Sheila and Noel Boddington, aged 67 and 73, moved into a custom-designed 500-square-foot tiny home in New Zealand. Downsizing followed three large Boomer-era houses and a mortgage, and it produced greater financial security, simpler maintenance, and more time with adult children and grandchildren. The shift began after their daughter Shaye built a tiny home in their backyard; her company, Shaye's Tiny Homes, designed the couple's residence to match their lifestyle and values. The tiny home reduced cleaning and gardening burdens, eliminated mortgage stress, and made daily life feel practical, personal, and more relaxed.
Most people nearing retirement wouldn't picture themselves living in a 500-square-foot tiny house, but that's exactly what 67-year-old Sheila Boddington and her 73-year-old husband, Noel, have chosen to do. The New Zealand-based couple now live in a custom-designed tiny home that reflects their lifestyle and values. Downsizing brought them an easygoing way of life, but also greater financial security and more time to spend with their adult children and grandchildren.
Prior to living in a tiny home, the couple was living the typical lifestyle of many of the Boomer generation-in big, roomy homes, with a mortgage to match. "At the time, we were knee-deep in building our Boomer homes: big, beautiful, sprawling houses that we'd live in while constructing the next one," Sheila Boddington told Travel + Leisure. "We ended up building three of them-yes, three. Let's just say, we were very committed to the Boomer dream.
The shift to tiny living started when the Boddington's daughter, Shaye-a renowned tiny house designer-built her own tiny home, nicknamed Lucy, in their backyard. "At the time, I honestly thought Shaye had completely lost the plot," Sheila Boddington said. "I mean, who in their right mind chooses to live in a glorified shoebox? But, little by little, the idea started to grow on me." Now, she said, the move has greatly improved their quality of life.
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