I have been following the Tiny House Movement for over two years now and I can not believe how, well, BIG this movement has become. Aesthetically, the miniature homes are just so cute to look at. Some of them look like a little girl’s doll house come to life, while others look like much smaller versions of regular-sized homes.
I first stumpled upon the Tiny House Blog a few years ago, and from there discovered a few leaders in the Tiny House movement, Jay Shafer, Dee Williams and Kent Griswold.
Defining a ‘Tiny House’:
Most people would agree that small houses are basically classified as homes under 1,000 square feet, but a Tiny House can be as small as 65 square feet. As many articles on the Web are touting ‘ most are smaller than the average living room.’
While sales of conventionally-sized homes have been faltering lately, the building and selling of Tiny Homes has
skyrocketed. And it’s no wonder they’re gaining in popularity, a simple Google search of ‘Tiny Houses’ and ‘Tiny House Plans’ brings back countless pages of results.
Simple activism:
Tiny Houses are a form of activism, socially, economically and environmentally. From an environmental standpoint, a Tiny House uses considerably less energy than conventional homes and offers a much smaller footprint. Typically, Tiny Homes are built with recycled and re-purposed items, energy efficient materials and often use composting toilets, solar panels and other renewable resources to power the Tiny House.
Electing to live simply:
Choosing to live in a Tiny House, to me, is a way to bring about change. The Tiny Home creates less environmental impact and is more sustainable than conventional homes, most Tiny Houses can be built for what the average American pays for a new car and Tiny House dwellers are often choosing to do so because they’re rejecting the consumer-based lifestyle that is endlessly promoted in America.
What I love the most about Tiny Houses is that they force you live with less material possessions. Which, as you know, I believe is a good thing. They force you to realize what is important in your life. They make you understand the difference between wants and needs.
Leaving an impression:
I read an article about a year ago on the Web about a couple and their baby who lived in a yurt in Alaska. The couple sited economic and environmental reasons for living in the tiny tent-like structure. Every time I have slept in a tent since I have read the article, I remember the couple living in the yurt. The idea of packing up and abandoning modern society for an adventure in Alaska’s wild frontier has left a strong, and somewhat romanticized, impression on me.
I don’t know if my husband and I will eventually move into a Tiny House. When the time is finally right for us to buy a house of our own, I definitely want to stay living small. It’s hard to say what the future holds, but I have done a lot of research on the Tiny House lifestyle. I think the trade off of lower utilites, low or no mortgage, and an evironmentally sustainable home make living in a Tiny House very appealing for us and the type of life we want to share.
Amanda Bretz 