What’s the Big Deal with Tiny Houses?
I fantasize about living in a tiny house.
A tiny house is defined as a livable dwelling unit under 400 square feet (that’s a little over 37 square meters for my metric-minded friends). Those of you who know my family can attest that I am the child of two incorrigible pack-rats. I have inherited their genetic tendency to accumulate. So, the idea of Mona squeezing her life in such a small space may sound ridiculous. But I have, in recent years, made progress in shedding stuff. I now consider myself to be a “recovering” pack-rat . . . with a dream.
This past summer while Mark and I were visiting folks in California, we spent the weekend with Mark’s friend since 2nd grade, who is also conveniently named “Mark.” We always connect with Mark and his wife Kim while we are “at home” in the Golden State. Usually, we take a fun day-trip together. This year I persuaded them to get tickets to TinyFest—a celebration of tiny living that included tours of tiny houses on wheels as well as converted vans and school buses.
When we arrived at the fairgrounds that hosted the event, I was a little disappointed that there weren’t more tiny houses to tour. But the number we did see was probably a good amount for the two Marks. Kim and I lost the guys early on.
So, why am I fascinated by tiny houses? First of all, they are super cute—especially the cottage-style models with dormers and little porches. The more contemporary designs lose some cuteness points on the exterior, but they usually make them up on the interior. (Okay, I’ll acknowledge the superficiality of my reasoning. Similarly, the qualities I esteem most in a car are its color and cup holders.)
Other people appreciate the fact that tiny houses use fewer resources. It takes less energy to heat and cool a small space than it does a large one. Living expenses are lower. Moreover, as the guides at TinyFest emphasized, these homes leave “a smaller environmental footprint.” Go, green!
For many millennials, saddled with enormous school debt, a tiny home is a much more affordable option than a traditional house. Who wants to be tied down with a huge mortgage? At the other end of the age spectrum, retirees appreciate the freedom that comes with downsizing and the mobility of having a home on wheels.
But what I—and many others—find most attractive about a tiny home is how it simplifies your lifestyle. The size limitation forces you to reduce the number of your possessions. And it is surprising how little stuff you actually need to live comfortably. Take clothing, for example: wardrobe consultants say that we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. We all have a few favorite pieces that we return to again and again. Why not cull out the second-string threads? You can have less but enjoy it more. And you can certainly do this without ever moving to a tiny house.
By the way, if you are in a season of downsizing—even if you are not interested in tiny living—I can recommend a book that will help you. Over the years, I’ve accumulated a number of books on minimalism—ironic, isn’t it? But Don Aslett’s Clutter’s Last Stand (2nd edition) is the most practical and humorous guide I’ve found. You can easily order an inexpensive used copy from Abe Books or Amazon. It’s worth the price just for the comical drawings.
Since space is at a premium in tiny homes, designers must be creative in figuring out where to put everything. Many furnishings must serve multiple purposes. If you are curious about how someone pieces this puzzle together, check out the link to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHjJd4tkvSU&feature=youtu.be
As with everything in life, tiny homes have their pros and cons. Downsizing has its downside. In a tiny house, you live in a smaller space with less storage for your stuff. Like, duh. This takes some getting used to, especially if you are sharing this smaller space with another warm body or two. Compact living ain’t for the faint of heart.
If you want to move your tiny home, you will need a big honkin’ truck to pull it. You will also need a place to land. Blessed are ye if your grown children will provide a “granny pod” in their backyard. But if you don’t have accommodating friends or relatives, you may have to rent or buy a place. In most states, zoning is a murky gray area that requires careful navigation. The alternative is to move off-grid and—as they say in tiny lingo—start “boon-docking.”
A day at TinyFest showed me that there are even smaller and more mobile options than regular tiny houses. People have converted just about anything on wheels into a little bitty home: vans, school buses (called “skoolies”), box trucks, ambulances (with lots of built-in exterior storage), and shuttle buses.
I am particularly taken with the idea of converting a shuttle bus, perhaps a used one from a retirement home or a church. For me, a van feels too cramped. A school bus seems too long to drive easily. A box truck lacks natural lighting. But a shuttle bus—in the words of goldilocks—is “just right.” Click on this link to see one that has been beautifully transformed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IpmyI5sGhk&feature=youtu.be
And so I dream on . . . continuing to sift through a few more piles.
Fun Facts about Tiny Houses:
The average tiny house is 186 square feet (17 meters squared).
The average U.S. home is 2100 square feet (195 meters squared).
The average cost of a tiny house is $23,000 (USD).
The average cost of a standard-sized home in the U.S is $272,000 (USD).
68% of tiny house people have no mortgage.
65% of tiny house people have zero credit card debt.
65% of tiny house people are over 50 years of age.
Tiny houses only require about 6 lightbulbs, using an average of 914 kilowatts a year
or just 7% of an average home’s kilowatts.
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