A family-of-five say they have never been happier after selling their five-bedroom house and everything in it – in order to move into a 180sq ft trailer.
Renovator Dino Petrone, 36, blogger Ashley, 32 and sons Gabe, 8, Gavin, 7 and daughter Quinn, 4, from Ventura County, had what many would consider an ‘ordinary’ life in California.
However when the family stumbled across a piece of land they described as ‘perfect’, they decided to downsize in order to make it their own, swapping their family home for the $8,000 (£5,900) trailer, which they’ve turned into a luxurious abode to rival any boutique hotel.
And despite Ashley missing creature comforts like a washing machine, she says living in such close quarters has made the family of five happier than ever.
Dino Petrone, 36, Ashley, 32 and sons Gabe, 8, Gavin, 7 and daughter Quinn, 4, from California say they have never been happier after selling their 5-bedroom home moving into a trailer
They sold their house everything inside it in order to move into a $8000 (£5,900) 180 square foot boutique-style trailer (kitchen seen)
Despite Ashley missing creature comforts like a washing machine, she says living so closely together has made the family stronger and happier than ever (living room seen)
Ashley says the family’s renovations took just three weeks, and these photos capture the now incredibly modern interior of the family’s stunning trailer, complete with a bijou bathroom, kitchen, microwave, luxury living area, double bed – and a three-story bunk bed for the little ones.
The family has also added a fire pit, which they spend happy evenings gathered around, taking in the landscape they fell in love with.
They had a five-bedroom house, a mortgage, and were on the hunt for a new house when Ashley came across the piece of land that set their move in motion.
Images show the incredibly modern inside of the family’s stunning RV, which the couple fitted out with all the fixtures and fittings
They had a five-bedroom house, a mortgage, and were on the hunt for a new house when Ashley came across a piece of land for sale nearby (180 square foot boutique-style trailer seen)
‘Because there is nowhere to hide, all of your problems are kind of out there, which has been good for us. We definitely feel stronger’, Ashley says of living in such close proximity
‘We had no intentions or desire to build a house, but I stumbled upon land and it was just perfect’, Ashley, who works from home in order to look after the children, said.
‘We sold our five- bedroom house pretty quickly, and while we built our new place we needed a place to live. Renting an apartment or house just seemed out of the question because the rent for a one-bedroom apartment was more than our mortgage.
‘We also looked into tiny houses but, again, they were more money. So we found our trailer, it had three bunk beds and was only $8,000.
‘So we thought, let’s get crazy and go on a once in a life time adventure.
Further images from the collection show the family relaxing around their very own fire pit, where they spend most of their evenings
The family bought the trailer and moved into their new home in April 2017 before renovating it
‘We just knew we wanted a different life experience and this was gonna be it. The idea of living so small and on our land where our kids could run free pretty much sold us.
‘We could save money and have so much fun doing it. The kids enjoy this life, they use their imagination now to play.
So the family bought the trailer and moved into their new home in April 2017. The next step was renovating it, something which Ashley said they were able to do in a remarkably short period of time.
‘What I love about RVs and trailers is their straight lines,’Ashley added.
‘They really follow closely to a house. In here it was all just minor cosmetic touch ups, and we renovated the whole RV in 3 weeks.
Ashley and Dino have the luxury of a double bed with cleverly fitted storage
The family miss creature comforts like a washing machine but love their new pared-down lifestyle
‘We spent about $3,000 on renovations, and then later painted the outside ourselves for another $500. We live on our land and hook up to our neighbours utilities so we are able to stay stationary. We do travel a lot, but we do it outside of the RV.’
Speaking about what a huge impact it has had on the family, Ashley said: ‘Our lives are so different.
‘We are all different. We’ve definitely changed in this last year as well as our perspective on life. I think we all appreciate the sweet simplicities of life we take for granted.
‘Like your own bedroom, a washing machine, trash service. Those would also be included in the things we miss!
The children live in a clever space saving triple bunk bed and live outdoors a lot of the time
Little Quinn has embraced the outside life and loves the freedom it brings with it
‘But because there is nowhere to hide, all of your problems are kind of out there, which has been good for us. We definitely feel stronger.
‘People are always blown away that we even do this and of course people are blown away that it’s actually an RV. It’s only 180 square foot, so not very big.
‘But I love this life! Mostly for what it’s taught our family and how it’s changed us. I always tell people to go in with less. You think you need way more than you actually do but living inside is way more doable if you don’t crowd yourself with a lot of stuff.
‘Whether you go tiny by choice or you’re forced into it, what I’ve learned this year is to find joy in the in between, in the uncomfortable or different situations. There is so much beauty right where we are now, and we so often are in a rush to get to the next step in our lives. So, if you’re going small, soak it all in!’
Their compact kitchen includes wooden worktops a hob, oven and even a microwave
‘I love this life! Mostly for what it’s taught our family and how it’s changed us. I always tell people to go in with less,’ Ashley says