living off-grid
Sick Of The Grind, He Ditched The City For A Tiny House In The Woods. Now, He Estimates He Gets By On $750 A Month
It's been three years since Anders Boisen, 36, left the city to live in a tiny house in the woods in Denmark — and he's never been more content with life.
This drastic lifestyle change was driven by his desire to break free from societal standards and live life on his own terms.
After breaking up, moving out, and job-hopping a couple of times, he eventually landed a role with the local municipality. It was a stable, 9-to-5 job that paid him enough to live comfortably. And yet, life felt stifling.
[Boisen saw tiny living as a way to lead a simpler life. Anders Boisen]
He yearned for a simple life where he could be surrounded by nature, and it wasn't until the pandemic that things finally came to a head.
In 2020, Boisen quit his job. He had already been building a tiny house on the side, and he decided to focus on the project full-time.
[During the pandemic, he quit his job in order to focus on building his tiny house. Anders Boisen]
"I started building one tiny house, which got stolen because it was on wheels. It was a crazy story, and I never managed to find it. That was in 2019, so I needed to start all over," he said.
Thankfully, the tiny house took about eight months to complete, including a short break he took in the middle of the project during winter.
[He built the cabin in eight months with help from some friends and a carpenter. Anders Boisen]
Not only were the weather conditions tough, but Boisen also made a mistake on the roof, which caused rain to destroy part of the structure from the inside.
Thankfully, he was done with the build during the spring of 2020, with help from some friends and a carpenter. Afterward, he moved the house onto a piece of land that he rented for a year and a half.
[The cabin is situated on a plot of land that he bought for about $23,800. Anders Boisen]
When his lease was up, Boisen decided he wanted a more permanent place to call home. So, he looked up real estate listings online and found the perfect plot to put down his roots.
The land, still located in the Aarhus region, measures about 17,800 square feet. It sits at the end of a dirt road and is bounded by a lush forest and an open meadow.
[The cabin is off-grid. Boisen relies on solar energy, collects rainwater, and chops wood for his stove. Anders Boisen]
The tiny house, where Boisen currently lives with his dog, measures about 150 square feet, and isn't connected to electricity, heat, water, or the sewage system.
"I'm using energy from solar panels, I'm collecting rainwater, and I'm chopping wood for my fire. It's self-sufficient in terms of that," Boisen said, adding that he also grows some of his own food.
[The sleeping quarters are located in the loft. Anders Boisen]
However, when he first told his parents that he was planning to live off-grid in the forest, they were shocked.
But they started warming up to his alternative lifestyle when they saw how he was gaining traction on social media and was even featured on local Danish news outlets.
To read more about Boisen's experience going off the grid, head to Business Insider.
