As most of you are (hopefully) aware, this week, New Zealand has gone into lockdown. This means that Tom and I have not quite yet been able to finalise the purchase of our land, and, I doubt we’ll be going anywhere over the next month! However, we do get the ultimate test of whether our tiny house will provide enough space for the two of us to live comfortably! Tom will get a reprieve though – as I am a healthcare professional, I will still be going to work during the week. He is hoping to get lots done on the house over the next month, however, given that hardware stores are shut, this may be a bit tricky. And, of course, our circular saw blade went blunt on the very first day of lockdown, so the woodwork we are able to do may be limited!
We are a few days into lockdown at this stage, and, I must say, so far, so good! Thus far, 24 square meters is ample space for the two of us to live comfortably and spend extended periods of time together. Tom has done some work on getting our kitchen sink installed and functional, and it is a vast improvement on going outside for dishes etc – especially that we are now definitely into Autumn and it is getting a bit chillier. Having a pretty much fully functional kitchen installed also takes the pressure off us for finding and installing a permanent one – Tom has done a good job on a minimalist, yet fully functional space which also looks really cool. He did a triangular design for the bench space which gives it a nice aesthetic. We have also moved a bigger fridge into the house (an old one from our flatting days), which has a bit of freezer space for a few meals etc (Tom and I figured that even though I still go out to work, it is probably best to have some food available in the house in case one or both of us gets sick). However, we have been following the Government’s advice and shopping normally (the only, annoying difference being we had to buy bagged bread for the first time in about 2 years as all the panickers had bought up the flour and we couldn’t make our own as usual!). Tom did also rush out and buy some sawdust for our compsting toilet last-minute after we weren’t sure if our stash would get us through the month – that is the exent of our panic-buying experience!
The weekend before lockdown, we had my parents and Joe up to help – which was really great at the time, and even better in hindsight! Having them there meant we got a whole bunch done – the walls are now completely lined and the ceiling fully insulated. This has made a really noticable difference to the warmth of the house, which will make life a lot more pleasant! After lockdown, we will continue our hunt for a suitably-sized fire to install for the colder months. It also means we have a whole other loft to use as hang-out or storage space. I am really excited to start designing and building this “chill-out” loft eventually – I think it gives our home a little extra space and character, and will be a really cool feature of the place when finished.
The one thing we haven’t managed to install to be self-sufficient over the lockdown period is our washing machine. This means I will have to rely on other people, or the launderette for our washing. Luckily, I have had many offers of help from work colleagues, and Mum of course! It’s been quite eye-opening how easy it is to live without things that previously I would have classed as “essential” over the last few weeks – and a washing machine is definitely one of them! Before lockdown, we were able to just pop over to Mum’s once a week, and there is also a launderette a few minutes’ drive from us. Now that we’re in lockdown, it’s not entirely ideal not having a machine, but definitely something we can still work around.
Experiencing the panic and fevour of people during the past week or so has been eye-opening. It makes me glad of the choices we have made, and more determined than ever to increase our self-sufficiency once we are on our own land. The vegetable garden Tom and I have planned will no doubt be one of the first things to go in, and we will be increasing our focus on fresh, organic food with no plastic packaging. I am really glad we are living in a rural area for the lockdown, where we have a bit of space, and the ability to get our fresh air and exercise easily. Given that we are probably more reliant on outside space for living and working than maybe the average person, it is great that we will be able to continue as normal without compromising any 2m limits. I am also really glad that we have improved our “basic living” arrangments with the kitchen etc over the last few weeks – our space is functional and comfortable. The thing that has struck me heading into our viral crisis is how utterly panicked people are about the prospect of running out of food – even when there is simply no pre-packaged pasta on supermarket shelves, this can cause mass hysteria. It has been making me dwell on the millions of people worldwide for whom not having enough food is a daily struggle.
Another thing we are short on out here is internet – we have limited phone signal and connectivity to the outside world. While some may look at this with horror, it has meant we are a lot less exposed to news and social media feeds giving us updates every few minutes. I think this has been beneficial for my mental health so far – I receive vital information at work, and am able to come home and relax with a book and unwind properly rather than being subject to the constant media frenzy.
Having less than the average household really does make you grateful for the little things, too. Over the last few weeks, getting our gas hob and kitchen sink installed have been milestones of huge importance and excitement for us. Having something a bit different to focus on is good, and doing the work ourselves gives us immense satisfaction and enthusiasm. I am hoping we will be able to continue with some bits and pieces over the coming weeks, but, if not, we will simply have to be patient, and enjoy the privilege of being able to spend time in our lovely tiny house!
The Tiny People 