They lost their jobs in the pandemic, moved to Chapadmalal and built mini houses to rent

Javier and Rocío were dedicated to organizing the events in the City of Buenos Aires. Their company offered services for festivals, major hotel chains and they dealt with projects in shopping centers. They were in full swing When the Covid pandemic arrived in 2020.

“2020 was going to be our best year and we were left with nothing”says Javier.

Some time before, in Chapadmalal – 25 kilometers from Mar del Plata – they had built a tiny house o mini housein search of a quieter life. With their own hands they created a space they dreamed of and reusing demolition material. And so also the idea of create a refuge in the future with mini houses to rent It was slowly beginning to take shape on a lot they bought in 2017.

“(With the pandemic) we had to advance the plans to come to Chapadmalal, without money, without a business plan, without anything, but with the desire to undertake and bring this dream to reality.”

Today, Javier Monzón and Rocío Britez are in charge of the Refugio Santa Isabel -inaugurated in 2021 with a first tiny house- which now has three tiny houses in which they receive tourists: one of them is 11 square meters – they say it is the smallest in Argentina -, another is 15 meters and the third is 18 square meters.

And they are already planning to build a fourth and surpass themselves in this matter of miniature since they are looking for it to be less than 11 square meters.

A tiny house or mini house is defined as a small-sized homegenerally less than 35 square meters.

The main characteristic is that Vertical space is maximized.

“Una tiny house it’s not a dormitorywith a bed and a mini nightstand; A tiny house has to have all the comfort compressed into small sizes to be inhabited and live with all the necessary equipment,” explains Javier.

Santa Isabel Shelter It is 150 meters from the sea in the cliff area of Chapadmalal, a town that attracts more and more people every year and sets trends. The closest descent to the beach is five blocks from the development. They have a market five blocks away and the bus station is nine blocks away.

It is the only tourist accommodation that remains open all year round.

“Each tiny is a very functional Tetris” defines Javier. There is a combination of functionality, aesthetics and comfort, artisanal design, countryside calm and sea breeze.

The three buildings are different, each with its history and its own decoration. But they all have cama queenfull bathroom, integrated kitchen and wifi.

“Everything is designed so that nothing is missing, we did everything, from the construction of the house to the furniture, so every detail is thought of by us so that it is functional and comfortable,” says Javier.

It works like a traditional rental so the stay does not include breakfast. Almost all people arrive through social networks, but they also work with online rental platforms like Booking.

• How much does it cost. Staying in the tiny houses at Refugio Santa Isabel in February costs $120,000 per night and the minimum stay for that month is three nights. They offer a 25% discount for stays of 5 nights or more. Promotions are usually reported on Instagram, @refugiosantaisabel

One of the things that the couple wants to highlight when telling their story is that Entrepreneurship does not always require large structures or enormous investments to start.

“If we hadn’t done it this way, I think we would never have achieved it, we want to push those who have the dream of one’s own house because with self-construction it is possible to achieve it at a more affordable cost,” explains Javier.