Could You Live in a Tiny House?
While still a bit of an oddity, there is no doubt that the tiny house is becoming increasingly popular. Whether you crave more financial freedom, wish to reduce your impact on the environment or want to live a simpler life, tiny homes have a lot to offer — but they are not without tradeoffs. If you are enchanted by the idea of a tiny home but aren’t sure if it’s for you, here are 10 things to consider before diving in.
What is a tiny home? It can be tricky to pin down exactly how many square feet a house must come in under to be considered “tiny.” According to the Small House Society — a cooperative organization founded by tiny-house pioneers Jay Shafer, Shay Salomon, Nigel Valdez and Gregory Paul Johnson to promote smaller housing alternatives — “it’s not a movement about people claiming to be ‘tinier than thou’ but rather people making their own choices toward simpler and smaller living however they feel best fits their life.” Size is relative — so although generally speaking, a tiny house is under 400 square feet or so, the most important thing seems to be the intention to reduce living space to the minimum the occupants feel they need.
See how one woman went off the grid in 140 square feet
See how one woman went off the grid in 140 square feet
1. Consider what you could be giving up by living tiny. There is no avoiding the fact that scaling down a living space requires significant sacrifices — but not all of the things you may need to give up are negative. Look over this list and imagine what it would feel like to cut back on or go without some or all of these things:
- Personal space: If you live with a partner or kids, what would it feel like to live in much closer quarters with them?
- Bills: A smaller space means less to heat; using solar power could reduce energy bills even further. Going tiny could even mean forgoing a mortgage altogether, or taking out a smaller loan that can be paid off in a shorter amount of time.
- Debt: A lower cost of living makes it easier to live within your means or to pay off debts you have, like student loans.
- Clutter: Living tiny teaches you to have only what you love, use and need.
- Objects you love: Scaling back your living space may force you to make some tough choices, including giving up cherished furniture and objects.
- Big gatherings: While you could host larger groups outdoors, it’s unlikely you would be able to host Thanksgiving for the whole clan in your tiny home. (Is that a good or a bad thing? You decide!)
- Environmental impact: If reducing your impact on the environment is important to you, living in a tiny home is a great way to reduce waste and energy consumption.
2. Consider what you could gain by living tiny. The tiny-home movement is about making an intentional choice to live in a much smaller house — and what motivates many is not what they have to give up in space, but what they can potentially gain in life. Consider how it would feel to live with more of these things in your life:
- Financial (and job) freedom: Lower bills mean more savings for the future, and more freedom to pursue work you love.
- Freedom to travel: A tiny house can easily be closed up while you travel and would require little upkeep while you are away.
- Simplicity: With less to buy, fix and furnish, life is simpler.
- More time outdoors: A smaller interior space makes the outdoors beckon.
- Community: Likewise, having less of your own means you’re more likely to tap into your network of friends and neighbors, and the community at large.
- Good design: Going tiny means it’s easier to afford better materials and design.
- Time: Less surface area means you could clean your entire house in a few minutes.
