australia, despite not having any construction experience whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Lizzie Villestas, 42, and David Menhennett, 56, moved from Hong Kong to Australia \u2014 where David was born \u2014 in 2021. They have now joined the scores of Aussies ditching city life<\/a> for simple, stress-free living.<\/p>\n

The couple are encouraging others to take the plunge<\/a> and make the move as the \u2018Australian dream\u2019 of a multi-bed detached home in the suburbs becomes increasingly unattainable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the only way forward for younger generations,\u201d David told Yahoo News.<\/p>\n

Determined to leave behind the \u201chigh-level stress\u201d city living brings, the married couple made plans to relocate to Tasmania, but ultimately decided on southeast Victoria.<\/p>\n

While David has family scattered around the country, including in South Australia, Queensland and Sydney, the couple hoped to set up \u201cas far away from the rest of the world as we can possibly get\u201d.<\/p>\n

Three years on and they\u2019ve never looked back.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia about their big life change, the couple said they\u2019d always dreamt of building their own home,<\/a> despite lacking the know-how.<\/p>\n

\"Tiny<\/p>\n

The couple tackled the build themselves which cost them $130,000.<\/p>\n

David admits they taught themselves through \u201clots of research\u201d and a crash course at \u201cYouTube University\u201d. In other words, following and watching how-to videos on YouTube.<\/p>\n

How much does it cost to build a tiny home?<\/p>\n

The total cost to build, including a verandah, rainwater catchment system, and solar power system, was about $130,000.<\/p>\n

But this was during the height of Covid when construction costs surged,<\/a> Lizzie said.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/p>\n

DIY kits these days can cost as little as $30-$79k for a shell or up to $120k for a professionally built home on wheels, known as a THOW.<\/p>\n

The tiny home took 18 months to plan and nine months to build from scratch.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

It took the couple nine months to build the tiny house from scratch.<\/p>\n

During the build, the couple relied on Lizzie\u2019s part-time wage to get by while David worked full-time on the build.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was probably the best nine months of my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Tiny house perfect solution for Lizzie and David<\/p>\n

Living tiny has not been \u201ca compromise\u201d<\/a> for the couple. Coming from Hong Kong, where their home was just 51sqm, the tiny home \u2014 at 55sqm \u2014 offers more space than they\u2019ll ever need.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery square inch of my space has been thoughtfully designed to maximise functionality,\u201d Lizzie said.<\/p>\n

And because it\u2019s on wheels, David and Lizzie can move it wherever they like. They\u2019ve been lucky enough to find someone willing to let them put their home on their property.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were never that keen on moving around a lot,\u201d Lizzie said. \u201cWe wanted to find somewhere to park permanently and set up from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we’re still on wheels, so if we ever need to move, we can move,\u201d David added.<\/p>\n

In Victoria, a permanent tiny home can be constructed on land where there is an existing dwelling if the new construction is 60 square metres or less. A building permit is required.<\/p>\n

A home on wheels is allowed by most Victorian councils for stays of up to 60 days over a year. Some councils around the country are starting to allow homes on wheels, including caravans, on properties permanently<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have you found a unique housing solution? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The couple say they have more space then they’ll ever need.<\/p>\n

More Aussies choosing tiny, modular housing solutions<\/p>\n

The couple are among the growing number of people ditching traditional housing for tiny house solutions<\/a>, which are often more affordable.<\/p>\n

Modular, or prefab, housing is also showing promise as<\/a> a solution that guarantees people get into homes sooner.<\/a><\/p>\n

When done professionally, they take a matter of weeks to construct, compared to a traditional build, which can take months.<\/p>\n

This housing alternative somewhat bypasses the critical tradie shortage<\/a> currently experienced across Australia.<\/p>\n

Having spent three years on their quarter acre, both LIzzie and David agree, \u201cwe will never live in cities again\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s so much land out here that people can come out and exist on,\u201d David said, claiming cities are \u201crapidly failing\u201d people.<\/p>\n

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