I Finally Have a Place to Call My Own After Years of Renting - But It's Not Your Typical Home

Sue Powell, a retiree from Waikato, had never been financially able to purchase a house. However, at the age of 66, she has finally secured a home of her own.

Powell works as a phlebotomist two days a week and looks after her grandchildren two days a week as well. A few years after her husband's passing, Powell chose to abandon renting. She had secured a good deal for a two-story, four-bedroom house in Western Heights, Hamilton, at a fixed rental price of $260 per week from her acquaintances.

However, she found it difficult to maintain the house by herself and, influenced by her husband's past of living in a house truck, she opted for a tiny home.

According to Powell, "Neither he nor I had the financial means to purchase a home. We chose to homeschool our children, and that was our decision. We served as pastors at churches, which didn't provide a significant income."

By receiving a modest inheritance from her husband after his passing in 2012, followed by another inheritance from her parents five years later, she was able to gather the funds required to buy a tiny home measuring 7.2 meters by 2.4 meters, priced at $115,000.

"Additionally, her father-in-law gifted her with extra funds to support her cause. He provided a one-time financial gift, acknowledging her intentions, and wanting her to have enough funds to pursue her dreams adequately," she explains.