These days, the tiny house movement is quite popular on social media, and many TV shows have popped up about the tiny house design and the lifestyle in such a home. The tiny house movement is the process where people are choosing to downsize their living space. A tiny house dwelling is between 100 and 400 square feet, while the average American home is around 2.600 square feet.
Switching a traditional home for a tiny house might seem like a radical move, especially if you are living with family members who need their space, like a fussy teenager. However, there are many benefits of living in a tiny house, like more freedom, financial empowerment, and environmental benefits. Read on to see why the tiny house movement is trending.
1. Lower Home-Building Costs
You can expect to pay anything from $19 000 (sometimes even less) to about $50 000. The price will depend on the size and the kind of finishes that you choose. If you have some designing and building skills or have the ability to learn, there are many information out their on how to do it yourself, which will, of course, cut down on costs.
Many tiny home designers can design and build the house for you according to your preferences and still the cost will be a fraction of the price of a traditional home. Paying cash for such a dwelling might even be a possibility for some. Furthermore, if you take a loan, the loan payments will be much less than a traditional mortgage.
2. Eco-Friendly Living
Smaller dwellings on their own are already a step closer to an environmentally friendly lifestyle, as they cost less to heat up and cool, and they use fewer materials during construction.
Tiny homes can be made out of recycled, salvaged and re-purposed materials. This will not only cut out the process of producing new materials, but it also adds to the character of the home.
The possibility to go off grid is excellent! These homes can be constructed with rainwater catchments and filtration systems, composting toilets and solar or wind power installations. The amount of solar panels needed for a tiny house is much less than what is required for the ordinary home, making them much cheaper. The use of renewable energy is the best way to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.
3. Energy-Efficiency
It is evident that a smaller home would use smaller appliances and that the small space will need less power to heat and cool. This is what makes these homes extremely energy-efficient.
You still need to pay your electricity bill, but it would most certainly be much less than the electricity bills of a traditional home. When you add some solar panels to a tiny home, the need for electricity can even be cut out entirely. You can easily put these savings towards paying off the loan of the house or use them to take a trip cross country.
4. De-Cluttering Your Life
Well, no one likes to be forced to do anything, but if you want to live in a tiny home, then getting rid of some stuff is something you need to do. However, at the end of such a difficult task, you will feel much lighter as material things tend to become a burden.
Anyone who has lived in a traditional home knows that things can pile up very quickly, and many of these things we do not need. When you live in a tiny home, this is something that is less likely to happen because the small space does not allow it. Living in a small dwelling means living with possessions that honestly matters!
5. Maintenance Is s Breeze
Redecorating or renovating one’s home every year or two can become very costly, especially if you have a big space to cover. Tiny homes allow us to do this on a cheaper scale and in a fraction of the time. A repainting job can be done in one day, and new flooring has never been this easy.
You only need a couple of decorative pieces to hang on the wall, and the rest of your budget can go into fancy rugs, pillow, bedding, etc. With such a small space, it is easy to redo the entire area in no time with a low budget. The project will not be overwhelming which means that you can have a lot of fun during the process. Another plus is that your home will be easier to clean and tidying up will be less of a hassle.
6. Tiny Homes Can Be Mobile
When investing in a tiny home, you will have the option of adding wheels to the house or applying the house on a foundation.
The building process of a tiny home can take place on any site, and it does not have to be the property where you are going to live. Once it is finished, it can either be wheeled or transported on the back of a truck to its final destination. In the case when you decide to have a tiny home with wheels, then you will have the possibility to take your home with you on vacation or the next time you decide to move location.
Final Thoughts
Imagine, being able to move your entire home with all your belongings in it in case of a natural disaster or visiting some relatives without invading their space. Tiny homes might not be for everyone, but it is fascinating to learn about the possibilities they hold, as this is more than a home – it is a lifestyle.
Author bio:
Mattea Jacobs is a freelance writer who mostly writes about both interior and exterior home design, and environmentally-friendly ways to improve homes. She is also a green activist and a mother of two beautiful sons. You can reach her on Facebook and Instagram.