Candid Tiny House
Candid Tiny House is an Australian podcast about the real experience of building, living, and advocating for tiny houses on wheels.
Hosted by Shannon Schultz from Fred’s Tiny Houses, the podcast features honest, candid conversations with people who have built their own tiny houses in Australia, taken workshops or online courses with Fred, and navigated the full journey from planning to living tiny.
Instead of glossy social media posts or idealised tiny house tours, Candid Tiny House focuses on the realities of designing, building, and living in a tiny house that is both a safe road vehicle and a comfortable home.
Across the series, guests share lessons learned, challenges overcome, and insights gained — from technical building tips and budgeting, to problem-solving, community support, and the physical and emotional demands of a tiny house project.
You can also watch video interviews, tours, and build footage on the Fred’s Tiny Houses YouTube channel, and see photos and articles about each build on the Fred’s Tiny Houses blog.
Season 1 – Building Tiny Houses on Wheels
Season 1 introduces listeners to clients who took a Fred’s Tiny Houses trailer, workshop, or online course and then built their own homes.
These interviews dig into the reality of the build:
- The financial costs and savings
- What they wish they knew before starting
- Injuries, setbacks, and community support
- Creative compromises and innovations
Season 1 focuses on DIY builds in Australia, giving builders practical lessons and inspiration for designing a home that works both on the road and year-round.
Season 2 – Advocacy in Action: Changing the Law for Tiny Houses
Season 2 is a documentary-style series that tracks a small Australian town’s three-year journey and two attempts to change local laws to support tiny house living.
Listeners follow the advocacy process from start to finish, learning how grassroots communities can:
- Build awareness and support for tiny house-friendly policies
- Navigate local councils and legal frameworks
- Organise campaigns and gather community backing
- Turn setbacks into victories
This season is a how-to guide for tiny house advocacy, showing that change is possible when communities work together.
Season 3 – Life After the Build
Season 3 revisits past clients who have now lived in their tiny houses and can reflect on the full journey — from early building stages to everyday tiny house life.
Guests share stories of:
- Families living with children and even having home births in tiny houses
- Builders achieving financial freedom by reducing housing costs
- People who used their tiny house build as a stepping stone into hands-on construction skills
- Couples and individuals adapting their design as their lives evolved
These candid conversations offer invaluable insights for anyone considering a DIY tiny house build in Australia and show the real rewards — and challenges — of tiny house living.
Candid Tiny House – Real people. Real builds. Real stories.
Hosted by Shannon Schultz from Fred’s Tiny Houses, supporting Australians to build their own tiny houses, advocate for tiny house-friendly policies, and learn from people who’ve walked the path before them.
Candid Tiny House
Lou
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Lou built her 7.2m long tiny house on a Fred’s Tiny Houses flat top trailer in the Northern Rivers area in NSW with the help of her partner and a retired tradie friend. An award-winning travel writer, Lou had no prior experience building, designing or using power tools. That all changed when she set about creating her dream tiny house on wheels.
Hear about her:
- Experience designing on paper & building for the first time;
- Choice of materials and making changes to her design along the way;
- Designing the lighting and window choices;
- Financial budget breakdown of all the big-ticket items in her tiny house;
- Advice she would give to anyone embarking on their own tiny house journey.
Helpful links from this episode:
- Blog article with photos of Lou and her tiny house on wheels.
- Video tour of Lou’s tiny house on wheels.
- Follow Lou on Facebook: @noimpactgirl & her blog: www.noimpactgirl.com
- Windows Supplier: https://midcoastwindows.com.au/
- Kaboodle Kitchen: https://www.kaboodle.com.au/
- Acacia bench tops from Bunnings.
- Joiner who made the staircase: Matt @ http://www.esotericxs.com/
- Wood list:
- Western Red Cedar external cladding
- White Gum bench top and handrail
- Recycled Blackbutt floorboards
- Merbau vaneer
- Birch ply stairs
- Poplar ply ceilings
- Falcata plywood
- Fred's Tiny Houses Trailer 7.2m Flat Top, 2400mm wide
- Tiny House University - How To Build A Tiny House: The Australian Online Course.
Music for Candid Tiny House is by Scott Buckley.
Shannon Schultz 2021 ©
