I moved my family OFF-GRID after a horrific series of events… now our tiny home saves us thousands each MONTH. We are richer and happier than ever. Here’s how you can do it too

Six years ago, Victoria Neidhardt was living through the worst period of her life.

After going through a divorce, her mother dying and almost losing one of her daughters to complications from pneumonia, the mom-of-four knew she needed a change.

‘My daughter was questioning, “What is my quality of life?” and I wanted to find those answers for myself,’ she shared with the Daily Mail.

Now, in 2026, Neidhardt has remarried and is happier than ever living a very unconventional lifestyle on a Finger Lakes property, New York, where she, her new husband Tyler, and her children all live in tiny houses. 

For Neidhardt, this life had been a long time coming. After years of wanting to travel around the country, and the Covid-19 pandemic bringing regular life to a standstill, she had a sudden realization: if she didn’t do it now, she never would.

Neidhardt, whose children were 14, 12, 10, and nine at the time, said she had spent years fantasizing about selling her house and buying a bus.

‘The kids would laugh. They were like, “Mom, we’re never going to get to do that,”‘ she recalled. ‘But we decided as a family, we’re going to go for it.’

Neidhardt, who was running an eBay resale business, bought a school bus in Pennsylvania in mid-2020 and spent five months converting it into a tiny home on wheels.

‘Then we sold off all of our things and put what we could into the bus and sold our house and just started driving with absolutely zero plan but warm weather,’ she said.

The devoted mom originally planned to visit as much of the country as possible, starting by driving south for winter to escape the plummeting temperatures.

‘Six months in, we realized that our country would be a whole lot bigger than we thought, and a whole lot more amazing,’ she said.

‘One year led into five years of full-time traveling in the school bus,’ she continued. ‘Now we’ve been to 40 states and dozens of national parks and stayed in some of the most amazing places in our country. It was the biggest opportunity to make memories that I ever could have given my kids.’ 

Neidhardt homeschooled two of her children for a year and a half prior to Covid, one by choice and one due to medical reasons, then homeschooled all four while they traveled.

While the family was traveling, Neidhardt hatched a plan for when they eventually returned home, intrigued by the idea of tiny homes after living in a converted bus for so long.

‘I didn’t want to buy another house in town and jump back into big mortgages and close neighbors and all those things,’ she explained. 

‘So I thought, what if we do something a little different and non-traditional, and build tiny homes on rural property and still live off-grid?’

Neidhardt landed on 11 acres in the southern tier of New York, which they bought for $60,000.

They built three tiny homes on the property, all 10 feet from the ‘main’ tiny home, with her kids living in the other two houses.

The three houses were built for $85,000, with an estimated $25,000 spent in upgrades since construction.

Neidhardt estimates that they now save around $3,000 a month by living off-grid, thanks to their lower electrical bills, and are connected to the internet using Starlink, which provides high-speed, low-latency satellite internet to remote areas.

‘We use solar power and run off a battery system,’ Neidhardt explained. ‘We are fully self-sustainable and off-grid here, with full solar and rainwater collection, and incinerating toilets.

‘That makes our houses very efficient, unlike traditional houses.’

Neidhardt liked the idea of tiny homes, which can be moved around the property, so their kids will have an affordable housing option but still be close by. 

‘We can all be a family unit, but everyone can kind of grow and have their own space,’ she said. 

She listed the biggest perks of their tiny homes as more efficient to heat and cool and being able to spend quality time with her children, while still giving them their own space.

‘There’s a lot of shenanigans in running around between the houses all the time – our doors will probably wear out shortly,’ she joked.

‘Also, I really like the advantage that we could move the houses for the children to give them more space and privacy as they get into their 20s,’ the mom added. 

She explained how the small houses are non-permanent structures, so can be moved around the lot. 

‘Our homes are temporary and “could” be lifted onto a semi trailer and moved with a wide load permits or moved around on our property,’ she explained.

‘[Our kids] can move the houses to another property of their own, move them on our family property or we could rent them if the children decide to do something else – it gives us a lot of possibilities. That’s what I really wanted – options for everyone for the long-term.’

However, she said each state, county and town has varying rules for the homes.

‘Everyone needs to consider and consult with their own county and town for their zoning and permits and checking those things before you purchase new land would be advisable,’ she suggested.

Neidhardt, who had begun sharing her family’s travels and tiny home living on social media, caught the attention of people in the area who were interested in doing the same.

This led her to start the business, Built By Blackbird, with her husband Tyler, which builds tiny homes and fits out buses.

‘We’re into our third year of building full-time for other people,’ she said.

‘Now we’re building all these different types of tiny homes, shipping container homes, Accessory Dwelling Unit conversions, coach conversions,’ she listed.

While Neidhardt loves her lifestyle, she said it hasn’t come without its own challenges, especially with some people watching her content online and accusing her of not properly caring for her kids. 

During their time living on the bus, she said, ‘Child Protective Services were called in Florida… a sheriff came out after someone called in.’

‘I spoke with them and they were not concerned about the mom on endless vacation with her kids who had plenty of food and a safe warm home on wheels,’ she explained.

CPS was called again when the family were constructing their houses, with Neidhardt guessing the school was concerned their address appeared to just be a field.

‘I think they thought we had our kids in tents or something,’ she said. ‘They were unconcerned, obviously all the kids’ needs were met and they were safe and warm.

‘It’s just very intrusive and unsettling when someone even questions your parenting just because what you are doing is not conventional or the norm,’ the mom added.

Despite some negative feedback and online trolls, Neidhardt doesn’t regret any part of her travels with her children and the life they now lead.

‘My kids learned about places where their hearts feel at home,’ she explained. 

‘As much as every mother wants to keep their children all in one place and close, and it just didn’t feel right or realistic, and now they all have places that are special to them, and they all have big hopes and dreams.

‘I think that’s great that we got to make those memories together, and that now they all know the places and the things that they like and the things that they want to try for themselves.’