Staff Writer
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| Picture taken from: FYI Tiny House Nation |
Often called “Hobbit Habitats”, the Tiny
House Movement is sweeping across the nation. Many Americans live with
excessive amounts of what they don’t need. Our economy runs not only on what
people need, but what people want. Not everyone needs the new iPhone 6, a
curved TV, or old projects from elementary school. Since the recession in 2008,
paying the mortgage alone has been difficult for many families across the U.S.
As a result, the Tiny House movement is spreading across the country for all
kinds of people because of the simple lifestyle required and lower cost of
living.
The Tiny House movement encourages people
to downsize and to live a simple lifestyle. The average tiny house is 100-400
square feet, compared to the average American home at about 2,600 square feet.
Downsizing can be a long process, because many people don’t realize how many
unnecessary items are in their house. Clutter can vary from school projects to
having multiple versions of clothing, and kitchen items. Due to the drastic
difference in area, storage space is the most important and creative part of a
tiny house. Furniture, walls, and cabinets have to be versatile. Mirrors can
double as cabinets, beds can fold into the wall, couches and ottomans can
double as storage units, and bulletin boards can fold down into a table. The
possibilities are endless.
There are three main types of tiny
houses. The first is a stationary tiny house. These houses tend to be easily connected
to water lines, septic tanks, and electricity. They are the smoothest
transition from an average sized home. Stationary tiny houses people are able
to have TV, Wi-Fi, and indoor plumbing. Another type is a mobile tiny house,
which has to be small enough to fit on a trailer. The options of having
televisions and electricity are still available, but no septic tank. There are
different ways of getting rid of waste, but the most common are composting or
incinerating systems. The last type is off the grid tiny houses, which have no
water lines, septic tanks, electricity, or Wi-Fi. These houses usually have
floor to ceiling windows for natural light and wood burning stoves for cooking
and heating. This is living completely off the land, but with the comfort of a
house. These houses can also be mobile and are great for camping or an all-natural
lifestyle.
One factor that draws many families to
the idea of tiny living is the low cost and upkeep. The average cost of an
American home is $290,000 without maintenance costs or loans. The average cost
of building a tiny house is $23,000. There are pre-built tiny houses on the
market that can cost anywhere from $20,000-$80,000. Tiny living is not for
everyone, but tiny houses are a big movement.
