WATCHING your child begin to toddle is a huge parenting moment.
But when Vicky Freese-Brayer saw one-year-old daughter Naya pull herself up on the sofa, there was a flash of panic alongside the pride.
The extension is currently Naya’s playroom, complete with slide and play kitchen, but it will eventually be her bedroom[/caption]
“I locked eyes with my husband Uriah Brayer and we both knew. It was time to give our tiny house a tiny extension!”
Because in October 2024 the threesome were living in a lovely – and incredibly small – home, just 7m long and 2.5m wide.
The couple first met in 2014, when Vicky, 38, was travelling through Asia.
“After falling in love, we went from living in a van on an Australian sheep farm to a small flat in New York,” she said.
“It was when we were back in the UK in 2019, living with my parents in Wales and desperate for our own place, that I had a flash of inspiration.”
Vicky remembered an American TV show she’d loved, about people living in super small houses.
“If they could do it, why couldn’t we? Uriah, 34, who’d started a property business, definitely took some convincing.
“But when I showed him that we could be mortgage free and build on a plot of land in the Vale of Glamorgan that my parents owned so wouldn’t pay rent, I won him around.”
The couple had the savings to buy a £4,500 flatbed trailer, and with the help of YouTube they got to work.
“We knew that you could buy a ready-made tiny home. But we’re a practical pair and not afraid of hard work.
“Why should we pay someone else to build it when we could do it ourselves?”
They needed to get creative, because with a tiny house, every inch mattered.
“After endless hours on a computer program we figured out how to fit in a kitchen, living area, and a mezzanine floor where we would sleep. We’d have bottled gas to run the boiler and be connected to mains electricity.
“I did have to give up on my dream of a bath though, as there simply wasn’t space.”
Four months of hard work later, after doing their own plumbing and electrics, slotting storage space wherever they could and cladding the whole building in cedar, it was ready.
“We’d spent a total of £28,000 and were so proud of what we’d achieved.
“That first morning I woke up and saw the sun streaming into the tiny house we’d built, felt amazing.”
As for friends and family, Vicky admits there were a few raised eyebrows when they heard about their tiny space with a composting toilet.
“It took a while for them to get used to the idea. But when people saw what we’d built they were amazed.”
The couple threw themselves into minimalist living.
“I run my own conscious living brand and Uriah often worked from home.
But we had just enough space to work and relax and realised that we just didn’t need any more.
“I’d go to other people’s houses and be shocked and overwhelmed at the amount of stuff they had.
“Even Uriah, who loves coffee gadgets, accepted that he was only allowed to get a new one if an old one was broken.”
Naya arrived in October 2023 and the couple have adapted well to raising her in the tiny space[/caption]
Then in 2023, they decided to upsize from a pair to a threesome.
“Most people think that having a baby in a tiny home was total madness, but we decided to go for it. After all, how tricky could it be?
“We definitely had to get creative. There was just enough space for a cot upstairs if we made it ourselves, so we got busy doing that.
“The bigger issue was actually my bump – which by month nine definitely made turning around tricky.”
Tiny house living also meant getting creative with her birth plan.
“The house wasn’t big enough for the waterbirth I wanted.
“So, we borrowed a friend’s bell tent and set it up outside. On October 31 Naya was born inside, at six pounds four ounces.”
The couple don’t have loads of possessions and live minimally[/caption]
One of the biggest benefits was the low cost of running their home.
“We didn’t have a mortgage or rent to pay, which meant that we could live without the fear of interest rates going through the roof or a landlord kicking us out.
“In the first year of Naya’s life, our running costs, including gas, water and electricity were just £130 a month.”
It meant that Vicky could be off work as long as she wanted to with Naya.
“When she was nine months lots of my mum friends asked me when I was going back to work.
“I was able to say, ‘I’m really not sure, we’ll just see how it goes.’ I feel so lucky to have had that.”
Most people think that having a baby in a tiny home was total madness, but we decided to go for it. After all, how tricky could it be?
Vicky Freese-Brayer
As for the reality of having a baby in a home where you can barely swing a cat? Not a problem.
“It might sound crazy but being a tiny house mum with a baby worked brilliantly.
“Naya was never out of arm’s reach, and I could always keep my eye on her. And because I was breastfeeding, we were always together anyway.”
We didn’t have a mortgage or rent to pay, which meant that we could live without the fear of interest rates going through the roof or a landlord kicking us out
Vicky Freese-Brayer
The baby ‘stuff’ never got on top of them Vicky explains, because they never allowed most of it in the house in the first place.
“There simply wasn’t space, but it was never a problem. Naya had a few toys that we’d rotate around. I just had to stop my mum buying too many things for her!”
Even living without a bath wasn’t a problem.
Vicky and Uriah’s home is just 7m long and 2.5m wide. They have a kitchen and living space but no bath[/caption]
“First we used the sink, and then she’d just sit on the floor of the shower, which she loved.”
Life was perfect in the tiny house. Then, at one, Naya found her feet.
“We’d already had to add blackout curtains to help Naya sleep. But now we’d need to make a more drastic change.
“With a child really on the move, we realised that our tiny house just wouldn’t be big enough.”
“The more we thought about an extension, the more sense it made. At first it could be a playroom, then we could make it Naya’s bedroom.”
In January 2025 the couple found a second-hand trailer on Facebook marketplace for £500.
The extension cost just £500 and is a second-hand trailer[/caption]
“It was 5m by 2m, so it was a little bit shorter than the main house. It took weeks of work for us to do the roof, waterproofing, guttering, plasterboard and cladding.
“Then we added a little tunnel to connect it to the main house and painted it inside. In total it cost £3,500.”
The creative couple even hung Swedish wall ladders, a slide and rings for Naya to play with.
“She was so excited to watch us build it. In June 2025 it was ready and her face lit up when she went inside.”
The space may be tiny but the difference it’s made to the whole family is huge.
“We love being out in nature, looking for squirrels and mushrooms. But with winter around the corner, it’s a huge relief to know that, if the weather is terrible, Naya has a place to play and burn off energy.
“Having a separate environment, somewhere to step into and be alone, is also amazing for me. It’s like having a mind break.”
In the first year of Naya’s life, our running costs, including gas, water and electricity were just £130 a month
Vicky Freese-Brayer
It’s also meant finally having a space to invite other families over.
“Before we could never return the favour and host mum friends and their children. Now we can, which is a game changer.”
Even with the extension the running costs of their tiny home have barely risen.
“It’s such a huge relief and a weight off our minds to not be impacted by the rocketing cost of living.
“Our total running costs for gas, water and electricity are still only £130 a month.”
It’s allowed Vicky to fit her work around being with Naya, who now attends nursery two mornings a week.
“We’ve been able to make that choice based on what we feel she needs, and not what our finances push us to do.”
As for the future, just when Vicky and Uriah have created enough space for three, there are plans for a fourth.
“We’re thinking about having another baby in the not-too-distant future. Are we mad? Possibly.
“But maybe that will be the push we need to add a whole other floor!”
Follow Vicky on Instagram at nurturedbynature_uk
The rise of tiny homes
By Jonathan Rolande
Property expert Jonathan Rolande told Fabulous: The reason we are seeing more creative ways of finding a home: super-high property prices and rents. Younger people are remaining in the family home later in life to avoid paying high prices and to save for a deposit. With increasingly busy lives, staying within a larger family group makes sense, chores such as gardening and housework can be shared.
Garages are rarely used for their intended purpose as cars are far more reliable and less prone to rust and so are perfectly happy outside. On the other hand, the amount of property space per person has been shrinking – converting a garage can make great sense.
Things to consider. (the boring stuff)
Usually easier than building from scratch but still a lot to do to turn a garage in to a habitable space.
You’ll need to check if you need planning (more likely to be required if the garage is detached).
Building Regulations stipulate many things to make homes safe and secure. Consider
Walls, are they cavity?
Roof height
Windows
How will you get plumbing, electrics and drainage connected
Insulation – it will be cold!
Fire safety
Damp proofing
Also consider if, by converting, you are adding or deducting value from the main home. Garages can add value in busy urban areas where parking is limited.
