I don’t know if you are aware, but there’s a new movement on the rise. The tiny house movement. At first, it sounds kinda bizarre, but it’s pretty cool. It’s something that people who want to lead more minimalistic lives get or just want to simplify.
Some tiny homes are mobile (on wheels) and some have a foundation. You can rent them out or buy them. One thing is for certain. They are much cheaper than normal houses. When it comes to tiny homes, it’s common for people to design their own homes (with help of course) to create a unique place just for them.
This tiny house movement is predominately taking place in the USA, however other countries around the world like the UK are quickly catching on.
Why do tiny houses exist?
The main reason they exist is that people want to simplify their lives. Why live in a big house filled with material objects, which are barely used. Additionally, most of the space in our homes is not even used most of the time. It’s just a big waste of money (and resources).
Besides, it’s how we once lived. In the past, we never had such massive homes.
Also, from what I’ve heard and read, in most cases, the house doesn’t feel as tiny as it looks from the outside. They are designed in a way to maximize space as much as possible.
What is the tiny house movement?
A tiny house is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a small house (typically under 40 m2) with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and everything you really need to live.
On the other hand, an average house is approximately in the USA is around 148 m2 and in the UK around 90 m2. That’s quite a difference so it will take some time to get used to but you might ending up loving it. Although we build these huge ‘mansions’, you’ll be surprised by how much room we don’t use in our homes. We mostly stay in a few certain areas such as our bed, desk… Essentially we are paying for a place to store our materials possessions.
Regardless, a house should not be a storage space. We must treat it as a living space. That’s why people decide to go the other way and ditch social norms and do something that will make them happier and create a life filled with value.
This tiny house movement started in the late 1990s and has only gained more popularity since. More people are searching to learn more about them than ever before.
Why consider living in a tiny house?
At first, you might be a bit skeptical about this. Most people are at first. I found out about this movement a couple of months go but I fell in love with the idea straight away. I find it such a simple and elegant idea.
Financially
You will not have to worry as much about money since your home will be now such a small expense now. Mortgages have become so expensive and people are struggling to have a decent life because all their money goes towards their home. This tiny house movement is a creative way to solve that problem. For those who are struggling financially, getting a smaller house could well be the answer. Not to mention it requires less money and energy to maintain it.
We waste a large proportion of our lives, in terms of money and time, just to put a roof over our head. Living with less is the answer for many of those looking to be financially free.
Simplify
Why overcomplicate our lives?
Downsize your life and your home to become happier.
Buying a bigger house will not make you happier. More and more people are wanting to downsize their life in order to escape excessive consumerism, something that most of us get trapped in at some point in our lives, most still are.
If you are wondering how all your stuff is going to fit into such a small home, then you are asking the wrong questions. The whole point of doing this is to simplify your life and that means decluttering your home.
So many individuals in this modern society work hard to earn as much money as possible, only to get more materials objects which puts them back into debt. That doesn’t seem like a very good life to me.
Environment
And as always there are environmental benefits to downsizing. The most obvious one is that it takes up less land. Our cities are expanding as the population is increasing which is causing urban sprawl. And in the process, we destroy precious natural ecosystems. Creating smaller homes is one way to fix this problem.
Second of all, you consume less electricity. Less rooms, means less lights and heating. If you wish to reduce your individual carbon footprint, like we all should be doing anyway, this will help you to achieve that.
Lastly, you tend to produce less waste. This is mainly because you can’t buy as much stuff since it won’t fit but also it comes from a changed mindset.
Happiness
When people get a tiny house, their perspective seems to shift because most people start spending more time outside of their homes. We spend too much of our lives cooped up in our homes (wasting our time) that we forget to go out and seek real experiences and opportunities.
If you are someone who hates cleaning, I’ve got good news for you. You won’t spend half your time cleaning and tidying things up because there are fewer things in your home. A tiny home needs less maintenance so that’s one less thing to worry about.
Some of you might think that living like this is living in deprivation. But the truth is you are not depriving yourself of anything. You are improving your life and giving yourself a better quality of life.
Drawbacks of tiny houses
Like everything, there are benefits and drawbacks. Just as there are drawbacks to living in a normal house, there are drawbacks to living in a tiny home.
To start with, it can be hard sometimes to build your own tiny house as you need to buy the land first. This is no easy business. It can be expensive and time-consuming if you don’t know what you are doing.
Most tiny houses however people build their house on wheels to overcome this problem. Even though there are various places to park a tiny home, a new problem arises with this as it is sometimes hard to move a tiny house. Also, in some locations, you might even struggle to find a place to park it.
Even though they are way cheaper than conventional homes, you still need quite a bit of money. To get a basic tiny home (excluding the cost for the land) is around $25,000, and if you want a fancier home, it will be more expensive. This might sound like nothing compared to normal houses which cost several hundred thousand dollars, but few people have this much money waiting in the bank. Furthermore, it’s difficult to get mortgages for these houses.
The tiny house movement is indeed an innovative way to solve some of our modern-day problems, there are a few things to consider before purchasing one.
Conclusion
Don’t dismiss this straight away. It might sound weird at first but you might come to like it. It’s a great way to simplify your life and live a more meaningful life without being attached to material objects.
Living with less is becoming a popular movement, and living in a tiny house is just another way to do this (but not the only one). From what I’ve seen, it’s younger individuals and couples who are attracted to this lifestyle since they are more flexible.
If you want to see more examples of tiny houses and learn more about them, you could watch Tiny House Nation which is a program on Netflix.