Today, we have a very special guest, Lucy Lich, joining us from the South Coast of New South Wales Australia. Lucy is not only a dedicated tiny house dweller, but also a teacher, wellness enthusiast, and the host of the Tiny House Conversations podcast. Over the next hour, we'll dive into how living tiny has profoundly integrated with her values of minimalism, health and environmental consciousness. Lucy will share her personal journey into tiny living, her insights on designing for health and minimizing environmental impacts, and how her experiences have shaped her podcast. Join us as we explore the unique challenges and joys of tiny living with an expert who lives and breathes this lifestyle every day.

In This Episode:

• 🏡 Tiny House Customization: Lucy hired builders open to unique material customization, accommodating her health-centric needs in tiny house construction.
• 💡 Health-Oriented Lighting: The story behind trading standard bulbs with amber and red to mimic natural sunlight, promoting better sleep and relaxation.
• 🌿 Electromagnetic Sensitivity: Extra measures like non-wireless tech and special electrical wiring incorporated into the design to reduce electromagnetic fields.
• 💧 Natural Living Approach: Features like a composting toilet, rainwater tank, and solar setup installed to enhance sustainable living.
• 🤍 Mindfulness and Intentionality: Lucy's philosophy of intentionality and mindfulness permeates her tiny house living approach, focusing on eco-friendliness and connection with nature.

Visit the full show notes for additional photos, links and resources.

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Janet Thome is deeply involved in the tiny house movement, leading the Tiny House Alliance USA and serving as the membership secretary of the ASTM International Tiny House Subcommittee. In this episode, Janet will share insights into the current state of the tiny house market, the impact of recent economic shifts, and the ongoing efforts to develop standards that ensure safety, affordability, and compliance in the industry. She’ll also discuss the importance of certification for owner-builders and the essential role of inclusive regulations. Join us as we dive deep into these topics and explore the future potential of tiny house living with Janet Thome.

In This Episode:

• 🌍 Global Standardization: Janet discusses efforts with ASTM International to create a worldwide tiny house standard, streamlining safety, affordability, and compliance across different countries.
• 👷 Safety and Compliance: Emphasis on the importance of adopting ASTM standards to ensure that tiny houses are built safely and adhere to recognized industry benchmarks.
• 🏠 Affordable Housing: Keeping the tiny house industry affordable is a primary concern, facilitating support for small manufacturers and DIY builders.
• 🚚 Local vs. Transport Costs: The cost benefits of selecting local builders to prevent high transportation costs of materials and completed homes.
• 📋 Certification Needs: Highlighting the importance of certification to streamline and ensure consistency in the building and approval processes across states.
• 🛑 Fraud Alert: Warnings about the prevalence of scams within the tiny house industry, urging potential buyers to thoroughly research and verify builders' credentials.
• 🤝 Industry Collaboration: Collaboration with various stakeholders like manufacturers, engineers, and architects to create comprehensive and inclusive standards.
• 🔍 Future Trends: Emerging trends, including a push towards creating new classifications of housing to keep up with societal and economic changes.

Visit the show notes for links, resources and transcript.

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Today we delve into the story of a listener turned tiny home owner, Maegan Bell. Maegan is an active duty Army logistics officer who's going to share with us how she exchanged the blueprints of a traditional house for the compact efficiency of a custom-built tiny home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We'll explore the challenges of setting up utilities, the joys of bringing family closer together, and how tiny homes can offer a unique solution for military families on the move. Maegan's journey is filled with insights and practical advice for anyone considering this lifestyle. So if you're curious about the tiny house movement or looking for tips on how to make it work for your family, stay tuned for this fascinating conversation.

In This Episode:

• 🏡 Embracing Tiny House Living: Maegan and her husband discovered the comfort and functionality of a tiny house.
• 💵 Military Financial Strategy: How living in an RV or a tiny house can be a clever financial decision for military families due to housing allowances.
• 🏞️ Wildlife and Remote Habitats: Maegan shares stories of wildlife encounters and her expertise in making remote locations livable from her military logistics background.
• 🔨 Smart Contractor Selection: The need to carefully vet contractors by checking credentials and reviews for building or developing a tiny house.
• 🕒 Land Development Patience: She advises taking time to understand the land before rushing into development.
• 🌄 Vacation Home to Tiny House: Faced with high building costs, Maegan chose to build a custom tiny house on her Virginia property as a nature-connected family retreat.
• 🛠️ Design Choices and Regrets: Maegan discusses aspects that worked out really well, but also shared certain regrets.
• 🛖 Multi-Use Property Planning: With the flexibility tiny houses offer, her family enjoys a stable vacation home that could also be rented out or moved if needed.
• 🌞 Off-Grid Living Exploration: Due to the high cost of setting up grid electricity, she considered off-grid solutions, such as solar panels, for their tiny house.

Visit the show notes page for more photos, links, and resources.

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