Tiny House Australia — this is money

We are capable of more than we know.

During the fire season I had been cash flowing lots of purchases for the impending off-season. I wanted to have all materials and items for the house good to go when the season ended, to be as efficient as possible. So once again, I began crossing projects off the list – bathroom tiles and features, the staircase, steel balustrading, concrete moulds for benchtops, bed frame, electrical work, installing AC units, painting, and plumbing.

For the first four months of this gruelling six-month period dad’s health appeared to be stable. Unfortunately, a recent scan revealed that the cancer had spread into his lymphatic system, when I asked a dear friend Kris what this meant, her response was, “it’s a highway to the rest of the body”. It was crushing. This cloud of uncertainty loomed above, how much time do I have left with dad? Will he make it back home again to see the house finished? Will I finish the house before he dies? Will he die next month, next week…. tomorrow? 

Have supportive people in your corner.

The last two months were the hardest of the entire journey. Morale, motivation, and energy were at all-time lows. I was being held together by the drive to finish the house for dad so that we may see out the project together just like we started it a few years prior. During this madness, with a month and a half to go until the next fire season, a very good friend of mine, Josh, dropped around one evening to say hello. He arrived on the cusp of dusk as I was hastily packing up and cleaning all my tiling equipment while at the same time rushing about the garden planting natives in the dark with a torch. The man can hold a straight face, but I could see it in his eyes - he was thinking, “this bloke is insane”. We had a yarn, I explained I was optimistic about the timeline. He mentioned that there was every possibility I could request to push my start date back. I decided that maybe it would be a good idea for me to delay my start date, so I messaged Josh, who promptly responded, “good idea, I put the request through a couple of days ago and it’s been approved if you want it. I felt this immediate sense of relief as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and clarity resumed. Have good people in your corner, whether they are directly involved in the project or not, let them in, be open, talk through your ideas and emotions with them. Sometimes we are so fixated on one thing that we need someone else, with fresh eyes to break our perceptions and help us see things clearly.

Back yourself

It was two weeks out from the beginning of the fire season and the building inspector was coming the following day to complete the final inspection and hopefully grant me an occupancy permit. Everything was almost ready, all I needed to finish now was the continuous handrail around the spiral staircase. Somehow, I had managed to give myself one day to figure out how to make and install this thing! After 14 hours I stood victorious. I nervously left it to dry overnight. When morning came around, I held my breath and took off all the clamps - everything remained in place, and I exhaled in relief. Working quickly, I sanded all the joins and gave it a well needed oil. 

Three hours later, Jason, the inspector, came through the front doors and began doing his thing. He cut a few casual laps while I nervously provided him with idle chit-chat. Two days later, I received an email with a signed occupancy permit for the Nook. We. Had. Done. It! 

Back yourself - if you’ve put in the time, done all the research, and worked to 100% of your abilities, then you have no reason to doubt yourself. Your best is your best.

A week later, dad, myself and a small group of friends gathered to cut the ribbon and open the house. It was a monumental moment for me, to be surrounded by some of my closest buds, who had all in some way supported me through the last few years of chaos. I am a better person because of all of them and seeing dad there at the house was indescribable.