Candid Tiny House

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In this episode of the Candid Tiny House Podcast, Lars shares the honest reality of designing and building his tiny house on wheels while studying architecture at university — and why applying standard house-building logic to a vehicle nearly caused major weight problems.

Starting his build at just 20 years old, Lars reflects on the mistakes he made, including overbuilding with heavy construction materials, pushing close to the 4.5 tonne limit, and learning the hard way why tiny houses need vehicle-aware design.

We discuss towing, moisture management, windows and temperature control, minimalism, sharing a small space, off-grid living, and what he would do completely differently if he built again.

This episode is packed with practical lessons for anyone considering building a tiny house in Australia.

👉 Online Course Lars said was "tremendously helpful". 

👉 Lars's Tiny House Trailer. 

👉 YouTube. 

Candid Tiny House is an Australian podcast about the real experience of building, living, and advocating for tiny houses on wheels.

Hosted by Shannon Schultz from Fred’s Tiny Houses, the podcast features honest, candid conversations with people who have built their own tiny houses in Australia, taken workshops or online courses with Fred, and navigated the full journey from planning to living tiny.

Instead of glossy social media posts or idealised tiny house tours, Candid Tiny House focuses on the realities of designing, building, and living in a tiny house that is both a safe road vehicle and a comfortable home.

Across the series, guests share lessons learned, challenges overcome, and insights gained — from technical building tips and budgeting, to problem-solving, community support, and the physical and emotional demands of a tiny house project.

You can also watch video interviews, tours, and build footage on the Fred’s Tiny Houses YouTube channel, and see photos and articles about each build on the Fred’s Tiny Houses blog.

Music by Scott Buckley. 

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At just 22 and 23 years old, Alex and Harrison designed and built a beautifully refined DIY tiny house on wheels in Australia — learning resilience, problem solving, and perseverance along the way.

In this episode of Candid Tiny House, they share the full story behind their lightweight tiny house build, including planning their trailer size, building outdoors on a nature strip, managing strong winds during construction, transport costs, insurance, budgeting, finding land in the Blue Mountains NSW, and adapting to tiny house living.

They also discuss material choices including charred cedar shou sugi ban cladding, timber framing, grey water management, composting toilets, and the emotional realities of burnout and maintaining momentum through a long DIY build.

This episode is packed with practical advice for anyone interested in:
• DIY tiny house builds in Australia
• Tiny house trailers and lightweight design
• Tiny house budgeting and transport costs
• Tiny house parking and renting land
• Composting toilets and grey water systems
• Minimalist living and alternative housing
• First-time owner builders and resilience

Alex shares:
“Rest when you need it — rest is really productive.”

And Harrison reflects on how the build strengthened his mindset:
“You realise everything has a solution and it doesn’t have to ruin the whole day.”

Whether you're dreaming of building a tiny house, already deep in your build, or simply curious about alternative housing in Australia, this episode offers honest insight into the challenges and rewards of creating a tiny home from scratch.

👉 Online Course Alex & Harrison found very helpful: https://www.tinyhouseuniversity.com.au/courses/how-to-build-a-tiny-house

👉 See Alex and Harrion's Tiny House Trailer: https://fredstinyhouses.com.au/trailer/8-meter-flat-top-trailer-hot-dip-galvanized-triaxle-2-4m-wide-4500kg-rated/

👉 Architect: Lucy Hayward [email protected]

👉 Composting Toilet: https://ecoflo.com.au/product/nature-loo-alectura-premium/

👉 Tiny House Towing Service: https: //www.recoveryrescue.com.au/

👉 RV Lite Hardwood Ply: https://forest.one/rv-lite-hardwood-ply

Music by Scott Buckley. 

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No experience. No shortcuts. Just determination.

In this episode of Candid Tiny House, Tyson shares his journey from dreaming about van life to building a fully off-grid, 8-metre tiny house on wheels—despite having no prior building experience.

Working full-time while learning on the job, Tyson faced everything from trailer levelling mishaps and burnout, to the stress of moving day and navigating planning regulations in South Australia. Through it all, he stayed committed to creating a home that was not only functional, but beautifully detailed.

This episode is a powerful reminder that building a tiny house isn’t about what you already know—it’s about your willingness to learn, problem-solve, and keep going.

What you’ll learn:

•  Real time frame and cost of building a tiny house on wheels
•  Selecting the right trailer size
•  Common beginner mistakes (and how to recover from them) 
•  Strategies for managing time, energy, and burnout 
•  How to successfully manage weight in a tiny house build 
•  Inclement weather and building outside
•  South Australian Tiny House Planning Bulletin
•  Finding land for the tiny house
•  Mindset for success - and what not to compromise on
•  What really helped along the way.

Resources mentioned:

•  Online tiny house building course 
•  Unified Construction Method® 
•  Tiny house trailers in Australia 

If you’ve ever wondered whether you could build your own tiny house—this episode is for you.

Watch on YouTube. 

Music by Scott Buckley. 

About the Podcast
Candid Tiny House is a podcast and video series hosted by Shannon Schultz of Fred’s Tiny Houses.
Each episode features real conversations with people who have built their own tiny house on wheels in Australia after purchasing a trailer or attending one of Fred’s Tiny Houses workshops.
Instead of polished success stories, these interviews focus on honest reflections after the build is finished — exploring the lessons, mistakes, surprises, and wisdom that come from actually living in a tiny house.
The goal is to help future tiny house builders make better decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and understand the realities of tiny house living.

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What happens when home ownership becomes a financial trap?
Nick flipped the script—and found freedom in a tiny house on wheels.

Nick’s journey into tiny house living didn’t start with a dream build—it started with the weight of a mortgage.

After entering the property market, he was “house-poor,” locked into a financial situation that simply didn’t deliver the lifestyle or freedom he expected. In this episode, Nick shares the turning point—what made him question the path he was on, and how that led him to make a bold shift into tiny house living.

Unlike many guests this season, Nick didn’t build his tiny house himself. Instead, he worked with a professional builder, offering a valuable perspective on what it’s like to commission a THOW —from choosing a design and navigating specifications, through to transport, setup, and long-term living.

Now, 3 years into living in his 7.2m tiny house (based on plans from Fred’s Tiny Houses), Nick reflects on the reality of his costs, lifestyle, and the financial transformation he’s achieved. His story is a powerful example of what can happen when tiny house living truly works—and what it takes to get there.

We discuss:

•  What it really means to be “house-poor” in Australia 
•  The mindset shift that led Nick to leave conventional home ownership 
•  The process of commissioning a professionally built tiny house on wheels 
•  Key considerations: transport, insurance, and compliance 
•  Transitioning from city living to a rural, off-grid lifestyle 
•  Real-world budget insights: expected vs actual costs 
•  Ongoing expenses of living in a tiny house over several years 
•  Why lightweight design matters more than most people realise 
•  What makes a tiny house journey a genuine long-term success 

Tiny House Specifications:

•  Length: 7.2 metres 
•  Off-grid
•  Built by a professional builder (non-DIY) 
•  Based on plans from Fred’s Tiny Houses 
•  Two queen lofts 
•  Full bathroom and kitchen 
•  Lightweight construction 

Nick’s story stands out as one of the clearest, real-world examples of tiny house living delivering on its promise. With years of lived experience, financial insights, and a professional build pathway, this episode offers a rare set of data points for anyone seriously considering a tiny house on wheels in Australia. If you’re weighing up whether tiny house living can genuinely improve your financial position—this is essential listening. 

YouTube

Music by Scott Buckley. 

About the Podcast
Candid Tiny House is a podcast and video series hosted by Shannon Schultz of Fred’s Tiny Houses.
Each episode features real conversations with people who have built their own tiny house on wheels in Australia after purchasing a trailer or attending one of Fred’s Tiny Houses workshops.
Instead of polished success stories, these interviews focus on honest reflections after the build is finished — exploring the lessons, mistakes, surprises, and wisdom that come from actually living in a tiny house.
The goal is to help future tiny house builders make better decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and understand the realities of tiny house living.

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What happens when a professional builder takes on a tiny house on wheels?

In this episode of Candid Tiny House, we sit down with Aaron, a carpenter and builder, and his partner Amanda, to explore the realities of building and living in a tiny house in Australia. Aaron shares how the process challenged his traditional construction mindset—and what he had to unlearn to successfully build on wheels.

This is a story of learning, adapting, and evolving—not just in the build, but in the home itself.

Aaron and Amanda’s tiny house wasn’t designed all at once. It developed over time, shaped by changing ideas, preferences, and life circumstances. And unlike many builds, their journey doesn’t stop at move-in.

They’re still living in their tiny house today—and they’ve expanded and adapted it as their family has grown.

Stick around to the end to hear how their home has transformed over time, with  true before-and-after moments across years of living in it: from 2023 to 2025. 

⚠️ Content note: This episode briefly references miscarriage as part of their journey. It is mentioned gently, without detail, and shared within a story that ultimately holds a positive outcome.

If you’re planning your own tiny house build, this episode offers valuable insights into design flexibility, long-term living, and real-world lessons from the build process.

Episode page. 

YouTube video. 

Topics Covered 

• Tiny house on wheels building in Australia
• Transitioning from traditional construction to mobile building
• Lessons learned by a professional builder
• Designing a tiny house as a couple
• Evolving tiny house design over time
• Real-life challenges during a tiny house build
• Living in a tiny house long-term
• Expanding and modifying a tiny home
• Tiny house living with a growing family
• Before-and-after tiny house transformations
• Emotional realities of the tiny house journey

Trailer Specifications:

Aaron and Amanda bought a 8 Meter Flat Top Hot Dip Galvanized Tiny House Trailer. 

How To Build A Tiny House Online Course:

Aaron and Amanda took this online course to answer their technical questions about tiny house building that were not able to be found on the internet. 

Music by Scott Buckley. 

About the Podcast
Candid Tiny House is a podcast and video series hosted by Shannon Schultz of Fred’s Tiny Houses.
Each episode features real conversations with people who have built their own tiny house on wheels in Australia after purchasing a trailer or attending one of Fred’s Tiny Houses workshops.
Instead of polished success stories, these interviews focus on honest reflections after the build is finished — exploring the lessons, mistakes, surprises, and wisdom that come from actually living in a tiny house.
The goal is to help future tiny house builders make better decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and understand the realities of tiny house living. 

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In the first episode of Season 3 of Candid Tiny House, host Shannon Schultz sits down with Jesse and Esther to reflect on their experience building and living in a tiny house on wheels in Australia — with two children.

This candid conversation explores what it’s really like to raise a young family in a tiny house, including the practical realities, the unexpected challenges, and the meaningful rewards that come with choosing a smaller lifestyle.

When this interview was recorded in June 2022, Jesse and Esther were preparing to sell their tiny house after living in it for two years in Esther’s parents’ backyard. By this point, the house was almost empty — making it the perfect moment for honest reflection about what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently.

They originally moved into their tiny house when their first child was still a toddler. During their time living there they welcomed their 2nd child with a home birth in the tiny house during COVID lockdowns, adding another layer to their experience of family life in a very small space.

In this episode, Jesse and Esther generously share their warts-and-all reflections about building and living in a tiny house with children. This conversation is not about selling the tiny house dream — it’s about helping future builders learn from real experiences.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Can you live in a tiny house with kids?
• How much does a tiny house really cost?
• Should I DIY my tiny house or hire a builder?
• How do families manage storage in a tiny house?

…this episode is full of valuable insights.

Host Shannon Schultz also shares some reflections from her own experience raising a young child while living in a tiny house, adding another perspective on parenting in small spaces.
Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a heart-warming update on Jesse and Esther’s next project.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Why Jesse and Esther decided to build a tiny house on wheels
• Working with a professional builder vs DIY tiny house construction
• How long their tiny house build actually took
• The real cost and budget of building their tiny house
• Renovating and modifying a tiny house after moving in
• The realities of raising kids in a tiny house
• Having a home birth in a tiny house
• Living through COVID lockdowns in a tiny house
• Storage and layout ideas for tiny house design
• How to interview a tiny house builder
• Weight management and trailer considerations for tiny houses on wheels
• Building homemade Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
• The challenges of finding land for a tiny house in Australia
• Ethics and motivations behind choosing tiny house living

About the Podcast
Candid Tiny House is a podcast and video series hosted by Shannon Schultz of Fred’s Tiny Houses.
Each episode features real conversations with people who have built their own tiny house on wheels in Australia after purchasing a trailer or attending one of Fred’s Tiny Houses workshops.
Instead of polished success stories, these interviews focus on honest reflections after the build is finished — exploring the lessons, mistakes, surprises, and wisdom that come from actually living in a tiny house.
The goal is to help future tiny house builders make better decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and understand the realities of tiny house living.

Watch on YouTube 

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What’s it really like to build and live in a tiny house in Australia?

In Season 3 of the Candid Tiny House Podcast, host Shannon from Fred’s Tiny Houses sits down with past clients who have taken the leap — buying a trailer, attending the How to Build a Tiny House in Australia Weekend Workshop, or completing the Online Course — and then going on to build their own tiny houses on wheels.

These are honest, warts-and-all conversations with real people who have designed, built, and lived in their tiny homes. They share the challenges, the unexpected obstacles, the problem-solving, and the lessons they learned along the way.

In this season you’ll hear stories from:

• A first-time builder who had only made a coffee table before building his entire tiny house
 • A family who lived with two children in their tiny house and even experienced a home birth during lock-down
 • An architect student who built a tiny house to gain hands-on building experience
 • Couples who designed and built their tiny house as their lives evolved
 • Tiny house dwellers who dramatically reduced their housing costs and achieved financial freedom

Each episode dives into the real process of designing, building, and living in a tiny house on wheels in Australia — including the hard parts as well as the rewards.

If you're thinking about building your own tiny house, planning a DIY tiny house build, or simply curious about tiny house living, these candid interviews will give you the insights you won’t find in polished social media posts.

Candid Tiny House – Real people. Real builds. Real stories.

Hosted by Shannon from Fred’s Tiny Houses, supporting people across Australia to build their own tiny houses through trailers, workshops, and online education.

Music by Scott Buckley. 

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Hello and welcome to this bonus [book club] episode of Candid Tiny House!

It’s a special occasion because one of our DIY builders, Lou Southerden, who you might remember from Season 1 Episode 4, has written a book about her journey of building her tiny house on wheels.

TINY: A Memoir About Love, Letting Go and a Very Small House tracks the story of Lou’s DIY tiny house build in the Northern Rivers area in NSW and the love relationship that she was in at the time.

Fred and I had the privilege of reading the book earlier this year and I have to say that what stood out to me was the realness of her accounts of both building as a DIYer and the honesty of how she lets us in on her relationship, as it suffered massively during the tiny house build and eventually lead to the relationship breaking down.

In this interview we hear about:
- Writing about the tiny, in the tiny house
- Themes of building as a female DIY builder in a male-dominated industry
- Moving her tiny to a new location
- Site preparation, costs and moving details
- Council regulations for tiny houses in her location (Ballina Shire)
- Writing as a personal process of healing and integration.

Book links:
TINY is out on 30th July 2024 through Hardie Grant publishers.
It’s hugely relatable, beautifully written and well worth a read! 

Tiny House Education:

• Candid Tiny House Podcast
• Weekend Workshops  
• Online Course

Mentioned in the interview:

• Tractor Tiny House Guy: Ian Branson https://bransonsruralservices.com/
• Ballina Shire Tiny House strategy
• Lou's blog: No Impact Girl  

Music:
Scott Buckley

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This episode we are looking at present day uptake of the tiny house local laws, and we talk about some of the remaining obstacles to overcome when it comes to tiny house living and hosting in our area.

We examine the grey water processing issue: what the limits are and how to work around them.

We discuss the clause that states that there should be no 'commercial relationship' between tiny house dweller and land owner.

We discuss creating contracts to underpin the relationship between tiny house owner or occupier and the land owner.

We hear from different people who are offering a place for tiny house dwellers to park on their private property, and their different motivations for seeking out a tiny house arrangement.

With a discussion about what is happening at the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) level, and how to overcome these remaining obstacles in the future, we have a look at what is next in the ongoing pursuit of better tiny house laws across Victoria.

Finally, we hear from Kathryn McGoldrick, tiny house dweller and advocate, who now has a place to call home because of the tiny house law change. And we hear from Fred Schultz about what it was like to finally get an outcome that created meaningful change for people in our community.

Episode page.
How To Build a Tiny House - Australian Online Course
Tiny House Trailers

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This episode, we will reflect on the key turning points and factors for success from this campaign, so that you can be well armed with a best-practice set of pro-tips to help you create meaningful change in your home town and increase affordable housing options like tiny houses on wheels in your area. 

We hear from:

1. Kaz Neilson, Co-ordinator of My Home Network, the leader of the successful campaign as she reflects on the things that really worked this time, setting this campaign apart form other attempts to change the local law. 
2. Councillor Matthew Driscoll shares what he thinks might be obstacles in the way for other local councils making progressive changes to their local laws, and what people can do now if they happen to be serving as an elected member of council.
3. Councillor Rosie Annear reflects on the process as a whole and what stood out for her in this campaign to change tiny house laws.
   
   Music by Scott Buckley
   
   Episode Page
   How To Build a Tiny House - Australian Online Course
   Tiny House Trailers