A couple gave up their life on land to live in a tiny house on the water. By moving to the houseboat, the couple saves 25,000 euros – annually!
Fontana Lake – What a brave new start: A couple dared to actually realize their dream of living on a houseboat. They have been living rent-free in a tiny house on the water for two years now. Your savings: $27,000 (about 25,000 euros) per year. Compromises included. But despite all the challenges and struggles of a tiny house, the two enthusiastically report on their life in 33 square meters Dog and cones. The Americans are just as convinced of the mini-living format as the Germans Couple who moved into a tiny house in the Verden district.
Dream island tiny house: couple moves into a houseboat and saves 25,000 euros a year
“Our floating cabin adventure began when we purchased a dilapidated houseboat in 2021, completely renovated it, and spent the next two years living on the water full-time,” South Carolina residents Brandon Jones and Sarah Spiro said on their Instagram account keepingafloatwiththejoneses. Then they used the tiny house living experience to build a brand new floating home in spring 2023. “In the meantime, as our jobs allow, we have been remodeling other floating homes here on Fontana Lake,” they said.
“Slower life in harmony with nature”: Couple lives on floating tiny house
Sarah Spiro and her partner Brandon Jones made their lifelong dream come true. They gave up their house to live on the water: “We can no longer go out to eat, but we save $27,000 (around 25,000 euros) a year.”
The two have been paying $2,500 a month for rent. Now they spend the same amount to live in their floating little house for a whole year. Due to rising rent prices, many people in the USA are having problems finding affordable housing. Also in Germany are increasingly turning to the minimalist alternative: a tiny house for 40,000 euros from the hardware store. However, when moving into a tiny house as a residence or just a vacation home, there are a lot of things to consider – and often a lot of work that has to be put into it. Same with Sarah and Brandon.
A tiny house costs the couple as much per year as the previous month's rent
They purchased the houseboat in March 2021 and spent a full two months renovating it. $23,000 had to be invested before the tiny house was ready for occupancy. “We worked on the property from sunrise to sunset. “We were pressed for time because my lease was up and Brandon’s house had been sold, so we stayed with a friend,” says Sarah. At the end of April 2021, the new home was finally ready and the couple was able to move in with their dog Iko.
“It’s paradise” – Couple raves about living in a floating tiny house
On her social media accounts, Sarah reports that she and Brandon, a marina manager, are loving their new life. They are both “water lovers” – and had already spent all their free time on the lake: “It’s so peaceful here. “You still have your everyday tasks like washing dishes and doing laundry, but you can do it all at any time with this phenomenal view,” says Sarah. “No matter the time, no matter what you do, you are surrounded by peace and serenity – it is paradise.”
No supermarket, no delivery service – couple wouldn’t give up a tiny house for “anything in the world”.
But the Moving into a tiny house is also associated with hardships. Sarah reveals that the winter months are tough: “It gets very cold here in the winter and most nights the temperature drops below freezing.” The houseboat had to survive a big autumn storm with heavy rain last week, as the two reported. The nearest supermarket is also 40 minutes away by car, and there is no possibility of having a snack, such as a pizza, delivered: “If you forget something, it is a major disaster to take the boat back to the car and into the city drive. You have to be more intentional about planning the things you need, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Sarah and Brandon find that the freedom that living in a tiny house gives them is worth all the trade-offs: “It's the feeling of being in a beautiful, open space. This has had a positive effect on our nervous system. I wear a fitness tracking watch and it’s crazy to see how my heart rate has dropped since I’ve been living here.”
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