When Florida Madula's house was going to be divided among her husband's siblings, they realized they had to make the most use of the land that would be allotted to their family.
Already in their retirement years, Florida considered what would be the best option for them, as they wanted to have a comfortable house that they could easily look after as a couple.
This led her to the realization that a tiny home might be the most suitable option.
"What if 'pag gumawa tayo ng bahay, maliit?" she recalls, speaking to Summit Media's OG Channel.
After factoring in the costs, Florida's husband, who had heard of container homes and how it was gaining popularity, suggested that they look into it for the construction of their new home.
"What if we will build a container house dahil uso naman 'yon ngayon? 'Di masyadong magastos and it's very easy to maintain."
Today, the Madula family's house is maaliwalas: bright, airy, and inviting! Their home is in their hometown of Oroquieta City, Misamis Oriental. The abode, made of three 20-foot containers, features a shady patio, living room, dining area, kitchen, comfort room, as well as bedrooms on both the first and second floors.
It's hard to believe that it's a mere 55 square meters only, given its spacious interiors.
Keziah Madula, one of Florida's children, proudly tours the OG Channel team in their humble dwelling to explain how it has all the necessities of a family home without sacrificing on comfort and functionality.
Hidden storage
The Madula family knows that tiny living requires a little creativity to keep the space looking clutter-free.
Just a few steps away from their five-seater dining table is a hidden storage area in a wall, where they store their pantry essentials.
With cooking also one of their family's favorite bonding time activities, their kitchen includes a wooden kitchen countertop for their food preparation needs. The bedrooms, meanwhile, can fit a queen-size bed each.
Adding to the laid-back feel of the house is its roomy patio with its own dining area, perfect for entertaining visitors. It even has a hammock, perfect for afternoon naps.
'Mahangin sa loob.'
You might think that it can get hot living inside a container home, but the Madula family hardly uses air-conditioning or electric fans in the evenings as it can be quite cool.
Florida reveals that they only used over P800,000 for the entire construction, excluding
furniture and fixtures. This expense already includes the shipping fee of the container vans which came from Manila. Double walling, insulator foam, and thick wood were used for the walls.
To those considering building a container home, Florida and Keziah advise them to make sure it has lots of windows and big doors to bring in enough natural light and promote air flow.
Having the container home under trees also helps to make the space breezy.
More than anything, the Madula family loves their container home as the tiny space allows them to interact more and cultivate more happy memories.
"As a family talaga, makaka-bond kami ng maayos... because it's small. Unlike sa dati na sisigaw ka pa na, 'kain na!' Dito, intact lang lahat."
"We really love the idea of having a tiny house," Florida enthuses.
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