Alex Davidson and Hannah Unia at their flatbed truck house at Marahau. Photo / Tim Cuff
Alex Davidson and Hannah Unia at their flatbed truck house at Marahau. Photo / Tim Cuff
An enterprising Kiwi couple have converted an old flatbed truck into their dream country home.
Alex Davidson and Hannah Unia spent 18 months and $25,000 transforming their 1986 Hino flatbed into a two-bedroom house.
The result was a solar-powered, wood and steel home that now allows them to live almost self-sufficiently on the outskirts of Nelson.
They have home telephone and internet, and power bills cost just $25 dollars a month. "The house prices in New Zealand are absurd and this was the only way we could afford to have our own place," Davidson told the Herald on Sunday. "Anyone could do it and it is a comfortable and inexpensive way to live."
Image 1 of 7: Alex Davidson and Hannah Unia at their flatbed truck house at Marahau, Nelson. Photo / Tim Cuff
The couple constructed their house-truck using mostly recycled or second-hand items, favouring natural materials when they could.
The wood-lined home has stained glass windows and is mostly powered by solar panels. A stove and hot water are gas-powered and fresh water comes from a nearby spring.
"We are not hippies, this place has a really nice feel to it, we love it," Davidson, aged 40, said.
The couple lived in a variety of converted vehicles in the United Kingdom for many years before returning to New Zealand in 2009.
"We were shocked at how much house prices had gone up so we had to find an alternative way to get on the property ladder," Davidson explained.
They bought the truck for $8500 and converted into a mobile house at his parent's home in Blenheim by welding a frame and putting wood on top.
The couple then drove it to a holiday park in Nelson where they parked up and lived cheaply for three years while saving a deposit for some land.
They bought an 11-acre bush block last year for $215,000 and moved their house-truck to the site in December.
Davidson, an engineer, now plans to operate an artisan metal arts studio from a nearby workshop. The house-truck can be packed up and ready to hit the road within half an hour.
"We have a bit of a mortgage on the land but that is about it," Davidson added. "More people could consider trying doing this as a way getting around the crazy property and rental prices while freeing up cash to save towards their dream home."
