A couple who moved into a 399-square-foot tiny home on wheels in an attempt to save money have opened up about the difficulties they’ve faced while living in such a small place together, admitting that it’s not as ‘cheap and glamorous’ as it often looks online.
Destiny and Brianna DeJesus, from Portland, Oregon, said they began looking into buying a home together after the rent of their apartment nearly doubled over four years.
As a couple who loves to travel, they ‘fell in love’ with the idea of living in something like an RV or van so that they could move around rather than ‘spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to put down roots in a single location.’
The eventually opted for a tiny home on wheels and officially moved into one in early 2022 – but they were in for a shock when they were hit with a slew of expenses and challenges that they never expected.
A couple who moved into a 399-square-foot tiny home on wheels in an attempt to save money has gotten real about the difficulties they’ve faced while living in such a small place together
Destiny and Brianna DeJesus, from Portland, Oregon, moved into the tiny home in early 2022 – but were in for a shock when they were hit with a slew of expenses and challenges
‘Although we now love everything about living in a tiny home, the journey to get here was not easy,’ admitted Destiny in a recent essay for Insider. The interior of the tiny home is seen above
‘Although we now love everything about living in a tiny home, the journey to get here was not easy,’ admitted Destiny in a recent essay for Insider.
Destiny explained to the outlet that just because homes are ‘small,’ it doesn’t mean that they’re ‘cheap.’
She revealed that they paid roughly $90,000 for their 399-square-foot abode, and another $2,000 to have it moved from Los Angeles, where it was made, to Portland, where they live.
Because the home is on wheels, they thought it would be easy to travel in it from state to state, but in reality, she explained that it’s an expensive – and risky – event every time they want to relocate.
‘Movers usually estimate the price of gas per mile,’ said Destiny. ‘That means our next move from Portland to Texas will likely cost us over $8,000.
‘Moving an entire home also comes with risks. When we moved our house the first time, we opened the door to find our fridge on the counter, our porcelain sink cracked, and our sliding door off the hinges.
‘Part of the reason we wanted a home on wheels was [because] we wanted to travel and move from place to place. Now, moving isn’t something we plan on doing as often as we thought.’
Another major hardship that they’ve faced since the lifestyle change is finding places to park their new home.
Destiny explained to the outlet that just because homes are ‘small,’ it doesn’t mean that they’re ‘cheap’
She revealed that they paid roughly $90,000 for their 399-square-foot abode, and another $2,000 to have it moved from Los Angeles, where it was made, to Portland, where they live
Because the home is on wheels, they thought it would be easy to travel in it from state to state, but in reality, she explained that it’s an expensive – and risky – event every time
‘Finding parking is hard and requires thorough research. There are many regulations and laws when it comes to tiny homes that can vary by state, city, and county,’ Destiny continued.
They’ve also had a hard time discovering contractors who are willing to fix problems that arise, which means they’re often left to handle it themselves
‘Even if you own land, you might not be allowed to have a tiny home on your property.
‘Parking a tiny home on wheels in an RV park is an option but the house must have certain certifications.
‘Joining a tiny-house community is also an option but that could mean living in more remote areas or sitting on a years-long waitlist.’
They’ve also had a hard time discovering contractors who are willing to fix problems that arise, which means they’re often left to handle it themselves.
Destiny and Brianna’s tiny home consists of a kitchen area, a living room, an office, a bedroom, and a bathroom.
It also boasts two closets, an AC and heating unit, running water, and a two-in-one washer and dryer.
Destiny and Brianna’s tiny home consists of a kitchen area (left), a living room (right), an office, a bedroom, and a bathroom
It also boasts two closets, an AC and heating unit, running water, and a two-in-one washer and dryer
Despite the difficulties they’ve faced along the way, the couple is still happy to have made the move, explaining, ‘We’ve had a wild year but we wouldn’t trade it for any other lifestyle’
There’s unfortunately no stove or oven, but they’ve learned to cook almost everything using their air fryer and a hot plate.
Despite the difficulties they’ve faced along the way, the couple is still happy to have made the move, explaining on their joint Instagram account, ‘We’ve had a wild year but we wouldn’t trade it for any other lifestyle.’
The pair often documents the difficulties they face while living in the tiny home on their social media.
‘We’ve dedicated this page to showing mainly the cons of living in a tiny house because we don’t see enough of it online,’ they explained in one post.
‘I will take this bull s**t over paying $1,600 for rent, so we’re gonna roll with the punches,’ they captioned another video, which showed them fixing their shower door after it recently shattered.
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