I Divorced My Husband And Now Live In A Tiny House In His Backyard – Heres Why Its The Best Thing Ive Ever Done

When Eva Bantin amicably ended her 22-year marriage, she never imagined she’d wind up living in a tiny house in her ex-husband’s backyard.

But Eva, 50, told Daily Mail that the admittedly ‘unconventional’ living arrangement wound up being the perfect solution for their family.

‘My husband Michael and I were married for a long time. After a while we kind of grew apart and realised we had different goals and different dreams. So (separating) was very much a mutual decision,’ Eva explained.

After selling their four bedroom family home in Thirroul on the NSW south coast in mid 2025, the pair split the profits and faced the challenge of finding their homes that were close by so that they could co-parent their daughter Stella, 17, and son Jed, 13.

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‘I knew I wanted to explore the world and didn’t want to be tied down or put all my money into a mortgage. But I also needed somewhere near the kids,’ Eva said.

In late 2025, Michael found a nice home for sale on a generous block of land in nearby Bulli – and when he invited Eva to join him to inspect it, it instantly sparked an idea for both of them.

They realised the huge backyard was the perfect location for a tiny house – a concept Eva had been intrigued by for many years.

Tiny homes are typically small, efficient dwellings around 10-50 square metres in size and designed for minimalist living. They’ve grown in popularity in recent years as housing costs soar.

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Buying a tiny home and erecting it in her ex’s backyard not only offered a financially affordable housing solution, but also a co-parenting solution.

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‘It was great for the kids, because it meant we didn’t need to be shifting them from house to house, or doing week-on, week-off, or packing a bag or furnishing two places.’

The dream accelerated when Eva got in touch with The Tiny Agency. Their property specialist Bridget Rose connected her with Casa Tiny Homes, who just so happened to already have the perfect house in production.

‘As soon as I saw the photos, I said I was buying it,’ Eva recalled.

‘It had all the mod cons and the comforts of a home but in a really tiny version.’

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Eva paid $150,000 for the house plus $3,000 delivery and an additional $4,500 for cement footings, all out of her divorce settlement.

The biggest extra expense was plumbing the toilet to the main sewer – which cost $10,000. She now she shares the utility bills with the main house.

The tiny house’s hot water however is powered through large gas LPG tanks, which Eva has to change over intermittently.

Interestingly, no council approval was needed because, technically, the tiny house is classified as a caravan.

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‘The only rule is you must be a family member to live in it permanently,’ Eva explained, cautioning that it’s imperative to check local council regulations as the rules differ between councils.

The 9m x 2.4m tiny home has forest green and timber finishes, a well-equipped kitchen with stovetop, oven and bench space, a bathroom with a vanity, shower and flushing toilet, washing machine and air conditioning.

The bedroom offers a king bed and there’s also a lovely study nook that Eva uses as the office for her remote recruitment business, Eva Bantin Talent.

The upstairs loft – which you can stand fully upright in without ducking down – fits another king bed as well as additional storage, which she uses to house her beloved collection of designer shoes and handbags.

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‘I had to do some serious Marie Kondo-style decluttering before moving in. Now, everything has its spot and cleaning is easy – the whole house takes 15 minutes flat to clean.’

To avoid any legal complications, Eva and Michael signed a contract outlining the terms of their living arrangement.

And if they do ever want to pop over to the other’s abode, they always text each other first.

‘My ex and I have always been pretty close and a really good team,’ Eva said. ‘We just have the utmost respect for each other and are very conscious of cooperating.’

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Access to the tiny house is via a side entry gate and Eva has plans to eventually add a bamboo fence for privacy.

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The setup faced its first test just recently when Michael started seeing a new girlfriend, who wanted to meet Eva to better understand their unique situation.

‘She was very apprehensive at first,’ Eva recalled.

‘But at the end of meeting me, she said, “Look, I need to get this off my chest – I was initially so disturbed about this arrangement because I want to develop a relationship with your ex-husband”.

‘But after meeting and hearing our story and seeing how we interact, she now has no issue.’

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With no mortgage and minimal bills, Eva feels financially free and is even dreaming of buying a villa in Italy, with grand plans of splitting time between there and her tiny house as a digital nomad.

Eva understands that not every separating couple would be in a position to have this kind of arrangement, but for their family, it was ‘an unconventional solution that has worked for everyone’.

‘Especially the kids. They love having me out the back. It’s meant I’m right here for them. I’m present,’ she said.

‘If it means I live in my ex’s backyard, power to me. I don’t have a mortgage. I don’t pay rent and I have minimal bills.

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‘My husband has his independence, and I have mine – and it works for our family unit.’