How One Family Used a Tiny House to Rebuild Their Life

Many people lost their homes with the economic collapse in the late 2000's. Each of us learned different things from these catastrophic events, whether you were affected directly or had friends you supported through the collapse. Here is one young family's amazing story about how they're rebuilding their life in a tiny house, something they know seems impossible but they're making it work!

Before the Tiny House – Surviving Economic Turmoil

When you watch the Tiny House video shared by Nikon, you'll be amazed by so many things. This family lost everything and rather than walk away defeated, they decided to redesign their lives. They decided to rebuild without credit or debt, something that very few homeowners do today … but that's what everyone did a hundred years ago. If they could do it, and if it's right for you, then you can do it too.

The Berzins survived the loss of their restaurant and all their savings which they poured into their business, and then they lost their home to foreclosure. What they didn't lose was their spirit, their can do attitude and here's what they've accomplished.

One Year, $12,000 and One Tiny House

They say that invention comes when someone is committed to overcoming challenges. That describes the Berzins well, and so here are their accomplishments as documented in the video and on their blog, TinyHouseFamily.com (and they've got a book too).

• Started building their tiny house on a flatbed trailer. They only moved to Virginia after Karl found a job.
• The completed their little house in roughly a year – 8 feet wide, 21 feet long and $12,000.
• They built their tiny house with no debt or mortgage, sticking to their goal of redesigning their life.
• The house is 168 square feet, or 320 sq ft when you count the 2 lofts used for sleeping.

Building the Larger House, Next Door to the Tiny House

The Berzins knew it sounded impossible, from a family of 4 living in a tiny house to building both houses without debt. They're making it work and decided to capture their story with photos, to share with others so you can do it too. For them it's all about making choices:

• They now get to decide where to spend their time, and money.
• They've learned to live with the basic necessities, and find they're more present without all the distractions.
• They decided what to part with, so now they enjoy their beautiful wedding china, every day.

Hari Berzin, the Mama and picture taker, her husband Karl, the proud Dad and builder, have created the life they wanted. At the end of the video, Hari said “Building a house slowly is like driving versus flying. You know where you are, and it's good to know where you are.”

If you're ready to redesign your life, and your dream includes a tiny house … you might find their book or eCourse are the first step on your journey. If you're looking to take smaller steps, you might enjoy some of our other homeowner stories.

Good luck wherever your journey takes you.