Besides gaining local news coverage, the tiny house movement has caught the attention of reality TV producers, who embraced the concept through several cable TV shows. For those viewers who haven’t hopped on the bandwagon, you may be wondering: What is the tiny home movement?
As a byproduct of the minimalist design, the tiny house movement made waves as U.S. citizens started hunting for practical ways to downsize their homes, minimize clutter, and avoid materialistic tendencies. At its core, tiny home living encourages improved financial stability and eco-friendly lifestyles—two primary reasons people continue to donate their personal belongings and move into tiny homes.
By definition, a tiny home is a home that measures 400 sq. ft. or less. These homes can be stationary or on wheels for easy transport. They come in all kinds of shapes and generally range in price between $25K and $50K. Most importantly, they can follow a homeowner anywhere their heart desires, as long as the owner/renter can secure a small piece of land “off the grid.”
Are you looking to downsize and adopt a minimalist lifestyle? Browse the web for tiny house plans like these and take the first step in your journey toward tiny house homeownership. That way, you can capitalize on the following benefits.
Mobility
If you buy a large house anchored to a piece of land, you’re stuck until you decide to sell the property and relocate. To no one’s surprise, you can’t haul a 2,500 square foot home across the country.
With a tiny house on wheels, you are free to move around and live anywhere you can find a sliver of land. If you want to take a road trip, you can load up the family with your tiny house in tow and visit mobile home parks all over the country.
Fewer construction costs
Given recent real estate trends, building and owning homes is no longer affordable for small families. It’s become near impossible for people to build their own custom home. However, with tiny home living, homeowners can design and build a tiny custom house for around $25K, depending on size and amenities.
Lower energy costs
Tiny houses suggest tiny appliances. Unlike a typical American home, you won’t be able to squeeze a massive convection oven into a tiny home. Additionally, this 400 sq ft space requires less heating and cooling, reducing energy costs. In most cases, a tiny home’s energy costs will total to a third of the costs associated with a standard home. Also, using solar energy is often more feasible with tiny living, allowing homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint.
Low to no mortgage
Given the low costs associated with tiny homes, it’s much easier for people to buy them without taking out home loans. The interest savings alone make this a terrific benefit.
Environmentally-friendly
With environmental protection efforts becoming a top priority in homeowners’ minds, the tiny home movement fits neatly into that directive. Not to mention, tiny home construction puts less strain on the country’s natural resources.
Reduced maintenance
Think about all of the time you’ve wasted in your life cleaning the house and making repairs. Additionally, take a moment to think about the hundreds of dollars you’ve spent hiring house cleaning companies. With a lot less space to maintain, you can use the time and money you save in maintenance to do something more enjoyable and productive, like take a vacation.
Opens the door to new experiences
Not being tethered to a physical property or pesky mortgage frees up your time and capital to venture outside your comfort zone. With a lower or nonexistent mortgage, tiny-home owners have more opportunities to travel and purchase luxury items.
Allows you to declutter your life
It’s amazing how many possessions you can accumulate when living in a standard home, many of them obsolete as part of your life. With less space for storage, tiny living will force you to declutter and focus more on necessities and less on wants.
Conclusion
As a homeowner, have you put too much of an emphasis on material possessions? If so, it’s time to reevaluate your priorities. Consider tiny home living as you ditch the clutter and drift towards a minimalist lifestyle. Otherwise, prepare to swallow a heaping serving of unnecessary expenses.
