While tiny homes continue to rise in popularity, their presence in the mainstream is more than a trend — it’s a movement. And tiny houses are more than their limited square footage, they’re a lifestyle change.
Moving into a miniaturized version of a Craftsman or Tudor or even an RV requires an adjustment to many aspects of your life. It can change the way you cook, sleep, how much and what you choose to accumulate. In essence, tiny houses can be like a remodel to your life. If you’re considering downsizing to a tiny home, here are the Top 5 things to consider about your space efficient structure.
5.) Weather
Weather is likely to affect you in a different way than if you were in a standard house. How so? Well, for one, regular homes are set on a foundation, keeping them steadily in place. Tiny homes can come in such a variety, built on flatbeds, balanced on a set of wheels or a renovated version of an actual RV, so wind can be a factor.
In the case of renovating an existing mobile structure like an airstream or other type of RV, you have to be mindful of how your new tiny house’s windows are sealed. It can be a common gripe, so make sure the outside of the structure is ready for the elements.
4.) Size
If you’re planning to be mobile, keep in mind that some lots and places to park your tiny home have size restrictions whether it be a camp site, RV Park or beyond. Keeping in mind size specifications, units smaller than 26 feet often have the most ease in fitting a prescribed plot.
Also, if you’re planning to hit the road with your tiny home or tow it in the future, its size can impact your experience on the actual road and even impact your vehicle choice in regards to how much it can haul.
3.) Location
Where you set up will impact many of your responsibilities related to your tiny home, even its build. Are you setting it on a foundation? Will you have sewer access or will you need to have the ability to store and empty gray and black water? Will you own the land or need to pay rent? Is your location temporary or permanent? Will you be expected to move the structure at a later date? With that in mind, does it need to remain mobile?
There are many aspects that deserve consideration when it comes to the location, whether you’re buying it ready made or building it yourself.
2.) Stuff
It’s rather easy to accumulate a boatload of belongings over the course of a lifetime. Through the years you often pick up furniture pieces, keepsakes, an extensive wardrobe and so much more.
As the famous line in Fight Club goes, sometimes “the things you own, end up owning you” with a tiny house, that reality is out of your hands. There’s only so much room. You’ll need to parcel out which items are actually important to you and what actually fits in your new dwelling.
1.) Cost
Cost can work both ways when it comes to tiny homes. You might be building a home from scratch or renovating an airstream. Keep track of what you’re spending on materials, as it can often amount to more than expected. And keep in mind that you will have to pay for where it rests, whether that be in a mobile park or vacant lot. That said, it will undoubtably be cheaper than building a regular sized dwelling.
