Studies show that the average American homeowner will spend over $1 million to acquire and maintain a full-sized home over 30 years. That’s nothing to sneeze at keeping in mind a tiny house can be acquired for as little as $20,000 and maintained at a measly $100-150 per month.
You could be asking yourself, “What is a casita?” “What is all the fuss behind tiny houses and living tiny?” “What do I have to forfeit to live the tiny life?” “Can I fit in a tiny house with a family?” Well, the tiny life is still a new concept to most people and these would be plausible concerns for someone who’s lived in a full-size house all their lives. This article will give you an insight into living tiny and why the tiny house movement has been on a surge lately.
What is a tiny house?
While there is no rule bearing universal standards of how big (or small) a tiny house should be, the rule of thumb is that the house shouldn’t exceed 400 square feet. That said, most tiny houses in the US range between 150 and 250 square feet. If you want to build one, look at a 200-square-feet one and imagine what you would want added or removed from it.
Benefits of living tiny
- Low costs: Building a tiny house would cost you $40,000 at most, and that would probably include the cost of hiring an expert. A conventional full-sized house, on the other hand, goes at an average of $272,000 in the current market.
- Lower energy consumption: One of the most common reasons people buy into this extreme concept of downsizing is to cut back on their monthly bills. A house less than a quarter the size of a full American home is certainly likely to cost much less in air conditioning, heating, and other forms of energy consumption.
- Mobility: Most people in the tiny house community prefer their houses built on wheels, so they can move around with it just like a mobile home. A tiny home on wheels allows you to utilize RV communities, parks, and campsites.
- Multifunctional: A tiny house can still be useful even if you do not want to restrict your total living space to 500 square feet or less. These petite houses can also serve as home studios or offices, mother-in-law suites, rental property, or guest houses, especially for people who do not wish to build extensions to their main houses. Compared to actual extensions to your home, tiny houses are easier to get rid of when you are done using them.
How big is the tiny house movement?
If you are contemplating joining the tiny house movement, you probably want to know how many Americans have taken that path already. Well, there are currently over 10,000 tiny houses in the US with 700 new ones being built every year. In 2017 alone, there was a whopping 67% increase in the sale of tiny houses with the projected trend being an even bigger surge over the next decade.