More and more families are looking for alternatives to reduce costs. housing expenses and, at the same time, being able to be close to your loved ones. One of the alternatives is prefabricated houses, an option chosen by Denise Martin, a 65-year-old woman who decided to leave her usual home in Arizona to settle in a 37-square-meter tiny house in her daughter’s garden, in Oregon (United States). With this change she has not only managed to reduce her expenses, but she is also able to spend more time with her grandchildren and help her daughter with their care.
According to Denise herself to the magazine Fortunemoved in December 2024, after his son-in-law, who has a prefabricated housing company, designed a home adapted to his needs that they installed in the garden of the family property.
In less than 3 months and for a price of around 172,000 euros (well below the average price of a home in the United States), he had the home ready to move into and although he admits that at first it was not easy for him to adapt to living in such a small space, over time he assures that the change has been worth it.
He left his house to live in 37 square meters with his family
Before moving, Denise lived in Arizona, but when her grandchildren were born, she considered moving so she could be closer to her daughter. It was then that, considering that the family had more than enough land on their property, they decided to install a small prefabricated house there in which they could maintain their independence.
The house has a living area of about 28 square meters and a loft of three by three meters where you have your bedroom. It also has a kitchen, bathroom, washer-dryer and a small terrace.
Getting used to living in a house of just 37 square meters took him about six months and, as he explains, the move made him have to get rid of many of his belongings, especially clothes, because he did not have enough space to store everything he had accumulated over the years.
Despite this, he assures that he has discovered that he does not need as many things to live and that the tiny house offers more comforts than other alternatives, such as a motorhome, because it has insulation and all the facilities of a conventional home.
He saves on household expenses and helps his daughter take care of her grandchildren
One of the main advantages that Denise has found is savings. As he explains, living in his small prefabricated home is much cheaper than maintaining his old house in Arizona, where he still spends about two months a year.
The woman assures that she spends very little on supplies, the largest of which is gas, for which she pays about 30 a month.
But money was not the most important reason for making this decision. What Denise really wanted was to be close to her family and be able to help her daughter, who works and has two little girls.
An agricultural company is forced to remove 7 prefabricated houses that it installed to house its seasonal workers for not having a planning license
The prefabricated house with two floors and 3 rooms that is sold at a discount for 7,246 euros
Now, living a few meters from her house, she can take her granddaughters to and from daycare, take care of them in the afternoons, and stay with them when their parents need it. You can even come over for a while to take care of the baby and allow your daughter to rest.