Magda Chudzinska, marine biologist

I kept moving a lot and somehow every time you move you pack a lot of stuff and then realise you don't need that much. Over the last 10 years I have lived in four countries and seven cities. I work in academia which involves working on short projects in different institutions. I was sick and tired of renting places and I needed a solution. I then came across the tiny house and I found it to be a great solution because I can live in my own space, which I designed to suit my needs.

People think that because they look small there won't be much room but in terms of storage space there can be quite a lot depending on how you design it and organise it. I decided to design it myself based on different designs that are online and talking to other people. Part of it was built by professional builders and part of it was built by me. It's a fully made house but at the same time I can move it around easily because it's built on a trailer. So If I have to move again I'm not afraid of having to organise a new place and I can have my own house without the mortgage.

There are actually quite a lot of similarities between living in a tiny house and a regular house. Your needs don't differ: you still need a kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and I also have an office. It's all just the matter of organising them.

If you live in a small space you have to tidy up way more because every time you put a piece of clothing or book in the middle it just looks like a mess. I tidy up more than I used to, so it forces you to be a bit more organised.

My experience has been mainly positive and I'm happy with the actual space. I like living closer to nature; I've wanted that my whole life and in the past I always chose apartments that had a garden. I live in a place with a large garden and I take care of it with my neighbours.

I live in a very tiny village so we all know each other. A lot of people when they see my house say, 'wow you built it yourself' and then my ego feels very massaged. I'm surrounded by like-minded people and a lot of people I know also live in some sort of alternative house, like a tiny house or a houseboat.

It didn't really surprise any of my friends. It took me a while to tell my family. Once they saw that everything functioned like a normal house they were fine. Nowadays it's getting more popular to live in vans or camper vans.

I live on my own, which is easy but if I wanted to live with somebody else then it would be harder because I don't have separate rooms that I can lock. Everything is open space once you get past the front door.

I built my house out of recyclable materials except from the insulation in the floor. Everything is either made from wood, glass or aluminium. I use way less energy for heating and electricity because it is smaller.

My advice to anyone who is considering living in a tiny house would be to see other tiny houses. When I was designing it I thought that if it doesn't go according to plan I won't like it and it'll be horrible but as with any house you can change your mind once you start living in it.

Nadia Saleem