Thanks to numerous Western TV shows, we've all dreamt of living in a tiny home in the middle of nowhere. Even though it isn't as prevalent here in Malaysia, the thought has definitely crossed our minds.
Imagine getting rid of most of your unnecessary clutter, packing up your essentials and moving into a tiny home that's just the right size for you, located somewhere close to nature so that you can fall asleep to the sounds of the trees rustling in the wind and the calming sounds of the babbling brook. Hmm, that sounds too magical to be true.
Well, recently, a Malaysian woman who graduated from Stanford made headlines after she built an off-the-grid tiny home in the jungle She's living the dream!
When sharing her story with Insider, Atiqah Nadiah Zailani, explained that she too, like us, loved the Western camping culture and tiny-home movement and was inspired by it but it wasn't easy to build a tiny home in Malaysia. MR D.I.Y isn't exactly a Home Depot that supports all your tiny-house-building needs.
Also, Atiqah was not interested in the tiny home just for aesthetics, she wanted to build a self-sustaining tiny home, which proved to be a bigger challenge.
She explained that she bought 43,000 square feet of land around the outskirts of KL in July 2016 and with the help of her friends, she started building her home in September 2017.
She explain that she bought 43,000 square feet of land around the outskirts of KL in July 2018 and with the help of her friends, she started building her home in September 2017.
Atiqah made the decision to construct a 530 square foot (49 square metres) loft-style tiny home with a balcony at a budget of RM 300,000.
She not only had limited time but also little to no construction experience, so she managed to get the help of Epic Homes a Malaysian organization that trains people on how to build homes. She had a ton of volunteers help her build the structure and even put up the walls of her home in just a matter of a few days!
With solar panels, an off-grid rainwater catchment system, wall-length glass windows and an amazing view from her balcony, Atiqah's dream of owning a self-sustaining tiny home finally came true.
She is currently still working on furnishing her tiny home and added that despite there being some imperfections, the experience of learning how to build her tiny home was definitely worth it.
"I wanted me and my friends to each have a hand in it," she said. "So I know who built that wall and it's a little bit crooked but it's great."
If you could build yourself a tiny home, where would it be and which one of your friends would you ask help from? Share your answer in the comments section and tag the friends who have been assigned to help you!
