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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 livin

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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
   
   
   

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In this eye-opening episode, we delve into the groundbreaking decision by Mount Alexander Shire Council to legalise tiny houses on wheels. Featuring a detailed interview with Councillor Rosie Annear, who was Mayor at the time of the law change, we explore:

• The journey from initial proposal to successful implementation
• Challenges faced in navigating planning schemes and local laws
• How community engagement played a crucial role in the process
• The council's approach to balancing safety concerns with housing needs
• The impact of the decision on local housing options and affordability

Key highlights:

- Insight into the council's decision-making process and risk assessment
- Discussion of the planning scheme complexities and how they were overcome
- The unprecedented level of community support (91% in favour)
- Reflection on the broader implications for housing solutions in Victoria

Whether you're a tiny house enthusiast, interested in local government processes, or concerned about housing affordability, this episode offers valuable insights into how innovative policy changes can address pressing community needs.

Don't miss our special announcement at the end of the episode!

Listen now to discover how one council's brave decision is paving the way for alternative housing solutions across the country.

Candid Web Page
Tiny House & Land Offers Mount Alexander Shire Database
Mount Alexander Shire Tiny House Local Law
Tiny House Trailers
How To Build A Tiny House - Australian Online Course

Music by Scott Buckley

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This is season 2 of Candid Tiny House where we peek behind the scenes of the successful campaign to change tiny house laws in Central Victoria, to show you how you can campaign to replicate the changes in your home town.

Kaz Neilson is key to this second attempt at changing tiny house laws. She is the coordinator for My Home Network, the driving force behind the new campaign.

Kathryn McGoldrick is a tiny house dweller and advocate, who solved her homelessness through building a tiny house on wheels.

They share the steps they took to campaign for change that they needed to see happen, and inspire and educate along the way.

Music by Scott Buckley

My Home Network Info Page
Episode Page
How To Build a Tiny House - Australian Online Course
Tiny House Trailers

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This is Candid Tiny House, hosted by Shannon Schultz from Fred’s Tiny Houses. Usually this is a podcast interviewing people about their tiny house builds. This season, Season 2, we are doing something different.

Last June, in 2023, the local shire here in central Victoria, Mount Alexander Shire did something extraordinary. They passed a local law that allowed for living in a tiny house on wheels on private property without a permit or a time limit. They removed the biggest barrier to living in a tiny house on wheels that there is: council regulations.

It was huge, we got national media attention, a lot of happy community members and a whole new option for affordable housing in our region. We also got a lot of people from other councils, in other states, around Australia, calling up and asking how did you do this? We want to do that here! How did you make that possible?

So this podcast is in answer to that question. We talk to all the key players involved in the change - what they did, what were the factors for success, what were the obstacles they faced and how did they overcome or avert them? And most importantly, what are the list of things that you can do to replicate the same progress in your home town?

This episode we take a trip down memory lane, to 2020 and the lead up to the local law review, when Fred Schultz led a campaign to legalise tiny house living. We hear about what steps we took, here at Fred's Tiny Houses to create a friendly law, present it to council and generate public support for the idea.

Councillor Christine Henderson was a fan of the proposed tiny house law change, and pushed very hard inside council to get the progressive laws over the line. Hear all about their efforts, the obstacles they faced, and how you can use their experience to overcome obstacles in your home-grown campaign.

Music by Scott Buckley

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

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This is Candid Tiny House. I'm your host, Shannon Schultz from Fred’s Tiny Houses.

You might have heard that last year, our local government, Mount Alexander Shire here in Central Victoria, changed their local laws to essentially legalize tiny house living.
You can now live in a tiny house on wheels on private property where there’s a dwelling, without a permit or a time limit.

It’s great! It removes the biggest obstacle to tiny house living - council regulations - and as such, it’s a significant step towards increasing affordable housing options in our area.

It took 2 campaigns, 2 revisions of the same local law, much community in-put and a lot of research and head-scratching by all involved.

As you can imagine, this law change sparked a lot of interest from other communities and local councils all calling up asking "How did you do this? How can we do that here?!"
 
So this season of Candid Tiny House, we are answering that question.

We hear from key players in the two different campaigns, Councillors, the Mayor, tiny house dwellers and advocates, and from people in the community who are now offering land to tiny house owners,  because of the law change.

It’s a case study of initial disappointment, new strategies, internal council insights, overcoming obstacles and working together for a better outcome.

And the best part? It's not just about this town. It's a playbook for anyone, anywhere, itching to make a difference in their own backyard.

So grab your headphones and buckle up. The Advocacy Season of Candid Tiny House is about to drop, and you won't want to miss a minute. 

First episode is out on June 14th, and each Friday following.

Music by Scott Buckley