This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sidra Gifford, 52, a therapist from Woodstock, New York. She moved from the Bay Area to Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, in 2025. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.
Since I was a teenager, I knew I wasn’t meant to live in the US. It never aligned with my values.
In my 20s, I worked at a Dutch university and always wanted to return.
Once my son finished high school and I became an empty nester, the Netherlands was at the top of my list of places to move to. In July 2025, at age 51, I moved to Minitopia, a tiny home village in the south of the country.
Six months later, I’m preparing to sell that home and leave the Netherlands in search of another tiny house.
I’ve always been fascinated by homemade houses
When I moved to the Netherlands in July 2024, I rented a typical Dutch terraced house, much bigger than I needed, on a one-year contract. As a self-employed therapist, finding a new rental property without traditional employment when my contract ended in July 2025 was challenging.
Buying seemed like my only realistic option, but a standard fourth-floor apartment in Rotterdam just wasn’t me: I was always fascinated by tiny homes and homemade houses. I even have a book about these buildings in Woodstock, where I’m originally from.
I found out about Minitopia in February 2025, and when I saw the plot in Valkenswaard listed for sale, I was banging at the real-estate agent’s door.
My friends are crazy about my tiny house
The tiny house was custom-built to suit my needs. It was a rapid six-month turnaround from planning to building.
When I first moved in, there were moments when I thought to myself, “Where on earth am I going to put this?” I had to be smart with space and storage.
In general, though, living in a tiny house has been smooth sailing. I haven’t had any unmanageable or hard-to-overcome issues.
My son was my first guest, last August, and he loved it. I have a spare bedroom for whenever he visits, although it’s not often.
My friends back in the US are crazy about the tiny house. I don’t have many people in my circle who believe bigger is better or who have a “Keeping Up with the Joneses” mentality.
The community is welcoming, but language is a barrier
There are plenty of positives to living in a tiny home village. The residents are collaborative and committed to building a friendly, supportive community. However, my lack of Dutch was definitely a barrier to participating as much as I would have liked.
I do try to practice at the taalcafés, which are gatherings for language practice, and everyone has been kind and helpful. But I studied French for years, so every time I try to think of a word, French pops in. I was unrealistic about my ability to learn Dutch. It’s an extremely difficult language.
I feel bad for not being able to learn it, and I feel like it’s unfair to everyone else. There are other reasons I’m leaving the Netherlands, including challenges with the healthcare system.
Tiny-house living suits me — just not in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is not the right place for me right now. I’m planning to move to France or Belgium once I sell the house. I’ll definitely be looking for another tiny house, because this lifestyle suits me well.
I’m a little sad to be selling my home. I love it, and I’m very fond of my neighbours. The experience was a huge commitment of time and energy, but also rewarding, and I don’t regret it for a second.
I’d definitely recommend tiny-house living to anyone who’s efficient with space and willing to think outside the box — albeit a littler box.
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