There is a chance that you will not always live in your Tiny House where it is now. Perhaps the location is only available temporarily, perhaps the lease is ending, perhaps you would like to move to a different type of home, larger or in a different location. For TinyFindy I looked for experiences of small living pioneers with moving.
Some go to another region or even another country. Sometimes they leave their house behind for the next enthusiast, there are also Tiny House residents who take their house with them to the next place. What are the most important reasons for taking this step and what obstacles do they encounter?
Alkmaar by the canal
‘I was so lucky with my first spot, a beautiful green oasis on the edge of Alkmaar,” says Marjolein Jonker enthusiastically. ‘On the waterside, with a park across the street, and yet close to the center and the train station. And my house was fantastic! So well designed, so light and cozy, I lived in it with great joy for five years.’
But the place in Alkmaar was temporary, initially for 5 years, so Marjolein knew she had to look for another place. ‘And I wanted that too, because my dream was to find a place where I could create the edible garden of my dreams. That was not possible in Alkmaar, because it was temporary and we were not allowed to plant trees and shrubs. After five years I had paid off the loan for my first house and I could start looking for my own piece of land.’
A dream location in Olst-Wijhe
Marjolein found a plot in the municipality of Olst-Wijhe, in a beautiful circular and nature-inclusive new-build neighborhood, where Tiny Houses were also welcome. ‘I was still very happy with my house, so I wanted to take it with me, but that turned out not to be possible. I had to apply for a new environmental permit, and then your house will be tested against the applicable regulations. Because it was a permanent environmental permit, my house had to meet the BENG standard, which it did not meet. In order for it to meet these requirements, so much work had to be done that I decided not to do that and investigate whether I could have a new one built. And it all worked out!’
‘So I already had the lot, now I needed a new Tiny House. I had already come across the design ‘the Sprout’ from Woonpioniers online and immediately thought: “If I ever have a new house built, it will be a Sprout.” A Tiny House plus greenhouse! That really is a dream home for a gardening enthusiast like me. So I started talking to Woonpioniers, and that also worked out: I now live very happily in my own Tiny Sprout.’
The move
‘I had to bridge a period between the sale of my first Tiny House and the completion of the Sprout, and I had to move from Alkmaar to Olst. That’s a 2 hour drive. I first lived with my mother for a while and then found a temporary home in Olst, within walking distance of my plot. I stored most of my stuff in an Allsafe unit. An astonishing amount came out of that little house, it was really remarkable! I also had garden chairs, a wheelbarrow, planters, etc. So the Allsafe box was still quite full. In June 2022 I moved into my new Tiny House and when I managed to buy a small shed via Marktplaats, I was able to empty that storage unit again.’
Marjolein thinks it is not much different from a ‘normal’ move, unless you take your house with you: ‘Your life changes as you get older, so do your housing needs and financial options. So it is not strange at all to want to move at some point. If you are going to live in a Tiny House, it does not necessarily mean that it will be for the rest of your life. I never want to live in an ordinary house again, but I don’t dare say whether I will live in this house for the rest of my life. Never say never is my motto. But I certainly enjoy living here now and in the years to come.’
Another tip from Marjolein: ‘Where there is a will, there is a way. In the beginning I thought I would never be able to finance the Sprout. But through creative thinking and inspiration from people around me, I started investigating it, and then you open the door to possibilities instead of keeping the door closed by thinking that it won’t work out. Just try it, talk to people around you, two know more than one. It’s really true that more is possible than you think.’
You can find more photos of Marjolein’s Tiny House on her website Marjolein in het klein.
Photography: Marjolein Jonker, De Plaatjesmaker Fotografie, Rianca Houthuijsen, Bluemonque, Chiela van Meerwijk.
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