Bryce and Misty paid off their debts, left town, and spent the last 12 years building a cob house, living off the grid, and homeschooling their two daughters.

They live without a car, so for transportation they use taxis and bicycles, and eventually hope to have a cart that their two horses can pull.

Misty and Bryce Murph'Ariens met while living in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They were both city chefs who realized that city life wasn't for them. Misty suffered from severe migraines and always felt much better whenever she visited Bryce's grandmother's rural home. They loved the peace and quiet of the country.

“Bryce’s grandmother’s house was so peaceful and we were constantly disappointed when we had to leave and go back to town,” Misty explained.

Not only did they like the idea of living in the countryside, but they also wanted to take it a step further. They wanted to be self-sufficient. The couple spent three years learning how to inherit. Finally, in 2009, they purchased a piece of farmland in a rural Canadian forest area for $$37,500.

Building Your Home Sweet Home

The lot was a dream, but it was far from perfect. It was covered in trash and abandoned materials. They spent the first few weeks simply clearing everything from the land. They then spent the next four months building a cob house. This is a house made from a natural material consisting of clay, sand, and straw. In total, their home cost just $10,000 to build.

“While most people spend most of their time working to meet the necessities of life, we spend our time working to acquire those necessities directly,” Bryce explained.

They know their lifestyle isn't for everyone. For their family, however, it works. They've never been happier.

Of course, living this way has its challenges—and I’m not just talking about the hard work that comes with owning a property like this. In 2019, the local city government told them that, legally, they weren’t allowed to live in their tiny house. They said the Murph’Ariens needed a building permit for their home. That’s because when they started building, they didn’t have an official permit.

The couple says they called the building foreman before starting construction to get details about what they could and couldn’t do. After all, they wanted to follow the rules. Their initial plan was to make it so small that they wouldn’t need a permit. Eventually, they were told that if they needed large equipment to build, they needed a permit. Essentially, she said, if they could build with just a shovel, a permit wasn’t necessary.

A city employee even visited while they were building and had no issues with it. It wasn’t until the city received a complaint in 2018 that problems arose. They spent a year sending letters to the city and even had to go to court. Luckily, they reached a settlement with the city and still live in their cute little house.

What do you think of this alternative lifestyle? Would you consider living like this?