Shedding is hot. Since the Netflix documentary 'Minimalism,' we look differently for possessions, and the books of the Japanese clean-up guru Marie Kondo have not been around for ages. Due to environmental considerations, the crisis, and personal peace, more and more people are trying to live with fewer resources.
A Small And Sustainable House On Wheels
Similarly, Marjolein Jonker has been living in a Tiny House since May 2016 as one of the few in the Netherlands. It is a small and sustainable house on wheels that has its origins in America.
As a child, Marjolein grew up in a detached house with a vegetable garden where her father grew the vegetables that the Jonker family ate. Her mother baked bread herself. But when Marjolein grew up, such a home was not easily found. She decided not to work her whole life to pay a costly mortgage and looked for alternative alternatives.
The wood-burning stove is roaring in its 20m2 sustainable house on a wasteland in Alkmaar. With her cat Hella, Marjolein pioneers as Tiny House Netherlands' face, a small but strongly growing movement. She said her previous job and lives and works in her fully equipped house, including sanitary facilities, a spacious kitchen, nice sitting area, and wood stove.
"It takes a few hours before it is comfortable in winter. That is not bad; it suits me completely," Marjolein says while she is sitting in front of her heat source. For this, the tiny house pioneer lived in a new house. A great place, but without any nature in the area. Marjolein: "That makes me happy: self-sufficient living in the middle of nature with trees and chickens in the neighborhood and a lesser focus on stuff."
In addition to being cheaper, the advantages of a Tiny House are that you produce less waste and use less energy and water.
The Tiny House Nederland Foundation
The Tiny House movement has come over from America, where it is popular. And although more and more people in the Netherlands need a simple and sustainable life and home, it is not easy to get your own Tiny House. Marjolein informs interested parties with workshops, lectures, and her website about the dos and don’ts of tiny living. "Because there is a lot of attention for Tiny Houses, people think that you can now just rent one. That is not the case; if you want a Tiny House at the moment, you should do a lot for it."
According to Marjolein, the difficulty of the tiny houses has to do with rules about land ownership, who set up ''Tiny Fandy', a website where providers and seekers of tiny houses and lots come into contact with each other. Municipalities should find their way in this. And, says: The people who want it, really do find a place.
On the Tiny House Nederland foundation website, where Marjolein is the project leader, you can see how many municipalities are working on initiatives and research and where you can best start if you are interested in this alternative form of living.
If you have a Tiny House, it's all worthwhile, says Marjolein, looking for a suitable place for a long time by sending a note to the homeowners with a piece of land in the mailbox. "In exchange for rent or help, I wanted to use the land to live on. I had no idea that this is impossible due to regulations. "
Tiny House In A Green Environment
Marjolein looks from one side of her house on a vacant lot and the other side a park. The scene comes close to the forest, where she still hopes to live. For now, her doors are wide open in the summer, and she sits down in her cozy sitting area with a book in the winter.
There is no room in a Tiny House for many things, and that is fine, says Marjolein. "When I moved here from my previous home, I did not have much trouble with relaxing. It was important for me that there was a good, large kitchen - I love cooking (Maybe you also like: The Basics Of Slow Cooking)- and my books. Furthermore, I am actually happy with less. That feels very tidy."
The only thing Marjolein misses in her house is a greenhouse to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. "I would like to garden somewhere later. Or would I like to have a slightly larger house on the ground, mainly so that I have a cellar where I can store apples and potatoes? I think that's great, but until then, it will be wonderful."
Source Nina Bogosavac
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