As the nights draw in and the chill in the air becomes more prominent, many of us will be turning up the thermostat and looking forward to cozy nights in, but for one resident of the Netherlands, her unusual living situation with only 75 square feet to work with makes keeping warm a bit more difficult.
Veerle Veldhuis, 24, moved back in with her parents in 2022 after deciding to take a break from her university studies in Utrecht.
"I was going through a rough time and the best option was to move back home and take a break from studying to work on my mental and physical health," Veldhuis told Newsweek. "However I missed my independence and knew that having my own personal space was really important for my personal development. I looked into finding my own place, [but] that was very difficult to come by with the current housing shortage in the Netherlands."
The Dutch housing crisis is ongoing and getting worse. Figures published by ABF Research found that as of 2023, the Netherlands is short by roughly 390,000 homes, up from 315,000 the previous year. The country has a population of more than 17.5 million.
The problem is not unique. In the U.S, a country of 331.9 million people, the National Low Income Housing Coalition says there is a deficit of roughly 7.2 million affordable properties. The shortage is inspiring many people to find alternative ways of living, with a 38 percent increase in people living in vans between 2016 and 2019, according to the Census Bureau.
Luckily for Veldhuis, an unusual solution was available to her.
"I have always liked the idea of tiny living and saw this as an opportunity to go for it," said Veldhuis. "I have watched many hours of tiny house content thinking to myself, will I ever be able to live like this? One of my favourite things to do is camping, as close to nature as possible. For me tiny living is the luxurious version of this camping feeling.
"It was also a very cost efficient idea. I am very fortunate that my parents have a big backyard where I can reside. So I found my house online second hand in November 2022. It's made out of metal and wood and it needed a bit of renovation, so I got started."
Veldhuis' tiny 75 square-foot house is situated in her parents' large garden, and she paid 1,800 euros ($1,929) for the structure, and spent 2,000 euros on renovations.
"I tried to renovate in a cost-efficient way, using recycled material (the window frame is completely made out of wood that was found in a dumpster)," said Veldhuis, "and using things we had on hand, buying second hand, and getting things for free."
Many young people crave independence from their families, but with the rising cost of living and soaring housing costs, it's harder than ever. By 2022, across America, a single family home cost a record 5.3 times more than the median household's income, double what is considered affordable, the Guardian reported.
Despite her limited space, Veldhuis says that one of the best things about living in her tiny house is having only what she needs, with fewer distractions, although this does mean she needs to rely on her parents' house for some facilities.
"I also love living so close to the elements, which means I always have to think things through, making sure I keep myself warm and making sure the water in my water tank doesn't freeze," she said. "Some days this means going to bed earlier and wrapping up warm because I'm cold.
"Not having a toilet can be a bit annoying, sometimes it's bit tedious to go outside, for instance when it's raining or very cold. Despite this I really enjoy being close to nature and surrounded by green and animals, I am following the rhythm of nature more than before. I also go outside more often since my living space is tiny.
"My tiny house has given me a home, a safe space to allow myself to feel and work through things in life, a little safe haven. It's important for me to share this part of my life too."
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Correction 11/14/23 at 4:55 a.m. ET; This article was updated to state that a single family home costs 5.3 times the median household income, not 5.3 million.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Leonie Helm is a Newsweek Life Reporter and is based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on all things ... Read more
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