Candid Tiny House Podcast Ep 5: Season 3
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What were you doing at 22 and 23 years old?
Alex and Harrison were designing and building a beautifully refined tiny house on wheels from scratch — navigating strong winds, burnout, budgeting, trailer weights, insurance, parking challenges and the emotional rollercoaster of DIY building.
Their tiny house is stunning. Warm timber finishes, soft green tones, thoughtfully integrated lighting and handcrafted details make the space feel calm, intentional and deeply personal. But what makes this episode truly compelling is the honesty behind the build.
In this conversation, they openly share the challenges that tested them, the mindset shifts that kept them going, and the resilience they developed along the way.
One of the most powerful reflections comes from Harrison, who describes the project as “a big resilience challenge,” learning that mistakes and setbacks didn’t have to “ruin the whole day.”
Alex also shares a reminder many owner-builders need to hear:
“Rest when you need it — rest is really productive.”
This episode is practical, thoughtful and incredibly inspiring for anyone dreaming of building a tiny house in Australia — especially first-time builders wondering if they’re capable of taking on something this big.
In this episode, we cover:
• Dreaming about tiny house living in Australia
• Early frustration researching the tiny house industry
• Planning a lightweight tiny house build
• Determining trailer length and weight considerations
• Picking up their tiny house trailer
• Building outdoors on a nature strip
• Strong winds physically moving the tiny house
• Timber framing and material choices
• Creating a charred cedar shou sugi ban feature wall
• Managing burnout, stress and mindset during the build
• Learning resilience and problem solving
• Finding land to park their tiny house in the Blue Mountains NSW
• Renting land and ongoing living costs
• Discussion around utilities, grey water and composting toilets
• Transport and towing costs
• Tiny house insurance realities
• Full budget discussion and build costs
• Finishing touches including their deck and lighting design
• Advice for first-time tiny house builders
• The importance of community support and asking for help
Online Course that Alex & Harrison learned from:
Just 4 monthly payments of $72 and you own it forever. Such good value!
