The tiny house movement has been growing steadily for more than a decade. It offers an affordable alternative to buying a conventional house and an alternative way of living. Many home buyers are choosing to downsize and simplify their lives due to economic hardship, housing affordability and environmental stress. This conscientious collective are choosing to live off grid and leave a smaller footprint on our struggling planet.
In this episode, I speak with Fred Schultz the founder of Fred’s Tiny House workshops about:
- what motivated him to build a tiny house
- what to consider when building a tiny house
- why design and weight planning are vital in creating a successful small space
- what batteries to use for an off grid tiny house
- why buying or building on the right trailer is essential for a portable tiny home
- what are the pros and cons of building with new materials vs recycled
- what courses Fred offers and how they can help you create your ideal tiny house.
Bio:
Fred Schultz is a thought leader, innovator and advocate in Australia’s Tiny House movement. He designed, built and lived in his own off-grid (fossil-fuel free) tiny house with his family and now teaches builders (DIY and professionals alike) how to build safe, compliant and comfortable tiny houses for the different Australian climates. He designs and sells tiny house trailers that are super strong and allow for the strongest attachment between tiny house and trailer. Fred is always up for a chat about tiny houses and the philosophies that underpin them. You can find him in Castlemaine, pouring over the technical details of trailer-design or making in his back yard.
Fred’s background:
Summary of Fred’s different career moves that eventually led him to ditch conventional work and make himself a tiny house:
A more comprehensive explanation of the philosophic reasoning behind choosing to build and live in an off-grid fossil fuel free tiny house:
What Fred offers:
We work with DIY builders and professional builders alike who are looking to build a tiny house on wheels that can withstand both the harsh Australian conditions and the physical forces that are applied during transport. Tiny houses on wheels need to be both comfortable to live in and safe to transport, even if they are transported very infrequently. We teach builders all about the intricacies of tiny house building – in terms of material choices, fastenings, attachment methods, regulatory requirements, transportation, heating and cooling, off-grid options, council regulations and advocacy. Fred teaches face-to-face workshops in Victoria and anywhere on-line at Tiny House University where you’ll find “How To Build A Tiny House – The Australian On-line Course“. We also sell tiny house trailers that allow for the strongest attachment available between tiny house and trailer – Fred’s Unified Construction Method ®.