STEP INSIDE OUR (TINY) HOME!

THESE LADIES KNEW THEY HAD TO ACT AMID RENTAL PRICE HIKES

- By Sarah Marinos

When rents soared in Brisbane, and the property she was leasing was put up for sale, Rochelle Ryan had to move quickly to keep a roof over her head.

So, in 2022, she spent $20,000 on a tiny home she found on Gumtree.

Rochelle, a mother of two, then moved the 10-square-metre house into a friend's backyard and spent a further $20,000 on renovations, which included a kitchenette with a fridge, washing machine, air conditioning, heating, a toilet and shower, and bunk beds.

"My daughter was in her final year of high school when we moved into our tiny home because of the rental situation," Rochelle, 51, tells New Idea. "I'd always planned to buy a tiny home when I retired, but the move happened much sooner than I expected.

"My home was built by an architecture student as a university project, so it was rough and ready, but once it was renovated it had everything I needed."

When Rochelle later relocated to NSW and Canberra for work, she simply took her home with her!