Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Ryan and Lorena live mortgage-free with their two young kids in a 20-foot shipping container on a couple of acres in Queensland, Australia. The land stretches to a creek at the back. They didn’t keep tight books, but the shed, container, deck, and off-grid utilities came in around AU$55,000–$60,000. The land was AU$105,000.
Tasmania, Then Queensland
This isn’t their first tiny house. In 2018 they built one in Tasmania — 8 metres long, with a loft and a separate bedroom under the living area, about 27 m² including a small deck. They lived in it for around three years, then moved back to Brisbane for a few years.
Moving that house to Queensland would have cost too much, so they sold it. The sale helped fund this next chapter: a container on their own land, off-grid on purpose.
Why a 20-Ft Container
The structure already exists. A 20-footer was easy to buy in Brisbane, then a truck and a crane put it on the land. Lorena was pregnant; they wanted to get on the property faster than another from-scratch build. After that, they had two acres to grow into.
They did most of it themselves, hired the electrical, and leaned on friends and family. It was easier than the first house — they’d already built a tiny house on wheels.
The Shed and the Deck
The shed went in first. They stayed there while they finished the container. It’s the office, the kids’ toys, Lorena’s artwork, the laundry, and all the wardrobes. They say they couldn’t get by without it.
Outdoor living is the real house. A covered deck holds the dining table and a couch. There’s an outdoor bathtub. The fire pit does heat, cooking, and marshmallows. Queensland weather makes that possible most of the year.
Inside: Kitchen, King Bed, Slide-Out
The interior is compact, but they have what they need. Green and gold, natural tiles, and live-edge timber from a local mill — “Timber Tony” did the benchtop and some of the deck timber. Lorena is a textile artist; the house is full of handmade and natural materials, plus custom art by Sara.
The L-shaped kitchen has a small fridge/freezer, a big sink, a two-burner, a coffee machine, and a lot of storage. They cook a lot outside, so the kitchen doesn’t have to do everything.
A king-size bed fills one end. All four slept there for months. Then they added a slide-out kids’ bed with lockable wheels on the remaining floor. After the kids are down, Ryan and Lorena often head to the shed — or they just go to bed.
Bathroom and Off-Grid
The bathroom is compact: a curved vanity, a big shower behind a dividing wall, and tiles by a friend who is a professional tiler. The toilet is an Eoloo composting toilet — an upgrade from the DIY toilet in the Tasmania house.
They chose an off-grid property on purpose. They didn’t want a connected block. Water is tank water for now. They’d like to bore later — it’s costly — and then grow vegetables and keep livestock.
The Point Is Time With the Kids
At the tour they’d lived in the container almost six months. The hard parts are real: stepping over the kids to get to the king bed, and constant tidying.
The reason they did it is time. In Brisbane both worked full-time and Amelia was in daycare. Here they’re mortgage-free, with fewer outgoings, and more of the day belongs to the kids. Lorena puts it simply: “It’s not just a house. It’s a life.”
Next they want another cabin on the other side of the shed — kids’ play and guest overflow.
Home Details
- Owners: Ryan and Lorena, with their two young kids
- Location: a couple of acres in Queensland, Australia, running back to a creek
- Home: a 20-foot shipping container, plus a separate shed and a large covered deck
- Sleeping: a king-size bed and a slide-out kids’ bed on lockable wheels
- Off-grid systems: tank water and an Eoloo composting toilet
- Build: mostly DIY, with electrical work hired out and help from friends and family
- Cost: shed, container, deck, and off-grid utilities around AU$55,000 to $60,000; land AU$105,000
What It Cost
Ryan and Lorena admit they didn’t keep tight books, but they put the build at about AU$55,000 to $60,000. That covers the container, the shed, the big covered deck, and the off-grid water and power. The land cost AU$105,000, so all in they’re at roughly AU$160,000 to $165,000, with no mortgage. Selling their first tiny house in Tasmania helped pay for it.
What Makes This Home Special
- A family of four living mortgage-free on their own land.
- A container chosen for speed, so they could move in sooner with a baby on the way.
- A shed that handles storage, laundry, and an office so the container can stay simple.
- A covered deck that works as the real living room.
- A lifestyle built around more time with the kids.
For more mortgage-free stories, see how one woman sold her Sydney studio and built on family land, the off-grid tiny house she built with her dad, and an 8×40 shipping container home.
Watch the Full Tour
Bryce Langston of Living Big In A Tiny House walks the two acres with Ryan and Lorena — the shed they built first, the 20-ft container, the deck and fire pit, and why a family of four chose a smaller house for a bigger life.
Learn More
Ryan and Lorena’s 20-Ft Container Home
Video tour: Family of Four Lives Mortgage-Free in a 20ft Shipping Container Home on YouTube
Channel: Living Big In A Tiny House (Bryce Langston)
Companion recap: The Cool Down — family of four off-grid container home
Ryan and Lorena: offgridfamilia.com.au · @off_grid_familia
Highlights
- A family of four living mortgage-free in a 20-ft shipping container in Queensland
- Build about AU$55,000 to $60,000, plus AU$105,000 for a couple of acres running to a creek
- Container chosen for speed, so they could move onto the land sooner with a baby on the way
- A shed handles the office, laundry, wardrobes, and toys
- Covered deck, outdoor bathtub, and fire pit serve as the real living room
- King bed plus a slide-out kids’ bed, tank water, and a composting toilet
Explore More
- She Sold Her Sydney Studio and Built Mortgage-Free on Family Land
- She Built an Off-Grid Tiny House With Her Dad
- An 8×40 Shipping Container Home
- Luna Cottage: A Shipping-Container Tiny House
- Shipping Container Tiny Houses
- Family Tiny House Living
Could your family live in a 20-foot container with a big deck and a shed?
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: Shipping Container Homes | Family Tiny House Living | Off Grid | Video Tours
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Alex
Latest posts by Alex (see all)
- A Family of Four Lives Mortgage-Free in a 20-Ft Shipping Container in Queensland - October 28, 2026
- Sleeping Barrel: A Wooden Barrel Cabin in a Sheep Pasture in Germany - October 28, 2026
- Sleep in a Boeing 727 Above the Jungle at Hotel Costa Verde in Costa Rica - October 28, 2026
