What's it really like for a family of four to all live together in a 20ft shipping container home? For Ryan and Lorena, downsizing to the extreme has helped them create a life with more freedom, more time together and far fewer financial pressures. After leaving city life behind, the couple purchased a beautiful two-acre property in Queensland, Australia, where they built their own off-grid shipping container home and began creating a simpler life for their young family.
At just 20ft long, their container home is incredibly compact, but clever design, a large outdoor living area and an additional shed have allowed the family to make the small space work remarkably well. Inside, they have everything they need, including a full kitchen, bathroom, king-size bed and a clever pull-out bed for the children.
But the most interesting part of this home isn't really its size.
By embracing simple living, moving off-grid and becoming mortgage-free, Ryan and Lorena have been able to step away from full-time work and spend more time raising their children. Instead of working simply to afford a larger house, they've deliberately chosen a smaller home and a bigger life together.
In this episode, we tour their beautiful DIY shipping container home, explore their off-grid property and discover why, for this family, living with less has given them so much more.
You can follow this inspiring family's off-grid tiny house adventures on their website: https://www.offgridfamilia.com.au and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/off_grid_familia
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? Chapters:
00:00 Family of Four in a 20ft Container Home
00:31 Meet Ryan & Lorena
02:02 Why They Chose a Shipping Container
03:11 Building Their Home DIY
04:27 Living Completely Off-Grid
05:44 Inside the 20ft Container Home
07:44 Compact Kitchen Design
08:13 Sleeping Four People in 20ft
09:42 The Bathroom
11:13 What Is It Really Like Living This Small?
12:06 Why They Chose This Life
13:03 “People Think We’re Crazy”
14:52 What Did It Cost?
16:15 Their Plans for the Future
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Presented and Produced by: Bryce Langston
Camera: Rasa Pescud & Bryce Langston
Editing: Sarah Binder & Rasa Pescud
Title music in this video by Bryce Langston: http://www.youtube.com/brycelangston
'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2026 Zyia Pictures Ltd
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