The perfect retirement home doesn't have to come with a sprawling square footage. For Peter and Brenda Bartlett, downsizing to an ingeniously designed tiny house opened up a world of possibilities.

The Bartletts' daughter Rebecca McLean is the chairperson of the New Zealand Tiny House Association and was uniquely qualified to help her parents bring their minimalist forever home to life. Rebecca is also the founding director of construction company Tiny House Builders and offers project guidance via her Tiny House Mastery programme.

9 couples who built their dream retirement house on a budget