"The less you own, the freer you feel" - Michele Paldino on his life in the Tiny House and the struggle with winter
About 120 people live permanently at the Albtal campsite in Waldbronn-Etzenrod. Around 20 of them live in Tiny Houses - like Michaele Paldino, who will also be attending NEW HOUSING - the Tiny House Festival - at the end of June and beginning of July.
Michele Paldino has been living in his Tiny House in Waldbronn for three years. He has not regretted it for a single day, but he could do without the cold season. The 55-year-old will also be on site at NEW HOUSING in Karlsruhe - Europe's largest Tiny House Festival - to promote his "philosophy of life".
It all began with a houseboat
"Thirty years ago, I once had an offer for a houseboat. That was always my dream, but unfortunately it didn't work out," says Paldino. But the desire for a minimalist lifestyle never left the Hamelin native. After finding his way to the Palatinate for personal reasons in 2003 and at some point living in a 70-square-metre flat, the desire for more clarity made itself felt again in 2016.
"Minimalism is like a red thread. At some point you end up with a reduced life and the Tiny House," says Paldino. The building contract for his own mini-house came in late 2018, it was delivered in May 2019 and on 1 February 2020, the 55-year-old ultimately moved into his own 17 square metres of space and 55 cubic metres of room. Before that, he had been looking for a suitable pitch for over two years.
Das Leben auf überschaubarem Platz hat Paldino nie bereut: „Ich war vom ersten Augenblick angefixt“, sagt er. Die Uhren, so der Minimalist, ticken im Tiny House langsamer: „Egal wie schlecht der Arbeitstag war, sobald ich in meinem Häuschen bin, bin ich wieder gut gelaunt.“
Tiny house life as a "philosophy of life"
The new place of residence has changed a lot for Paldino: "Because life itself has become cheaper, I was able to reduce my weekly working hours from 40 to 32. I am very careful not to fill myself up. I find that the less you own, the freer you feel." Many Tiny House residents in Waldbronn are vegetarians or vegans and generally live very environmentally consciously. Many also don't have a car. Paldino, who is now still dependent on a car because of his job, also plans to do so one day, he says: "Tiny house living is a philosophy of life."
But there is also an unpleasant side to it for Paldino: winter. It can sometimes be very unpleasant: "As long as it's dry and cold, it's fine. But when it rains for days on end and you're forced to stay indoors, it's not so nice." From October to December it's okay. But when spring is gone, January, February and March drag on.
Still petrolium, soon something new
And when it's cold outside, it has to be warm inside. Paldino currently still heats with a petrolium stove. But he wants to get away from that: "You can never leave the stove on alone. I wasn't at home for a few days over Christmas. When I came back, it was minus six degrees in the little house." Other tiny house owners in Waldbronn have solar panels on their roofs and are more or less self-sufficient from around the end of March to October. Still others use pellet stoves. According to Paldino, before the inflation caused by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the price of pellets was 270 to 320 euros per tonne. Now the price per tonne is 570 to 580 euros.
For the coming winter, he wants to install a split air-conditioning system. It works with electricity. At night he uses an infrared heater. That also runs on electricity. Nevertheless, he still saves quite a bit compared to the 80 euros per month he used to pay for gas. In any case, the lower costs for the Tiny House, Paldino says openly, were also a reason for the move to minimalist living. Incidentally, his mini house is insulated with mineral wool. Other residents use sheep's wool or wood wool. The latter consists of pressed wooden boards.
Despite the difficulties in winter, Paldino is a convinced Tiny House enthusiast - and that's also because spring will come again at some point: "As soon as it gets a bit warmer, everyone is back at work here." The 55-year-old also already knows exactly what he'll be doing when the temperature rises: "I have to replace the silicone seams on the house. They are exposed to the weather all the time and need renewal. The wooden terrace needs to be oiled, the facades need a new glaze. In addition, there are minor repairs."
Paldino to be guest at NEW HOUSING in june
Michele Paldino has been happy in his Tiny House for three years. In order to inspire even more people with the minimalist and resource-saving lifestyle, he is also involved in the Tiny House Association. Both this association and Paldino will be at NEW HOUSING from 30 June to 2 July at Messe Karlsruhe.
