Doors open to tiny homes

HAVE you ever thought about downsizing? The Tiny House Festival is here to showcase how to take the concept to the extreme.

The event, first held in 2019, is back on this Saturday, 17 September and Sunday, 18 September at the Bendigo Racecourse.

It will feature commercial displays, DIY-built houses, van and bus conversions, off-grid products and services like compostable toilets, solar panels and batteries, and expert presentations and workshops as well.

Organiser, Darren Hughes, along with partner Lisa Adams, established Tiny Houses Australia in 2013 and said the idea has grown significantly over the last decade.

“The festival is for people who’ve heard about tiny houses and don’t really know what they’re all about… or if they know about tiny houses and want to speak to a commercial company about how to build one,” he said.

Mr Hughes said micro homes can be portable or more permanent, and many people have been drawn to the concept due to a potential lower cost of living.

“Admittedly the cost of tiny houses has shot up over the last couple of years because of material costs, but they’re still far cheaper than buying a traditional bricks and mortar house,” he said.

“The environmental and eco-friendly side of things and resourcefulness and limiting your waste is certainly part of it, but the biggest thing for most people is the cost savings.

“The last couple of years have made people realise maybe the big house, the fancy car, the brand name clothes and the toys don’t really matter in life, maybe it’s other stuff like relationships and experiences.”