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Home / Lifestyle

Broke single mum builds home for $14,600 after divorce

NZ Herald
23 Oct, 2017 02:17 AM2 mins to read

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The resourceful mum and the beginning of what is now a bedroom. Photo/Instagram

The resourceful mum and the beginning of what is now a bedroom. Photo/Instagram

A single mum left broke and homeless following her divorce has built herself a new home for less than $15,000.

Charlotte Sapwell, 27, a mother of two from Victoria, Australia, was on the brink of homelessness following her divorce.

She changed her life by building a tiny home in her grandfather's backyard.

The Sun reports that Sapwell worked for five months to build the tiny 3m x 6m house for her and her two sons, aged 2 and 6.

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She built the house herself, with a little help from her grandfather who also loaned her the money. She managed to fund some of it by selling some of her belongings online.

She kept to a strict $14,600 budget.

The tiny home has a combined lounge room, kitchen, dining room, as well as a bedroom for Sapwell and a kids' room for the boys.

"I went from living in a massive home with my husband and kids to a tiny rented unit to this small space, and out of all the places I've lived this is my favourite," she told MailOnline.

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"It is all mine. The kids are right there all the time and we are so close. Yes, it means we have virtually zero privacy from each other, but I love it."

The single mum says she has now "embraced minimalism".

"I don't know how long we will stay in this space, but I can't imagine living anywhere else but a tiny home now."

She says she will now build another tiny home - this one for her grandmother - and hopes to start her own business selling tiny houses.

Discover more

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"I just want other females to know they are capable of anything," she said. "Anyone can build their future."

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