How Two Women Under 30 Bought a Tiny House

Life in Matchbox: How Destiny and Bre Are Rewriting the Rules of Homeownership

When most people picture their dream home, they think square footage, storage rooms, and a two-car garage. Destiny and Bre thought differently. At just 30 feet long and 8.5 feet wide, their tiny house, affectionately named Matchbox, is proof that owning your space doesn’t have to mean going into debt for a half-million-dollar property you don’t really need.

From a $500K Dream to a $90K Reality

Destiny had a goal: own something before she turned 30. But skyrocketing housing prices made traditional homeownership feel out of reach. After researching the tiny house movement and connecting with other owners, she and Bre set a budget of around $85,000.

A consultation with a tiny home builder quickly put things in perspective. Their budget was lean for a new build, but as luck would have it, the company had a house from the previous year that someone was ready to sell. Destiny and Bre walked through it, measured every corner, and as Destiny puts it, simply manifested it.

They secured a $45,000 personal loan, paid a total of $90,000 for the home, and estimated they’d pay around $100,000 once interest was factored in. Not glamorous, but theirs.

A Thoughtfully Designed Interior

Matchbox doesn’t feel like a compromise, it feels considered. The home sits on a triple axle trailer and features about ten windows, a two-tone exterior, and an interior that maximizes every square inch.

The kitchen was a near dealbreaker (no stove, no oven), but Destiny and Bre adapted with induction cooktops and a Ninja Foodi that handles everything from soups to crispy baked dishes. A farmhouse sink, open shelving, and a pull-out pantry give the space a clean, intentional feel. Their favorite detail: 37 drawers and pull-out storage units that make downsizing from a two-bedroom apartment feel less like sacrifice and more like editing.

The bathroom doubles as a laundry room and a six-foot “hers and hers” closet. The loft bedroom requires a slight hunch to enter but opens up enough headroom to sit comfortably and houses a hand-painted mural that Destiny has already redone several times, from flowers to a camel pattern to its current geometric look.

Smart Systems for Tiny Living

Running a home off-grid (or near off-grid) takes planning. Matchbox uses a tankless propane water heater which is efficient, but a cost Destiny is upfront about: roughly $30–$60 a month in propane refills. The house runs on a 50-amp electrical connection and uses a mini-split system for heat and AC, though the bedroom loft gets warm in summer and is something they’d change if they could.

A mesh Wi-Fi system lets them tap into their host’s internet while maintaining their own private network. A dehumidifier runs nightly to combat Portland’s moisture and prevent mold. And a motion-sensor LED strip lights the staircase for those 2 a.m. bathroom trips.

Working, Living, and Creating Under One (Small) Roof

Both Destiny and Bre work remotely. Bre is a software engineer and Army National Guard member. Destiny handles social media management and event planning. The office loft is situated above the living room and it’s where both spend their workdays, complete with a height-adjustable desk, noise-canceling headphones, and enough room for Bre’s DJ controller and Destiny’s record collection.

The living area below doubles as a guest room thanks to a futon and a ceiling-mounted projector for movie nights.

Breaking the Mold

Perhaps the most unique thing about Matchbox isn’t the pull-out pantry or the chalkboard dining table; it’s who lives there. As a young couple of color, Destiny and Bre noticed they rarely saw people who looked like them in the tiny house space. They share their story openly, not to make it look easy, but to make it look possible.