People have chosen to live in properties that were once lighthouses, water mills, factories, narrow boats and even shipping containers. Reasons behind their decisions have been personal. Some have liked the experience while others have found it to be quite an adjustment.
If there is only one or two of you, a four-bed house may be more than is needed. Instead of living in a large house, consider other possibilities like a studio apartment, a one or two-bed apartment or sharing with others. If you want to think alternatively, there is also the option of a tiny house.
What Is A Tiny Home
A tiny home is one that has a total internal space measurement of between approximately 7 - 45 square metres and it can be a serious option if:
You are in a position where you are yet to find a permanent place to live,
The responsibility of a big house is not one you want
You want to own your home, and you are currently unable to afford a conventional home.
One good thing about tiny homes is you can choose if you want it to be portable or static. It also can be relatively inexpensive to own compared to a standard home.
If you opt for your tiny home to be portable, you would be like a turtle or a snail, who travel with their homes on their backs.
Why Live In A Tiny Home?
The reason for residing in a tiny house is a personal one. It could be for financial reasons, wanting to downsize, a lifestyle choice, change in circumstances, wanting to have a bolt hold while travelling the world, wanting to connect more with nature or the freedom it will give you.
One thing is for certain, living in a tiny house is not for everyone. Many would not be able to cope with only having a small living space.
Others are fine to have a small living space inside, so long as they have plenty of outside space, which could be in the form of a patio, roof deck or having lots of open space as soon as you step outside the front door.
For those just starting out – a chance to save money could be a motivator to live in a tiny house - think of it as an investment. Whereas, for those who are older and downsizing, releasing equity by selling their current home and buying a tiny house is a way to fund retirement.
A Tiny House Must Have
One thing that a tiny home requires and is a must, is for all pieces of furniture to have more than one purpose. Ideally, each piece of furniture should have two or three uses.
So the sofa not only acts as a place to sit, it should also have space underneath where linen can be stored, and if you have a guest, it can be converted to a bed.
A mirror on the wall can double up as a window and also a TV screen if possible.
If there are stairs the space between each step can also house drawers for storing cooking supplies and any unused space underneath the stairs can be a wardrobe
By having multi-functioning items in the home, there is no need to forgo any of the modern day comforts we have come to expect in our homes.
Pros And Cons Of Tiny Living
Like anything we do, there are pros and cons to living small. Some will be obvious, others you’ll find out about once you start living with less.
Listed below are a few pros and cons worth taking into consideration when thinking about switching to living tiny.
Pros
It is a less expensive way to own your home
It can be portable
Less space to maintain = fewer chores
Mortgage free living can be achieved quickly
Able to save money at a faster rate
Cons
Lack of personal space if occupied by multiple people
Lack of standard utilities usually found in the home
no plumbed toilet
not connected to the electricity grid
no phone line
not connected to water mains
You have to have somewhere to put it which can be challenging if you do not own land
Building code black hole - the law is yet to come up with a set of building codes for tiny homes
Conclusion
With house prices seemingly always on the increase and wages not keeping up, there is a whole group of people that are unable to purchase their ideal first home on their own without banding together with others or help from family members.
There are also those at the other end of the spectrum who have plenty of their money tied up in their home and are looking for ways to release it so they can fund their retirement.
A solution for both these groups of people is to start small or downsize to a tiny home.
The young would be able to get themselves financially stable without feeling they have missed out on buying a property and the older generation by downsizing would be able to release a sizable portion of their wealth which they can use to do the things they have always wanted to do.
Before committing to living in a small space, try it out first. This way you would be able to come up with your list of pros and cons for tiny living.
