Are you interested in downsizing your life? Do you want to be part of a social movement with people like you who want to go green? Do you want to save money on your living space? Well then you might be interested in joining the tiny house movement.
What is the Tiny House Movement?
The tiny house movement is social and architectural. It’s orchestrated by a group of people who believe in living a minimalist lifestyles in very small homes. The campaign promotes living with less for a truly fulfilling life.
If you have an interest in tiny houses and the movement behind them, then you have come to the right place. Today we are going to discuss everything that you need to know about tiny homes.
What Is a Tiny House?
A tiny house is just as the name implies: a very small home. There is no set size limit on a tiny house, but generally speaking, they are between 80 and 600 square feet.
These mini-homes often resemble studio apartments. They can be designed in several different styles, and they can be customized to meet your individual wants and needs.
Tiny houses are super small, but they are still big enough to include all of the amenities of a home. They include a sleeping area, bathroom, kitchen, storage, and places for eating and relaxing.
Most tiny house owners live alone, but the structures can be designed to accommodate couples or even families.
The Tiny House Movement
Generally speaking, Americans live in big houses. The United States Census Bureau says the average size of a new house in this country in 2019 was around 2,400 square feet. That’s pretty big, especially compared to homes in the rest of the world.
The environmental website Shrink That Footprint shows that American homes are more than double the size of average homes in Britain, Italy, and Japan. And they are more than three times larger than those in China and Russia.
But even as the typical American home is growing bigger and bigger, there are also many Americans who are fighting the trend. They instead choose to live in tiny houses with only the necessities.
Is The Tiny House Movement New?
You can find many different TV shows these days dedicated to the tiny house movement, including HGTV’s “Tiny House Builders” and “Tiny House Hunters” and FYI’s “Tiny House Nation.” There’s even a popular movie called “TINY: A Story of Living Small.”
People are also reading a lot about tiny homes. Google says that the term “tiny houses” is getting more than 240,000 searches every month. And the tiny house movement has been featured in YES! Magazine, The New Yorker, and Country Living.
There are so many reasons why people are joining the tiny house movement. Some want a house that they can easily relocate, some want to own a house without a mortgage, and others want to live a more green lifestyle. We’ll go over these more in just a minute.
But regardless of the reason, many people are joining a growing trend that is shifting the way that Americans think and talk about their homes. It may have only recently gained attention, however, it has been around for a long time.
When Did the Tiny House Movement Begin?
The tiny home movement might seem like a relatively new phenomenon, but many aspects of it have been around for a very long time. Back in the 1970s, there was a “back to the land” movement. People who were part of this movement believed in a simpler lifestyle. They often moved to rural areas and became self-sufficient.
This “back to the land” movement laid the foundations for the tiny house movement.
The people who started this trend in the 70s embraced environmental responsibility. They raised organic agriculture and lived off-grid. There were many books written back then that talked about building treehouses, small cabins, and yurts.
But tiny houses really started gaining in popularity in the 1990s. During this time, architects began designing spaces that were smaller with lots of storage space and multi-functional furniture.
In 1998 a woman named Sarah Susanka wrote several design books called The Not So Big House. These books showed that smaller homes could be both functional and attractive.
Another thing that made this movement surge in the 1990s was the beginning of tiny house regulations.
Oregon was the first state to allow ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) to be built on personal property. They also used financial incentives to encourage the building of tiny houses.
The Tiny House Movement Into the 2000s
Another thing worth noting in the history of the tiny house movement is the economic recession that started in 2007. The United States saw a downward spiral in 2009 with the housing market crash. At that time, many people lost their homes due to foreclosure.
No longer could people afford their massive suburban homes. So they were forced to find less expensive living arrangements.
Many of these people found the answer in tiny homes. They blogged about it and encouraged others to follow their lead. This is when the tiny house movement really gained momentum. People all over the country were intrigued by the thought of living a bigger life in a tiny house.
The focus quickly turned to down scaling and reevaluating of living needs.
One of the leaders of the tiny house movement was a man named Jay Shafer. He really brought tiny homes into the mainstream when he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Many Americans thought that once the economy improved, the tiny house movement would end. They believed that people would eventually go back to their sprawling suburban homes. But that’s not what happened.
In fact, as the economy improved, the tiny house movement grew even more.
The Progress Continues
Today the movement is bigger than ever. Google says there are now more searches for “tiny homes” than at any time in the past.
Tiny houses are trendy today for people looking for an inexpensive lifestyle. However, tiny house living is about so much more than that. The tiny house movement now includes people who are trying to find a more fulfilling lifestyle through minimalism. It has become a new way of life.
There are now many TV shows that feature tiny houses. The first of them, “Tiny House Nation,” aired on the FYI channel in 2014.
By 2018 tiny houses had become so popular that there were more than 100 different “established” tiny house builders in the U.S. Several of them like Wind River, Minarc, and Tumbleweed now have name recognition with people all over the country.
Who Started the Tiny House Movement?
As we mentioned, elements of the tiny house movement can be traced all the way back to the 1970s. But the modern movement is generally believed to have started with Jay Shafer. He certainly jumpstarted the whole thing.
In 1999 Shafer founded the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. This Sonoma, California company was the first of its kind in the United States to sell tiny mobile homes.
In 2002, Shafer, along with Gregory Paul Johnson, Nigel Valdez, and Shay Salomon, started the Small House Society. They used this group to pool their knowledge and experiences. They supported further development and research into living in smaller spaces.
For most Americans, the first time they had exposure to the tiny house movement was when Shafer appeared on the Oprah show. In his appearance, he gave a tour of his 96-foot home. And Oprah gave her viewers some tips on how to best utilize space in smaller living quarters.
In 2012 Shafer left the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company and founded Four Lights Houses. With this new company, Shafer stopped focusing solely on tiny mobile homes and turned his attentions to hands-on workshops and books. He also worked on developing tiny house communities.
The Top 11 Reasons Why People Are Joining Tiny House Living
People are joining the tiny house movement every day across the country and here are some of the most popular reasons why:
1. You Can Save a Bunch of Money
One of the biggest perks to tiny house living is that you save tons of money. Not only do tiny homes cost much less than traditional homes, they also cost much less to cool and heat them. You’ll save money on general maintenance too.
Whether you build a new tiny house or you buy an existing tiny house, you will save money, including on your property taxes.
Following the housing crash in 2008, many people lost their homes and became renters; many of them stayed that way. Even apartments in the worst part of town will cost you big time. Remember, when you rent, you are not getting a return on your investment like you would if you were paying a mortgage.
You can avoid all of that by investing in a tiny home. Here’s more information on how much money you can save with a tiny house.
2. You Can Live a Greener Lifestyle
The beautiful thing about tiny homes is that they consume far less resources when compared to a traditional home. It costs less to build them. It costs less to cool and heat. And on top of that, they take up less space.
Most people who live in tiny homes have an excellent quality of life and tend to spend more time outdoors. They also work toward a greener future that’s better for humanity.
Some tiny home communities generate their own electricity. They can actually produce more power than they use. That means that they can return a surplus to the grid, which helps their neighbors.
It’s not uncommon for tiny house communities to share resources like cars, bathing facilities, kitchens, and gardening areas for organically grown food.
3. You Will Save a Lot of Time
Think about this. How much time do you spend every week doing boring old household chores like fixing things, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, and endless amounts of laundry?
In a tiny home, there is a lot less maintenance because there is less house to worry about. You also don’t have to clean as much space. The end result is that you will have a lot more time to do what you enjoy.
4. You Can Liberate Yourself from Too Much Stuff
Most of us have way too much stuff. How many things do you have in your closet and garage that you haven’t looked at or used in years? Our society is constantly encouraging us to buy more stuff. Never mind that we don’t use most of the stuff that we already have. Most of us can’t even remember all of the things that we own.
One thing that I have learned is that having so much stuff is stressful. It’s hard to keep track of. It’s hard to find storage space. How many people end up having to rent storage units or even move to a bigger house to accommodate all of the excess stuff?
If you have a tiny house, you have to scale down. It causes you to prioritize and keep only the things that you really need and use. You would be surprised at how great it feels to liberate yourself from all of the stuff.
5. You Will Have Much More Space for Nature
Tiny house living means that you’ll have less space in your home. But it also means that you’ll have more yard space outside. With that extra space, you can create a vegetable or flower garden. You might even have room for a picnic table where you can eat meals with your friends and family.
6. You Can Easily Take Your Tiny Home on the Road
Another great thing about tiny homes is that many of them are portable. Do you dream about going out on the open road? Do you love new scenery? Do you love to travel? Well, a tiny home on wheels could be just what you’re looking for.
Even if your tiny house is not on wheels, it is still easy to move. Tiny homes can often be relocated on the back of a trailer. Wherever your new adventures take you, you can bring your tiny home with you. You certainly can’t do that with a six-bedroom behemoth house.
7. You Will Find Inspiration for Your Creativity
People who live in tiny homes have to get creative. The limited space means that you will have to make the most of what you have.
Think about it for a minute. What would your life be like if you lived in a tiny house? Your imagination is the only thing that limits you. So let it run wild.
Just imagine all of the creative ways that you could express yourself. Imagine finding your ideal surroundings.
Want some inspiration? Check out this video.
8. You Get to Decide How You Live
Another thing that we love about tiny houses is that they allow you to be in control of how you live. Most of the time tiny houses fall below the size requirements for building code legislation.
The great thing about that is that you can have your little house just how you want it, without having to worry about a bunch of bureaucrats getting up in your business and telling you what you can do.
This applies to your lifestyle too. Read here to see how one tiny homeowner pursued his idea of lifestyle freedom.
9. You Will Likely Have a MUCH Cheaper Mortgage
People work for 30 years at dead-end jobs all so that they can hand all of their hard-earned money over to mortgage lending companies. How great does that sound? I know, not so great.
Especially if you consider all of the mortgage companies that that take advantage of people. One thing that you have to worry about is deceptive clauses written into your contract in hard-to-understand legal terms. Most of us need to hire expensive lawyers just to comprehend what the contract says.
Are you ready to retire? Maybe you are looking to downsize from your large family home. How nice would it be to retire to something smaller? Instead of buying that condo in Florida, why not buy a tiny house and relocate it to a place that makes your soul happy?
10. You Can Connect with the People You Love
One thing’s for sure: When you live in a tiny house, you get physically closer to the ones you live with. But that doesn’t mean that the closeness is just physical. Tiny homes allow you to spend more time with the ones you love. And even if you test each other’s nerves now and then, you are bound to get closer emotionally and spiritually.
How often do we separate ourselves into different rooms in the house? How often do we bury our noses in screens? The tiny house movement is all about sharing your space and life with the people you love.
Tiny home living includes things like sharing your thoughts while you make dinner together, cuddling in the hammock, playing in the garden, playing music, getting lost in a board game, and laying outside watching the stars.
The truth is, life is very short. So why not spend it close to those you love most?
11. You Can Be a Part of a Like-Minded Community
Another reason that people are joining the tiny house movement is that they can be a part of a social movement. The tiny house community is full of people just like you. And they can be excellent resources for you on this adventure.
The Pros of Tiny House Living
- Cost
As I mentioned, tiny houses will save you a ton of cash. The average cost for a tiny house tends to be between $20,000 and $30,000. For some comparison, the average full-sized house costs $272,000.
- No Mortgage or a Cheaper Mortgage
Mortgages add to the long-term cost of your home. But most people have to get them because they can’t afford to buy a house without one. If you buy a $272,000 home with a 30-year mortgage and a 4.5% interest rate, the actual cost of your home will be $482,000.
The good news is that most people who buy tiny homes are able to buy them without taking out a mortgage. The Tiny Life says that over 68% of tiny homeowners own their house free and clear. For some comparison, only 29% of all homeowners own their houses without a mortgage.
- Lower Electric Bills and Energy Usage
The money that you’ll save with a tiny house does not only come from the purchase of your tiny house. You’ll also spend less on electricity and water bills. If you want to live off-grid, then tiny houses are the way to go.
- Freedom of Movement
Another big advantage of tiny homes is that they don’t require a large piece of land. Many small houses are built on trailers. That means that you are free to relocate anytime you want. Many people find that this is one way to enjoy life on the road without having to give up any of their favorite comforts of home. Tiny homes are like combining the best aspects of a house and a camper.
- Easier to Maintain
Tiny houses are much easier to maintain than traditional homes. There is less area to clean and fewer appliances to repair.
- Being one with Nature
As I mentioned earlier, tiny homes are an excellent way to be in harmony with nature. The environmental movement and the tiny house movement work hand in hand.
- Simplify Your Life
Letting go of excess stuff is liberating. With a tiny home, you have to scale it down to only the essentials. This allows you to keep just the things that truly enrich your life.
- You Can Easily Go Solar
I mentioned that tiny homes allow you to live more greenly. One of the ways you can do that is to go solar. Many tiny houses come solar-ready. And you can easily upgrade to some mobile solar panels and a high-capacity battery.
- You Don’t Need to Hook up to a Septic System
Another advantage of living in a tiny home is that you don’t have to tie into a septic system when you travel or park outside of a campground. Instead, you can opt for a composting toilet.
The Challenges of Tiny House Living
Although there are many fantastic benefits to living in a tiny house, there are a few drawbacks as well:
- A Lot Less Living Space
The biggest disadvantage of living in a tiny home is that you have less space. For some, that can be wonderful, but if you have a family, it can get crowded in a hurry.
- A Lot Less Storage Space
Another challenge that you have with tiny houses is that you have a lot less storage space. This means getting rid of a lot of stuff. As I’ve said, that can be liberating, but it can also suck to have to give up your exercise equipment or prized shoe collection.
- Less Room to Entertain
You really can’t entertain a lot of people when you have a tiny home. If you’re used to having 10 or 12 family members come for Christmas dinner, you’ll have some trouble in your small living space. You also can’t fit an extra bed to have out of town guests sleepover. One way that tiny homeowners deal with this problem is to add an outdoor deck or picnic table.
- Zoning Laws
Tiny houses don’t require too much land, but some areas make it tough to build one. In many places, zoning rules state a minimum size for dwellings and frequently tiny houses are too small to make the cut.
- Financing Issues
Another problem that you may run into is financing for your tiny home. The truth is, getting a loan for a tiny house is more difficult than getting one for a big house. So if you can’t afford to pay cash, you may run into trouble. Standard mortgage loans aren’t normally possible for tiny homes because banks don’t consider them valuable enough to provide good collateral. One way around that is to take out a personal loan.
- You Need to Clean More Often
As I mentioned earlier, tiny homes are easier to clean because you have less space to worry about. However, you will also need to clean a tiny home more often than a bigger house. When you live in a minimal space, it can get cluttered in a hurry. So while you’re cleaning sessions will be shorter, you will have to do them more frequently to keep your space looking good.
- You Need a Big Truck to Tow Your Tiny House
If you want to move your tiny house, there really is no getting around the need for a large truck or trailer. Unfortunately, there is no decent way to move a tiny home without emissions.
- If You Use a Composting Toilet, You Have to Empty It Manually
It’s a plus that you can use a composting toilet instead of needing to connect to a septic system. But the downside of this is that you have to empty it every few weeks or so manually. I look at it this way. In life, you have to deal with a lot of crap. Sometimes that means actual crap.
How Can You Join the Tiny House Movement?
If you are interested in joining the tiny house movement, there are several things that you can do. First, you can join like-minded people in a tiny house group. There are more than 500 tiny home Meetup groups in the United States. These groups offer town hall meetings, group discussions, and they organize community builds.
Another thing you can do to connect with the movement is to join a Facebook group like this one and this one. You can find many more pages like these by doing a Facebook search for “tiny house groups.”
You can also volunteer on community build projects. This is an excellent way to learn about building your own tiny home. One good place to look is Habitat for Humanity. Not only will you learn some basic construction skills, but you will also meet new friends. And don’t be afraid to look for other volunteers to help you with your build.
There are many tiny house events or festivals held across the country that you can attend. Look for workshops, conferences, open houses, and RV shows featuring tiny house RVs.
Why not check out tiny houses by staying at a Tiny House Hotel? They are available all over the country. You can rent a tiny house RV to get a feel for it. It’s also a good way to meet other guests in the community areas that share your interest in the tiny house movement.
A Final Thought
As you can see by now, there are many excellent reasons why you should join the tiny house movement, especially if you’re interested in a minimalist lifestyle. You really can live smaller without sacrificing the things that you love. It just takes some good old-fashioned planning and a little creativity.