The trend of living big in a tiny moveable home is taking South Africa by storm as new Tiny Home manufacturer, Wanderlust Co. inspires locals with their innovative and eco-friendly designs.
Matt and Kendal Bower are directors and owners of Wanderlust Co. and have moved into a tiny home to show that tiny home living is for everyone.
The couple leads an active working life with Matt working and owning an event infrastructure company and Kendal dabbling in a variety of industries from interior design to psychology and sales.
“No matter the challenges that lie ahead, one can’t help but smile at the adventures we are about to embark on. There is no better time than now. I want to be able to tell my children that their dad and I helped shape a movement that shifted our environmental impact on the planet, and the greater dream is to help South Africa’s economy by creating affordable and sustainable homes and investments for the majority of South Africans. Cost of living is extremely expensive and we want to slash that expense and simplify”, says Kendal.
Wanderlust Co. offers a variety of custom made houses that can sleep up to six people, with the aim of reducing living costs and negative impact on the environment.
Essentially these unique houses offer the chance to live wherever you want thanks to their unmatched mobility. They are designed with space in mind while not sacrificing the aesthetic.
These tiny homes are built onto a flatbed trailer and are easily towed to their next destination, thanks to their dainty 15 to 30 square metre size.
Each home can be completely tailored to its owner whether its wifi, water filtration or solar power, your tiny home can be anything you want it to be.
Wanderlust Co. offers four tailored designs suited to different areas and inspired by South Africa’s various terrains.
The J Bay is a laid-back minimalist design that draws it inspiration from Jeffreys Bay. It is best suited for ocean-lovers with a passion for surfing and living with nothing but what they need.
This option costs R350 000 for its 6.5m X 2.5m space offering a lounge, kitchen, dinning area, bathroom and loft-style bed.
For those looking for a little more space there’s the Sheffield, which takes inspiration from the small northern coastal town by the same name.
Would-be owners can choose between either a 6.5 X 2.5m option for R585 000 or a larger 8m X 2.5m for R650 000.
Following a colonial beach cottage theme, the Sheffield is white inside with light oak finishes.
Other options include the Maluti which draws its inspiration from nature and features earth tones and wood finishes to match its mountainside theme. This option also comes in two sizes.
Lastly the Sabi is a tiny home created with the bush in mind, designed and decorate to reflect the African bush with darker wood and touches of grey.
Customers can also suit their level of sustainability to their home.
“Wanderlust Co. tiny homes have an option of being fitted with either a composting toilet or a regular flush toilet, depending on how eco friendly and off the grid one wishes to be,” says the company’s website.
While creating these unique works of homey art, Wanderlust Co. also helps to place many home owners and provides additional guidance on what living life big in a tiny home means.
The company is constantly looking for land up for rent for customers to roll their new homes onto at a fraction of the price that renting a house would cost.
“Most people park their mobile Tiny Homes on their own property, at a friend’s or relative’s place. Some folks travel and move around from place to place. Trailer or camping parks are an option too, especially if the Tiny Home has conventional plumbing. Wanderlust Co has created interconnected parcels of land that Wanderlust Co Tiny Home owners have the accessibility to move or have their Tiny Homes moved country wide to the respective Villages as we refer to them as,” says the Wanderlust Co. website.
Price can vary, however, depending on the customers desire and level of customisation.
As more concerns regarding our environmental impact arise, people are opting for sustainable living or even off the grid housing like these one-of-a-kind tiny homes.
