The home is located in Todds Valley, a 10-minute drive from Nelson, where architect William Samuels grew up—and one of the least affordable areas in New Zealand. “The obsession with the price of housing is pervasive and can cloud our thinking when we consider the true value of a home,” he says. “In New Zealand, there is a tendency to think of housing purely as an asset, an investment, rather than a home, a place for life to happen.” Photo 1 of 14 in Budget Breakdown: A New Zealand Architect’s $96K Plan to Become a First-Time Homeowner

Budget Breakdown: A New Zealand Architect’s $96K Plan to Become a First-Time Homeowner

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Architect William Samuels’s tiny home is located in Todds Valley, New Zealand, a 10-minute drive from Nelson where he grew up. William says it’s one of the least affordable areas in the country. "The obsession with the price of housing is pervasive and can cloud our thinking when we consider the true value of a home," he says. "In New Zealand, there is a tendency to think of housing purely as an asset, an investment, rather than a home, a place for life to happen."