A New Zealand Couple Build a Tiny, Cedar-Clad Cabin for $72K

Nikki Adcock and Rick Hill had dreamed about designing and building their own tiny retreat for years. "We wanted to create the perfect weekend hideaway for our small family: a place to unplug and make memories with our children," says Nikki, who lives with Rick and their five-year-old twins, Remy and Gracie, in Auckland, New Zealand. "Through Airbnb, we’ve stayed in small spaces all around the country—converted buses, prefabricated cabins, and yurts—and they really helped our family connect and spend quality time together."

Rick, a builder by trade, constructed the 162-square-foot Hideaway cabin in his free time, getting by with a little help from his friends and major support from Nikki, who designed the interior.

"It took about a month to create the design and the drawings," she says. "We then sat on the idea as the pandemic took hold in 2020 and the future seemed so uncertain." Once New Zealand’s lockdown was lifted, Rick got to work. "He forewent his summer holiday, worked through Christmas and New Year, and on weekends and in the evenings," says Nikki. After 500 hours of toil and $72,000, the Hideaway cabin was completed at the beginning of this year.