Couple create tiny mansion in a unique mini suburb in NSW for just $100,000

A young couple have created a tiny mansion for just $100,000 in a unique miniature suburb.

Alicia Fox and James Galletly are building their dream home on a quarter of an acre block of land on a piece of larger land which they share with more than 70 other families.

Built between Port Macquarie and Crescent Head, 407km north of Sydney, Goolawah Cooperative is off the grid so the residents rely on solar energy, rainwater and compost toilets. 

‘My man and I are building our home by hand. With recycled timber and straw bales,’ Ms Fox wrote online.  

Alicia Fox and James Galletly (pictured together) built their dream home on a quarter of an acre block of land on a piece of larger land which they share with more than 70 other families

The house (pictured) is made of hay bails, clay, pallet timber and other natural materials which they learnt how to use during their years of travelling the world 

The house (pictured) is made of hay bails, clay, pallet timber and other natural materials which they learnt how to use during their years of travelling the world 

Built between Port Macquarie and Crescent Head, north of Sydney, Goolawah Cooperative is off the grid so the residents rely on solar energy, rainwater and compost toilets

Built between Port Macquarie and Crescent Head, north of Sydney, Goolawah Cooperative is off the grid so the residents rely on solar energy, rainwater and compost toilets

‘Our basic living expenses are just petrol, food, phone and internet,’ Ms Fox told ABC News.

‘We don’t pay for any water or electricity so we keep our costs pretty low and we grow as much food as we can.’

Ms Fox and Mr Galletly saved money while they were working in Melbourne and lived ‘frugally on the land’ after travelling. 

The pair said they spent years designing the house which was ‘really small and really simple’ which helped them keep the costs down. 

The house is made of hay bails, clay, pallet timber and other natural materials which they learnt how to use during their years of travelling the world.

The community even rallied together, all lending a helping hand as they covered the hay bales with mud render. 

‘Our goal is to have the smallest environmental footprint possible and build beautiful, long lasting structures,’ Ms Fox wrote on Instagram. 

Collecting and up cycling as much as possible, the creative pair bought floorboards ‘for the price of firewood’, use homegrown loofahs to wash their dishes and clean and picked up a free water tank and shed – which they transformed into a kitchen – on the side of the road.

‘The fact that you can build you own house is very empowering,’ Ms Fox said. 

'Our basic living expenses are just petrol, food, phone and internet,' Ms Fox said (pictured)

‘Our basic living expenses are just petrol, food, phone and internet,’ Ms Fox said (pictured)

The couple have been building their house at Goolawah Community (pictured) for two years and hope to be finished by the end of the year 

The couple have been building their house at Goolawah Community (pictured) for two years and hope to be finished by the end of the year 

‘We were travelling for 10 years before we decided to build a house, so we didn’t want to let go of that freedom.

‘The concept of locking ourselves into repayments for 30 years, which meant careers for 30 years, just didn’t suit our lifestyle.’ 

The couple have been building their house for two years and hope to be finished by the end of the year, the publication reported.

While they may have freedom and aren’t tied down to any mortgage repayments, people in the ‘village’ have to abide by rules including no fences and no cats or dogs. 



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