Owning a house is often a major goal and milestone in a person’s life. We’ve all dreamed of owning a piece of property we can call our own. Unfortunately, times have changed and priorities are shifting. Cue the modern tiny house movement.
Tiny houses have become very popular in recent years. They provide owners with a number of benefits, including financial and mental freedom. Ownership isn’t just limited to free-spirited individuals. More and more people are opting to ditch their large and lavish lives for something a bit more humble and modest. If you’re on the fence about small living, here are 7 reasons to live in a tiny home.
1. Save Money and Time
Let’s face it: the price of a modern home is ridiculous. Depending on where you live, even small starter homes can be surprisingly expensive. This leads many people to waste their money on rental spaces as they save for a house. If you decide to go for a little house, you’re eliminating that entire process.
Tiny homes cost significantly less than a standard home for obvious reasons. While it may still contain all of the same components as a larger house, the smaller footprint requires fewer materials. Depending on the design and quality of finishes used, you can spend as low as $15,000 for a tiny home. When compared to the hundreds of thousands for a standard house, tiny homes are a steal.
When it comes to construction time, tiny homes have standard homes beat by a longshot. Contractors can finish these houses fairly quickly. Gone are the days of waiting months for a home to be built or even remodeled. You can move in quickly and start a new life in no time.
2. Ultimate Control
If you’ve ever attempted to do even minor renovations on a building before, you understand the struggle that is permits and regulations. Cities have jurisdiction of what can and cannot be done to a home. Building codes are in place to specify how homes are built. Permits and constant inspections only complicate the entire building process. Furthermore, building codes differ from city to city.
Fewer Restrictions
The great thing about a small house is that they usually don’t have to comply with strict regulations. While there are still codes to follow, they tend to be more lenient. Most mini homes fall under the minimum size requirements in code legislation. You can build small house with the design and function you’ve always wanted.
3. Financial Freedom
Debt is a crippling problem in today’s young adults. It’s harder to get a high-paying job and banks aren’t making it easy to own a home. With the price of real estate constantly rising, mortgages seem like the only option. But why spend your life in debt to a bank? With a tiny house, you can live a debt-free life.
Many small house owners pay for their home out of pocket to avoid having a mortgage. It eliminates the need for lengthy and complicated contracts and a barrage of legalese. Instead, you can spend your money the way you want. Tiny homes give owners that financial freedom they need to live happily. Ultimately, it’ll lead to less stress and a more fulfilling life.
4. Live a Green Lifestyle
Whether you care about the environment or not, there’s no denying that tiny houses allow you to live a greener lifestyle. They don’t use the same amount of resources that larger homes do. Appliances like refrigerators and water heaters are much smaller on a tiny home, thus requiring less energy. Homes are also easier to keep at a constant temperature, decreasing cooling costs dramatically.
Because they’re so small, building a home that’s entirely off-grid isn’t difficult to accomplish. Many owners choose to go with renewable energy sources and environmentally-conscious ways of handling waste. Solar panels are easy to install and can usually power the entire home effectively, eliminating energy costs.
5. Ditch the Baggage
People are naturally prone to collecting things they don’t need. Whether it has sentimental value or is something that’ll be used only once in a blue moon, clutter takes up space. In fact, one of the biggest reasons that people move into larger homes is so that they have space for all of their belongings. Luckily, tiny houses force you to downsize.
With limited space for storage, you’ll have to get rid of all of the unnecessary baggage. All of those useless trinkets you’ve never used and piles of stored clothes will be out of your life for good. While it may seem hard at first, it’ll actually lift a large load off your soldiers. There will be less to keep track of and worry about. This results in less stress and more freedom. Instead of spending money on useless items, spend it on memorable experiences.
6. See the World
If you have wanderlust, a tiny house is perfect. With a standard home, you’d have to lock up and constantly worry about your home’s safety while you’re out seeing the world. With a tiny home, you can actually bring it with you. Many tiny homes are built on trailers for convenience and mobility. With a large truck, you can hitch your home and take it on the road.
A tiny home on wheels will give you the freedom to explore. Furthermore, these homes save a ton in lodging fees. Depending on how the home is set up, you could easily find an RV park to call you backyard for the night. You can connect any utilities and fall asleep in the comfort of your own home. You can fall asleep under the stars wherever you desire.
Even if the home isn’t on wheels, their small size makes it possible to move on a whim. If you ever get tired or bored of the city you’re living in, you can easily move it elsewhere. Cranes can easily lift a tiny home and plop it onto a trailer for easy transport. Tiny homes adapt to any lifestyle and can accompany you on your journey, wherever it may take you.
7. Stay Close With the Ones You Love
How many times have you isolated yourself away from loved ones at home by simply staying in a single room? Larger homes have the space to keep families separate. It’s not uncommon for families to live entirely separate lives despite living under one roof. In a tiny home, you spend more time with the people that matter.
Tiny homes are especially great for couples starting a life together because you’re never really far apart from each other. Couples will spend all of their time in the home together, even if they’re doing separate tasks. This creates a stronger bond in the long run. Even if problems and fights occur, the small space forces people to talk and work out their problems. People get comfortable when they’re close together, and there’s no easier way to connect than in a small house.
These are just some of the countless reasons why people choose to live in tiny homes. Every person has their own unique reasons for why they live their lifestyle. Smaller homes take out the negative aspect of home ownership and let people live the way they want to.