36-Year-Old in Denmark Builds Tiny Home in Woods for $13K—Tour Inside

A 36-year-old man in Denmark quit his job and built a tiny home in the woods for under $13,000. The project reflects his desire for a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle. The home, built on a budget, showcases creative use of space and eco-friendly materials. Take a tour inside to see how he achieved this minimalist living arrangement and learn about the design choices that made it possible without breaking the bank.

For years, Anders Boisen, 36, lived in apartments around Aarhus, Denmark's second-largest city.

Though he had a comfortable life with a two-bedroom apartment and a job in city development, Boisen felt constrained by the societal pressures of what his life should look like at his age.

He experienced a "claustrophobic feeling" in his apartment, not from its size, but from the prescribed lifestyle it represented. One day, Boisen discovered a YouTube channel about people living in off-grid tiny homes.

He found it inspirational, as it presented a way to live more economically free and sustainably, while also exploring life on a philosophical level. Boisen decided to leave his apartment and move to a garden house, where he developed the idea to build his own tiny home. In 2018, he started constructing a mobile home, but it was stolen just months later.

It made headlines in Denmark, but the house was never recovered. Undeterred, Boisen began building another tiny home the following year, completing it in spring 2020 after eight months of intermittent work. He built most of it himself, spending between 80,000 and 90,000 Danish Krone (around $11,366 to $12,787).

The tiny home is 6.5 meters long by 2.5 meters wide, or about 21.3 feet by 6.6 feet. At that time, Boisen rented land where he began constructing the home. To focus on the project, Boisen quit his job and started a Facebook group to share his progress. He received help from people in the group.

He reflected on how personal the house became, with memories from his work and the help of others shaping it, making it feel different from a contractor-built home.

Since quitting his job, Boisen's career now revolves around creating content on YouTube and speaking about tiny living and off-grid lifestyles across Denmark. Though he has fond memories of the building process, Boisen faced many technical challenges, including issues moving the house and a roof leak.

One major setback occurred when the house tilted during its move, a problem that was difficult to fix. Despite the challenges, Boisen describes the sense of achievement upon completing the home as unmatched. He recalls the excitement of building something that felt like a dream come true, not just a shelter but a new chapter in his life.

In September 2021, Boisen purchased 17,800 square feet of land near Aarhus for 160,000 Danish Krone (around $22,791). The plot is at the end of a dirt road, surrounded by a meadow and forest, giving it a larger feel. A month later, Boisen moved his tiny home from its rented land to his new property.

Boisen ensured his tiny home was equipped to be off the grid, with a rainwater filtration system, solar panels, and batteries for energy storage. After over four years of living there, Boisen has only run out of water once and has lost power several times. He monitors his water tank closely, takes shorter baths when needed, and aims to conserve water.

During winter, Boisen reduces his power usage and stores items like milk outside instead of using a refrigerator. He views the house as a tool to help him learn how to reduce resource consumption and live more sustainably. Boisen also maintains a permaculture garden where he grows potatoes, berries, apples, leeks, cabbage, and herbs.

His goal is to plant permanent crops that will yield for as long as possible and expand his garden in the coming seasons. Growing his own food aligns with his desire for self-sufficiency, and it connects him more closely to the seasons and nature. Boisen finds joy in eating seasonal, local food and uses food scraps to feed his chickens and compost for his garden soil.

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Source: CNBC‍