You've heard about the tiny house craze, probably from HGTV's Tiny House Hunters. This trend is a great way to simplify living, but there are downsides as well.
Tiny homes aren't designed just because of their adorable aesthetic, they also promote sustainable living. There is a movement behind the tiny houses, one which has many supporters. Reasons to jump on the tiny house boat include saving money, living a greener life, and high flexibility.
One of the biggest reasons to switch to the tiny lifestyle is cost. According to Huffington Post, the average household in 2014 spent roughly $1,483 on housing costs. If the owner is able to finance the building of the tiny house, they could save a large amount on monthly costs.
Many have chosen tiny homes because of the ability to live a more sustainable life. According to Green Future, tiny homes are often built using sustainable materials, whether by using second hand materials off Craigslist, or purchasing from companies that use sustainably sourced materials. Some tiny homes even take advantage of outdoor compostable toilets and solar panels to try to lessen their impact on the Earth.
New York Times asked a pretty good question; where can you park a tiny house? It's more complicated than you might think. Zoning regulations in most places do not allow full-time living in temporary structures like R.V.s or movable tiny houses. Because of this, “easily upwards of 90 percent of tiny-house owners are living illegally, when it comes to zoning,” said Andrew Morrison, a professional builder and tiny-house advocate in Oregon who travels the world teaching seminars on tiny-house construction. Finding a lot in more rural areas is much easier, because zoning laws tend to be less strictly enforced. Advocates of tiny homes are hopeful that regulations around tiny homes will change in the coming years, because of their popularity.
Another downside to tiny home living is that they are not considered homes when it comes to bank loans, making it hard for potential owners to find funding. However, this could change soon.
Tiny homes aren't the right choice for everyone, but we all could use a few tips on small living, even in standard homes.
Here are some cool examples of Tiny Houses and small living ideas we found on Pinterest...
Now this is an idea we can get behind: two tiny houses, connected. One for the kids, one for the adults:
A sleek desk that can fit into the smallest of corners:
An easily convertible space for daytime, nighttime, and guests:
A sleek desk that can fit into the smallest of corners:
An easily convertible space for daytime, nighttime, and guests:
This adorable bedside table:
Tiny home with a deck:
How about a desk that folds out from the wall?
Guess how many square feet this space is? 336.
This storage hack is perfect for a tiny house, but also for standard homes:
You don't have to buy a tiny house to live small. Check out our pinterest board for small living ideas, as well as some swoon-worthy tiny houses.
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