Living Debt-Free in a Tiny House in Iceland - An Introvert's Dream

Life in the mountains of North Iceland. What is it like? Well, today you'll find out as I show you around this tiny house where I've been living since 2018. Let's talk about renting and buying a property in Iceland, one of the most expensive countries in the world, what was the reason for me as a foreigner to find new home in such a place and how this decision allowed me to quit my job and start pursuing my other dreams.
Book my Airbnb this summer : bit.ly/airbnbtrollaskagi
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Instagram : @janiniceland
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#iceland #tinyhouse #inspiration
00:00 Welcome to the North
00:31 Renting and buying a property
01:12 Why I live here
02:06 A journey towards my dream
03:04 The Cabin
05:03 Why it made sense
05:59 It's not for everyone
07:07 ,,Sometimes you just have to jump''

[@SamSamIDKWhereIam]

This is also my dream! A cabin around the trees, water, cold and snow, nature, solitude, peace, quiet, those views ... cool video thank you.

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Sam! 🙏

[@jamesbarnett1993]

This is quite possibly the most beautiful cabin I’ve seen! So jealous, would love to eventually move to Iceland

[@janiniceland]

Thank you so much James!

[@elizabethbarberis9058]

I don't usually comment because I'm enjoying listening, but I've paused long enough to add-in - the boy Harry didn't have anything else to compare his life experience to. That yearning for freedom is universal. I can't 'mock' him for putting that in his book. Like his brother, he can never conceive of how he will sound to us.

[@benburns5995]

Hi Jan, thanks for this video about your Home in Iceland. It is awesome that you can rent the Cabin as an Airbnb, over the Summer months. I like the color of the Slate Gray color of the outside. It looks a lot nicer than the original Red color. The inside is very rustic and Quant. When you rent it out over the Summer where do you stay when rented? Also, what is the typical time that most people would rent if out for? If a lot of people rent for a short time there would probably be a lot of cleaning in between. With the cabin being out in the open country it is a great place for people to relax and unwind.

[@janiniceland]

Hello Ben! I like the darker colour better, too and it helps to heat up the place a little bit faster when the sun comes out. People usually stay here between 1-3 days, the longest someone stayed was I believe 5 or 7 days. And that's usually people who's been to Iceland many times and now they just want to get to know some of the regions better. It's never been too much work even with people staying just for one day as it is a small place, so it's too much cleaning, but still I will try to rent it for min of 2 days next season so I have more time for other things. 2 years ago I built a little shed where I can stay if I need to , just above the cabin (i made a video about it actually, a while back) but otherwise I try to travel around and camp in my van or tent when the weather allows :)

[@makeyour77]

This is Our dream too, have to do some more research on properties in Iceland Nice home you've got out there

[@janiniceland]

Thank you! Good luck, it will take some patience for sure but it's going to be worth it :)

[@jiml6910]

You live in a beautiful place and are a very lucky guy. I too lived remotely for about 21 years but eventually moved to a small town on the coast of Oregon where I still feel remote but have a little more opportunities for social engagement. But sometimes I still miss the remote. I like to refer to it as the intimacy of the remote.

[@janiniceland]

Thank you for sharing Jim. I think that in the future this is something I will do too. It's nice to have the advantages of small town such as convenience of things like store, services and sense of community. I always come back to a moment after 3 day extreme snowstorm in 2020 - the rescue teams were going around the area and checking on everyone, but not on me as nobody even knew I was here. No electricity, no water, no internet to find out what's going on. Those were the days I really wished I lived somewhere closer to the town :)

[@alexaronatm9847]

Congratulations Jan👏👏👏🏆

[@janiniceland]

@@alexaronatm9847 thanks Alex! 🙏🏻🏔️

[@brymckay893]

Jan, your story is so inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@janiniceland]

glad you like it Bry, thank you so much 🙏

[@katesommerville7217]

It looks stunning. Me, I’d live anywhere but as I don’t drive I need to live near transport!

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Kate. I completely understand and it is honestly always in the back of my mind because, if for whatever reason I suddenly didn't have a car, I wouldn't be able to live here as the nearest bus stop is some 15km/9mi away haha

[@miyoshiko9405]

Thank you for this video ❤️ Together with my husband, we moved to Iceland 1,5 year ago. Living off grid in Iceland is our big dream and we work hard to achieve it, but the lack of support from people around us has been hard. Now, thanks to you, we are super motivated! And we see that it's really possible to live this way. Greetings from Reykjavik!

[@janiniceland]

You can do it and trust me, it will be soooo worth it once you achieve it! I know that the prices are horrible right now, but just keep looking something will come :) Best of luck to you guys!

[@hilaryrayner6433]

Beautiful cabin,and breathtaking scenery. Thank you for sharing

[@janiniceland]

thank you Hilary! :)

[@marcguillaume3547]

Belle histoire. Peut être louer un jour chez toi !!

[@janiniceland]

Merci Marc! :)

[@tomvondracek]

Máš to tam nádherné Honzi - jak přírodu, tak chatku! Gratuluji ke splněnému snu. Sny jsou od toho, aby se žily ;-).

[@janiniceland]

Dekuju moc! :) presne tak! A kdyby ste se sem nekdy s rodinkou nahodou chystali, jste urcite vitani!

[@alexk73]

The combination of beautiful scenery and debt free ownership is always plus. Enjoy it then move on when you get the itch to do something else. Living within or below your means always gives you choices that are easier to make when you’re not crushed by a debt. Nice place!

[@janiniceland]

Very well said Alex, thank you 🙏

[@rachell3117]

That is amazing and such a beautiful place to be. I stopped working full time last year and now work 2 days a week. I have less money but more time to do things I enjoy, mainly cycling, kayaking and walking. I spend my time moving through nature and I love it. You need less than you think and as long as you have a roof over your head, the rest you can sort out. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@janiniceland]

Thank you for sharing Rachell! Very happy for you and I agree, you need less than you think. From my experience it is so easy to fall into a trap ,,the more you earn the more you spend'' and get caught up in a rat race - i lived that for about a year before I realised it just brought more stress into my life and it was a quick way to a burn out. It made more sense to figure out how much I need to sustain my lifestyle, cut off some of the work, sell what I didn't need and focus more on collecting memories rather than things.

[@DylanDiaries]

It is so inspiring! As an Asian I really wish to have a chance to chase dreams like you. Thank you for sharing these amazing moments

[@janiniceland]

Thank you! I hope and I am sure that you will find the right for you too!

[@fannyandersson3330]

Wow! What an amazing story! That was really interresting and impressive! For me, that would be wonderful to live like that, but I dont ha have the possibility right now. But I will come back to Iceland sooner or later! Wonderful country! By the way, your videos are really personal and honest, keep them that way! 👍😃

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Fanny! Of course, and I don't think that anyone should ever feel a pressure about where they are in any aspect of life - I know that for myself and always have to remind myself ,,Jan, things don't just happen over night!'' haha. Glad you like the videos and I hope you'll be able to travel here soon :)

[@eligerus2622]

Nice sound effects around 1min before the end. Very impressive!

[@janiniceland]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@Joyabulthuis]

You created a little paradise over there! I also created for myself a quiet place near the sea in Sardinia. I have one important question Jan..Do you never feel lonely? How often do you see people?

[@janiniceland]

Thank you! I heard Sardinia is beautiful, hoping to visit one day, too. Sure, thoughts like that cross my mind, especially during the winter months, but somehow I don't find it as bad as people usually expect it to be. It's never the same, but I mostly see my friends for the outdoor activities : and when that's the case, I am happy to spend time around people every day haha

[@andrewsantos4366]

that's an amazing story Jan, we are planning to visit Iceland by next year and we are excited to see the beautiful places.

[@janiniceland]

thank you Andrew! Enjoy your trip, there's a lot here to look forward to, i'm sure you'll love it :)

[@MsDidleydi]

Love it 🩵

[@janiniceland]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@stevefoster1511]

Good for you man! I LOVE Siglufjordur and can't wait to get up to that part of Iceland again sometime in the near future. I may very well be in touch about renting there for my next trip.

[@janiniceland]

Thanks Steve! I will definitely be making a video about Siglufjörður in the future, such a cool place. Hope to see you here some day! 🙏

[@markuserikssen]

Wow, what a stunning location and congrats on achieving this! I noticed it's very close to Hrisey, where my friends owned a house before. It's a stunning region!

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Markus! It is an amazing place for sure. There are some nice views from Hrísey, I will have to revisit that place in the summer again!

[@markuserikssen]

@@janiniceland It's a magical place! If I'm correct, the island is at 7:48 is Hrisey? I never knew you could walk/ski on those mountains surrounding it. The landscape looks so harsh. Even in summer, there was still snow on the mountains around Hrisey.

[@markuserikssen]

​@@janiniceland It's a magical place! If I'm correct, the island is at 7:48 is Hrisey? I never knew you could walk/ski on those mountains surrounding it. The landscape looks so harsh. Even in summer, there was still snow on the mountains around Hrisey.

[@janiniceland]

Yes that's Hrísey. Iceland has some great terrain for skiing, especially areas like Troll Peninsula - the access is very easy because you can start hiking up right from the road and it usually takes only about 2-3 hrs to get to the top. In the summer you can do that too, but unfortunately there isn't a very good infrastructure of trails here, that's where south of the island takes a win @@markuserikssen

[@markuserikssen]

@@janiniceland Sounds very interesting! Never knew that. I'm not an experienced skier myself so it looks a bit terrifying to me. I would be scared of avalanches as well. But it looks like a nice area for summer hikes!

[@maryt2887]

What an amazing place to live! You did very well for yourself, saving your money and renting out the cabin. And you are so young! You have many more adventures ahead. Where are you from originally and why did you choose Iceland? What other places in the world would you like to visit or live for a while? I’m a grandmother in the USA, and although I love my life and my family, I wish I could go back in time and live many different lives in various places. BTW I love the tiny house concept. If I were willing to leave my sewing machines behind, heh heh…..

[@janiniceland]

Thank you for sharing Mary! I am originally from Czech Republic and I chose Iceland for few reason - I was just getting into photography and I couldn't think of better place to go than Iceland and also for me as an European it very simple to come here after the school and start working for 3times as much as I would earn in my home country. And somehow I just kept coming back and before I realised I started living in this cabin haha. Not sure where exactly but I'd like to find a second/third home somewhere warmer not far from Iceland or my home country and not super tropical and perhaps an island - Madeira, Azores, Canary places like this.

[@janiniceland]

And tiny houses have many advantages when it comes to things like maintenance and cleaning but it can be challenging if there're for example two people living there and also there's just never enough space. Some people who's visited me compared it to the boat : everything has it's place and if I don't put it back where it belongs, soon everything becomes a chaos haha

[@maryt2887]

@@janiniceland My maternal grandmother was born in Czechoslovakia in the late 1800s. I don’t know the exact location; her name is a very common one and I have been unable to trace her.

[@Eyesofthebeholder214]

Great vid. Your so right I have lived in many different places and all have been a learning experience. I think sometimes it is hard to break out of our bubble although once you do the fear of the unknown vanishes. Cheers

[@janiniceland]

thank you! It definitely is, there is often this feeling of comfort and safety that keeps us in the bubble. Which, as times goes by, I am very much afraid that that's where I am at again, even though it's a dream place for me. And that's why once again I am starting to look what else is out there haha

[@Eyesofthebeholder214]

@@janiniceland Your welcome 👍🙂

[@markg5891]

That's a nice unique adventure! It has it's charmes to me but the only-by-ski-for-6-months is a little too much for my taste. Im curious about more details on the cost side of things. I know things in oceland, even seemingly simple things, are quite expensive. Subscribing for sure!

[@janiniceland]

Thank you for subscribing Mark and the suggestion - I will be covering monthly cost of living in the future for sure. And yeah, the accessibility of the cabin in the winter can become a tiring thing sometimes - maybe I will get a snowmobile some day haha

[@larsstougaard7097]

Amazing house , well done.

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Lars! 🙏🙏

[@YouTubeExpertZesan]

your content is very good😍

[@janiniceland]

thank you bro!

[@YouTubeExpertZesan]

waiting new video@@janiniceland

[@longgowhereto]

6:54 What I think? Everything runs in cycles and you avoided to get blackmailed by one - the real estate bubble. I do not know how many told me: "I had to do this or I had lost my job" (to pick one example). I like to be in countries in distress; a lot of empty (and cheap) housing is then the normal. Why most accept every crazyness like a God given, I do not know. Most live seemingly unfree - the job, the kids, the debts, the house, the friends, the........... etc. An aquaintance at home told me some years ago if I did not get fizzered, I would have no social life anymore. What a wonderful future would that be? A peaceful life with dog and garden maybe? In my distressed location nobody ever asked. It is easier and cheaper off the beaten track. Do not answer, I do not goggle and won't see it. Cheers.

[@sometimesthereisnocoloraro108]

do you have piping? if not, how do you get hot / cold water? what about toilet? there is no sewage... how do you deal with that? how is the internet? how much do you pay for the land ? (ren) is it difficult to get a building permit in the middle of nowhere in Iceland? what about garbage? do you need to take it to the city?

[@janiniceland]

- hot water comes from the valley, drinking cold from mountain stream (summer only) in the winter I need to cary it. - wastewater goes into a septic tank - internet 4G - i own the land - i don't think it's more difficult than anywhere - other than the usual headache with paperwork and so on there should be notm uch difference - there's a shared garbage container for the summerhouses in my area which is being taken care of by municipality

[@davidkressl682]

Top spot with natural thermal shower and whales nearby!!🐳🌋

[@janiniceland]

Hope to see you both back some day soon!

[@missaelalejandropalaciosno6545]

Gave me Playmobil vibes. ✨

[@mitchpainephotography]

Amazing story Jan! How has settling into your cabin changed your photography of this part of Iceland? Have you found new places to photograph, new perspectives, etc.?

[@janiniceland]

Thank you Mitch! I have to say that luckily all the time I've spent here so far it hasn't changed how much I enjoy shooting here, I guess that's because how the look of the landscape in Iceland keeps constantly changing - seasons, weather, dark winters and northern lights, midnight sun in summer, etc. Specifically to the area, every time I think that I've seen pretty much everything, there's always something that blows my mind - exploring new valleys, finding hidden waterfalls, gorges, unique coastline etc. Even though is is relatively small area, I think I still barely scratched the surface, which is great!

[@jonasatlason2249]

Hi there Jan, I just came across your channel and it's very inspiring! I just bought and started running a guesthouse in Ólafsvik in Snæfellsnes. I'm originally Icelandic but have lived in the US for a long time. I decided to make a gradual transition back to Iceland. My parents already have a guesthouse in the same town, so having their support makes the process much easier. Sometimes it feels overwhelming but I feel if I stick with it and get familiar with the whole process, it will get easier. Hopefully, when we get caught up with the business and household aspects, we can start enjoying the outdoors, mountain biking and hiking etc. Are you able to make ends meet in the winter time when you close the guesthouse?

[@janiniceland]

Hello Jonas! Thank you for sharing this and congratulations on your new guesthouse! What is the name of it? Snæfellsnes is such an amazing part of Iceland, can't wait to drive there again sometime. It's not easy, but im sure you will figure everything out soon once you have your systems in place. And like you said, having your parents there who you can talk to about the whole process and stuff is awesome. My process was all trial and error so having someone here who understands how things work would have saved me a lot of time, nerves and money haha. I honestly don't think I would be able to live just on that, but I also do photo and video work and some other side hustles. This airbnb of mine is more of an investment that allowed me to quit my job and pursue things I really wanted to do. Very grateful for that. Maybe see you in Snæfellsnes some day :)

[@ekkertmal99]

Hi Jan and thanks for the encouraging words! Our guesthouse is Olafsvik Guesthouse and my parent's is Bikers Paradise, both in Olafsvik. We're here until beginning of August, then go back to the States. The plan is to spend more time in Iceland each year and take it from there.

[@duckhorn]

How do you find free cabin?

[@Pietruska17]

Now plant trees.

[@janiniceland]

Haha yes sir. That was amongst the first things I did - each year adding more and more

[@1258-Eckhart]

Did you rename your channel? And should Dancak really be Dančak?

[@janiniceland]

I did - I decided to have it under same name as my ig @jan_dancak . Also, I realised I might not just want to keep this channel strictly about Iceland and sometimes in the future share stories from other places, too. Btw that's close- it's Dančák, how did you know?

[@janiniceland]

I did - I decided to have it under same name as my ig @jan_dancak . Also, I realised I might not just want to keep this channel strictly about Iceland and sometimes in the future share stories from other places, too. Btw that's close- it's Dančák, how did you know?

[@1258-Eckhart]

Because with big respect my dude, Dancak makes no sense. Some German speakers could pronounce it -kack, which is not nice! ( 🚾) If you want to stick to the English alphabet, I suggest Danczak. the "á" is emphasis, which probably doesn't matter so much (?). @@janiniceland

[@janiniceland]

@@1258-Eckhart thanks mate, I will give it a though. Thing is, unless they're Czech, Dancak or Dančák, people never (understandably) get it right. And I would rather my name to be mispronounced than having it appear as I'm Polish (Danczak). I might come up with another channel name in the future to make it easier for people, but I want something I will 100% stick to and won't ever have to change it again but couldn't think of anything that sounded good...And so Dancak will have to do it, at least for now haha

[@1258-Eckhart]

You could completely anglicise it - Dancheck? I really want to save you from that "-cack", it doesn't sound good in either German or English. 😟 @@janiniceland

[@user-is6du8hh1l]

Thought it was going to show more of the property and surroundings, to much talking.

[@janiniceland]

noted! thanks for your feedback 🙏

[@user-xu4kn1wd8b]

I honestly envy you l;iving there - its perfect

[@janiniceland]

glad you like it! it is a beautiful place to be :)