The Tiny Home Trend

Flipping through the television channels and social media, you may have noticed that many people are shifting towards downsizing their living space. Shows like Tiny House, Big Living and Tiny House Nation document the trending transition to tiny homes.

So why are so many Americans jumping on the tiny home bandwagon?

According to TheTinyLife.com, the average home is 2600 square feet – compared to the minimal square footage for tiny homes, averaging between 100 – 400 square feet! Those joining the Tiny House Movement are doing so to protect the environment, live frugally and have the freedom to travel.

With their petite structure, many tiny house homeowners have found financial freedom that would have been difficult to achieve had they opted for a mortgage on a traditional home. The savings from high property taxes, lower maintenance costs and less major repairs are illustrations of many sources of household savings through Tiny Homeownership. The mobility of these homes, in conjunction with financial savings also allows for individuals to pay off debts and save more of their income for travel expenses they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Unsurprisingly, tiny homes use less materials, thus decreasing the amount of lumber for building and fuel used to transport supplies.  Stemming from the small size of the home, it is also more feasible to use environmentally friendly materials that would be far more expensive if used on a larger home.  In contrast to traditional real estate, tiny homes can be easily powered by solar panels due to their small stature, hence drastically decreasing energy use. This means lower utility bills and more money to save or use for other life style priorities.  All in all it is very easy to “go green” in a tiny home! 

Aside from all of these benefits, many are finding it difficult to find a place to “park” their tiny home.  In an article from The Washington Post, most homeowners use the land of family members, friends, or rent space in an RV Park.  However, many governments around the U.S have not caught up to the legality of tiny homes regarding building codes and parking provisions.  So still some work to do to make this a stronger part of mainstream. 

Now that you’ve got the scoop, do you think you could trade in your home for a tiny house?