Less is more: is the Tiny House movement for you?

Americans live, on average, in the largest houses in the world. The average family owns a home over 2,500 square feet, and many people aspire to even larger homes. But there is a small but significant move to the other end of the spectrum: More and more people are looking for houses that are extremely small, some as small as 150 square feet in size.

These houses come in all descriptions. Some are converted shipping containers. Others are updated versions of passenger carriages that easily fit into the bed of a pickup. Most have clever designs that combine daytime living and sleeping areas in a way that maximizes the use of every inch of space. Homes have many advantages:

  • Low utility bills. A smaller footprint means that heating and cooling costs are also much lower.
  • Lower maintenance costs. Having a small house also means having a tiny roof. Replacement can be as low as a few hundred compared to the ten thousand or more you can spend on a larger home. Other maintenance costs are also reduced.
  • The best of all. If you only have 100 square feet of flooring to cover, why not go for the most desirable options? Whether it’s Carrera marble counters or floors made from reclaimed antique wood, surfaces become much more affordable when you don’t have a lot of space to cover. Many small home advocates choose green surfaces that tend to be prohibitively expensive when used in larger homes.
  • Beautifully designed homes. Houses focus on design over spaciousness, so they are usually very aesthetically pleasing spaces.
  • A simpler and more agile lifestyle. Many of us get bogged down and stressed out with all of our stuff. Extremely small living spaces mean you must be ruthless with possessions; those who have no purpose must go. Most tiny home dwellers report feeling much happier and more peaceful with all visual noise removed.

But there are also many drawbacks:

  • There is no place to escape. If you want to go to sleep but your husband wants to watch movies for another two hours, you don’t have the option of going to the other end of the house to avoid being disturbed by noise and light.
  • No storage. While life in a tiny home is cheaper in many ways, it limits your ability to stock up on bargain-priced items, meaning you’ll often pay more for everything from groceries to toothpaste.
  • Allowing can be difficult. Many areas will not allow you to build extremely small houses. Some small home advocates have said they ended up buying lots in trailer parks because other areas don’t allow for downsized homes.

It is definitely not an option for everyone; But tiny houses could be an option for those who want to simplify and lower common American expectations.

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