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For many years, 36-year-old Anders Boisen resided in various apartments throughout Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city. Despite enjoying a relatively comfortable lifestyle, which included a two-bedroom apartment shared with a former girlfriend and a job focused on city development in a local municipality, Boisen began to feel constrained by the societal expectations of adulthood.
“Living in an apartment felt claustrophobic, not primarily due to its size, but because of the conventional lifestyle that seemed imposed upon me,” he explained in an interview with CNBC Make It.
Driven by a desire for greater autonomy, Boisen spent nearly eight months constructing a tiny home tucked away in the woods. His inspiration came from discovering a YouTube channel showcasing individuals living sustainably in tiny homes that operated completely off the grid.
“It was incredibly inspiring and opened my eyes to a new reality where I could achieve not just financial freedom but also embrace a sustainable lifestyle,” Boisen reflected. “I envisioned building a house that harmonized with nature, hoping to gain a deeper philosophical understanding of life.”
After vacating his apartment, Boisen moved into a garden house and conceptualized his own tiny home. He began work on a mobile tiny house in 2018, but it was stolen within months.
“It made headlines in Denmark, but we never retrieved it,” he recalled.
Not one to be discouraged, Boisen embarked on building another tiny home in 2019. By the spring of 2020, he completed his project after dedicating eight months of on-and-off labor. He estimates the total cost at 80,000 to 90,000 Danish Krone, equivalent to roughly USD $11,366 to $12,787.
His tiny house measures approximately six and a half meters long and two and a half meters wide, translating to 21.3 feet in length and 6.6 feet in width. At the time of completion, Boisen was renting a parcel of land where the tiny home was built. To commit wholly to this venture, he left his job and initiated a Facebook group to document his journey, which also connected him with individuals who assisted in the construction.
“The home felt deeply personal since I had handcrafted much of it, infused with my memories and choices, alongside the cherished experiences of those who supported me,” he noted. “This process created a unique emotional value, distinct from hiring a contractor.”
After transitioning away from his municipal job, Boisen has shifted his focus to creating content for YouTube and offering talks throughout Denmark on tiny living and off-grid lifestyles.
His kitchen is equipped with a compact stove and numerous shelves for efficient storage, highlighting the ingenuity required for living sustainably in a limited space.
While proud of his accomplishments, Boisen is candid about the challenges faced during construction, including technical difficulties such as relocating the house and a roof leak due to inadequate stabilization during the move.
“At one point, I wished I could just burn the house down to eliminate the problem, but I obviously never acted on that thought, yet it was a stressful period,” he admitted, laughing at the absurdity of the idea.
Nevertheless, the sense of achievement upon completing his tiny home is unparalleled. “The trials are part of the experience, but the joy of creating a space that I can call my home was exhilarating. It felt as though I was bringing a dream to fruition,” Boisen concluded. “This venture marked a new chapter in my life, filled with hopes for what lies ahead.”
In September 2021, Boisen took another significant step by purchasing a 17,800-square-foot plot of land just outside of Aarhus for 160,000 Danish Krone, approximately USD $22,791, as per documents cited by CNBC Make It. He described the property as isolated yet expansive, abutting a meadow and a large forest.
A month later, Boisen successfully relocated his tiny home to his new land.
Living Off the Grid in the Forest
Boisen’s tiny house was designed with off-grid living in mind, aiming for complete self-sufficiency in terms of water, electricity, and heating. It features a rainwater filtration system and solar panels, complemented by batteries for energy storage.
Having now lived in his tiny home for over four years, Boisen has faced challenges with power shortages multiple times and has run out of water once. To manage these resources, he monitors his water tank closely, adapting his habits to conserve water, including taking shorter baths.
“It’s not just about needing power; I’ve realized it relates to how much power I truly consume, which has become a significant part of my journey,” he explained.
During winter months, Boisen reduces his energy use further by utilizing outdoor temperatures to preserve certain items, substituting for refrigeration.
He views his living arrangement as a way to learn resourcefulness, stating, “Part of my goal was to explore how to minimize consumption while maintaining comfort. The house has encouraged me to adapt my behaviors and rethink my resource usage.”
Additively, Boisen has established a permaculture garden, which emphasizes sustainable gardening principles that enrich the soil without synthetic fertilizers. In this garden, he cultivates a variety of produce, including potatoes, berries, apples, leeks, cabbage, and herbs.
“I’m focused on planting perennials that can yield produce over extended periods,” he shared. “Although my current efforts are experimental, I plan to significantly expand the garden next season.”
For Boisen, growing his own food reinforces his quest for self-sufficiency. “It deepens my connection to nature and its seasons. Gardening offers the joy of anticipating the different harvests each season brings, enabling me to consume local, seasonal foods.”
He further utilizes food scraps as compost or feed for his chickens, emphasizing a zero-waste approach to living.
Since completing the initial construction of his tiny house, Boisen has expanded its functionality by adding a mudroom and upgrading the water filtration system. He is also preparing for the eventual construction of a new home that will better accommodate a family while maintaining his commitment to self-sufficiency: “In a way, I’m preparing for future possibilities.”
His aspiration is to finish the new dwelling by spring of next year.
Conversions to USD were executed on November 15, 2024, using OANDA conversion rates, and all amounts rounded to the nearest dollar.
Source
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