≡ Menu

Ashlee Fazio’s desTINY House


This post contains affiliate links.

This is Ashlee Fazio’s desTINY house where she is now living the tiny dream!

She has a blog where she shares all about her tiny journey and minimalist lifestyle (follow it here!):

It’s baffling to a lot of people that I would choose to living within a 160 square foot space. But, for me, I didn’t have to think twice about living in a tiny house. Deciding to purchase the tiny house and totally change my way of life just felt right. It felt like exactly what I was meant to be doing: living a simple, sustainable life while also having the ability to pick up and move to any location at any time. Let the adventures begin!

She was gracious enough to answer some of our questions about her tiny life. See a few pictures of her home, and read our interview with her below!

Related: Tiffany the Tiny Home: Owner Interview

Ashlee Fazio’s desTINY House

Ashlee Fazio's desTINY House

Images via desTINY Dweller

Ashlee Fazio's desTINY House Ashlee Fazio's desTINY House Ashlee Fazio's desTINY House

Images via desTINY Dweller

Owner Interview:

What is your name?
Ashlee Fazio

How many people will be/are living in your tiny house?
I will be enjoying this beautiful lifestyle on my own.

Where do you live?
Mid-Hudson Valley in NY

Why did you decide to go tiny? What are you hoping to get out of living tiny?
Going tiny started out as a financial decision for me. I had just graduated college and I was struggling to find a teaching job (I also was not really ready to commit to an all-consuming career just yet.) I was searching for the most cost-efficient way to move out of my mom’s basement. Tiny homes were the perfect solution for that problem as well as a perfect fit for my low-maintenance, healthy, active, carefree lifestyle.
What I hope to gain from going tiny is a clearer sense of self and what I find to be important in my life. The clarity that I have gained from living on my own, self-sustainably, and financially-free is a good indication that I am on the right track. I also hope to be able to share my experience with others in hopes that they too can shed the unnecessary stressors in their life and gain clarity on their future.

How did you first learn about tiny houses?
I saw an article about shipping container homes and was fascinated by the simple, yet sophisticated elements of them. I began doing research and Stumbled Upon (literally) tinyhouselistings.com. I spent hours looking at tiny houses, amazed by their adorable essence as well as the reasonable cost.

When did you officially start your tiny house?
I bought my Tiny in August 2016, began living in it part-time October 2016, and full-time December 2016.

Is your house completed? How long did it take to finish it?
Yes, it is “completed” but it will always be a work in progress. I bought the home finished with a completely off-grid package from NC.

How did you find a place to park and live in your tiny house?
Up until now (April 2017) I have been living on a family member’s property. She owns a horse farm and vineyard and has allowed me to occupy a couple hundred square feet near the pastures. It has been the ideal location to embrace this tiny house lifestyle completely.

Before going tiny, what was life like?
Before I got my tiny house, I was working 60+ hours a week and taking graduate classes online. I spent most of my day doing things that I had to do in order to achieve some predetermined “goals” that I felt were required for success and happiness. I was busy, but in being busy I wasted a lot of time. You may not believe this, but discovering tiny houses is exactly what caused me to analyze my life and take steps necessary to grow into the person that I truly wanted to be rather than the person I thought I was supposed to be. It has been a journey of personal development in the deepest way.

What benefits are you experiencing after going tiny?
For me, going tiny has allowed me to slow down and really experience life. It has given me the space (ironically) in my life to look within myself for answers to my life and my future rather than consistently looking for outside guidance. It caused me to thinker more deeply about the amount of wasted time, space, money, and energy that was my life. Giving up everything to go tiny gave me everything I needed to appreciate life.

Also, on a more tangible level:
I am able to travel more, especially spontaneous adventures.
I have donated countless clothing and home items to those who really need it.
I began writing a blog to document my journey.
I started a garden.
I learned basic “handy-man” skills.
I have a place to call home.

What about some challenges?
The most challenging thing about going tiny is accepting this one simple truth: not everyone is going to understand you, your decision, or your intention. You must learn it and live with it. It is the single greatest thing that I have learned over the past 8 months. As long as you really know who you are and why going tiny is a perfect fit for you, then the opinions of others should not change that.

What helpful advice would you give to others interested in going tiny?
Hmm, advice? I would say, do your due diligence. Do some research. Find out if it’s a possibility where you live. If not, are you willing to move? Find out if it is a good fit for you- maybe Air B&B it for a few days and see what you think. If you really believe you want to go tiny, then just do it! Stop thinking about it and just go do it. Jump in and run with it. You will be so happy you did.

Do you have a website, blog, or social media page where we can follow along?
Yes. Blog here. Facebook here and here. Instagram here. Snapchat: @destinydweller and Youtube here.

Resources: 

Also: Millionaire Pro Baseball Player Who Chooses to Live in his Van!

And: Man Who Is Living in Underground Tiny Home on $5,000 a Year

Related: Jay Shafer’s Latest $5,000 Tiny House Design/Build

You can share this using the e-mail and social media re-share buttons below. Thanks!

If you enjoyed this you’ll LOVE our Free Daily Tiny House Newsletter with even more!

You can also join our Small House Newsletter!

Also, try our Tiny Houses For Sale Newsletter! Thank you!

More Like This: Tiny Houses | THOW

See The Latest: Go Back Home to See Our Latest Tiny Houses

This post contains affiliate links.

The following two tabs change content below.

Natalie C. McKee

Natalie C. McKee is a contributor for Tiny House Talk and the Tiny House Newsletter. She's a wife, and mama of three little kids. She and her family are homesteaders with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and quail on their happy little acre.

Latest posts by Natalie C. McKee (see all)

{ 9 comments… add one }
  • Marsha Cowan
    May 2, 2017, 10:31 am

    Really cute tiny house! Very homey and cozy inside. Great job!

    • May 4, 2017, 7:30 am

      Thank you Marsha!! I really appreciate those kind words 🙂

  • Jane on Whidbey
    May 2, 2017, 8:38 pm

    Don’t we all wish we had learned these lessons earlier, or at least before we were saddled with a ‘mort-gage’ which I always read as ‘death-measure’ for the rest of my life. I felt I was in a death spiral when I bought my big house, and I filled it with beds and people.
    Now, I keep digital files of photos, books, and music, rather than hard copies, food in a freezer, and enough clothes to allow me freedom of movement and joy, and a sewing machine and some fabric. I kept some things that are beautiful and give me joy, and decided that fancy appliances, especially television, are just not welcome in my space. A laptop is enough to keep me in touch with the world, and going to the library and local coffee shops with free wi-fi give me a reason to leave the house every day. I’m finally relaxed, after a lifetime of jumping. Music has become sweeter, as has my freedom. Welcome to the tiny world, Ashlee. I’m glad you’ve found your place.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 3, 2017, 10:14 am

      That sounds like a lovely life you are living now, Jane!

  • Susanne
    May 3, 2017, 10:31 am

    Thank you for sharing your story with us!
    So inspirational!! Lovely home!
    Why, WHY would people not understand at least the financial freedom it provides? Security??? It’s just mind blowing.

    • Natalie C. McKee
      May 4, 2017, 4:30 am

      I know! It’s too bad that people are so judgmental.

    • May 4, 2017, 7:32 am

      Susanne,
      I really do not understand why people do not see what we see. There are countless benefits from going Tiny… But some people will just never realize the potential. Thank you so much for your kind words. Best of luck on whatever journey you are on 🙂

  • May 4, 2017, 7:11 am

    Natalie,
    Thank you so much for sharing my story so beautifully!! I just adore open communities such as what is created here on this site. Looking forward to the growth that is to come not only on my journey but in the tiny house movement in general!

    Ashlee

  • Hilary Lipscomb
    January 15, 2019, 12:38 pm

    I’m interested in the cost of her tiny home, I really like the layout.
    Thank you

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.